Hrm.. well, I have had an entirely different experience of China, not as a guest but as an owner, in a sense. While it might appear at first that you are the one in the subordinate position, I have always been able to get the upper hand and call the shots in terms of getting a raise, extra days off work, not getting docked for absences, etc. It's always having the Well, there are 5 others schools within half a kilometer radius that will pick me up attitude.

Believe it or not, I am not the skin colour of choice. I find the industry is getting more competitive, for foreign labour that is, with greater amounts of students able to afford education with the rapidly growing Chinese economy, and in parallel, rapidly expanding schools.

I know you mentioned that it's good to give notice. I, however, think that the threat of not giving notice, to a school that is really screwing you over, is enough to whip them into shape.

I don't see it as a tenant landlord relationship, but more accurately, at least in my experience, as knowing when to let sleeping dogs lie, that is when to pick your battles. The industry is run purely by greed and it seems, frankly, that the schools see it as uneconomical to not just put up with or give in to a teacher that is acting up.

But, who knows? Maybe I just lucked out.