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Published: January 27th 2008
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Tuned to the hum of The Gambler... "Now ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin'
Is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep.
cause ev'ry hands a winner and ev'ry hands a loser,
And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep" Kenny Rogers probably loves Macau…why not? It's like a cool new Las Vegas without the cactus and rattlesnakes!
Macau, Macau…I first knew it as the origin of many bushels of firecrackers back in good ole' days of my misguided youth in Daly City, California. I also remember spending many hot Sacramento afternoons curled up on a big black leather sofa paging through my Uncle Art's collection of Time/Life travel books discovering the world...reading about Macau, south China, and Portuguese colonialism...
huh...Portugal? All those eternal questions about the globe...maybe that's why it took me such a
long time to finish a Geography degree? I can play
Jeopardy, though, very well, thank you.
The Daily Double...: A glass of Madeira at the mouth of the Pearl River.
Little did I know as a youngin' in 1966, that in the WTO-possessed
21st Century, Macau would become the
glitzy
Vegas of Asia...the
fast cash playground of mainland China…a place where good city planning revolves around a roulette wheel, cheesy hotels, and bad hair.
Macau is a special place for some, the road to the poorhouse for others. It's a SAR zone…China’s unique way of taking your money without even bothering to collect duties, or the usual $100us for a tourist visa! I'm in Macau to visit a friend, stay at the shi-shi
Posada de Mong-Ha, and pay homage to the many Chinese gods. For
good luck, my friend!
Dog’s been here before…several times. Gotta’ love all the old
Cat-olic churches,the pressed
Porta-gee sausage, and the unbelievably tasty little egg tarts (dogs eat egg tarts?). Macanese food is a unique blend of --
African, Chinese, Mediterranean -- tomatoes, olives, seafood, BBQ, coriander, rice...and as you know, we dogs can be choosy about what we eat...
yeah right! As I sauntered about the dark and dreary side streets I looked hopefully around for some local furry four-legged friends. There were none to be found (?) except for one cute little guy hiding in his mama’s purse in the market. Maybe they all get run over by race cars
Hey Mom!
the countdown to New Year's has begun... during the annual Grand Prix? Then I thought to myself…this is China and we -- man's best
friend (or to some,
favorite taco filling) -- are on the menu here,
n’est pas? In France they eat horses, in Thailand scorpions, in Macau, well….you get the picture…yes, you do (look below)!
Run, run, run away... Arrghhh…it is damn cold in Macau right now. Global warming skipped south China this January. Where's Al Gore when you need him,
forchrissakes!? Steam is rising heavily from every
hot pot full of salted Cod and baby bok choy in this town!
Macau, Macau…where the old is quickly being eclipsed by the new…the shiny, the sparkling, the
“Hey Jo, I just lost all my Pattaca at the Mah Jong table and have to head back to the farm!” Good thing the casino buses are free
to & fro the very busy, and heavily controlled, PRC border…
"take me home, country road, to the place that I love, sweet Gungxi...mountain mama...country road...take me home..." What are these little yellow comical rats running around my paws? They are everywhere, these little rats!…must be the week before New Year’s?…my favorite party! Time for a
Red Envelope or two...see you in Trang!
Macau, Macau…too cold for this furry fellow...it's time to take a fresh page from the book of sausage, head out on the byway, and catch a cheap cheap
Air Asia flight back to Thailand. Just don't be late at the gate...like Dog was in Hanoi recently...refund? refund?....no refund!...
argghh! Ah…Thailand—hot, steamy, spicy—lots of lazy dogs lying around just panting to talk story over ice cold Singha! Just the place to ride out the US/World recession...slowdown...deflation...
whatever!
When I think of Thailand a few verses from one of my favorite
Steely Dan tunes get stuck in my hard, thick, fuzzy head…
"You go back, Jack, do it again, wheels turning' 'round and 'round
You go back, Jack, do it again
When you know she's no high climber then you find your only friend
In a room with your two timer, but you're sure you're near the end
**side bar#1
(just for you rain-e)...long gone skibum Joe Mueller's favorite line from the song was...**
Then you love a little wild one, and she brings you only sorrow
All the time you know she's smiling', you'll be on your knees tomorrow You
go back, Jack, ...
Now you swear and kick and beg us that you're not a gambling' man;
Then you find you're back in
Macau with a handle in your hand
Your black cards can bring you money so you hide them when you're able
In the land of milk and honey you must put them on the table
You go back, Jack, ..."
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Jeanette
non-member comment
The Year of the Rat, Matt
Your travel log-blog is painting a rainbow for me. Its sometimes grey occassionally blue over here in England in January, so its doing me good to read about 'Dog on the loose' in Maccau. It's making me hungry too, must read your next blog after I've eaten. Keep on keepin' on, sounds like you are having far too much fun!