Macau
Macau
I have to say, when it comes to Macau, I didn’t really have high hopes. I expected an empty, artificial city, a soulless low-entertainment den full of desperate people—something I’m not particularly fond of, to be honest. But what I saw subverted all my expectations and completely transformed my image of this place.
If you had asked me what I thought of Macau before, I would have said it’s a Chinese special administrative region and probably a tax haven. I knew it was famous for its Vegas-like scene, with a turnover three times that of The Entertainment Capital of the World, and that would be about it. But baroque Catholic churches? Authentic Portuguese old town houses? Ancient temples? That was something I was not prepared for.
Casinos
I’ve seen so many young men wasting their lives gambling in shady parlours around the world instead of working on themselves and towards real goals. Salarymen and single mothers spend countless hours on pachinko slots in pursuit of imaginary prizes instead of taking care of their very real families. Even elders buy the same lottery ticket every day while shopping for groceries, hoping to win a prize that will forever change their lives. I always thought of all of it as pathetic!
Seeing so many people manipulated and addicted to a pointless pursuit of dreams that could never be achieved—squandering their money, their future, and the well-being of their families for a fleeting moment of excitement—is a deeply saddening sight.
Kun Lam Temple
I once heard someone say that ‚the root of all religion is death.’ It’s a bold statement, and while I usually avoid such definitive conclusions, there’s a lot of truth in it.
We’ve just finished celebrating Halloween and All Souls’ Day—traditions steeped in remembrance, somber rituals, and a connection with those who’ve passed. While these customs are familiar in Christianity, they’re just one facet of humanity’s diverse spiritual expressions connected to the afterlife. It’s fascinating to see how fire often plays a significant role in these rites across religions.