Galaxy Macau, House of Dancing Water, and Ice World Venetian

The last week has been absolutely insane for me. I don't think I've ever been so stressed in my entire life, not even during exams... However, before I post what I managed to accomplish in a twelve hour period, I'll write about the lovely vacation I took right before plunging into the deep end.

If you're in Hong Kong right now or are about to go, I'm sure you'll notice the very loud and in your face advertisements for Galaxy Macau, the newest casino/resort. Their big selling point, aside from promotional fares for their rooms, is a huge, open-air wave pool. In fact, I think it's the largest rooftop wave pool. Well, seeing these signs, the boyfriend and I decided to go! The package deals were quite nice and it's cheaper to go during the weekdays. Our promotional deal was hkd 1,688 (I just checked the website and it's gone up in price! It's now hkd 1,788) which included both round trip ferry tickets. All told, with tax, etc, the room ended up costing hkd one thousand nine hundred and something. The ferry took us straight to the Cotai strip, which is where Galaxy, the Venetian, etc are located.

Quick tip for those who are hk id holders but not permanent residents: you NEED to bring your PASSPORT! Even though you can use your hkid to leave Hong Kong, you'll need your passport to be able to pass immigration in Macau. I have a permanent ID so I just had to show that and it wasn't a problem. However, my boyfriend only has a regular ID and it was very fortunate we had his passport.

Here's the timeline:

On Thursday, June 2, we found out we had to go to India. Since I work on Fridays, we couldn't go to the visa center (which is in East Tsim Tsa Tsui) and Monday, June 6, was a holiday, we didn't apply for the visa until Tuesday, June 7. Since I've had my permanent ID for more than two years, I was able to get it the next day. However, since my boyfriend had only had his ID for less than a year, he had to be approved. The office claimed that he had to get cleared from the U.S. Consulate and that it would take 4-5 business days.

We bought tickets to go to India on June 16, thinking that gave us enough time.

We were to go to Macau on Monday, June 13 and before going on the ferry, the bf went to the visa place to drop off his passport, assuming he'd gotten approved.

Well, he wasn't. So, instead of his visa being either in our apartment or at the visa place, we had it on us. Which ended up working out perfectly since he needed it to get into Macau...

Anyway, so we boarded the handy shuttle bus to Galaxy after being so relieved at the serendipitous turn of events! The first thing you'll notice about Galaxy is the very ostentatious entrance. There's a giant fountain in which, every thirty minutes, a huge diamond floats out of. There's also a bridge to go to the reception to the left.

 

We arrived around 2:00 but because of the late check out policy, we couldn't check in til 3:00. To be honest, we weren't impressed with the whole check in process. There was a huge line and not enough people running the desks. With the extra time, we went to a bar adjacent to the bridge. Food is pretty good, so are the drinks! They don't skimp... Well, at 3:00 we went to the pick up key line but when we got to the front, they said our room wasn't ready yet and that it would probably take another hour! This was extremely unprofessional since it was clear they had rooms but were reserving them for unexpected VIP. After a bit of nudging, the woman grudgingly found us a room.

I have to say, despite all of the hassle of checking in, our room was spectacular. It had a king-sized bed with a balcony (these are smoking rooms but since they're so new, they don't smell like smoke yet!). The view was awesome. It looked out at the two pools and the other hotel tower in the Galaxy complex.

After a few snapshots, we went to the wave pool which actually has a beach. There's even a huge floater that you can climb up on on one side and then slide down the other. The wave pool was fun for a bit but it gets a bit exhausting fighting the constant waves.

They have an area leading to their other pool which is supposed to be heated but I couldn't tell the difference in temperature. They also have jacuzzis!

After getting back to the room, my boyfriend surprised me with tickets to the famed House of Dancing Water in the City of Dreams! I was blind and didn't see them just sitting there on my pillow... These were VIP tickets which meant we had center seats, free chocolates, and a drink.

