Missing Macanese Money

---

Aloha Earthlings,

I have sat down to write this blog entry three times now. I really hope I get through it this time... I’m not sure what to write anymore. The ‘strangeness’ of my life isn’t strange anymore. I have to think about is interesting, when it used to be painfully obvious. Life as I know it involves eating pig spine, dealing with typhoons, flirting in Cantonese, and putting on long sleeve shirts in 70 degree weather (SO COLD!). Okay... that does sound weird. They tell me the seasons are changing but I don’t believe it. We have gone from really hot and muggy to really hot and muggy with more clouds, whoopty-doo.

I have kept busy since we last chatted. The big headlines would read; New Apartment Old Building!. . . New Stickers for a New Semester . . . and maybe Foreign Man Eats Macau!

My new apartment is REALLY nice, all modern looking and clean… on the inside. The outside looks like an 18th century Haitian prison, but whatever, the actual apartment is awesome. The apartment is closer to school too. It only takes about 3 Michael Jackson songs (2 if ballads) on the IPod or a coke and bag of chips to get there.

I also got a shipment of literally THOUSANDS of stickers. THOUSANDS, I have an entire sticker drawer packed to the brim with American stickers. Without which I would be run out of school. My kindergarten kids are now finding it absolutely hilarious to play cover the teacher in stickers. Now when I come home it is normal to find a couple of stickers still stuck to my butt (thanks Aunt Chris!). Ha, school is still a treat. The new semester has begun and with it new names. New names given include Riley, William, Lynn, Ann, Brent and others. I actually work at two different schools for TPR and on weekends I take a motorcycle taxi to the other building. Really I take motorcycle taxis everywhere along with everyone else in China. Let me give some information on this all important means of travel.

“Throughout China motorcycle taxis are one of the most popular means of transportation. They are super cheap, fast, and extremely unsafe. After a little bartering you can travel around 3 miles for about 5 kwai (75 cents US). Always negotiate a price before you leave! If you don't speak Chinese come prepared with written Chinese instructions. Every taxi driver will give you a cheap little plastic baseball hat for a helmet, although wearing the decoration is solely up to you. When riding along keep valuables in zippered pockets and hands firmly clenched to the handles. I recommend trying to keep your eyes open for this adventure but riding in the opposite lane while your driver text messages his girlfriend may be a little shocking at first. Don't worry you did put on your plastic hat right? At the end of your trip pay the driver, thank God, and promise to be a better person. After the first trip if you are unphased and not on the way to the hospital I'd recommend it as a great way to travel. Go ahead cheat death a little more, it's fun! Pretty soon you'll be riding moto-taxis everyday and texting your girlfriend while staring down oncoming traffic too.”

I actually wrote that garble for some website looking for “insider information” about life in China. Motorcycle taxis aren’t nearly that thrilling so I sizzled it up for them. I wouldn’t normally include that in the blog but I’ve really struggled to finish this particular entry so it’s just something extra to chew on.

Okay let’s wrap this up strong with some stories about my trip to Macau. Macau is China but not China. The same way Hong Kong is China but not China. Macau is really tiny, think Cedar Point size only a little bigger.

The city is considered the gambling capital of the far east. American casinos are all over the place such as The Wynn, The MGM Grand, The Sands, and The Venetian. Of course the first day I had to go to the Venetian and try my luck on the slot machines.

I decided I could waste 100 Hong Kong dollars without a problem. I put my 100 dollar note in what I believed to be the 1 dollar slot machine. I figure I can play for awhile here. I stared for a moment at this slot machine wondering what to do. The machine was in Chinese and English but I have no clue what I’m doing. Lines? What are lines again? And how many should I play? And what button should I push?? To top it all off the machine doesn’t even have one of those cool arm lever things to pull. I push one button. Nothing happens. I push another button. Nothing. I push a third button. The slots are spinning!! Come on baby!! I’m feeling HOT tonight… The slots stop. Nothing happens. No bells or whistles... just a big fat zero starring me in the face where all my money should be. I lost everything. I don’t know what I did but somehow in a single spin I had wagered it all and lost. I truly hate gambling.

The rest of the day I spent wandering around the city getting fat on the local food out of sheer boredom. Turns out besides gambling there isn’t a lot to do in Macau. I did however go to the top of one of the tallest towers in the world. The world’s highest platform bungee jump is off this tower. I was tempted to jump… but that is one safety lesson in Cantonese I don’t want to ignorantly nod my way through.

