Merry Christmas ! albeit a rather belated one !!

Having taken off two days off last week, it was a rather short week for work. As it is, I believed I spent the first day watching movies on HBO and pining for my office, and I actually went into office on the second day. By the time I was back into the office officially on Wednesday I felt really good. Work was kind of sparse, and it was a pretty fun and relaxed environment with most people going home by around mid afternoon. My team proposed a short trip to Macau for Christmas Eve night, and having nothing better to do at that time, I agreed. I took a cab home for my passport and off it was to Macau !

An hour's ferry ride later, we were in Macau. We first partook of quite a fancy Chinese dinner, over which I had a whole load of advice given to me regarding work. Walking through a dark tunnel with computer generated images and sounds of flowing water to reach the table was a pretty interesting affair, and much more so the food. Tiny pieces of suckling pig, followed by equally minute portions of jellyfish on seaweed, wine marinated chicken pieces, snow asparagus, followed by a soup. Yummy, but not really satisfying. Unfortunately, everyone else seemed satisfied and it was time to hit the tables.

I spent most of the night (from nine to about three) walking around tables, laying down some money in the name of saving Macau's economy from time to time, and mostly watched humans at play. Human nature is fascinating. Probably half the people were local, and it was slightly disconcerting to see thousands thrown over the table when the economy is not doing so good *( I knew someone who could have used that money - me !) hehe.

Around three am, I was hunted out by MrAx to go for some mid morning porridge. I was introduced to this fantastic fishy porridge, no bones, and over which I was treated to more work advice. Somehow I seem to get a lot of advice about work. I wonder why ? Is it because everyone thinks I suck, or is it the fact that I am at least 10 years younger, or is it because I actually AM bad at my work ? I appreciate it anyway. I get a lot of information this way, from different sources.

By the time I arrived home from Macau, it was about six in the morning on Christmas day, and I had a nice chat with the taxi driver on the way home. Slept most of Christmas day, until I met up with FredBear for dinner (!!!! yea slept till dinner). Had Chicken Noodles at some dingy coffeehouse place (WORST CHRISTMAS DINNER EVER !) but I was starving due to not having eaten anything, so it tasted pretty good. Oh, except a whole tiramisu cake that I scoffed just before I left the apartment that FredBear bought the day before. The WHOLE thing. Sigh. 2 million calories.

26th was spent accompanying some extended family members at Mongkok before rushing back home for the party. Decorations were up a few weeks earlier, thank goodness, and just had to wait for people to arrive. They started to arrive and by eight both my tables were brimming with food including a giant turkey, ham, sausages, LOADS of salad, giant buns, pasta, mince pies, pizza, juices, cordials, soft drinks, ice cream, cake, chicken wings.............the eating went on and on until a mahjong game got started and the rest went in for poker on my living room floor. By midnight, most were gone, part of the Hong Kong Transportation Disadvantage where one has to leave a party near midnight so as to catch the last train home, something which is never a problem at home. So it went that a Mahjong game went on till about three am. Which I became the big winner. Woohoo.

That equals a Merry Christmas.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE !!

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