Since the show wasn't until 8:00, we went down to explore the casinos and get a bite. The casinos are pretty fun. I don't know how to play baccarat and most of the casinos not on the Cotai strip like the Wynn and the MGM Grand were filled with baccarat tables. However, Galaxy has a good mix of baccarat, craps, roulette, black jack, and all sorts of poker.

Prior to this trip, I didn't know how to play craps but a friend of mine was kind enough to teach me! I love this game. In most casino games, the players tend to treat each other with a certain amount of animosity. They have absolutely not tolerance for newbies. However, craps is a community game and while it may take awhile to win big, it's still fun. Also, there's a bar where there's live entertainment. These photos are from after the House of Dancing Water (closer to 11:00) but I'll just post them here since it fits with the whole casino section:

Be prepared for a ton of smoking. People smoked EVERYWHERE. Even when checking in!

After a little gambling where I lost all my money but then won it all back and came out on top with hkd20, we went to Gosto, which was a decent Portuguese restaurant with great sangria.

After this, we took a taxi over to City of Dreams, which was about five minutes away. I also discovered how severely my camera is affected by the drastic change when transitioning from air conditioning to the humid outside.

House of Dancing Water is amazing. I completely recommend it. It's like Cirque Du Soleil with water! The music was terrific and it was just a ton of fun. Also, the way the stage is set and the auditorium, any seats are decent seats. It was quite nice being VIP for a night though =) I won't describe any more because part of what made it so awesome were the unexpected surprises!

After getting back to the room, I had one more surprise in store for me. My birthday is in August but because our lives are going to be pretty up in the air for the next few months, my bf decided to give me an early birthday present. He hid it under the pillow! It was a Nikon 105mm macro lens. I've wanted this lens for a year and I would consider it my first professional lens. There will be a follow up post where I talk about the awesomeness that is this lens!!!

Now, since Galaxy has just opened, I think the Venetian decided that they needed a spectacle to pull people their end. To this end, they created Ice World. If you take the cotai jet over, you'll see plenty of advertisements for this and I have to say, it's worth seeing! Basically, they hired a bunch of ice sculpture carvers from Harbin, China and it took them a few months to make the ice exhibit.

It's really extensive. There are multiple rooms and it takes you all around the world! Some tips before going though:

1. Ladies, wear jeans and closed shoes. If you don't, then you can ask them for snow boots but they only go up to your ankle. It is cold, cold, COLD.

2. They actually provide parkas that are really warm, so no worries!

3. You can actually exit the exhibit and get some hot chocolate/tea, etc and then re-enter. We filled out a survey and the guy told us that many people aren't aware of this, so I'm sharing. The only time you can't re-enter is when you exit that entire area and are walking the halls of the Venetian again.

Tickets were hkd 100 and they have a free bag check. If you're in town and have time, go see it! The  guy giving us the survey said they're hoping to run this for two more years and that they want to change out the exhibits every once in awhile.

You can actually slide down these! Just go up the stairs and there will be a guy at the top with little strips of carpet that you sit on! It's so much fun!

Ice bar at the end! Get some vodka to warm you up =)

Hello, India: Visas, Hotels, and Plane Tickets, Oh My!

My life has finally come together again. After the amount of venting and crazy that came out in the last post, everything just happened within a couple of days. I guess that's how it is supposed to work. I have gone from such a low low to such a high high and it feels great. Barring the ordinary stress that comes with moving, e.g. packing, making sure I repair all the holes in the walls and get my security deposit back, etc, I am feeling pretty good about my circumstances.

Before I launch into what's happening and to give anyone details about visa stuff to India, I just want to say: X-Men First Class is a must-see. I saw it a couple of days ago and it blew me away. It's better than a ton of movies I've seen recently. I don't know if it's just me but I feel like the pacing is off in a lot of films coming out these days. They're really slow in some parts, then rushed in the next and there's no real build up or depth. X-Men did not suffer from this at all and I'd highly recommend people go see it!

