13th entry - Wind and Water

I was fascinated by the profound study of geomancy - known by Chinese as wind and water ("fengshui") - since I was a child. It all started with a book that my aunt gave me when I was about 10 years old.

I got all sorts of books from her back then, as she was working in a local printing company and books that were discarded due to minor printing errors ended up as gifts of knowledge that she bestowed on me whenever I visited her. Books in English on geomancy were rare in those days, so I considered myself lucky to own one, without even having to pay for it.

In my youth, I had no idea about the significance of geomancy. The concept of living in harmony with your surroundings, harnassing the energy of nature (the flow of qi) for your benefit, was rather interesting but difficult to grasp. I was skeptical about how knowing when and where to position the furniture in your house etc would relate to improving your luck, your relationships with other people, your career and your health. To me, geomancy was unscientific, shrouded in superstition and totally old-fashioned.  At one stage, I even believed that geomancy (as with all forms of astrology, occult practices and fortune telling) flew in the face of my Christian faith.
When I was studying in the University, I had the opportunity to work as a research assistant for a professor in information systems management. One of the projects that she assigned me was to transcribe an interview (conducted in Mandarin) with the founder of Way Geomancy Pte Ltd, which will be used for writing a case study for her postgraduate business management programme. I was impressed with how this company utilised modern information technology in a traditional business, to provide unique solutions to its clients e.g. using AutoCAD to draw floor plans of clients' homes and superimposing geomancy charts with annotations on them, which makes it easier to visualise where key positions (e.g. for wealth and health) in the house were. I also had the opportunity to understand more about the basis and logic of geomancy. This encounter made me realise that geomancy may still be relevant in modern society, and it has many useful applications in our lives.

In 2003, not long after I acquired the keys to the apartment that I am presently staying, and before I engaged an interior designer and started renovations, my family and I decided approached Way Geomancy to conduct a geomancy consultation for the apartment. It was not cheap - about $3,000 - but I thought it was money worth spending on because it would give my family and I a "peace of mind" when we moved into the new apartment. Although I am not sure whether the consultation paid off, I did not regret getting another perspective on the way the interior of my apartment was designed. At least, the consultation helped me to eliminate the options that were deemed unsuitable for me and my family, and I must admit that I am quite satisfied with the decor of my apartment in that it made my family and I feel quite comfortable in our home.

Recently, the topic of geomancy became of interest to me again. Not only is my bf, H, somewhat into geomancy, but a good friend of mine, KW, was also studying it in his free time. KW gave me an amateur "life analysis" which was consistent with that provided by Way Geomancy some time ago. However, I am still considering whether I should be making some drastic changes to improve my "fortune", such as changing my Chinese name. "What's in a name, for a rose by any other name smells as sweet". Yet according to KW, the number of strokes of the ideograms that make up our Chinese names have a bearing on the fortune of our entire life!

12th entry - Gambler's Paradise Macau

This is a sad tale of an incorrigible gambler. No, I'm not talking about me or the other gambling addicts out there. I'm referring to my *sob* sweetheart ... *sob*

Ok, I'm exaggerating a little. After all, its not as though we lost $26million like that local businessman who gambled his fortune away at Resorts World Sentosa. H is only a small time gambler in comparison. But the mechanics is the same - first, they entice you with an illusion that you are on a money-making lucky streak when you step into their casinos, by giving you a beginner's luck win. Once you are hooked, they begin the macabre fleecing of your fortune, slowly but surely gnawing away your dignity, until every last shred of humanity is sucked dry. Gamblers walk around the casinos like zombies, staring lifelessly into the slot machines, their bodies mere empty shells controlled by Greed and Blind optimism that their luck will change for the better... Its like watching a helpless fly in the web of a hungry spider, oblivious to the eminent danger that it was facing.

That was how I felt when I was exploring the casinos in Macau as H was playing blackjack. H was winning initially, but then started losing until his capital was gone.

Macau is a city of Sin. Everything was built on the Blood and Sweat of hard-earned fortunes lost to the casinos. But the casinos were only elaborate instruments providing illusory pleasure to its patrons. The real monster is Human Greed in every gambler believing that they will get lucky whenever they visit the casinos. And the real pleasure is enjoyed only by the casino owners who laugh all the way to the banks when they see their profits climbing in spite of financial crises etc.

