Our first stop – the new City of Dreams Casino. There, you find a "chips-stacking" Hard Rock Hotel. At the entrance, we saw a giant projection water-wall. From far, it looks like a big ocean tank. No Jaws or Willy Killer Whale here – the star of this water-wall projection is the semi-naked mermaid. Swimming across the digital wall, she seduced the shutterbugs and enticed you to lose your money inside. (She must be Harshad’s Fairy Godmother – He bet HKD20 and won HKD720 in his first 10 seconds inside the casino! Talk about voodoo luck!)

Next, we crossed the road to Venetian. Honestly, the old Venetian is still far more inviting and attractive than the City of Dreams. It has more "wow-effect" for the tourists. At Venetian, Hovman and I ordered Nasi Lemak at the "Raja Singapura" stall in the casino’s food court. Cousin Mike ordered our Singapore’s very own Hainan Chicken Rice.

Enough of the Vice City, we made our way to St Paul’s Ruins (to cleanse our awful greedy sin). It has been exactly 20 years since mom-in-law last visited Macau. She was here with Chups (when she was only 4 – the same age as Elkan!). It was awfully warm and humid today. There are many "walking attractions" around Macau – it is better to come to Macau during the cooler months.

(Photo Taken: Traffic jam on highway to Central – wonder who caused a longer jam?)

(Photo Taken: Wildfire Pub at Kimberley Room, Hong Kong) – 2 of my model friends from Taipei dropped by this week for a short 4-day visit. Being a nice lovely host, I bought them drinks at the local pub. Tied with my work, I didn’t have much chance to spend my time with these babes.

The numbers of my belongings are even more interesting. Back in 2006, I moved to Shanghai with only 4 boxes of DHL Jumbo Box.  In 2007, I moved to my 2nd home in Shanghai – with about 12 boxes. One year later in 2008 June, I was transferred to Hong Kong. By then, I have about 45 boxes of junk! And last week, we moved into our 4th new house – it was about 60 boxes!



Today, we decided to spend our first night at the new house. Hong Fei, Zeph and Harshad popped by for a mini house-warming visit! For the first time, Elkan has his own bedroom – more like his toyroom! Tracy has a beautiful bedroom, overlooking Kowloon. And for Felicia and me, it will be a night of relief. Finally, we need not to worry about Elkan’s sleeping Kongfu kicks.

It is always a pleasure to have Sam in our lives. Later that night, we chat about some new "realities and options" about our lives and career – and I couldn’t agreed more.  Sadly, we could not have more time with Sam as he flew out on Friday night. (I actually offered him my new home but he asked me "if there is any ghost in my house". Okay, what a way to reject a friend!)

Believe it or not – Hong Kong opened the world’s first and only full-size replica of Noah’s Ark that was built according to the biblical dimensions. Parked on Ma Wan, Hong Kong Park Island, this Ark is the latest Hong Kong religious attraction (open end May 2009). God’s holy invitation has expired so now, anyone can enter this Ark. Same price for the saint and the sinful – Admission is only HK100 for adult and HK85 for children.  It is pretty strange to see this holy icon at the foot of the highway bridges, I would have imagine having this built on the Peak instead! Well, the real Ark landed on the peak of Mount Ararat in Turkey some 6,000 years ago and remained one of the world’s biggest unsolved mysteries today. We have found the Lost Titanic. With today’s technology, mankind hasn’t been successful in rediscovering the Lost Ark.

Over at Ma Wan – At the boarding gate, you see dummies of animals alighting the Ark – but no sight of the celebrated Captain Noah and his family. Inside the Ark, you find a world of surprises. There is a REAL mini air-con zoo with live birds, insects and small animals (Mmm…and fishes too! I don’t think Noah took the fishes with him onboard!). There are exhibit halls about the Ark. There are also halls voicing about maintaining a Greener Earth – kinda of a misplace here and I felt like visiting a kiddy Science Centre. There are also limited resort rooms (yes, like hotel rooms) which you can stayed overnight. And not forgetting a big function hall where you can host your own mini United Nation "Save the World" Conference. 

Somehow, the more time you spent at the Ark, the more you got lost (and for me, frustrated). Clearly, the Ark is a simple great theme-park concept. But to the people who run it, they are having a major identity crisis. This theme park was 20% church, 10% resort rooms, 30% Science Centre talking about Green Earth, 20% Ark-related, 20% indoor zoo with tight small tortoring enclosures of animals. My God, the Ark isn’t the instrument to imprison lives. It is a portal of new Life. Let the animals go free! 

Perhaps, the people who build this are too greedy about what they want to show and tell. It was all over the place. And makes you left the Ark with an unsatisfied feeling. (It is like you paid for a Horror Film, you ended up watching Basic Instinct.) Even the souvenir shop doesn’t carry any "Ark" collectibles. No Ark magnet or anything related to the Ark. 

Anyway.. it was still a nice weekend getaway. It is a beautiful Ark. We should have 1 back at home!