No, I'm not making reference to the upcoming film about the late Michael Jackson. I'm making reference to a certain feeling that only comes around a few times in one's lifetime. It is the sensation of the traveler who has once again reached a summit in his long and arduous journey. It is the pilgrim who stops on the mountain top to catch his breath. He turns back to behold the vast landscape and rolling peaks he has traversed. After a deep reminiscent breath, he looks forward at the misty horizon and ponders the sea of rolling hills between him and his destination. It is the antithetical harmony of an ending synchronously engendering a new beginning.
They say that life is marked by a series of significant milestones: birth, completion of education/adulthood, marriage, bearing of children and death. Throughout history and still in the present, these, life's milestones, are often marked by rites and ceremonies which symbolize humanity's acknowledgement of the universal yet deeply personal significance of these rites of passage.
This past week allowed me to witness one of these rites of passage in the life of one of my co-workers. I was fortunate enough to be invited to a Hong Kong style wedding complete with cocktail hour, pictures, a wedding ceremony and a 12-course meal from 8:30 pm to 11:30 pm wherein I explored heretofore untried foods some of which which are highly controversial (e.g. birds nest and sharks fin soup) thus challenging their traditional stronghold as wedding-menu musts in this region.
This past week allowed me to witness one of these rites of passage in the life of one of my co-workers. I was fortunate enough to be invited to a Hong Kong style wedding complete with cocktail hour, pictures, a wedding ceremony and a 12-course meal from 8:30 pm to 11:30 pm wherein I explored heretofore untried foods some of which which are highly controversial (e.g. birds nest and sharks fin soup) thus challenging their traditional stronghold as wedding-menu musts in this region.
The surrounding ceremony marked the underlying essence of the event which once again caused me to ponder on my fast approaching sacra-ment and reflect on the emotional events or milestones that serendipitously cluster around this time of year.
Oct. 8 - My parents were married - while I wasn't there it certainly had the impact on my life
Oct. 6 - Josh meets Eliza for the first time
Sep. 27 - Josh and Eliza hold their Traditional Chinese Wedding
Oct. 9 - The average of Josh and Eliza's birthdays
Oct. ? - The birth of Yo-Yo (aka Miles Yi Tomsik)
Bem-Vindo a Macau - Hasta La Vista Las Vegas
What do you get when you mix hundreds of years of Portuguese influence on a small group of islands off the Southern coast of China? Now take that and add to it a zone open to gambling. The result of this fusion between East and West: a highly eclectic offspring filled with casinos, old Jesuit churches, traditional Chinese mansions, East-Asian temples, forts, lighthouses, cobblestone streets with quaint European houses and paved streets lined with modern Chinese high-rise apartments and all this among other curiosities like the world's tallest bungee jumping tower. Meet Macau, the city that has apparently surpassed Las Vegas in gaming revenue thus challenging Vegas's status as the gambling capital of the world.
Perhaps it was the constant talk of others that lured me to explore this special administrative region. Conceivably it was a final escapist attempt to explore beyond the borders of Hong Kong before stewardships and responsibilities multiplied. Or maybe it the draw of the coincidental symbolism of the place with where my life no stands, how I got here and what lies ahead.
More Macau Photos
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