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Tea Leaks by Talkers

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Friday, April 24, 2015

The happening

Apparently, “the” place to be this evening is the Praha Bar, a joint with a view at the Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s the monthly drinks event hosted by our favorite concern group, ILCM! “Let’s catch-up! If you are new in town or on your own, we will introduce you to new friends.” Lady D. confirms she “will be there [AND] with the new member.” Who’s the new member? Where’s she from? What’s she doing here? Is she “a wife of a husband” or is she the one the family trails? If she has a family, that is… Suspense, intrigue. All can be answered if you attend the ladies’ drinks – and they are not there for tea, I tell you: a MOP150 entrance fee grants the convivialists a free flow of house wine & beers. See you later!

Crowds on Thursdays

Talkers suspects something’s strange with borders and Thursdays. Every Thursday, downtown is invaded (again) by tourists of the mainland kind. Actually, lately, we’ve been seeing more and more of the international kind… maybe because the others kinda disappear by decree (iykwim). But this Thursday there was this: see the pic!

Are your parents… married?!

The craziest experience this Talker has had at the ID department was a concerned and repeated question that my parents’ surnames were the same on my birth certificate… Talkers had to explain that where I’m from, this is (a) a good thing and (b) no, my parents are not related. Believe it or not.

Zombie town

What is a “zombie town”? It is a town where 50, 60, 70% of economic output and tax derives from one industry, says a McKinsey China expert. What’s more, that industry is now entering decline. “It could be coal mining, steel production, textile production. The skill base in the town is all focused on this industry, the tax base pretty much all comes from this industry or from property sold on the back of incomes generated in this industry.” Could it be gaming? Could this town be in China? Does this ring a bell?!