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Alchemy (Volume I) is finally here! For four years, these stories lived in recordings, transcripts, late‑night memories, and half‑finished drafts. Now they’re out in the world — the real Macao, the one we lived, the one we survived, the one we still laugh about. If you were there, you’ll feel it. If you weren’t, you’re about to step into a world that changed everything.
Alchemy captures the untamed spirit of Macao during the tumultuous years between 2002 and 2020, told by the colorful characters who lived, worked, gambled, schemed, and triumphed under the city’s neon glow. It follows the intertwined threads of ambition, passion, and intrigue, painting a vivid portrait of a place reinventing itself faster than anyone could keep up — a city in constant metamorphosis, and a community riding the wave together.
Alchemy is the first volume in the series, focusing on the casinos and the wonderfully unpredictable crowd of characters who made every day feel like a scene from a movie they didn’t realize they were starring in. These were the people who could turn a simple meeting into a plot twist, a quiet shift into a crisis, and a routine audit into a full‑blown comedy. They were the deal‑makers who negotiated like their lives depended on it, and the gamblers who believed probability was a personal insult.
They were chaos wrapped in name badges — and somehow, they kept the whole machine running. Their stories — hilarious, messy, heartfelt, and often so unbelievable they should come with a disclaimer.
Have your own story to contribute for Volume II?
I’d love to hear it. Big, tiny, half‑remembered stories — they all count. You can use your name, a pen name, or no name at all.
Email alidad@2nt8.com or reach via WhatsApp at +853 6538 2242
Where to Buy
You can have Alchemy shipped to you, or stop by at these locations:
Macao: Portuguese Bookshop (Livraria Portuguesa)
Hong Kong: Bookazine
About the Author:
Alidad Tash arrived in Macao in 2006 following a quarter‑century spent in the United States and with the kind of curiosity that doesn’t buy return tickets. The connection was instant. He built a life in Macao — citizenship, a wife, two children — while watching the city ignite into the world’s premier gambling hub, a transformation as fast, loud, and bright as the skyline itself.
Since 2000, he has worked at The Venetian Las Vegas, Sands China (Venetian Macao), Melco Resorts & Entertainment, and at his own consultancy, 2NT8 Limited. In 2024, he rejoined Melco — proving that in this industry, you really can go home again, as long as you bring data, a sense of humor, and a PowerPoint deck.
