Our trip to Macau and Hongkong was the family's first to celebrate the New Year. With a family this big (we're 7), it is difficult for us to take a vacation without the budget planes. When my mom hinted on wanting to go to Macau, I eagerly persuaded her to book us a flight. That was October. We got bookings on 12.28.08-01.02.09 for Macau via Cebu Pacific (Clark).
Fast track to December. I wasn't too excited for this trip. Well maybe because I had so many things to do with so little time. With only 2.5 weeks of break from school (well, don't consider it a break because I have to study and be ready for my own report to Fr. B and for the midterms, which is up in 2 weeks!), I didn't bother being excited for this trip knowing I had so many things on my mind. But alas, the break has ended and I have accomplished nothing, as in zero percent!!!! Good job, NiKKi, now you'll definitely get that DL! Good job, good job!
Macau has been dubbed as the Las Vegas of the East. Thanks to the big casinos in Vegas, Macau is the only place in China, according to Smile Magazine (of Cebu Pacific), which made gambling legal. With the cobble-stoned sidewalks (I wonder how long it took for those whoever made them to finish "cobble-stone-ing" the sidewalks) and the not-so-Chinese-inspired architecture (which are actually Portuguese-inspired because it is the latter's former colony), you get the feel of a small city--much like that of toy cities, those made for the films like Universal studios.
Must-sees in Macau: Senado Square and its architecture, Ruins of St. Paul, Wynn Hotel, The Venetian (of course), Macau Tower
And while you're in Macau, spend a day in Hongkong (which we did) via the ferry (JetFerry, I think), which will take at most 1 hour to get there.
I won't be wasting your time reading what we've been doing in Macau and Hongkong, but if you insist, then click here to see our gazillion pictures (ok, we're vain). :p
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There are so many Filipinos working in Macau. We felt like we never left the Philippines because there would always be that Filipino saleslady or those Filipino security guards or that Filipino waitress, who are always eager to talk with you. We've seen and heard a lot of Filipinos around Macau. But 3 Filipinos caught our attention. I don't know their names so I'll just name them as Fil 1, 2 and 3. :p
Fil 1: The Filipino saleslady. We first met her at the only Crocs store near the Catedral de Se (where we heard mass for Jan 1). Apparently, she is a Cabalen as well. Miggy's Crocs-hunting was made easy because of her. During her day off, when Raffy decided to buy one the next day, it took us too long to communicate with the saleslady there. When I bought a pair, she wasn't there either, because I think her shift was over. But when Gabby bought the bag and a pair, she gave him a discount and more of their shopping bags. Daya. I could have saved 40 bucks from that!
Fil 2: The Filipino waitress. She served us during our lunch in the restaurant beside the Macau Tower. Again, she is a Cabalen as well from Tarlac. What made her significant for me, at least, is that she told us her story and how hard it is for her to be in Macau and leave her 2 kids with her mom, knowing that her husband, who filed an annulment case against her, wants to get them from her.
Had the manager been gone to take a day off, she would have given us 25% off from our bill! Sayang!
Fil 3: The Filipino guard. Again, a Cabalen who had been in Macau for 3 years already. He knew my dad, so that made him significant. He was a former bodyguard of one of my dad's clients, hence the connection. We met him in the entrance of Sasa, one of the stores in Macau similar to Beauty Bar in the Philippines. But not as elegant like Beauty Bar, it's more of Beauty Bar + Watsons in the Philippines.
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