Last Friday, I was in Macau. After eschewing the glitz and empty promises of the many casinos, I chose instead to explore the historic heart of the island, starting with a visit to the Protestant cemetry, housing the souls of the earliest settlers of Macau, with headstones dating back to the early 1700s. 

Wandering the cobblestoned streets, open-mouthed and wide-eyed, I paused at the entrance to a little antique shop, “Jimmy’s Treasures”.

An elderly man came to the door, and gestured to the watches with the waving hands of Mao. I smiled a “no thanks” and he invited me into his shop. Surrounded by the ancient pottery horses, chickens and other significant figurines, along with the famous Ming vases and distinctive ceramics that China is famous for, I was captivated by Jimmy’s command of English and extensive knowledge of Australia. He even knew about the dingo fences! 

An hour passed like ten minutes as he shared his stories of growing up in Macau. Now eighty years old, he has had his shop for forty of those years, proudly displaying photos of dignitaries and celebrities who have been to his shop and taken home their works of art. He lovingly spoke about his family, his work ethic, his shop, his love of learning and his self-education. His sense of humour was wonderful, and I knew I was in the presence of great wisdom. 

We exchanged cards, with Jimmy laughingingly suggesting his last name, Ng, stood for “Jimmy No-Good!”  I prefer to think of him as “Jimmy Noble-Gentleman.” 

Jimmy spoke of the recent earthquakes in Burma and China, and said “we give to these people, not because we are Chinese, or Macau, or Australian, but because we are HUMAN!”  

This precious hour reinforced the unity we have as humans on this magnificent planet. That no matter where we are born, or which language we speak, we share universal values of love, freedom, humour and belonging.  Unexpected encounters such as this remind me of why I love to travel. I didn’t need a Ming dynasty vase, or a Tang dynasty horse to remind me of the timeless and priceless nature of connecting with another human heart.   

“Jimmy’s Treasures” indeed.