Yes, if you want to live easy working in China can indeed be a good choice. If you want to
have a career in which you excel, advance, get promoted, become part of the company, and
go with them into the future as a part of it, think again, this won't happen in ESL. If
working for a public school the reasons are obvious, if for a private one, again,
obvious reasons. If career and advancement are important to you, don't come to China,
that's for certain.

Exactly. Sanguine, you sum up perfectly how I felt when I left China this past early-mid October.

Speaking from personal experience, I got sick to the back teeth of dealing with recruiters, a creaking and restrictive visa system (You marry a Chinese woman, get a 5 year visa, but can't work?!), and future messing about at a public school, or in the far worst case, which really was the straw that broke the camels back, working at some private/training centre place for 8 hours a day, with 6 of those hours classes, and the rest being mithered by students/having no free time in the office, and being asked to perform "extra-curricular" activities. I just couldn't see any future in it any more, even to stay around for a girl I was keen on,but who wasn't willing to show me any commitment in return (ah, those complex 20 somethings!) and so upped sticks.

Are things any better in the Euro-zone/the UK? Definitely not, far worse than the PRC, in fact.

Do I feel healthier, less stressed, more relaxed? Yes.

I just felt that working in a private primary school in Guangzhou, or teaching spoilt kids in a second tier city in Zhejiang wasn't for me anymore. But if it is for Silverboy and others who are happy earning low pay at a cushy public uni gig, then more power to them.

Cheers to all,
VS