Life in the big sin city (Feb 21st)

ost people back in Los Angeles think my life in Las Vegas is occupied with casinos and strip joints.  Unfortunately, your boring writer does not have any interesting gambling or sleazy stories to share -- nor would most people who live here.

Of course, that's a common perception of Las Vegas locals, most of it based on weekend trips here or TV commercials.  But to most people who call Sin City home, "whatever happens in Vegas"...is unremarkable.  Casinos may have rendered the city globally relevant but serve only as fleeting afterthoughts in our everyday lives (that is, unless you work in gaming).  For outsiders to think our lives are filled with gambling is like assuming everyone in Los Angeles are preoccupied with surfing and chasing celebrities.  Beyond a narrow geographical strip, Las Vegas is an ordinary city that betrays its hedonistic image.

Well, it's almost a normal city.  I say that because this is an unusual city -- for reasons different from what one may think.  It's different not because of casinos for 90% of Americans already live within two-hour's drive from one.  And it's definitely not different because of all the supposed “sin” that transpires.  When compared with Macau, Asia's gambling mecca, Las Vegas appears puritanical by comparison.

In my opinion, Las Vegas is unusual because this is a city of transients.  Almost everyone I've met here were recently from somewhere else and most younger people have no intention on staying for the long haul.  For various reasons, 10,000 residents pour into this desert metropolis every month while a few thousand bid it farewell.  Because Las Vegas' two million people are constantly coming and going, there is little feeling of permanence or stability.  For most, Las Vegas is a glittering subway station between where someone wants to leave and where someone wants to go.

Personally, I envision myself being in Las Vegas for 2-3 years and, afterwards, return to California or Hong Kong (the reason I took a job with HSBC) or wherever business or job adventures take me.  But no matter which station I turn up next, I'll always remember time spent in this strange city filled with strange characters and never regret standing on this platform waiting for the next train to arrive.