Makin' it in Macau

Me (to a new friend in Hong Kong): I think I'll go to Macau on Monday.
NFIHK: Macau? Why? Do you like gambling?
Me: No, not really
NFIHK: So you're into working girls?
Me: No, not at all.
NFIHK: So why are you going to Macau then?

That pretty much sums up the attitude of Hong Kongers, and the rest of the world, to the ex-Portuguese now proudly Chinese colony that is Macau.

After spending the day here, my theory is that the amount of sin and the amount of Churches in any given place are directly correllated. Like all things Portuguese, Macau is a deeply Catholic place, with Churches liberally dotted through the landscape. They are dwarfed only by the seemingly endless parade of neon-lit Casinos, ensuring that the old cliche about a fool and his (or, increasingly, her) money is proven correct.

Comments

Michael Barnett said…
When I was in Hong Kong in 1990 I was going with my friend Alex for a day trip to Macau. Silly me had not brought my passport with me so I could not board the ferry to get there, leaving Alex to go spend the day there solo.

My friend Jack with whom I was staying convinced me to buy a Nikon SLR camera, given they were relatively affordable in Hong Kong and as I now had the day spare.

That was the start to my (renewed) interest in photography and I haven't looked back since.

Mikey.
18 January 2005 at 11:53
Anonymous said…
ahhh i love Macau

for neither of those reasons

hope your enjoying it

and if you need someone else to show you some more of hong kong

let me know and i can pass on your email to my fiance

-kristy
21 January 2005 at 00:14
Isabel said…
Hi there,

Like it or not, gambling and "working girls" are (and always will be) what Macau is known for. The local government is very determined to turn the city into the 2nd Las Vegas, and local pros are simply too "friendly" and "affordable" to pass up. That said, I must admit that there's more to the city than people think. I like that it's got a lot of history built into it, the locals are friendly and less money-minded. Life is simple is Macau in a sense that because it's so small there really isn't much to do, so you're almost forced to pay closer attention to your surroundings and learn to apprceciate the little things in life. I went there for a retreat by myself last year, and that's where I'd finally figured out the purpose of my existence (i.e. to drink until eyes bleed and continue being a loser).

I will always like Macau the way it is - an old Hong Kong with a slight Portuguese twist.

Chrissy the Self-degrading Specialist
25 January 2005 at 20:24
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