Frankenstein's Monster (GREAT SONG)  (also, I don't know why it bothers some people so much when people say Frankenstein instead of Frankenstein's monster... Seems like a strange pet peeve!)

Anyway, so last Thursday, I found out I couldn't go where I originally wanted to go. In a way this was incredibly relieving. The hardest part of what was happening in my life was that I was powerless. Until I found out one way or another where I would end up, I couldn't even begin planning anything. Well, after getting the axe, I immediately launched into plan B and tried to find as many cheap one way flights as I could to India. Since I'm not sure about when I'm leaving (barring the three month visa deadline), I thought it best to wait to buy an exit ticket.

I first looked on Student Universe since it has pretty low cost tickets. Then I went on Fare Compare. Originally prices listed in Student Universe were cheaper but on Friday, it switched. I was conflicted between $380 flights that routed through Dhaka but had ridiculous layovers versus more expensive but more convenient flights. I ended up deciding on a $450 flight through Singapore that only has a 2 hour layover. Plus it's with Singapore airlines which is one of the nicest airlines in the world!

After getting the ticket, I went about looking for hostels/hotels in Delhi. I ended up finding nice ones through Hostel World and Hostel Bookers (both sites are terrific, but make sure to compare!).

After making a booking, I set about researching the whole visa process. Apparently India has been cracking down on what I imagine to be hippies outstaying their welcome (Cartman would be thrilled) and the way they are doing this is to restrict the flexibility of tourist visas. I don't mean to say that it's difficult or even frustrating to get one, but it is probably best to know the limitations before applying.

Since I applied in Hong Kong, the Indian Consulate actually outsourced their visas to another company:

Quoprro

They are located in East Tsim Tsa Tsui (TST).

Here is the tourist visa information for Hong Kong residents who have had their residency for more than two years:

You can apply for a 3 month tourist (what I did) or a 6 month (it seems to say you can) or shorter amount of time visa that is single entry. While you are in India, you may not apply for an extension or change the type of your visa. Once your time limit is up, you:

a) have to leave India

b) can't reapply for at least two months afterwards

Basically, on the site that I gave the link to, you fill out the form and then print it out. This form actually lets you click on one year multiple entry BUT that is wrong. I filled out two forms, one with the one year and one with the three month, just in case. I ended having to use the three month. Apparently the one year was reserved for business visas.

Also, if you have NOT lived in Hong Kong for two years with a residency, then you also need a personal particulars form. This is extremely easy since the form on the site just compiles everything in a PDF and you just click on the bottom. I will say that, just in case, I did print out a personal particulars  form and they took it along with my actual application.

So in addition to the form, you need to bring a photocopy of your HK ID and your passport as well as your passport. I went in the afternoon but I heard that if you go in the morning before 10am, they will actually be able to give you your visa at 5:30pm that same day. When I went, they told me the next day. Pick up time for visas is apparently 5:30-6:00pm. Also, there wasn't much of a line or wait, so it was pretty efficient and straightforward. It ended up costing HKD500 and something for everything.

My boyfriend has not been a HK resident for more than two years, so he had to go the longer route. For American citizens, clearance has to be gotten from the American Embassy before this company can process the visa. They say it takes five working days but I overheard one guy trying to negotiate for a bit less. It cost a bit over HKD600 for him but he didn't have to pay the whole thing in one go. It was about HKD300 per session. He actually got to take his passport home but when he is supposed to call and see when he can come in so the company can process the visa. When the green light is given, he needs to bring his passport and the remaining money. Then it seems that it will take around the same amount of time as mine.

