East meets west. I thought this to be over used when reading descriptions of Macau. However, it rings true but not in the way I imagined. Yes it is obvious there still is the linger or Portuguese colonisation. There is period european buildings in pastel pinks and yellows with white painted skirting and window frames. Go into any bakery and pick up an array of pastries and cakes, from Portuguese egg tarts to crazy bean curd danishes (clearly a chinese influence) and my favourite french delight croissants.
One thing you can't miss in Macau is the marvel of modern architecture of the casino industry. Big, modern, bold, gold and oozing wealth, it is the Vegas of the east. American casino's rain supreme, yet the Lisboa give's them all a run for there money literally. The Lisboa is one of Macau's oldest established casino's and Macau's skyline would not be the same with out the grander of the new Lisboa building.
Given the modernisation and wealth that comes with such a large casino industry I expected to really feel the western influence. Firstly, on my travel's I have barely spotted many westerns out and about. There are plenty of western shops, yet not a lot of western food, Maccas is the western fast food chain i have come across. Most difficult is the language barrier. The official languages of Macau are Cantonese and Portuguese. English is taught at school as a second language. Despite this i have a few local speak to me in Cantonese. One lady tapped me on the shoulder and was pointing and trying to tell me something. The other was a old man sitting on the bench across from me in a Garden. He approached me (hopefully realising i am western) and just started chatting. I tried to tell him i don't speak Cantonese. This failed to work and he walked off.
This is my experience of Macau thus far. I do have much more to write in the coming weeks.
xx
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