Maybe you think that your wife's rich family's connections will save you, or that being a
business partner with a local business magnate will afford you special treatment

I assume you are talking generally. I don't have a wife or a business and never said I did.

I don't know why any of you are still there. At least move to Beijing, where the global media
has a presence.

As I explained, my first experience of China was also not very positive. Being rather naieve I was sweet talked by Helen and some other person in EV and rather foolishly believed them. As I said I jumped from the frying pan into the fire. As time went on I just wanted to get my z visa. They had no reason not to give it to me as all my documents were legitimate. The thing that angered me the most was them hanging onto my passport, in hindsight probably to prevent me doing a runner.

I have actually found a job in Shenzhen and will be off there as soon as I am shot of this place. If they don't pay me I am not going to hang around. I will just bite the bullet but I will make sure that their shoddy practices are made public. They are suffering this year, whether this is a result of the crackdown or the rebuff or other teachers complaints being aired on sites like this or both but they really are sweating about it. Their office has the atmosphere of The Mary Celeste.

As for my comments about the city, well thats my humble opinion. I didn't really join the expat crowd that was once there, I just kept myself to myself. I am known to them however. I was talking in the sense that it is reasonably connected and has one of everything.

One thing I do agree with you on is that YEV is best avoided. What working there has taught me is what to ask, to do and not to do and how to avoid a repetition in the future.