What a riveting debate. That's why I'm leaving Korea because of all the negativity that I hear from Foreign teachers. The fact is people take advantage of people where ever you go. The more desperate their situation is, the more likely it is to happen. I imagine a secondary city in China, with an influx of migrant workers is a place where that can happen.
Having said that I was taken advantage of by Target, who cheated me a paycheck when I worked for them in high school, and I was harassed by a bully of a boss at Home Depo while in college. Still I'm not negative about my country, and I'm not going to let a few nasty or desperate people make me feel negative about any other country either. I've met plenty of mean spirited, xenophobic people in Korea and I've also met many open minded, kind people. In fact, I've even met kind, xenophobic people, and mean, open minded people. I believe part of our role as ESL teachers is to break down cultural stereotypes, not to create our own ones.
Please people stop focusing on the negative, stop harassing people for being positive, and for goodness sake, stop expecting a country that has 5000 years of culture to have more entertainment venues sutiable for bored foreigners. What does that mean anyway? I don't have the same hobbies as my Canadian or British colleagues. I didn't choose to live in a different country so I could eat Burger King, go to the cinema and do tequila slammers while hitting on babes in a nightclub. I came to gather an insight into this part of the world and an insight into myself by not having my culture cocooning me. I'm so happy I ditched my colleagues in Korea that first week. 10 months later I can read and write hangul, speak elementary Korean, cook several delicous Korean dishes. I also have a black belt in tae kwon do, and have hiked all over this beautiful country. I'm not bragging I'm just showing you what positive thinking and accepting a foreign culutre can bring to you.
Best of luck people, best of luck...