If I recommend to not to USE a recruiter, would it then be logical to use one myself. I think not.

Exactly, I never thought for one moment you did use a recruiter; I accept completely that you approached the schools yourself. What I was saying was that it didn't do you a blind bit of good to look for and find those two jobs yourself because it ended in complete and costly failure. Now if you had of found a specialist, a recruiter, to advise and guide you at that stage, you might well be happily in the same Chinese job now-married to FAOess- two kids- a healthy sex life..who knows how your life could have changed.