I know the US isn't perfect, but honest-to-god it's the closest place in the world to a meritocracy there is. China has social mobility but it's been more of a lottery-winner type deal where people have gotten access to investment capital through land buyouts over the past 25 years or so. Full Comment>>

Those are good points for trying to find an apartment anywhere, but it's not about outsmarting them. It's about frustration about having to play this silly game as if our time is unlimited. Show us what we want and we'll take it, win-win. These guys screw themselves out of commission by doing the whole "I ... Full Comment>>

no we do appreciate people's time if it's invested in providing a quality service. Sinobear says he came in the day before and provided a list of exactly what he wanted which was pretty much ignored by some stupid little punk. They waste their own time by showing you places you have made it clear you don't want. If ... Full Comment>>

I agree 100%, real estate agents in China are usually pretty trashy people. It's mostly commission only so they'll hire swarms of idiots and it doesn't require a college degree or a local hukou so it pretty much guarantees that it's younger guys (can't have a family on commission only) from the countryside who ... Full Comment>>

I agree, creative solution to the problem of them being able to work things out in another dialect. Hang em high! Full Comment>>

but why are people here comparing their lives to a "low paying job in the west"? I keep seeing that theme from foreigners living here. A lot of things are better than a low-paying job. Why not set your sights a little higher than "pays more than a low paying job in the West"? You know there are ... Full Comment>>

Foxconn catches a ton of flak for suicides, but seriously they employ over 900,000 people and had 14 suicides. Less than 10% of the national average. Those people are all employed and being paid a market wage. At almost a million people theres gonna be a few that have underlying problems that will lead them to ... Full Comment>>

I dont wanna put anybody down for wanting to teach and travel. And no, teaching esl doesn't mark you with a permanent stigma. But...the time you spend teaching and travelling, while fun, is time you don't spend building to something more long term. Sure take a year after school to travel and decompress, I did, but ... Full Comment>>

Why have a fun wedding party when you can stage luxurious looking wedding photos? Full Comment>>

haha yeah...point taken my friend, it's a nice thought, but in practice recreational fishing and subsistence fishing are two very different things. Success to me is about having choices and options. I'm 26, and I can't believe how much my goals have changed in the three years since i graduated. Who is to say what I ... Full Comment>>

If i had to pick one problem with modern chinese culture/education, it would be the emphasis on the superficial over the substantive. The gaokao itself is a manifestation of this, being a standardized test with only moderate correlation to real-world performance, but it is revered as the ONLY way to achieve success ... Full Comment>>

yeah but your friend is upwardly mobile so it's not a fair comparison. At close to six-figures he's probably around 30 (give or take) in an Associate role at an investment bank (or similar institution). He puts in a few more years good work and he's making 250K as a VP. The ESL teacher might have an *acceptable* ... Full Comment>>

It's BS, the economy in the west hasn't been bad for over 3 years. If you don't have any valuable skills you can't get a good job, don't blame the economy. ESL teaching is bunk cause you don't learn any good skills or experience. Full Comment>>

Definitely, like with all jobs if you only pay peanuts you'll only hire monkeys. The chinese just don't care. Full Comment>>

MissMoo...I like your articles and I really sympathize with the plight of a trailing spouse. There really isn't much to do here if you weren't hired from the west or exceptionally well networked that isn't, well...at least a bit degrading and generally involving unacceptably poor conditions (ESL teaching) or boring ... Full Comment>>

probably 65% of ESL teachers are very marginal people that almost by definition don't have what it takes to make it in the real world. That's why they work as ESL teachers in China. It's a joke industry and suitable for jokers who don't have their shit together. These are people who cannot get a job doing anything ... Full Comment>>

Just more xeno-phobic garbage from CCTV...remember their "dishonest americans" column? They would run stories about someone in the US getting ripped off by a locksmith and other petty nonsense. Full Comment>>

yeah starbucks prices are the biggest social problem in china! Forget about profit margins, labor costs, equipment etc, prices/wages are set by the market. Chinese people are clearly willing to pay more than Indians for coffee, and there's nothing evil or wrong about that. The reasons why are pretty ... Full Comment>>

I'm not religious but I see how christian values have had a positive impact on our society in a few ways, like the idea that what you do is being judged, so even if you are not punished for putting melamine in the baby formula it is still WRONG to do so, and of course the whole do unto others thing. Both of those ... Full Comment>>

Yeah I really think that's a big part of it. They wanna get rid of the awe the previous generation had for foreign things and an easy way to do that is to make sure that the foreign people that chinese people meet from an early age aren't exactly the most ambitious and successful types. I agree there is something ... Full Comment>>

Nah they'll never take ESL teachers seriously no matter how they act. Remember how conscious of class and status they are...they honestly can't understand someone who is a good-natured adventurer choosing something other than the highest paying job. All they (generally) see you as is a poor piece of garbage who ... Full Comment>>

I think China is trying to drive out professional expats and leave only esl teachers. Notice how the perception of westerners has changed over the past 5 years from awe and reverence to disdain. They don't want foreigners here managing them and producing things, they want people, especially the kids growing up, to ... Full Comment>>

This is an interesting discussion, and I agree that criticism based on race, i.e. saying that the chinese simply aren't as good as other people, is out of line and simply incorrect. Visit Hong Kong if you want to see with how much aplomb a populace can adapt to a terrible lack of space without descending into overly ... Full Comment>>

Full Comment>>

that sounds pretty funny. Full Comment>>