Macau-Hong Kong Double-Bill - Macau

All right. I know you people are asking why I need to go to Hong Kong so often. As I have repeatedly stated, it has to do with an incredible feeling which infused me with a thirst for life when I first set foot there in 2008. Maybe it had really more to do with the circumstances then, but part of me wants to believe that it was the place. So there.

Besides, I had one free night's stay at a Hyatt Hotel which I had to use up before the end of August and the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong was as good a place as any to spend a weekend sojourn. And as further justification, I was going this time with my Dad, he who toiled for more than three decades to bring me up and who, although semi-retired, to this day still does most of the cooking and laundry. A free trip for him is thus hardly an adequate show of filial piety.

My Dad's presence however, did have a heavy bearing as to where we went. You see, I originally hoped to go to Shenzhen for the cheap and good food before drifting down to Hong Kong but my Dad favoured the...investment opportunities that nestled in Macau so oh well... Filial piety right?

Only problem was that by the time it was confirmed that my Dad was coming, I had already booked my flight for Hong Kong. No problem though, nothing modern transportation and a little planning couldn't solve. So after touching down in Hong Kong, it was a quick transfer to the airport ferry service to Macau. Haven't they thought everything through?





For some inexplicable reason, there was a thick haze pervading Macau that day. But all the same, the Macau city skyline beckoned invitingly.




There is a real surfeit of top-class hotels in Macau and that fact is not lost on the traveller the minute he disembarks...



But I had already pre-booked my hotel - the Grand Hyatt Macau at the 'City of Dreams'. Bonus loyalty points, see? Here are some shots of the place as well as the hotel room.








For dinner, we when to Rua da Cunha (Guan Ye Jie in Chinese) for mixed shark's fin and seafood soup. The taste was above average but the ingredients were plentiful, with there being a real surfeit of seafood and shark's fin.

We also had high quality bird's nest. The texture was a little to fine and the taste a little underwhelming for me but my Dad says that this is the mark of top bird's nest so who am I to argue with the old man?

YOG - Table Tennis

I was going to let this event slip away into history until I realised that the YOG was unlikely to come back to Singapore again during my lifetime, and not, in any event, soon enough for me to remember what the 'Y' in YOG stood for.

And that is why I made it a point to go watch at least one event 'live' - and that was table tennis at the Indoor Stadium. What I didn't know at the time I made the decision was that tickets actually came with some nifty souvenirs, which was kind of cool.



The atmosphere at the Indoor Stadium was good too....





The last major multi-sports event Singapore hosted was the SEA Games in 1993. I was half my age, two thirds of my present weight and had double the enthusiasm towards life and the future. Oh, I was also a student Guest Relations officer at the Games. It was with that nostalgia in mind that I asked to take a picture with this particular bevy... I would not have been able to do this in 1993 mind, for I was far too shy then...

YOG Full Dress Rehearsal

On 7 August, a friend had tickets so we headed down to the floating platform for the full dress rehearsal for the Opening Ceremony of the Youth Olympic Games. I was skeptical at first but it took just a few performances for me to conclude that this was one of the best spectacles I had ever seen. The atmosphere, the surroundings, everything... I was so proud I almost cried.

In fact, I told myself I would never pay money once more to watch a Cirque du Soleil performance. Why pay to watch foreign acts in an enclosed auditorium when you can watch an equally splendid performance by the future of Singapore under the stars, with the city skyline as a backdrop?





The Ceremony was divided into Chapters... Each with a different theme, but all equally stunning. My only regret is that we had to leave early so as to honour a barbecue appointment....

Hiatus In Hong Kong

I went to Hong Kong for the 6th time in slightly more than 2 years in July. It's not that I think it's fabulous but I went in search of a feeling I last had when I first visited the place in May 2008 -that of hope and anticipation, that there was something better in life just round the corner.

I didn't find it but I got quite a few pictures. These were taken on the first day when I stayed at Shatin.




A quick romp over the border to Shenzhen for theme parks and cheap food...












I particular like going to the heartlands of the various places I visit as opposed to the glitzy venues. Breakfast and a little walk-about there was very uplifting...







From the heartlands I moved to the city and stayed at the Hyatt Tsim Sha Tsui - how much closer to the action can one get?













And from the city, we move to the beach. Stanley is on the Southern side of the island and looks idyllic, quaint and rustic. This is definitely a place to be when temperatures are lower. I can well consider going back during spring, autumn or even winter. It was just a tad sweltering right smack in the summer!!