Job Discussion Forums

Smoog · Joined: 11 Jan 2005 Posts: 137 Location: Hong Kong

4 years ago, I'd have said Macau is a much better place to live and work. The pay's not as good as HK, but it would have gone further and it certainly was a less stressful, more laidback existance there.
Now, however, what with all the ludicrously large casinos being thrust up everywhere there, with the resulting obscene rent increases, Macau has become a far less attractive place. And by that, I don't just mean due to the increase in CoL. imo it's fast losing the interesting sparkle that made Macau worth visiting.
That is just my opinion of course. Others who live there or visit regularly could well disagree and have better reasons than mine why.

Serious_Fun · Joined: 28 Jun 2005 Posts: 1171 Location: terra incognita

a decent article regarding the situation in Macau:

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China_Business/JD04Cb01.html

Horizontal Hero · Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 11:58 am Post subject:

A'Moo · Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 2:25 am Post subject:

Agreed. A real dump, with some of the most unfriendly people on the planet...
Fun to listen to 80 year old Chinese people speking portugeses tho'

zhuangzi · Joined: 30 Dec 2004 Posts: 325

I went to Macao last year in July and I loved it.

I had been living in Beijing for a year and took a trip down to Hong Kong and Macao. It was much cleaner than Beijing. The internet worked without any sites getting blocked. So to me, both places seemed like heaven.

I'm not really into casinos, but I'm not against them, either. I guess the sociologist in me in just fascinated by all the human activitiy. As long as there are no human rights abuses, I don't have any problem with an industry that provides thousands of jobs to serve idiots who want to throw their money away. Wink

I woke up at about 6:30am one morning, went outside my hotel (Wynn), and took a long walk -- about two hours. I walked up some lush mountain, looked at old ruins, looked out at the harbor, and the blue sky. It was so different from Beijing. It was peaceful. I felt the place was very unique.

The main plaza in the middle of the city looked very European, and overall, I thought the people, and workers, and taxi drivers, etc., were much nicer than those in Beijing. So I have great memories of Macao.

I'm not sure what it was in the past, or what it might be like in the future, but I think there's a charm in Macao that you don't find elsewhere. And as long as flashing lights don't anger you, you'll find plenty there to appreciate.

Serious_Fun · Joined: 28 Jun 2005 Posts: 1171 Location: terra incognita

beaker81 · Joined: 12 Nov 2007 Posts: 16

I couldn't agree more about Macao. I was there teaching for two years and had the worse time of my life.

The list is endless. Pollution, people smoking and spitting everywhere and there's really nothing recreational to do except take off to Hong Kong to get away from it all!

The real estate agents are truely crooks and tried to run away with my rental deposit.

If you are making a decision of whether or not to work in Macao, i would DEFINITLEY NOT go there.

zhuangzi · Joined: 30 Dec 2004 Posts: 325

Serious_Fun · Joined: 28 Jun 2005 Posts: 1171 Location: terra incognita

Tiger Beer · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 778 Location: Hong Kong

Marcoregano · Joined: 19 May 2003 Posts: 872 Location: Hong Kong

If you want to try your hand in the casinos, Macau is the place to go. However, the place has changed totally in recent years. It used to be a tranquil backwater compared to HK, with a slightly European feel to it. Now it's a noisy neon dump by comparison, with too many mainlanders, too much construction and too many casinos - although if you didn't know it as it used to be I imagine it still has its attractions.

We liked it as it was. We used to go there 3 or 4 weekends a year to escape HK. We don't go any more. RIP Macau. Crying or Very sad

once again · Joined: 27 Jan 2003 Posts: 815

I agree that Macao has lost some of its charm. But once away from the casinos it still has the air of a lazy tranquil place. Personaly I find the casinos some of the most depressing places I have ever been. For all their neon and lights, they always strike me a pretty joyless places.

Marcoregano · Joined: 19 May 2003 Posts: 872 Location: Hong Kong

eddy-cool · Joined: 06 Jul 2008 Posts: 1008

I do like Macau precisely because it has this other-worldly feel about it - the Mediterranean laid-backness, the appreciation of la dolce vita (at least as practised by the remaining Portuguese), the relative orderliness and respect for the law and rules by the natives - in sharp contrast with the anarchism of mainlanders and Hongkongers.

But it is true that the place has become extremely crowded; until last year (?) the town (450'000 inhabitants?) had 5-digit phone numbers; now it boasts 8 digits. What does that say about the place and its changes?

When you stroll around town you are constantly being pushed and jostled by Mainlanders. Crossing the border from Zhuhai is a headache that can take over one hour as most of the counters now are serving Mainlanders and only two or 3 are open for laowais.

My mainland wife does not qualify for a visa as an independent traveller to Macau or Hong Kong; she has to join a tour group. That means she and I cannot travel there together.