One of the first things that everyone notices when arriving in Macau these days is the the way the city is being transformed by the new construction. Casinos and hotels are going up everywhere. Many roads are unusable because of the need to install new sewer lines that can handle the new hotels. The promise of "Grand Openings" to come has people feeling as giddy as a child before Christmas. But it has also been our experience that reality rarely matches the hype.

A couple nights ago we were wandering through the ghost town of Macau's Fisherman's Wharf "Theme Park" when I was struck by this notice:

Delifrance is a upscale fast-food chain popular in Hong Kong

The signs of opening soon have been up for 4 or 5 months. I told the friends we were with that I would believe it the first day I bit down on a piece of baguette. The promise of "Opening Soon" has started to leave me flat. There are signs that many others in Macau are feeling the same way. As the economy helps the rich to get richer, the poor and even the middle class are being left behind. These are heady days indeed for Macau, but the jury is still out as to whether or not the reality can even come close to the hype.