I was desparate in China in 2008. I had lost my job at a training school because an attractive blonde wanted a second income! That's what it boiled down to, but I was told it was because the students had complained about my teaching. As it was the middle of the semester, I was in a right old fix. I was living in rented accomodation and was only offered 40% of the rent I'd paid up front by the greedy landlady if I left early. My employer finally agreed to give me a satisfactory release letter after I begged her to do the right thing. I was very very lucky to get a job in the same city at another training school. The pay was rubbish, just 40 yuan a lesson but beggars can't be choosers, so I took the job. But if I hadn't have, I'd have been without a dime within a month. I survived that scare, and learnt from it. I lived froogally and put away as much money as I could. I realised that I could have become seriously ill, and would have to fly home or pay for hospital treatment locally. Never again did I put myself at risk by spending all that I earnt. And I avoided taking jobs at training schools after that. Far more secureity is to be had in the public education sector. But the salary is less. I've never been at risk of being imprisoned and then deported from China since then because of money shortages. I had been a clot in the beginning.