Well, I'm here.

What the Bunny said!

You wouldn't want to upset the bunny, would you?

GENTLEMEN ... and I use the term advisedly ... you are becoming waaayyy too belligerent and your remarks are far too personal in nature.  Please refrain from continuing in this vein.  It is definitely NOT in the "spirit of the Saloon"

Phillis is entitled to his opinion and feelings.  So are the rest of you.  Just stop bashing him.  China is not everyone's cup of tea, you know.

Yeah! I've got feelings too ya know.

Seriously though, I like my job despite the tragically low level the students exhibit after 12 years of English. I also make 8000 RMB a month not 5000. All my bills are paid for except food. I even get a 5200 RMB bonus each year - 1/2 deliverable each semester - for traveling and other stuff. My apartment is okay despite the leaky kitchen ceiling. I also find the Chinese people, the locals anyway, to be quite friendly.

It's the area in which I live. It's a filthy, smelly, decrepit, polluted dungheap. I feel my ex friend was less than forth coming about it.

Yesterday I was walking in Dirt Town and found a little hole in the wall pool hall. I played all afternoon with the locals and had a great time.

Nonetheless I look forward to going home to my little house by the Mekong. It's all downhill from here, averaging 3 classes per week.

It's the area in which I live. It's a filthy, smelly, decrepit, polluted dungheap.

Question for you, Phillis ~ IF you found a (cleaner) different locale, is there a possibility that you might return/stay in PRC?

This thread puts me in mind of hubris. Philis seemed pretty confident about his ability to adapt to China, but it didn't turn out that way. As I've alluded to, albeit with lots of missing details, I had my own similar situation a couple fo years back; in Italy of all places. I think it was the fact that it was Italy, and not China, that made me complacent and thinking, 'I've got this, and what i got was a nightmare situation.

What I'm saying is that what happened to philis could happen to all of us. Although i'm relatively happy with my lot in life at the moment, the last year has involved lots of situations where I'm doing the same things that have worked for me in the past, but to far less success.

Philis, i hope that you deon't feel i've been one of the people attacking you. I've made comments along the lines of thinking that we wouldn't get on, but despite what Stil said, i do think that as foreigners we have a small responsibility to ensure that we are all ok.

I really don't mean socialising with everybody, trying to make friends with every foreigner you see in starbucks or pretending that all non-Chinese of all ages are a hemogenous mass that should live in love and harmony together. I'm a misanthrope (I think that's the word). My socialisation involves trying to find the human needles in a haystack that are closer to me level than they are that of a chimpanzee. I'm an immensely horrible person.

Still i think that we are all in a potentially vulnerable position, and we have a responsibility to ensure that we are all ok, and help if we can. Sometimes helping is really tough. I see others engaging in disasterous behaviour, but it's not my place to judge or interfere. In fact one of the disasterous behaviours I see is someone who seems to constantly want to deal with the planks in others eyes. (Heavily Christian imagery here i'm afraid).

Just be a little bit nice to others; especially if they're new in town. Even if they're a jerk. Maybe especially.

Quote from: Phillis on April 15, 2016, 10:13:35 PM

It's the area in which I live. It's a filthy, smelly, decrepit, polluted dungheap.

Question for you, Phillis ~ IF you found a (cleaner) different locale, is there a possibility that you might return/stay in PRC?

An excellent question and the answer is, probably.

There was a previous poster who had been to Laos and thought it was a dump. That's cool. I do not understand the ethnocentric attitude regarding country of habit. I could sit around and listen to folks dump all over Canada, or Laos, and absolutely not care. I seriously do not understand why people get upset when negative aspersions are cast upon something you like , especially when you are not a native.

Nonetheless, I am certain there are many more amazing places in this country. I would like to see them all. However, I am tired, I have been around the proverbial block more times than I can remember, I want to go home. I came to China because my friend asked me to come. He fucked me. The friendship is finished and irrevocable. I will go home.

I would like to see the Great Wall while I am here. Would anyone care to hang out and dig the scene and quaff a couple beers?

folks.. this has gotten personal and there is not point for it here!
some things can be settled in person and don't need an audience, this is one of them.

Locking this now.