I’m going to start this post prior to hitting Macau, then finish it off later with the results.  So, as I write this, I don’t yet know my fate for the next couple days in Hong Kong and Manilla.  I will say though, unlike the Super Bowl bet where I figured if I lost, eh, it would be a lark, this time I’m really hoping for the win.  Not sure I have it in me at the moment to go the spartan route.   Part of this is due to the fact I’m coming down with something.  Not sure if it’s the unhealthy lack of sleep or the brutal Hong Knog air or maybe because I started taking the malaria pills in anticipation of hitting the tropics.  I think the nurse back in Vermont misinterpreted my request for malaria pills and took me literally.  I got the malaria in pill form version. I’ve heard mixed opinions on taking the malaria pills (including, “sell ‘em”), but seeing as I found out recently that Hector Senior’s death was partly attributed to a case of malaria, I’d feel pretty stupid if I didn’t see that one coming and got it myself.  It’s not something I’d like to follow in my old man’s footsteps.  I wouldn’t mind some of his charm.  Maybe his knack for languages.  The malaria though, I’ll pass.

Whatever it is, my body aches, I feel completely thrashed and I’m looking at a 50-50ish roll of the roulette wheel that could be putting me back on the tightwad plan. for another 5 days.

Thankfully, whichever way it goes, tonight I have a place thanks to Doug and Jackie, some Hong Kong friends of my longtime friend John Creelman.  One short email from John back in Vermont, and they opened their doors to me.  Their hospitablity has been over the top–not only are they putting up a total stranger on short notice, they took me to dinner at Doug’s sister and brother-in-law (who were a lot of fun as well), and then took me to a belly-busting dim sum this afternoon.  Or maybe we dim summed (I never know whether you’re verbing it or nouning it with dim sum). 

 

One really cool thing about this trip is that even though it’s tough to find people my father knew in all these places he went to, I still am meeting people solely because of him.  I wasn’t even a year old when he died so effectively I never had a chance to be affected by him.  Now, everything I do over these 52 days is in a way him playing a direct role in my life.

To that I say, be kind.  Be kind.

So like I was saying, I’m good tonight.  It’s when I hit Manila that worries me.  Sick and facing a possible all-nighter doesn’t seem as romantic as it did last time in Tokyo.

–

While waiting at the dim sum place for Doug and Jackie, I flipped though a local English language newspaper with an article about the Year of the Ox that has just kicked in.   They were talking to a feng shui mster, Mak Ling-ling about what we had to look forward to.  According to Ms. Mak, “…we have a rare coincidence of both a lunar and a solar ecliple occurring in the first lunar month.  It means there will be many accidents involving animals.” 

You don’t have to tell that to the chicken whose foot I just ate at dim sum.  He musta been a big’un too cause that thing looked like I was eating the wrinkly deformed hand of a grown man.  It wasn’t bad, really.  Tasted just like chicken.

On the plus side, Ms. Mak added that, “it is also a year of change and breakthrough. If we keep thinking within the frame, we will go nowhere, but if we try something new, there is a high chance that we will be successful.”  Hmmm…how should I read that regarding my bet?  I normally would go Even, so maybe go Odd this time?   1-18 instead of 19-36?  I’m sure if I asked one of the Tai stick readers that tell fortunes here, they’d have an opinion.  Lucky numbers are very big.  I read another thing about people paying upwards of millions of Hong Kong dollars at vanity license plate autions in order to get the right numbers.

Maybe that was the problem in Vegas.  I didn’t get a psychic’s opinion beforehand(”Mars is in retrograde.  Hit Arizona and the points.  Oh, and throw a lil’ something on the Over for good measure.  Jupiter is rocking this month”)

This is a perfect segue into my recent (self-proclaimed) brilliant but untested pickup idea for anyone out there who is interested.  Just stick with me for another paragraph or two and you’ll be rolling in woman or men depending on your liking. 

Here’s what you do.  Rather than waste your time hitting the bars, go stake out your neighborhood fortune teller.  Wait across the street out of sight.  When you see a girl or guy enter that’s to your liking, wait for them to get their fortune read, then when they come out, nonchalantly do a walk-by.  As you do, do a double take, stop her/him and ask with a meaningful look, “hey, do I know you?”  Give it a sec, then before they can answer, shake your head and apologize saying you must be mistaken.  But make sure to give one last prolonged, furrowed-brow look like you can’t quite shake the feeling you’ve know them in another life or something.  Then walk off. 

She/he has to run after you, right?  You can’t tell me 90% of the people going to psychics aren’t asking the fortune teller if they’re finally going to find true love.  You don’t go to a psychic if you’ve got someone rocking your world at home.  And you also can’t tell me that 98% of psychics out there aren’t smart enough to tell the person who just shelled out 20 bucks for a reading, that, yeah, love is going to soon find them.  And that, my friend, is when you come in.

Imagine you were just told by a psyche that love was destined to soon find you and 3 minutes later a random stranger gives you a “we must know each other from somewhere” look?

It’s golden.

Now get out there and start casing the fortune tellers. 

There.  I got my good deed for the day out of the way early.

I’m running out of time though.  I had planned on telling you about Hong Kong, but got off on a couple tangents and now have a boat to Macau to catch.

——-

(12 hours later)

That’s me after my bet outside the casino with my free complimentary bottle of water.  It was a very expensive free complimentary bottle of water.  I wasn’t happy about my free complimentary bottle of water.  As a matter of fact I was pissed about my free complimentary water, as well as a couple other things.

Now here’s me dumping the free complimentary bottle of water down the drain. 

It seemed appropriate.  That’s where my bet went.

Macaouch.