To anyone who thinks of coming to work in this country, besides some beautiful sightseeings, the great food, low living costs or attractive opposite sex, there are the employers, local regulations and then the ethics to look out for.

Chinese employers often do not have any knowledge in the field they hold their business licenses in and they more than often hire their local management/administrators according to loyalty rather than talent/skill, experience, or education. Then, even if some locals have any of the just mentioned, they almost always get either manipulated by their employers or deluded by their poor local educational system that can almost never offer them a reasonable view of foreign employees from developed countries. Most imprortantly, such a working environment usually creates an unreasonable evaluation of the foreign employees and as the current regulations in China call for the employers' Release and Recommendation Letters necessary for further employment of foreigners on mainland, we are greatly opened up to, either abuse or poor evaluation, which then leads to bitter fight over our own rights and/or justice.

There are many reports of disgraced foreign teachers on mainland that fight till they hit the great wall and then bleeding they leave or decide to stay and work elsewhere under less reasonable employment terms and conditions as their new employers can abuse them futher. The following link that's been also provided on another thread here on the board is to just prove my point on http://middlekingdomlife.com/guide/changing-jobs-moving-in-china.htm

Moreover on the topic and what I have not seen mentioned in that above link is that there's a new regulation from a couple years ago which states that foreign "experts" aren't to manage neither the Chinese nor foreign employees, even though there still are cases of some puppet foreign managers around. So, don't you get any ambicious over coming to work here unless you're willing to sell your souls to some large mills where they'll sign you into some puppet role and promise that "you are the one". To demonstrate what I mean; as a Director of Studies, I was closely observed by my Chinese teachers, the sales consultants and their supervisor and then their opinion of me mattered to my employer sooo much. Why bother?

Now, I am sure there's all kind of abuse around the world and other countries have their own issues that, for example, the foreign teachers have to deal with. However, you should know that the longer you are in China the more you'll feel the abuse and that may not be the same in many other countries. This country is notoriously racist and greatly discriminatory to others. And, the local educational system does not help a bit in that respect. Say for example, you get married and have a child born on mainland. If you and your kid look foreign, you'll both be foreign for ever. Trying to educate locals, providing some reasoning may only trigger nationalizm and the view that you are on their land and so you should follow no matter what. To them, you are on an invitation which means that they are your "hosts". Therefore, they have the "power" to decide whether you are right or wrong on virtually any issues you might raise/encounter or have to deal with.

Today, my one and a half years old son was hit in the face by another about 3 years old boy and that in front of many kids/parents in the playground. After I'd confronted the guilty boy, I got some really worrying looks of the local parents faces there. Hmm..and I thought i'd some support. Well, i'd lie if i told you this event had nothing to do with my posting here on. :)

In conclusion, what I am attempting to demonstrate to readers on is that foreigners on mainland that've been here for longer periods of time either go with the flow and sometimes choose to be abused or confront daily issues at or off work and then end up being scorned by many Chinese employers/locals. Honestly, there're many great Chinese people and I have met some myself, although at the end of the day you'll be scratching your head where the logic is. Then, you'll be asking yourselves why this or that has happened and why the locals have thought so. Again, to the locals, you must loose, or they lose their faces which is much more serious to them. Mind you that if your employer loses his/her face, you'll be out of this country in no time..or, living "underground" in. :)

Cheers and beers to Shanghai expo that'll be the mile stone for all foreigners on mainland as in a few years we aren't going be many around unless traveling on L visas