Jenny Lao-Phillips
As we enter the month of November, the atmosphere seems to be permeated with a sense of an older Macao. The safety blockades along the Guia Race Circuit and Avenida da Amizade, and the stands by Lisboa and the reservoir return with such familiarity every year. And now the final ingredient is here, the cool and dry weather. It is the magical Grand Prix season!
Over the years, Macao has become a city of all-year-round events. There is always something going on that draws in large crowds of tourists. The light shows at Christmas, the parades at Chinese New Year, then there are the Art, Music and Film Festivals, and Red Carpet events, to name a few. Nevertheless, there is nothing like the Grand Prix. The first of its kind, and I don’t mean among sports races, but the first attention-grabbing event that brought people the world over to this tiny city.
Just last century, the Grand Prix week was one of the best weeks for many people. It was the time of year when hotel sales and marketing teams did not need to be stressed about occupancy rates – the Grand Prix promised 100 percent occupancy, more so than even Christmas. It was the time when small food and beverage outlets brought out their best delicacies, for a single good review in a Hong Kong magazine could bring them a full house for the years to come.
For the non-business locals, it was also a time of much fun. Drivers were all hyped up, speeding along the Guia Circuit just to get in the mood. Friends would make plans to watch the race, either live in the audience stands or at home on TV. Young people in need of pocket money would sign up for part-time work selling snacks or carrying out surveys among the audience while enjoying the race up front. It was an event highly welcomed by the local population.
Even walking to school during the Grand Prix week was fun because the road blocks created new paths for pedestrians that we otherwise were not allowed to take. Not to mention the sound of race car drivers practicing, overpowering the teachers’ lectures in the classrooms, watching them give up shouting one by one, and sitting hopefully for the announcement that we could all go home. Well, the last part had always been merely a childhood dream.
With the increasing population and cars in Macao, the race circuit is no longer what it once was. Macao is not a perfect place for a road race anymore, not without a high level of maintenance. To cater for the Grand Prix, road works have to be started months ahead, causing bits and pieces of roads to be dug up everywhere. Drivers can no longer speed along the Guia circuit, not only because of the speed limit, but the traffic jam that traps one’s car, killing the mood for car racing. Adding to that is the large number of shuttle buses blocking the exits from the already over-populated roads. And that’s how the fun of the Grand Prix was killed for all those trying to get to work or to school on time.
However, nothing is absolute – the hype of the Grand Prix for local citizens can easily be revived. It is still the first and the most significant event for over sixty years in Macao. As a full-time driver commented, it is not the event that is frustrating for the locals, but the traffic. If there were no school on those days, the traffic would be fine. So, there’s an intelligent solution: making the Grand Prix days official public holidays for students. A childhood dream of mine may then come true.
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