There is a silver lining. Like a venus fly trap, Macau offers sweet nectar of beautifully and lavishly decorated hotels such as the famous Venetian, City of Dreams, Grand Lisboa and MGM Grand; unique Macanese (Portuguese-Chinese) culture in the form of preserved historical buildings (such as the Ruins of St Paul) and cuisine (e.g. Portuguese egg tarts and sweet Macanese curries); and close proximity to Hong Kong and Zhuhai (China), which has a huge shopping centre containing a vast selection of cheap imitation goods, services (hairdressing, massage and spa) and various F&B outlets. The wise tourist knows how to enjoy these aspects of Macau without getting entrapped in its snares - the gambling dens.

It was my first visit to Macau, and it may be my last. H and I stayed in a relatively comfortable hotel, the Casa Real, which is located near the ferry terminal. From the ferry terminal, one could easily visit the casinos and many tourist attractions because of the free shuttle services offered by the major hotel groups. Macau is not a family-friendly vacation spot, however. The free casino buses did not allow passengers below 18 years of age to board because they were not permitted into casinos, and the only large-scale amusement park at the Fisherman's Wharf was closed. A decent meal in a hotel would generally be expensive and meals in street-side eateries were not very tasty (not to mention that service was appalling), unless you ventured into Zhuhai, where some hotels such as Charming Hotel served delicious HK dim sum at affordable prices.

First time visitors like me would enjoy the city view from the world's 10th tallest tower, the Macau Tower, and a stroll down Senado Square (not far from the Ruins of St Paul) where there are many eateries and shops. At night, the city comes alive with bright neon lights and occasional fireworks displays. In this aspect, Macau is quite similar to Las Vegas, except that the latter does not bother with any pretenses of a cultural heritage. There are also other attractions such as the Grand Prix and Wine Museum, and Ah Ma Temple. These attractions are described in detail in Tommy Ooi's website.

11th entry - Bintan Surprise

My sweetheart gave me a wonderful surprise for my birthday! We planned to go Bintan for a short 2D1N stay in Nirwana Resort Hotel - it was supposed to be just the two of us... at least, so I thought.

Little did I know that he quietly "colluded" with my best friend, K, to strategise a surprise. K was also intending to give her partner, F, a surprise as a birthday celebration for F. It was only when F and I "met" at the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal that we realised that something was amiss. F, who initially didnt see me, thought that H was there to send them off before going to work. I, on the other hand, had just bought some food at the cafeteria when I saw K and F at our table, smiling away. For a few seconds, I was in such disbelief that I froze where I was standing.

Eventually, it dawned on F and I that we didnt just meet coincidentally at the Terminal, but it was all part of an elaborate "scheme" hatched by H and K during K's birthday (which was another surprise that F planned with H and I). They figured out that it was difficult to orchestrate a weekend getaway as a surprise so they decided to keep as a secret the fact that we were going together as 2 couples. I really got to hand it to them, as F and I didnt suspect anything.

Our trip was fantastic! We enjoyed each others' company and discovered the many delightful things that the resort had to offer. Surrounded by lush greenery and beautiful landscaping, the resort was nestled deep within a large compound called Nirwana Gardens. From the huge swimming pool, we could see and directly access the white sandy beach of the private lagoon and dip into the clear, cool and shallow waters that extended far out to sea. Coral fishes and all sorts of jellyfish and crustaceans inhabited the beach and much to our delight, we could swim amongst them.

In the evening, after a day exploring the beach and sampling the local fare (e.g. gado gado and avocado milkshake with palm syrup) for lunch at the supposedly local market ("Pasar Oleh Oleh"), we had a bowling game at the recreational centre of the hotel before boarding the free shuttle bus to the Kelong Restaurant for a hearty seafood dinner. Their chili crabs and gong gong (boiled dog conch with dipping sauce) were so delicious that we finished all of them even though we were not really hungry!

Besides being a surprise because I didnt know F and K were joining us on the trip, this Bintan getaway held 2 other surprises: firstly, I never expected the Nirwana Resort Hotel to have such a beautiful tranquil and unspoilt beach; secondly, this being our first overseas trip with F and K, I was amazed that we didnt experience any of the usual problems that friends sometimes get when travelling together. After this, H and I were more confident of successfully organising trips elsewhere together with F and K in future.