Hi Boots,

just in response to your reply, I should say that after a lot of negativety in my message about private schools in China, I have had a good time here, but expect to have a better and more rewarding time in my next post at the Normal University.
In my time at this school I have seen 3 other foreign teachers come and go, breaking their contracts in dispute.
I think the most important thing is that you are a wordly person, with a strong backbone. Interestingly enough my wife is starting to really see her own people through my eyes. We had known each other for a few years before I came here - we met in Hong Kong some years ago.

So you are off to South Korea - I hope it is a good experience for you. I spent time there on my way back from living in France - I was lucky as I was with local Korean's - they can be more xenophobic than the Chinese, you may find that you and your wife will always be "outsiders". Although I was not teaching there I did visit some schools - its does seem to me that there are horror stories there as well. Many of the teachers I spoke to considered their time there as a prison sentence, with one young guy being assaulted - I also here there is sexual harrasment with the girls as well.

The one thing that we all seem to do is generalise - that is a mistake in itself - right?