My Wonderful 31st Birthday Present

“Darling, you and I are going to celebrate your birthday this year in Macau and Hong Kong”, my beloved said just few weeks before December came around.

I remember he did the same thing for my last year’s birthday. We went to Kathmandu, Nepal. My mother complained that she missed me on my last birthday and she’s gonna miss me again this time. Oh Ma, it’s time I blow the candles out away from that huge dinning table of yours. She just smiled her sweet smile.

In December 2006, we were off to Macau, the city that never sleeps, they say. Our two close friends joined along for the trip. A-Ma Temple, the oldest temple in Macau, was the first place we visited. There stood the statue of a goddess called Lin Mo and she’s all glowing white and huge! The statue built in 1948 of the Ming Dynasty, was believed to be able to bring good fortune to the fishermen.

A-Ma Temple, Macau

Portugese arrived in Macau back in the 16th century (1513) but left Macau in 1849 for good. I could see most signboards, billboards, flyers and things like that were written in Macanese (Patua) and Portuguese. Surprisingly, when it comes to conversing, not many Macau people could speak Portuguese, let alone English. It took a lot of my effort and energy, not to mention money, to explain accurately and get what I actually wanted especially when they were about foods. By the mere mention of “Can I know where…” or “Excuse me, I’m looking for…” could make them flee away like I was some kind of a desease. There was a time, I had approached a guy who was standing outside a hotel in Macau. As I was about to get closer to him, I held out the map in my hand and asked where I could get a taxi to the airport and he ran away from me before I could even finish my words.

I took a peek at the casino where people threw money like it did not worth anything. Hey, you’re throwing away your fortune, for God’s sake!

But all in all, Macau was a city full of life.

We took a ferry to Hong Kong, another city that never slept. People there walked real fast, that there was a time I almost felt they were practically running. Nahhh, they’re just walking actually. Among the places I visited in Hong Kong were The Maddame Tussaud's Wax Gallery, Victoria Peak, Ladies’ Market, Hong Kong Disneyland and Filipinos’ Market.

What I adored the most was its systematic subway called Mass Transit Railway (MTR). It reached many parts of Kowloon and Hong Kong. The taxis were as efficient as the MTR.

We had a one-night stay at Disneyland Resort which would have cost me a fortune. Check this out, RM1500 a night and no chance of free breakfast. And he’s doing all the paying. He he he…

Hong Kong city viewed from Victoria's Peak

The parade at Hong Kong Disneyland

Fireworks at Hong Kong Disneyland

We went to Shenzhen the next day, as it was one of the hottest spots near Hong Kong, recommended by my very good friend, S. Azwin. At Shenzhen, you entered this one amusement park called Window Of The World. It is also known as 'a replica park' where in here you can see vivid replicas of the world's wonders, historical heritages and famous scenic sites like Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, The Great Sphinx and more. The entire masterpiece is built at ratios of 1:1, 1:5 or 1:15. Lawak la China ni, habis semua nak imitate. Handbags, shoes, electronic items, sampai bangunan pun ada imitation. Hahaha...

A replica of the Taj Mahal, Window Of The World, Shenzhen

Haaahhh…. the trip was wonderful especially when you did not need to spend a single penny. So what will my next birthday present be? Or rather, where would I be on my next brithday?Hmmm...