As I prefer teaching in the backwater places of China that have neither Western fast food chain restaurants nor more than a couple of Westerners in town

You sound like a couple of older guys i knew in rural central china, one an american and one an aussie, as I know you are a brit, I am sure you are not them...but while I don't miss western fast food in China, I do like a cheeky chardonay or a good german mug of beer, something which is easier to get in the bigger cities from a western supermarket/bar. Or is your neck of the woods pretty cool for getting imported items?

Cheers,
cb