We're in a bit of a time crunch since they're not open on the weekends and we go to Macau on Monday (luckily, he can get in with his HK ID) and don't get back until late on Tuesday and then Wednesday we're moving and dealing with the gas people coming to look at our meter. The gas company is the only company that needs this so since we're leaving on Thursday, the gas guy is going to swing around at 5:30 and then we have to get to the company to pay the bill before they close and we have to leave Hong Kong. Since they have that pickup rule, the only time we can do this is tomorrow, Friday. Wish us luck!

So that's the basic process! Sorry if this was a bit dull to get through but I'm just so relieved that I feel the need to share.

Timeline:

Thursday find out bad news.

Friday book plane tickets.

Saturday book hotel.

Tuesday (Monday was a holiday) applied for visa

Wednesday received visa and confirmed hotel bookings!

Hopefully everything will turn out! =)

Panic! (not at the disco)

I'm having a mild panic attack. Actually I've had a panic attack for the last few months and it is only with great restraint that I've contained it from spilling out. My life is completely in the air and for a planner, that's pretty scary. I'm all for spontaneity and I've even decided to travel to another country because of the name of a coffee drink. However, whenever I decide to do things like that, I tend to immediately do all the research and book everything that I need to including flights and hotel rooms.

In exactly two weeks I am supposed to be leaving Hong Kong. My lease will be up for my apartment and I am supposed to be headed west. I do not have a visa, I do not have plane tickets, and I have no place to stay.

On the plus side, shutting down water, electricity, and gas has been taken care of. For anyone planning on leaving Hong Kong, I would recommend you start taking care of the process at least two weeks before you decide to leave. It's actually pretty easy and straightforward. All you need to do is call the various agencies and tell them the day that you want things switched off/transferred from your account. Then they will either offer to forward the bill to the next place you move to or you can use the deposit to pay it off and they will put the remainder in your bank account. The one exception to this was gas. They actually have to send someone in to read the meter and then you go to the closest center (which you can google) and pay it off there.

Anyway, so I'm panicked about the immediate future but also about long term. Not going to lie, not quite sure what to do with my life. I'm in my early twenties and I know that I'm young and I've got plenty of time but I feel like most of the people I graduated with have already begun their careers. They're getting that dull beginning period out of the way where they are at the bottom and have to put in the long hours fetching coffee and whatnot before they can move on to cooler tasks like doing the job they were hired for. I'm interested in photography and writing and I want my life to go in these directions but I feel like there is such a wall against new comers. Or maybe it takes something extra that I haven't yet developed, which I am completely fine with, but I'd just like to know. I am a little afraid that there are just some people who are extraordinarily lucky and talented, where everything just clicks. I don't know, I feel like I'm just babbling at this point but I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm scared. I'm scared it's never going to happen to me ("it" being money/successful career/maybe fame, although not fame in a big way, just enough that people would be like, "wow, yeah, have you read her latest book?! Awesome right? And her photography, WHOA, just blows me away").

I once saw an X-Files episode where the smoking man is on the brink of quitting. After years and years and years, a publisher finally wants a book he wrote. But, only on the condition that they can tamper and change it. He ends up going back to shady FBI stuff. That episode depressed me immeasurably.

I know I'm rambling a bit, but I feel like a lot of things are out of my control and that freaks me out. Sure, I'm not dealing with poverty or starvation or war and my life is not in ruins but this is what I'm dealing with right now. I feel like there is a constant weight on my shoulders and I'm looking forward to a time when some of it starts to go away.

To that end, I'm writing this piece of vent and I'll be submitting photos to another contest:

World in Focus Contest

Keep your fingers crossed for me =) 

Oh, non sequitur to the majority of this post but related to photography: I want to start pushing myself to get people to sign release forms. In order to submit stock photography for lonely planet and this contest, they require a written consent form signed by anyone in the photograph. My question is, how in the world do you do that if there are a ton of people in the photo? Go to every single one? Or do you only pick the ones in the forefront? How about if you can't see their face, then do you need a consent form? Very confused about this... If you know, let me know!

Hope this wasn't too bad to get through! There will be photos next time around.