When Yvonne McMahon moved to Macau 11 months ago, the thing that struck her the most about the city was 'the space'.
'My whole apartment in Hong Kong would fit inside my bedroom here in Macau,' Ms McMahon said. 'There is just more space to move, the apartments are so much bigger and there is open space outdoors. Macau is more like a big country town than a city and that holds a lot of appeal.'
The Australian citizen works as a design manager on the City of Dreams mega resort due to open next year. She moved to Hong Kong three years ago because her husband got a job there. Initially, she found it tough to find work in construction and took part-time jobs, until she secured a role with Leighton Asia as a design co-ordinator.
For six months Ms McMahon, who has a bachelor of applied science (construction management and economics), travelled between Hong Kong and Macau for work. She started full-time work at the Cotai Strip construction site in September last year.
'At first I didn't really like Macau because I was travelling all the time and it made the days so long, I never really got a chance to see much,' she said. 'Once I actually moved here it really gave me a different appreciation of the place, I could take time out and enjoy Macau, get to know some of the bars, cafes and restaurants.'
Ms McMahon's husband still works in Hong Kong and travels to Macau regularly for business. She said living apart was not easy, but it was necessary and had given the couple a chance to get to know Macau a lot better.