Hong Kong Day 16-18: The argument heard around the block

Day 16 began with my cousin's wedding, but since my days are filled with following the agenda put forth by my traveling secretaries parents, I wasn't sure of the exact location of the wedding and reception.

It was being held at the Sha Tin Racecourse.  Back to the race track I go.

Breaking news: The people in the building beside mine are having a full scale argument with someone else. Their windows are easily seen from my window, and I can see them going back and forth to the window to yell at someone.  They actually opened their window to yell at the other person - I saw them walk over to do it when the commotion first started.  I'm not sure who they're arguing with, whether it's someone below or above them, or even if it's someone in the same building.  This has easily gone on for 15 minutes.  My mom and I have been watching this person pace back and forth from their kitchen to the window for five minutes, trying to figure out what they're saying (my mom says it's a different dialect of Chinese that she doesn't understand) and what they're arguing over, but we're not exactly sure what's going on.  As a result of this breaking development, I completely lost my train of thought about the wedding.  Just know that it was incredibly amusing and funny.

The view from my bedroom window.  I've watched the neighbor go from the area on the far left to yell out of the open window on the right for well over 10 minutes now.

Anyway, after the wedding, I immediately changed into my normal clothes and embarked on my trip to Macau.  First class seats on the ferry again.  Personal driver pickup again.  Back to another 5-star hotel.  As I told my parents later, if they want me to go on vacation with them in the future, it must be 5-star all the way.  That's how I roll now.

View from my room during the day.  I can't get over the golf course on top of the Venetian.

Unfortunately, the poker table was full at the Venetian and I couldn't get a spot to play even though I waited a long while.  And since the smoky atmosphere isn't the ideal situation for someone with Chantastic allergies like myself, I left.

Tangent time: I need to talk about the air quality in Macau.  Specifically, the air quality indoors as a result of everyone - I repeat, everyone - smoking.  Here's what I've seen people do while smoking in Macau - talk, gamble, eat, drink, loiter, and piss.  They probably smoke when they're dropping a deuce but I just haven't seen anyone emerge from a public washroom stall with a cigarette in hand.  There isn't a moment when these people from China aren't smoking.  It's like a scene from Mad Men, except Christina Hendricks is nowhere to be found.  I don't have a problem with people smoking if it doesn't affect me.  This is my stance on most controversial issues: gay marriage, religion, etc.  So long as you're not trying to bang me in the butt or make me believe that a divine book has all the answers, you can do or believe whatever you want.  The same is true of smoking.  You can puff away on those cancer sticks until you need a ventilator so long as it doesn't affect me.

Well, it affects me in Macau.  And I don't like it.

Every time someone blew smoke in the air and it ended up right in my face, my allergies and I were agitated.  How come they're allowed to influence the air I breathe and I can't do anything to the air they breathe?  And that's when I came up with a solution:

For every time someone blows smoke in my face, I should be able to fart in their face once.


Doesn't that seem fair?  Every time you make me inhale something gross, I make you inhale something gross.  An eye for an eye, right?  This seems just.

Anyway, the next morning I woke up bright and early to go for breakfast, followed by a 10 AM visit to the poker table at the Venetian.  Literally my third hand at the table, here's what happens:

Blinds 10/25, pre-flop raise to 100, one caller along with myself.
Flop comes Q-9-9.
Original raiser goes all in (holding a pair of Aces).
The other person calls (he has K-9).
What do I do?  Shove all-in.  1365 into the middle.
K-9 guy calls.
What am I holding?  Two queens.  Full house.  Yay, money!


I leave for lunch, followed by a visit to the spa, then a nap, followed by dinner and more poker.  A tough life I lead, I know.  Unfortunately, I'm not as lucky this time around and lose 1500 HKD at the tables.  Well, at least I have this view to look forward to when I go back to my hotel.

Breaking news update: The argument is over.

The light on the left is off, the window on the right is closed.  They live to argue another day.

Before we leave, we decide to watch the Dragon's Treasure show at our hotel.  As has been the case all along, we get comped VIP tickets.

VIP one last time

As we bypassed the regular line and entered the theatre first, we heard someone say in outrage, "How come they get to enter first?!"  Betty and I laughed.  I thought to myself, I think I've become those VIP d-bags that everyone hates.

After the show, we grab our luggage and head to the concierge to have our driver take us to the ferry terminal.  As I realize that there's too many of us to fit in a car and we must take a van instead, here's the thought that went through my head.

You mean we're going in the Nissan van instead of the BMW?  That's kinda disappointing.


Yep, I definitely became the VIP d-bags that everyone hates.


Day 19 plans: You're never going to believe this, but I'm going to the horse track.  It will be my fourth visit to a horse track in 19 days.  Following that will be a wedding reception.  As a result, I'm going to the horse track in a suit.  Also of note is the list of people who I will know at this wedding reception: my mom, my dad, and my mom's friend (who I met for the first time at the radio station five days ago).  That is all.  I look forward to many awkward conversations tomorrow evening.


Actual hugs 3.5 (Executive Decision: I have counted an arm around the shoulder from my dad's friend when we were saying farewell as a half-hug), non-hug greetings 25