Schedium

As I mentioned in my previous post , Macau has different faces and identities: there is the old Macau, full of colonial buildings and in which the pace of life seems to resemble a relaxed Mediterranean town rather than a bustling, hectic Chinese city, such as Hong Kong or Shanghai. On the other hand, there is the Macau of gambling, of gigantic hotel and casino resorts, and of prostitution. These two Macaus seem to be spatially separated from each other, with an intact colonial city centre and nice outskirts with small alleys on the one side, and bombastic, modern buildings on the other.  The Galaxy - one of the huge casino and hotel resorts The Importance of Gambling for Macau's Economy Dubbed the 'Monte Carlo of the East', Macau has often been portrayed as the gambling capital of China. Media reporting on Macau tend present pictures of the city's glistening, apparently luxurious skyline. But a visit in Macau suffices to realize that it is fa

As I wrote in a post a week ago, Hong Kong is currently experiencing a social and political reform movement aimed at introducing universal suffrage. Hong Kong has never held fully democratic elections, neither under British rule nor as a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China. I find the desire of the people to play a more active role in their community's decision-making process absolutely legitimate. However, not everyone agrees. For instance, in today's edition of the South China Morning Post, Alex Lo, one of the leading columnists of the newspaper, has criticized those who take on the streets to ask for democratic reforms.  " Young men and women, take real risks ," he urged the pro-democratic camp, " Travel the world, read widely, strike out on your own, start a business [...]. Then come back and fight for democracy. " Mr Lo's article is one of those spectacular examples of what I would call  a neoliberal o

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