Everyone who has crossed a street in a big Chinese city knows the drill. You wait for the light and cross with the light, in a big stripe-marked crosswalk. (OK, there are countryside folk who just drift out into the traffic -- that's their problem.) Meanwhile the taxi or bus roaring up from the side and planning to turn right -- or left!-- at the red light doesn't even slow. I've learned the local trick of not looking at the onrushing cars, on the assumption that if you make eye contact with the driver, avoiding a collision becomes your responsibility. Pretend you don't see them, and they're supposed to weave around you. It takes real nerve to do that, because taxis and buses in particular really don't slow down. Thirty miles per hour approaching the red light, and, ok, down to maybe 28mph through the crosswalk and around the corner.Fallows gives his theory as to why China's streets are like this here, and he discusses how he copes with the situation here.
How to cross the street in China
China based journalist James Fallows explains how it's done:
The best casino in Macau isn't the biggest
In search of the best casino in Macau, I visited the two most talked about of the new casinos: the MGM Grand and The Venetian.The MGM Grand is a ten minute hop from the ferry port serving Hong Kong. It’s also within walking distance of the historical sites of the old town of Macau.
The Ventian, on the other hand, is a twenty minute bus ride away, it’s across a bridge on another island.
MGM Grand feels more upscale. It’s newer, and it feels new. The staff is very friendly and well trained. They had an exhibit of Picasso sculptures which I enjoyed. While both casinos serve free non-alcoholic drinks, only MGM Grand hands out fresh squeezed glasses of mango, orange juice, and a number of other exotic tropical fruit juices -- a few of which I can’t even name.
By contrast, the free orange juice they serve at The Venetian is artificial.
It’s not only the orange juice that seems fake at the The Venetian. The whole thing is an artless imitation of all things Venetian. Size over quality. I also didn’t like seeing all the bright yellow security guards hanging around the tables at the Venetian. They were too imposing. Security people shouldn’t be in-your-face. The bright yellow uniforms were a stretch.
MGM Grand, on the other hand, obviously hired the more competent people to design the place. They invested in their staff. They designed their spectacular atrium lobby to resemble a Portuguese town square – like you find in the old town. It’s tasteful and doesn’t look cheap, the way the Venetian casino’s attempt at reproducing Venice looks. MGM manages to be both cheerful and inspiring. I would go back there.
There is a large upscale shopping mall at The Venetian -- a fair selection of some high-end brands. A shopping mall will be opening near MGM in the near future.
The Venetian has a Starbucks, MGM does not. But then the free coffee they serve you at the MGM Grand casino is so good, you don’t need one!
MGM proves that less is sometimes more. The one thing I enjoyed about the Venetian was the gondolas. The integration of the waterways with the mall could have been done so much better, but I admired the Italian gondola drivers – some of whom were decent singers. These guys were making the best of an exceedingly cheesy situation. The surrealism of watching them was like stepping into such a fantastically corny place that it made my visit to The Venetian seem worthwhile.
One note of caution: nobody at any of the tables at either casino appeared to be winning all that much money. I never saw anyone with any huge stacks of chips. However, with my undercover video camera I caught someone losing big at The Ventian.
Check out this video of my trip to The Venetian:
Thai makes chai
This guy has got to be the most talented maker of Chai in all Thailand. I filmed him at work in the basement of Siam Paragon in downtown Bangkok.
My favorite Macau deli
Macao is not all Chinese food. It also has Portuguese inspired cuisine. I found a deli spot today that uses the finest European sausages, fresh bread, and Italian dressings. It puts any Subway to shame.Macao has over 17,000 persons per kilometer, making it one of the most densely populated places in the world. Here's another Macau word-beater stat: economic growth rate there has averaged 13% since 2000. With this kind of growth, it's not surprising to learn that it is set to overtake Los Vegas as the gambling capital of the world.
To get to Sandwich Expert, from the main entrance to the vast plaza of Largo De Senado (photo) go straight, take the second left, then turn right. You'll see the sign. (Skip the Starbuck's -- the free coffee available inside MGM Grand Casino down the street is just as good). Basically, you'll be walking this way to get to the Ruins of Saint Paul's church and the old fortress.
