Well, it is pretty bad if your only other option to being on the dole in the UK is teaching or deeching in China.

Indeed. But I knew a guy who has now got himself settled in England, who made the "mistake" of taking a year out to travel around Asia from his career as an investment banker in London. He was the typical essex wide boy, liked his drinking,birds and being flash, but when he got back to london, imagine his surprise when all that faced him was his old car, living with his mum and being on the dole. In career minded london, the employers didn't like that he decided to take a year off. He then actually envied me teaching in China, with my own flat, as he was living on the dole money (absolutely nothing in london, even lower class and middle class working people struggle there!), living with his old mum, with an old car, and no job. To each their own....I do believe foxy poster posted some years back that teaching english in china is better than rotting away on the dole in the dying disunited kingdom, and I'd say he is right on the money there.