ok, from solar powered underwear, through frank zhang back to reasoning why not come to work on mainland. unqualified and abusive employers, their one-sided contracts, poor institutions and little regard for standards, regulations, laws and for foreign experts as well, and then corrupt/ignorant law enforcement officials should raise some awareness in many job seekers to this country.

had i known this country would treat me in such ways today, i would not have come. what has changed in a decade is little, except the newly errected and already corroded buildings around and the higher costs of living. 10 years ago, i had foreign product choices in carrefour or walmart. today, i don't. salaries aren't higher and more and more locals are showing their somewhat hostile attitudes towards us too. needless to say that more and more local students learning english have us for white trash rather then that honorable experts we are in those booklets.

one of my british friends has helped on a new nuclear power plant in southern guangdong a few years back. the powerplant stands, although he's gone. and, did he have some hard time getting out of there. he finished his contractual agreement, although the local employer did not want to let him go yet as this brithis fella apparently had not finished his assignment there. reasoning that the local employer did not provide what was necessary to accomplish the work within the timeframe had no impact on the confrontation in between. well, he had to take a midnight run, didn't he? however, the plant stands strong as it is and it provide what it needs to provide for peoples people. the point is that should it have stood and/or should we all have come here?

cheers and beers to the ones that have come and that have put up their good fights with the 60 years old system :)