Macau - there is something that looks and feels amazingly simple about this place. No one's in a hurry to do anything. And there is no one saying "tenson mat lo" 'cos there isn't any. The general ambiance is quite laid back but not lackadaisical. It is simple and efficient.
Yours truly had the opportunity to be in this tiny province in May and came away awed by its simple efficiency, simple elegance and an even simpler philosophy - life is for living..... pleasurable living.... whatever be the pleasure that you seek. Some of you could say it is ironical such a place exists in the Orient - known for its austere philosophers that purveyed spirituality to this World. But even unapologetic pursuit of pleasure, that looks mundane and base, could be viewed as spiritual when taken to the superlative degree of refinement as it is in Macau!!
Macau is a small island south eastern part of China, 61 kms fm Hong Kong. It was a Portuguese colony till 1999 and handed back over to China, like Hong Kong. It is currently run as specially administered province of China and will stay without being assimilated into China until 2049 as part of the transfer in 1999. It boasts of a very high literacy (93%) and a life expectancy of 83+ years. It has one of highest per capita incomes in the region. The affluence is grossly apparent from the moment you step into the country. Chinese and portuguese are official languages. The currency is MOP$, translates to something like Rs.5.8.
The main industry in Macau is tourism (read gambling plus plus...). There are some 16 major casinos and all that come with it. Of course, Macau has very nice central districts that has an European feel and you could walk for hours, window shopping and walking on cobblestone streets and sidewalks. You would find very old churches and chinese style temples too.
Macau is easy to get to from India. Just fly into Hong Kong Int'l A'port (several airlines including K'fisher, Jet, Air India fly to HK fm all major cities of India) and go down to the basement to get into a ferry station and then on to Macau on a 45 minute fast boat/ferry ride. There is no visa required for entry into Macau. They will simply stamp your passport at the ferry station at Macau upon landing. Baggage is also automatically transferred from you airlines to the ferry by the ferry operators. Didn't I say everything was simple and efficient.
Most hotel-cum-casinos have buses that pick you up at the ferry station and also drop you back. Each hotel is grandiose and would make a megalomaniac proud. Each seem to be competing with the other in proving who's more "over the top" in scale and size.
Yours truly had the good fortune to stay at The Venetian, one of the grandest of them all. As the name implies, it has been inspired by Venice in Italy. More of it later.
The check-in was so simple - at least 50 counters, all manned (womanned really) - and you are checked in within seconds. The same happens at check-out with amazingly simple efficiency. If you can show the money (or plastic too is ok) everything is so simple here!!!
The size of this hotel is truly awe-inspiring. It has a floor area of 10 million sq feet (1 million sq m). Yes..... I did say ten million sq ft. Some 3000 suites, 1.2 million sq ft of convention space, 1.6 million sq ft of mall space and retail shops, a 15000 seater closed-arena, and half a million sq ft of casino space.
Now get this....... The first floor is where you find Grand Canal shops - a mega mall of shops selling the finest of things, all super brands and all at quite attractive prices. A nice canal runs through this entire mall and you simply have walkways and shops on either side of it. You could enjoy a gondola ride in the canal with even a gondolier singing arias as she/he ferries you around the canals. The "sky" has just the right level of subdued lighting and a smattering of clouds and at mid-day you are fooled into believing it is really twilight. You could walk for over 3 hours in these Grand Canal shops but still not do justice to all the shops and still leave many a side alley unexplored. Such is the scale of this place. And there isn't a thing you won't find in these shops to buy. What about a 2-pc business suits from Rs. 5000 all the way to Rs. 110000, from local brands to Zara to Armani/Gucci. You can imagine similarly the choices, range and quality of other products (Ahem!). And there is no limit to the indulgence once can get into.... The best thing is food - inexpensive but of top quality and truly baffling range. Everything - polite taxidrivers to lively shop-keepers and shop assistants spoil you for both choice and good service. The entertainment choices are breath-taking (pun-intended)and I shall leave it that.
What was quite suprising was the number of Indian families coming from India - mainly Mumbai and Delhi - with children and also old folks for a holiday. Am sure some travel agents are running special packages for long weekends in the Metros.
Macau is something that a South-Indian guy like me with a conservative upbringing would have found difficult to palate in the past. However, sensitised by the current "KANK" generation and in recent times by the Nityananda-types, Macau does not look that sinful after all......
Inner engineering - had heard so much about this program that I finally succumbed to my curiosity. Am also in a transition phase in my career and thought I had done so much of outer Engineering - Education, Networking, continuous learning of techniques and tools so felt it is time for some Inner Engineering. A three and a half day investment seemed quite appropriate as well at the Isha Centre in a scenic setting near Coimbatore. Here are some key learnings and insights for the ones interested….. First, it is a completely new journey into a realm that is beyond our normal logical, questioning mind. It calls for a leap of faith into a new dimension not easily explained by the axioms we are so familiar with in day to day life. However, it is done in a very "secular", non denominational, non-religious manner without pushing you too much. So well packaged and marketed in my view!! Second, it is an intense program both mentally and physically. You are in the program 24 hrs...
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