While in Macau I also met an American professional poker player who makes his living gambling. Watching him casually throw around thousands of dollars blew my mind a little bit. He was very cool to let me sit in at his table watch him play for a couple hours, always showing me his cards as he played. He was VERY good. He said he could pick out who was good at the table and would basically avoid them and just take money from the rich tourists, and it showed.

Macau was a nice treat, a little RnR before this current semester started. I am now knee deep in classes and will start more classes next week. I do have another holiday the 1st of October but I’m not sure where I want to go yet, any suggestions?

Okay I’m spent. Anything you want me to write about? Tell me. Have the best week ever, Zai Jain!

---

Photos

Casino
Cool looking Casino that was near my hostel

Casino Lobby
pretty, these people have money

Statue
Mixture of Chines and Portugese style. I think it's suppose to the Mary the Virgin Mother.

Cash Money
From right to left there is Macau Patacas, an American Dollar, Hong Hong Dollars, Chinese Yuan, Chinese Jiao, and various coins

More stores
Mostly Jewelry and "massage"

Scarlett Johanson
Selling stuff in the far east

Observation deck
tourists from all over the far east were here, Japan, Korea, India, Australia ect.

Macau
People ontop of people. One of the higest population densities in the world.

Scooter anyone
I thought zhongshan had a lot of scooters

more scooters
where did I park again..

jewelry store
everywhere

Jewelry stores
seriously everywhere

The town at night
I dunno

Bridge to other island in Macau
blam

The Sands
there is no concern for about the electric bill here

MGM Grand
MGM Grand Lion

Casinos
don't play the "dollar" slots

My hostel
My hostel was really just some guys flat who rented out beds, but it worked

Macau Tower
thats it!

Macau
thats about all of it. Take note of the golden odd shaped building in this picture, you can use it as a reference point in the next photo.

Macau
there is the golden building, now on the left

Comments

[Aunt Liz]

School Daze
Hi Nate, I am enjoying your blog. Thanks for sticking with it...it's one of the great vicarious thrills in my life right now! I would love to know more about your classes. What materials do you use to teach (besides stickers)? Can you see your students improving? Do they have to learn how to write? Do they take tests? Homework? Do you get any training as a teacher? Does the academy evaluate your teaching skills too? Keep the stories coming. Maybe they sound normal to you, but it all looks exotic to me. Aunt Liz

[Ann]

I have a real helmet in the mail to you, (just kidding)! I'm not sure your Mom and Dad can keep your vivid descriptions of travel on a motor bike out of their heads though! Scary but hilarious! Hope all of your classes don't wear you out too much. Keep your blogs coming, you're "mundane" is still quite exciting for the rest of us. Love, Ann

[Chris Holland]

Hey Nate!
Hey Nate -- still sounds like everything is going great. I do agree with your Aunt Liz to tell us more about your classes -- homework, ages of students, numbers of students, how is your classroom set up, do they give you training, etc., etc., etc. We've been spoiled here with our weather - but its supposed to be changing soon. When the leaves turn colors do you want me to press some and send them to you, not sure that is something you could use (or want) there. Love the blogs, keep them coming -- very entertaining!! Love, Aunt Chris

[Joe]

Just remember...
...I sit in a cubicle for 10 hours every day. Sometimes longer. Glad things are well, koff. Glad things are well.

[NateK]

Thanks for the offer Aunt Chris, but thats okay, our leaves should fall eventually (I think) it just will take a couple more months, enjoy the nice weather while you have it!

[NateK]

hello
I　didnt mean to mislead, Im from actually from the midwest (ohio).. Yes Im teaching in Zhongshan China which is about an hour away from Macau. Good luck with your travels!!

[Rachael Nonis]

Would you be interested?
Hi Nathan, I am from Ink Publishing Singapore. We publish inflight magazines for airlines all over the world. I am currently working on Fah Thai, the inflight magazine for Bangkok Airways. Since we fly to Macau, our readers would like some insiders information from a local resident or frequent traveller to the area. Would you be interested in doing this for us, since I saw you recently wrote insiders info on China. Do contact me via email and I can provide you with more info. Thank you, Rachael Nonis