Sorryto learn of your lousy living experience, John. I've never been to Guangxi, but unfortunately, what you describe is exactly what I experienced in other parts of China -- at least when I worked at public institutions and lived on campus. The first place I taught and lived was a public college in Nantong, Jiangsu. Every morning at around 6:00AM a very LOUD, campus-wide public address system would begin blasting German-style military music for exercise. Welcome to communist China!

My apartment had a gated, private entrance, but it was locted on the ground floor of the girl's dormatory. Laundry dangled from the six floors of balconies above and was always falling into my tiny, concrete "courtyard." Girls would bang on the gate -- at ALL hours -- to retrieve fallen panties, bras, and other items. I could never have a nap or a full night's sleep without being disturbed without the crying and giggling of female students. Also, the place where students would fill their water jugs for the days washing and cooking, etc., was located just outside ny apartment, so there was constant activity and noise.

EVERY place I worked in China (public or private) had VERY slow internet service. Teachers were always expected to augment (or fully provide) teaching materials, but internet service, printing, etc., were always sub-standard, or sometimes non-existent.

I spent five years years in China, and no matter where I lived and worked, or whom I worked for, I found that they always provided the absolute minimum in educational tools, working enviornments, and living accomodations. That would be somewhat acceptable if everyone was enduring similar conditions, but employers usually live in grandeur, have private cars and drivers, and plush offices. Everything is provided off the backs of foreign teachers, and students (and their parents) who live and learn with very little. Exploitation at its absolute worst. Guangxi, Jiangsu, Sichuan... it's the same wherever you land. After five years, not only did I not see any improvement in the system, in some ways, it was getting worse because more foreigners were willing to venture to China, employers made little or no effort to provide professional working and reasonable living conditions.