we took a rather relaxing trip to macau a couple weeks back. staying away from the casinos, we walked our way through most of the city, taking the bus when the distance was too far. two days in macau was more than enough; near the end of the trip we weren’t sure of what to do or where to go anymore. a tiny place, a disneyland for gamblers, but with small effort you can find charm in this gritty gritty city.
walking through the old streets of taipa village; very photogenic area.
macau is quiet at night; only the casinos are still running in full force. we wanted to grab a late dinner, the restaurants still open being the ones that sold pig brains and dog… quite relieved that we found this street corner dai pai dong, the abalone congee was delicious.
we stayed at a really cute hotel, pousada de mong ha, run by trainees from macau tourism school. not only was everyone there super-eager to please, but the place itself was in a really peaceful area; the hotel used to be a fortress, sitting atop a small hill in a park, above the clatter of macau. the prices are really reasonable, highly recommended (also, the king size bed is wider than it is long - it’s a great bed 
we went to macau ox warehouse, and saw an exhibition called “prelude to the 10th anniversary of 1999 macau mandover. the pieces weren’t spectacular, but i was really impressed once again by the warehouse site; it’s large and roomy, and has so much charm to it. makes me wonder if getting a studio in macau is such a crazy idea…


we also went to alternative space, a space that i’d never been to before. the pieces on show were alright; in some ways it sort of reminded me of my own stuff, installations that involved lots of hanging and dangling. the artist specializes in mixed media, especially in fabrics. i did feel that the pieces were a little too literal; there wasn’t much mystery to them, and it was a little too easy to conclude what the meanings were behind each piece. a little too accessible and… pretty.
some installations looked better on photo than in real life.
overall, it was exciting to go on a two day trip, but i think it was more about the company than about the place itself. don’t think i’ll need to go to macau again anytime soon