San Francisco - Miami - Macau Adventures

The last few weeks have been a blur. I’ve collected quite few frequent flier miles from Hong Kong to San Francisco then Miami (and let’s not forget those layovers in Vancouver!).

While in San Francisco, I got to catch up with friends and family over delicious meals: brunch at Foreign Cinema (how I love thee, fruit salad and spiced ricotta cheese) and Nopalito (Sparkling Wine with Housemade juices ((Grapefruit!)) + Caldo Tlalpeño = a little slice of heaven… and you always have to ask about the popsicles). I also indulged in plenty of Blue Bottle coffee (not yet $12 a cup) and Mariposa Bakery gluten-free treats (cinnamon buns, yes!).

In Miami, I discovered a new nail polish line from London called Butter. They are the “new concept in natural nail care”, meaning they don’t use junk like formaldehyde, Toluene or DBP in their nail polish. They have such amazing colours - I’m currently wearing West End Wonderland on my toenails.

CC Image courtesy of The Style PA on Flickr

Back in Hong Kong, Darryl and I are settled into our serviced apartment. It’s a small studio but it meets our needs. We especially love the large fitness center and massage chairs – a great incentive to hit the gym!

Last week we spent the day in Macau so that Darryl could check out the hotel scene. We visited the City of Dreams, Venetian, Grand Lisboa (and original Lisboa), the Wynn and the new Encore. My take: The Venetian is really tacky – a fake Venice – but Darryl says its just like the one in Vegas. My favorite: the Encore, mainly because it doesn’t smell like smoke and because we found a really elegant spot to have afternoon tea.

Sidenote: When we entered the Lisboa, Darryl said, “I remember coming the last time, and there were a ton of working girls.” Hmm. Then we turn the corner and see where these girls are working. Yikes. Minutes later we are in the lobby of the Grand Lisboa which boasts a pretty impressive art and artifact collection, including statues, carved ivory, Chinese pottery and gigantic jewels. I asked Darryl, “Who’s this Stanley Ho guy?” Dr. Stanley Ho is noted as the donor to all of these collectibles. Darryl responds, “We’re related to him”. Questioning him, I reply, “I’m going to call your mommy!”. Maybe this weekend I’ll check out his story...