I've posted two brief news reports that I spotted this past week. Both concern the changes occurring in Macau. One report tells us that the population is exploding. For 2006, Macau's population is growing at a rate of almost 6%. This is very rapid growth and clearly is not from births alone. Immigration continues to grow and dominate the dialogue of many people.

The city is coming under increasing pressure from the growing population. Catching a taxi is almost impossible unless you are at a hotel/casino. The buses are increasingly crowded and unpleasant to ride during peak hours. (The other day I had to wait for over 30 minutes as 8 large buses passed my stop without stopping to take on passengers due to being full.)

On top of this population explosion, the economy continues to expand as millions of dollars are dumped into the city due to hotel/casino investment. A friend of mine recently began working as a dealer at the newest casino to open. With a high school degree he is making more than U.S.$1,200.00 per month. These are highly coveted jobs for young people. As such, the whole economy is being stressed. Higher wages lead to higher prices. High wages paid by the casinos mean that small businesses have a difficult time hiring staff. No one knows what to do and the main impression is that the city has a "tiger by the tail" and doesn't know what to do next.