Why are you here?

I CAME to China out of a life-long fascination with the place. I wanted to experience it on something deeper than the tourist level. And, I was caught up in the great Dot-Com Bust of 2000/2001. I had just recently lost my father. I kinda felt like I just had nothing going on, and figured a year out wouldn't hurt.

A better question is: Why did I stay so long?
Simple answer: Freedom.
Startling as that might sound to those of you who have never spent an extended time in Totalitarian Communist China.

In China, Old Country is now a vague haze somewhere over the horizon. All the stuff that constrained you there, does not apply in China. Most of us have absolutely zero intention of doing anything terribly subversive, so apart from visas etc. the government has little real impact upon us. And no matter how long we live in China we have no hope of ever being perceived as Chinese, so all that immense web of social and cultural mores and obligations that keep most Chinese so horribly manacled again does not apply to us Barbarians. And if you're at all ambitious, in real terms you may well find yourself more affluent than you've ever known before.

Which leaves us: Free.

There's just nothing like the rush you get from that first hit of near-total freedom. Drugs, alcohol, sex, etc. all simply pale by comparison.

I sometimes heard expats in China proclaim that many of the people still digging away back in Old Country were just "waiting to die."

Today being my 2nd anniversary back in the USA, I can see clearly what they mean by that.

so are you going back again,Dukee?

Unfortunately, I am one of the ones "just waiting to die" How I envy you folk who have lived or who are living my dream to live and teach in China. Don't take your good health for granted,enjoy every day and don't put off til tomorrow etc, etc, etc.....! I don't know which category I would have fitted into, but the missionary position can have its interesting moments.  

I'm here because I married a nomad who listens to God.  One day he sprung, "What do you think of moving to China?" on me.  I clearly remember the moment.  My response was something like, "Are you nuts!?!"  I could think of a lot of reasons why it was a really stupid idea, but had three main ones.  At heart, I'm really one of those people comfortable living in a rut because they are too afraid of change, but as I said, I married a nomad.

I was on my way out the door to church, to volunteer in the nursery.  My co-worker that evening was the pastor's wife.  I shared my recent conversation with her and asked her what she did when her husband threw out a radical idea.  This wise lady told me she prays for God to change her mind or change her husband's mind.  A year and a half later, my three main reasons for delay had been taken care of, my mind was in agreement with my husband's and we took a leap of faith.  So many blessings happened that summer and fall of 2003.  Everything fell into place.

Our original plan was to stay for 2-3 years.  We just had our 7th anniversary and have no plans to leave.  I don't like the mercenary label, but we certainly live better here than we could back home.  I guess the missionary label fits in a broad sense of the word.  All of our married lives (31 years) we've had jobs that were 'people-helping' jobs.  That hasn't changed with the change in country.  I think people are brought into our lives for a reason; they impact me and I impact them.  As long as the doors remain open (job, visa) and I feel useful, I plan to stay (unless we get a clear message that it's time to move on...).

As for the misfit label - goes without saying 

Have to admit that In my old job I almost died from abject boredom. Here in China I can often get angry and pissy but 95% of me experience here is overly positive. What job in my own country could i work 10 hours a week (and 10 hours of outside work) and make close to $500 bucks a week and live completely without expense (not actually true, if I could convince my uni to pay for my sao kao then I would live a completely free life) Also I have a great partner here and a growing business so all in all I stay here because I love having summer and winter break off, free trip back to Aus once a year and every day I can decide to go out and see something different or sit on my ass if it pleases me!!

Keep em coming guys, these are great! I am truly inspired. Ruth your story is definitely in my wavelength except that the crazy idea was mine and my husband bless him always does what he is told!
You have all strengthened my resolve to go for it..

Read my tag line - If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat.  I learned that summer 7 years ago that my 'boat' was my comfortable, predictable life.  Sometimes you just have to go for it.

I'm in, Ruth I am just praying that my current bosses release me and I am on the plane.

i do agree with a lot of the sentiments here. i often come across as quite negative on here about china, but now i am moving back to europe where everything is kind of stitched up i'm starting to realise how much i will miss it all.

i will probably be back here before long, i don't see the appeal of england at all, china has been much better to me than home to be honest. i know some things are a bit easier here and can make one lazy if one is so inclined, but it isn't like i felt at home where it was so hard to make progress.

Amazing food and a near-infinite supply of pretty girls to admire.  Does one really need more reasons that that?

how very hedonistic of you Lunatic 
well not into girls but food, there you have me. Being an ex Brit I cannot for the life of me understand how I stood UK food for 25 years (discounting the wonderful curry houses of course) so anywhere in Asia suits me fine. Not to mention the reserved British stiff upper lip which I cannot stand now.

Great food, mountains to climb, a university where I actually get to teach subjects I like...primary reason why I am here...didn't want to waste my life in an office at home...

how very hedonistic of you Lunatic 
well not into girls but food, there you have me. Being an ex Brit I cannot for the life of me understand how I stood UK food for 25 years (discounting the wonderful curry houses of course) so anywhere in Asia suits me fine. Not to mention the reserved British stiff upper lip which I cannot stand now.

I just got a bit of a shock with this new English guy arriving in town and taking him out to see the sights. I take him to a normal barbeque here, nothing special, just a local barbeque place, and he's so impressed, and it really isn't that impressive, they just cook meat outside for you cheap... We do have good food in england, but for cheap it's still horrible

I was bored at home, and too comfortable.

What good food bar curry do we have in the UK,Kitano?