The Buildings

The wind whipping around the tightly clustered buildings makes it seem so much colder than it really is.

I love strolling along the streets and looking at the juxtaposition of architecture in the city.

Change is definitely in the air.

There are the moneyed commercial edificios and swanky shops along the Wharf. If I really want a Prada bag, I could head over to the overpriced shops along The Strip. If I want a disposable bag for toiletries, I'd consider those fake Burberry and Le Sportsac bags at Senado Square.

But the old streets are most charming of all.

I like wandering through the little lanes and seeing what comes up at the other end.

In my mind, I build a little map and draw a line through the streets I've walked by. It makes it so easy for me to remember the area and link it to the maps I'm reading.

I want to pop back here for a weekend jaunt when I needn't have to bother about work.

I've built a little personal itineary of where to go and what to do.

I've got to bring the boyfriend along. He will be absolutely fascinated by the rapid changes in the city from the time of his last visit. He came before 1999 and it was dog poo central. He will be intrigued by the colors, food and whatnots. He likes the idea of crab porridge already. If he will drive, I can navigate and take him around the small eateries in Taipa and Coloane.

The city's 27 million tourist arrivals don't seem to have populated the older areas too much. Perhaps most stay in the casinos and rarely venture beyond. If they do, it's to buy Chinese bites at the pastry shops of Koi Kei and its competitors. (Who always set up shops next to a Koi Kei outlet. Don't bother with the different names and addresses. You find one, you find all of them.)

I want to keep these memories of the old places before the pace of modernization wipes them out.