Why is it that some of us will only leave China, it seems, in a wooden box, having moaned our way through half a lifetime of apparent torment? Why don't we make our point by just going?

I guess 'some of us' have been taken in by the deceipt in many job ads for FTs in China and have suffered in consequence of having taken up bad teaching posts here. I'm thinking of regular posters such as Silverboy in this respect, though it seems that he will leave China for good soon.

In my case, I realize the need for posting warnings to prevent newbies from being duped by grovelling weasels who act as lackeys for bad Chinese directors by posting positive comments about working for said directors, or other laowai who will accept being treted badly by their employers because they are too dumb to reslize they're being used and abused. All that said, I should add that there are plenty of positives re working in China if one avoids working for certain kinds of employers here such as private training centres. As for mainland Chinese, I think the ordinary people here are the salt of the earth. However, Chinese teachers tend to be stuck-up and prone to nitpick. So, avoid them where and when possible.

My advice would be that China's great for those of us who are particular regarding whom we associate with at and outside of work while being able to conserve money by avoiding buying Western products, seldom eating out at western-style restaurants and never drinking at western-style bars.

The grest thing about China is that one needn't work hard or long hours for an attractive salary in terms of its local purchasing power if one works in the public sector. That's the best way for those of us who aren't capitalistic in nature, contrary to the attitude of many Westerners who come here and of most 'educated' local Chinese.

As I've asked before on this board, where else in the world can one be paid a reasonable full-time salary plus receiving rent-free accommodation for putting in a total of approx 12 hours of teaching plus prep time. No-one can tell us where else that can be done. That's what makes China unique from other countries as regards TEFL employment, and that's great for those of us who aren't interested in working hard nor putting in long hours at work.