Merry Christmas, friends, or as they say in Macau:  Feliz Natal, amigos!  (I don’t know how to say it in Cantonese, sorry, Portuguese will have to do.)  Macau’s halls are all decked out in gay apparel, and there is sparkly, faux-snow all over, notwithstanding the 75 degree Fahrenheit weather.  I suppose we can just pretend that the fuzzy white air is full of snowflakes, instead of pollution particulates, and go on about our merrymaking.

It’s ever so festive around these parts, in part, due to the Catholic Portuguese influence that is still very evident in this part of southern China.  Christmas definitely seems to be a much bigger deal here than it appeared to be in Taiwan, and not just for the shopping.

I don’t do a lot of shopping, even when I’m home for the holidays, but I am treating myself a little bit this year.  For one, I decided to stay at the sumptuous Sofitel at Pointe 16, on the mainland side, near the historic center of town, instead of out on the island near all the casinos.

Not only do I not give an airborne urban vermin’s posterior for casinos, but Santa apparently got my letter, and arranged for me to have a television installed over the bathtub in my room, so I can soak until my fingers are pruney and watch my soap operas at the same time.  Plus, get a load of that view from my window.

Although, I have to say, I’m tempted to buy myself this hilarious/disturbing cookbook, “Delicacies for Skin Whitening.”  It’s not a joke, it’s full of recipes designed to make you “white from the inside,” with step-by-step instructions on how “[t]o achieve total whiteness.”  The “Whiteness Soups” section alone is impressive.  I’m pretty darned white to start with, but I am a huge fan of peculiar cookbooks, and my collection doesn’t include anything quite like this yet.  The perfect gift for anyone dreaming of a White Christmas!

Alternatively, there’s a very fetching, 18 karat gold statement necklace that I’ve got my eye on, featuring a jolly post-partum sow suckling her dangling pendant piglets.  I’m just worried that someone else will have one just like it at the next party I wear it to, and you know how embarrassing that can be.  I guess I can wait until the after-Christmas sales and decide then.

In the meantime, I’ll just enjoy the lovely blend of Portuguese-Cantonese scenery, and stuff my face with traditional Macanese egg custard tarts.
God bless us, everyone!