This past weekend was a long weekend for us. The moon festival is on Monday nite. So we decided to take the kids to Macao for a short vacation. Macao is about 50 minutes from Hong Kong by ferry. So on Saturday we left for Macao.
We stayed at the Hotel Okura in the Galaxy Casino and Hotel complex. They have the world's largest roof top wave pool. It is impressive. Maggie and Nicholas loved it. We spent the first day there.
Sunday we decided to see Cirque du Soleil's 5 pm show called Zaia. Katy and I had seen it and thought "this would be a nice show to take the kids too." Ok. Well we had a nice morning at the wave pool, ate lunch. Nicholas took a nap while Maggie and Katy went back to the pool, then changed and off to the show.
Zaia is playing at the Venetian Casino/super mall/food court/hotel/vegas style show venue site. It is impressive. We arrived at 4pm and casually walked by some posters for Zaia. In one was a man with a fire stick. At one point in the show, I think they have a whole cast with fire sticks and fire flags doing a section of it. Rewind back to our trip to Borneo. During one of the days, the outdoor restaurant had a ethnic Borneo dances which included fire stick. Now the men were very fierce and scary and close up. Maggie and I had to leave. Maggie got scared and rightly so. So now Maggie is looking scared about this whole "Zaia" thing. She starts saying she does not want to go. Nicholas picks up on her vibe and starts getting worried. We tell her that it is only one part of the show and we can of course leave during it but you will like the rest. To be fair, I think in Borneo there were 4 men with fire sticks and this show has about 20 and with fire flags.
Well as we get closer and closer to the theatre, Maggie and thus Nicholas start getting worried even more. No amount of popcorn will allay it. As the show starts, Maggie sticks it out, leaves with Katy and heads to a seat near the door. I try and pacify Nicholas for the next 30 minutes. He is of course concerned. Where is Mama? Where I Maggie? Somehow when they start the snow machine and it starts snowing from the ceiling that is the final straw for Nicholas. So he and I leave and I notice Katy and Maggie sitting next to the door.
I try about 3 times to get Nicholas to come back in with me. Each time, we hang out in the back and he wants to go. Then the last time, I really think I got it. Nicholas is comfortable, even laughing and I think "Ok now is my time." As I start to head to a seat, yes you guessed it, the fire stick and flag part starts. Literally on cue these giant flames ignite from the back of the stage, men start howling with fire sticks and, on cue, Maggie heads to the door, Katy behind her and Nicholas and I behind them...for good.
To their credit we saw about 1 hour of the 1 and 1/2 hour show.
Ok Katy and I are a little worn out and the kids are hungry.....this never ends well.
We had wanted to eat at a McSorley's bar and grill at the Venetian. When we found it before the show, it was actually a hard core bar. The "no smoking section" consisted of 2 tables which reeked of cigarette smoke. IT was filled with rugby fans who were watching the world cup. So as we headed into Zaia, we had no plan for dinner.
Katy though has a map and we find a "family friendly" Japanese restaurant. Great let's go. Maggie likes Japanese and regains her excitement. We get seated and realize that somehow "family friendly" means we will seat you at a table with fine porcelain Japanese table wear and when you ask about a baby seat, they look at you like you have 2 heads then proceed to to ignore you. "Yes we do have 2 small children who are hungry, so it is fine if we don't get served for the next hour."
Then Nicholas starts getting cranky because, yes, he is hungry. The last straw was when he threw a porcelain chop stick holder. So we leave. And head to the "Food Court." This ws actually the saem Food Court we crossed on the way to the Japanese restaurant and of course poo pooed it.
The odd thing about this Food Court is that it looks exactly like any food court in an American mall. The only difference is that most of the places serve Asian food and everyone there is Chinese. The other thing is unlike the Galaxy, the Venetian including the Food Court has a persistent lingering smell of cigarette smoke. To be fair, the Galaxy has a persistent smell of air freshener, a kind that one would use to dissipate cigarette smoke, but I digress.
We find a seat. Katy and I are frazzled. Now the kids are super hungry. I will make the first run. We pasted a Fat Burgers. So I head there and get a hamburger, fries, onion rings and a milk shake. I also notice the Japanese place has fan fried dumplings. So I go there and order them for Maggie. One of Maggies favorites.
I head back and the kids start eating. Nicholas decides today is the day hamburgers will not cut it. He continues to be cranky. Great. Katy heads back with Maggie who ate her dumplings in record time to find something for Nicholas and Maggie and Katy. Maggie wants some noodles. Yes Maggie is becoming our Asian cuisine lover.
They return with a piece of pizza for Nicholas and a huge bowl of pork noodles: the crunchy kind that soften in the sauce. We all have some. Katy then laughs, hands me the soda pop that came with the noodles, (no choice of soda) and says, "Want some Fanta?" "Why yes", I say, "haven't had it since the roller rink." We have a laugh together. I think this noodle fast food place says, "Fanta, no Coke."
There is no better way to end such an evening than with a Fanta.
Epilogue: we do finally all get fed well and head back to the Galaxy. But on my way, we stop at Fat Burgers and I buy another vanilla milk shake. The best I have had here.
