It is a good time to be in OZ now though, although I prefer after about January 7 when everything gets back to normal. Gold Coast, Bribie Island, Bondi in Sydney, all great in summer, certainly beats a freezing cold north Asian winter, that's for sure!

It certainly is. And nice to get away from the ankle biters whom I 'teach.'

In my experience foreign teachers start out by being stupidly unassertive/wet blanket, when they should be assertive in a controlled and friendly way from the offset. This leads the Chinese bosses to not bother about returning the passport, or fixing the fridge. Then the foreign teacher has to go over the top, and being really nasty, which the bosses in their turn react badly to and dig in their heels. I 90% blame the teachers for situations turned bad, especially the poms. Make their own beds ,mate. no sympathy for them. Hope you get some amberfluid down you this Christmas. I should mention Chinese girls; shapely I agree, and easy to change your girlfriend every week.