Zaia, a hypnotizing marvel by Cirque du Soleil

Cirque du Soleil.........

That sure rings a bell with you, doesn't it?

Having heard so many good things 'bout it......a circus repertoire with a modern twist, art fused with inspirational music and mindbreaking performances.......

As it is, Cirque du Soleil has committed itself to stage a longterm performance of one of its shows, Zaia, at the Venetian Macau.......

And ofcourse, we would be crazy if we wouldn't grab the chance to watch this show.....(but ofcourse special mention should go to dato seri who arranged for the inflated recession-free admittance tickets, otherwise we would have had to plunder Laetitia's piggy bank....:p )

Was the show worth every penny of it?!? You sure bet........we sat with our mouths wide open in amazement, our baby girl was perched on the edge of her seat transfixed to the magic turned on and above stage......the performers even dangled above our heads, twirling and twisting gracefully around........

Too bad we were not allowed to take shots with the camera, but then again, a video posting with our small, amateur camera wouldn't do the show justice.......I've added below the official trailer, which gives you a glimpse of the highlights of the show.....

Now, do make it a point of splashing out for the tickets when you have the chance to watch Cirque du Soleil in action...........

It is definitely worth it.............just make it happen

O sole mio

Where outside Venice can one find a gondolier in a gondola giving a serenade of "O Sole Mio" ???

Venetian ofcourse........

Bringing the kids along for a boatride, this dude, called "Marco", I do doubt his heritage though 'cos he sure doesn't look Italian to me,.........started performing a serenade to the amazement of us and the nearby crowd......

The kids seemed totally bewildered by this act
as I guess they didn't know how to react properly, rather reacting
sheepishly.................

Normally it's the kids themselves who
produce the most decibels, but this time they were totally outgunned by
"Marco"...............

Hah,............Venetian experience, it seems a bit tacky, maybe even kitsch............but we sure won't lose any sleep over it......Merry Xmas you all!!!!!!!!

A wondrous place........Venetian, Macau

Venetian............Macau...........

Do I need say more?!?


These 2 words make countless peeps drool.......oops, excuse me, dream.....

We were very, very fortunate enough (no small thanks to dato and datin seri) to savour a taste of this "experience" and blimey, no matter how sick I was (I was struck by a pesky gastro-intestinal bug), I made it a point to join Jess and Laetitia to visit this fabled place......and furthermore, Christmas weekend......what a marvellous way to celebrate Xmas this year...

Yes, if you object to this kinda extravaganza due to some moral objections, I wouldn't blame you for that.......as this place is kinda like a Sodom & Gomorra place in the Far East.....I don't think that the Holy Lord would approve of this place either, be it Xmas or not..........

All walks of low life scum roam this place, people (men and women alike) preying on your money, but foremost it's the gambling tables which make this world turn non-stop for 24 hours/7days a week/365 days a year.........

As the Venetian is constructed as a rather open concept, even kids get a glimpse of what's happening at the gaming tables, giving them a taste to come when they grow up.......shrewd, very shrewd of them, the creators of this place........

Casino aside, there is plenty else to look out for at this place, a rather bigger copy of the Las Vegas Venetian, it mimicks the city of Venice, Italy regarding design concept including its own copy of Michelangelo's ceiling painting of the Sixtine Chapel......and suffice to say that it is a smashing success, attracting the crowds in huge droves.......

It even comes with its own man-made canals and gondola's (more of that in the next blog entry).....shopping stores aplenty ranging from medium priced to ultra high end, the daily total amount of food served can nurture a city on its own........

2 days weren't enough for us to check this place out as it is so huge.......

We leave this casino/theme park/entertainment resort positively bewildered, amazed not dazed, but above all.....with swollen feet from trodding up and down the cobbled streets of Venice....oops, sorry, Venetian :p

Guo Tong......calories in harmony

"Guo Tong"...........


In cantonese...........aka "Pass Winter" literally translated in the English lingo........more akin to "Thanksgiving"


A yearly festive date which always takes place end of December, a month before CNY (Chinese New Year), originally celebrating the fact that winter is passing, it has evolved into an intimate family gathering............and for Chinese in this region, they put more emphasis of celebrating this day than CNY itself.

Our dear mum made sure that we celebrated this day in full glory and ordered a sumptuous dinner for the five of us........all the restaurants were fully booked but somehow she managed to find us a table, but at what price??? I don't want to know.........

The fixed menu offered 11 dishes.........wooooooooooow, 9 dishes, 1 soup and a dessert for 5 peeps? .....Talking 'bout serious overkill..........

Ofcourse the "Guo Tong" event was a smashing success, rekindling our bonds and feelings, toasting for a good health and prosperous future for eachother........

Understandably there were plenty of leftovers, ....what da ya expect....we love to eat, but not in those copious amounts :p

Sure glad that our girl has grown up a bit and able to help us out with packing the leftovers.......the below vid is a perfect proof of that...........

"Guo Tong" properly celebrated, let's hope our well wishes bear fruit for the coming new year