During the Easter holidays I went with two friends of mine to Macau, a former Portuguese colony and now a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China. Macau is known for its mix of Eastern and Western culture, and as a gambling and tourist destination. In recent years Macau's gambling revenue has surpassed that of Las Vegas, making it the world's top casino market ( note ). But if you expect a vibrant, glistening city you might be disappointed. Macau is a quiet place, with huge modern casino and hotel buildings that, in a clumsy attempt to appear luxurious and elegant, actually look ostentatious and colossal, giving the impression of a surreal capitalist version of former Soviet-style cities. That is not meant to suggest that Macau is charmless, on the contrary. The most gracious, appealing and interesting part of Macau are the numerous historic areas, with Portuguese buildings that make it look like a European enclave in the middle of A