Through smoggy waters: speeding from Hong Kong to Macao
The most affordable place to stay on your visit to Hong Kong is not Hong Kong. The trip from Hong Kong to Macao takes only one hour and an economy class ticket costs only HK130.00 (US$18). I caught my jet boat above Central station (on subway line) on Hong Kong Island. Relative to Hong Kong, accommodations in Macao are inexpensive (expect to pay two thirds the price for similar value); the old town has plenty of budget options. And for those who come to test their luck, new casino resorts are springing up like weeds.
Photo: Looking back at Hong Kong on route to Macao (Macau). I took it from the window of my hydroplane.
Oink of the day
Umberto Eco, in a conversation with Jan Dalley in the Financial Times (12/15/07), says that whereas beauty is boring because it is predicable,
Charm is something else -- it can depend on a glance, on the way you move a finger. So Barbra Streisand has a horrible nose but she has something else. There are other values: Charm and sexiness.Note: "Oink of the Day" will be a regular feature at Jotazine.com.
Best street food restaurant in Bangkok?
A recent story in the NY Times asked: where can find the best street food in Bangkok? A restaurant called Chote Chitr, in Prang Pu Thorn alley, off Tanao Road (in the old part of Bangkok) is recommended. The food there sounds great:
The yam makhua, a salad of grilled long eggplants topped with tiny dried shrimps, combines the tang of fresh shallots with expert charring. Prepared by the hand of a skilled griller, the vegetables retain a smoky crunch on the outside, but a first bite pierces the crackling char and reveals a juicy eggplant so sweet it resembles a ripe peach, full of lime juice and fish sauce that has soaked into the flesh.Sounds delicious. The article also recommends a sterile alternative: The food court on the top floor of Central Department Store (connected to Chitlom Station on BTS/skytrain).
Thai policeman shoots Canadian tourists
John Leo Del Pinto is dead while his friend Carly Reisig recovers from a bullet wound in the chest. The 25 year old Canadian man died of a gunshot wounds early Sunday in Pai, a backpacker resort in northern Thailand. This much is clear: the account of the killing provided by the Thai police is wildly at odds with the surviving victim's account. CBC reports (via Fonzi):
That's what I would surmise here. Fonzi warns: "This could turn into a huge international incident if the police and media continue to act like buffoons and lie and cover-up like they usually do."
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Blogs: Fonzi at Thailand Jumped the Shark has more articles, commentary, and links related to this story. At Lost Boy blog, Jim Porter, who reports himself to be a life-long friend of the deceased, has left this comment: "I am a close friend of Leo’s who travelled with him to Asia and into Pai this past year. Leo was a very gentile person, the guy wouldn’t hurt a fly. . . "
The officer involved, Sgt. Uthai Dechawiwat, told Thai investigators the pair attacked him when he tried to intervene, and that his gun "accidentally went off" three times as he tried to defend himself.Speaking to reporters from her hospital bed in Chang Mai, Reseig has rejected the Thai police account of the incident. CBC continues:
Reisig said she and Del Pinto were not fighting when they left the bar and passed an undercover officer while walking to another part of town. She said the man rushed up and hit her and that Del Pinto subsequently shoved the man.
How does Reisig explain the shooting? She notes that her face was 'painted' and believes that may have angered the policeman. According to Reisig, the policeman "rushed to a nearby motorcycle and retrieved a gun. Del Pinto and the man struggled for control of the gun before the man shot them both."
That's what I would surmise here. Fonzi warns: "This could turn into a huge international incident if the police and media continue to act like buffoons and lie and cover-up like they usually do."
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Blogs: Fonzi at Thailand Jumped the Shark has more articles, commentary, and links related to this story. At Lost Boy blog, Jim Porter, who reports himself to be a life-long friend of the deceased, has left this comment: "I am a close friend of Leo’s who travelled with him to Asia and into Pai this past year. Leo was a very gentile person, the guy wouldn’t hurt a fly. . . "
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