thanks again, thers no specific questions really.
Ive heard all the storys of cons and scams...it almost sounds like its to be expected....id feel insulted if i wasnt conned in some way!
Neither myself or girlfriend are wet behind the ears or naive, we have travelled in 6 continents, but these things can happen to anyone anytime. you just have to do your research and hope for the best.
As for other countries, our aims were to teach somewhere that paid well and allowed us to save money in comparison to cost of living. Japan, Taiwan and Korea are all good payers but are out it seems due to non native status. China appeals as i have been before back in 2003, it seems demand is high, non natives can work there, its close (we are in japan at moment), it has culture and history, most employers offer free accomodation and airfare, and also has good transport links to places we may want to travel to in holidays.......korea, phillipines, taiwan etc. China may seem old as you seem to have been there along time.....its new to us and seems to be up and coming in terms of resources and business, certainly since 2003 when I was there...and demand for teachers is not comparable to anywhere else.

If there are any other countries you may feel can offer similar please let me know. most other countries Ive looked at pay just enough to get by...thailand, vietnam, etc...only other high payers were middle east..saudi, oman, dubai etc....but thats not for us!

Also any cities in china you would recommend(modern, good transport, amenities, nightlife, youthful population, nearby to places of interest/other cities we could visit, etc)...i realise its massive but we concentrating on western area, not shanghai or beijing.

as for salary what would you aim for as CELTA qualified, graduate, native speaker.......salaries seem to range from 4000-12000. Are salaries negotiable? what about bonuses/contract completion etc...is that normal? are holidays including the long winter ones usually fully paid? any other benefits that i should make sure of......or are there no standards...all depends on individual job offer and contract?

anyways thanks again