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Q: How do you deal with the boredom?
I live in farmer town and im pretty sure im the only laowai. I go see my friends in my previous city once or twice a month. I have a car so i can drive to a city, but you can only walk around and get starbucks so much. Ive seen all of the relatively few attractions and watched every tv show that has been created.EVER. How do you guys deal with the mind numbing boredom that occurs here? I dunno, maybe its cuz we havent had a holiday recently...... Do you remember ever feeling this bored when you were back home?
or pick up a "For dummies book" and improve your knowledge on some subject you don't know anything about.
or get a good eBook reader, it can also provide hours of entertainment
Scandinavian:
Note: I am married, so per definition I am never bored.
Scandinavian:
I've actually only just signed up for the first course. Can't wait to get an almost worthless diploma.
MissA:
The piece of paper is worthless.
It's the knowledge in areas you would never otherwise explore that's exciting 
i am eating and eating and eating ...
Scandinavian:
if you're referring to your belly being of manly size, maybe it's just gas
Free time is a great gift, really
* Read books about stuffs you don't know. History books, science vulgarization books, anything, fiction...
* Learn to do new stuffs. Like, learning to play guitar if you don't, it's nice, relaxing and it's a girl's magnet ^^
* Put your shoes on and go running. It will keep you busy for an hour or two.
* I'm free of boredom because I love programming stuffs on my computer, be it a game, some graphics & sound thingy, anything. But any creative hobby will do, music, drawing...
mh...
-learn an instrument
-find a girlfriend
-find a gym / badminton with some chinese
-find an addiction to a computer game
-learn new stuff
Here's what I usually do (some of these suggestions are GOLD):
- Start up new business ideas or expansion on my small business (this is my work typically, also I am coming out with a guide on how to freelance from home, works for people in China as well... obviously because I am in China)
- Read articles on this site: www.cracked.com (good stuff)
- Exercise 30-45 minutes per day
- Bought a motorcycle and ride around the city or in the coutry (different from driving a car)
- Practice and learn Chinese using various materials (this one is excellent for beginners to intermediate - http://english.cntv.cn/program/learnchinese/growingwithchinese/index.shtml)
- Play some computer games using: www.steampowered.com
- I go grocery shopping sometimes and decide I want to cook up something I can't find in China
- Go to the movies (preferably English with Chinese subtitles not Chinese dubbed)
- Play pool with the locals (some are quite good)
- Get a massage (no happy endings please)
- Work on my motorcycle or little inventions (builds up mechanic and electronic skill)
- Basically use it to learn new skills so that you have a PLAN B or PLAN C if you get kicked out of China. But my online business is pretty much 100% fool proof unless I can't find internet... that's why I figure my guide will sell well.
----
well there are several things that come to mind however the top 3 can't be posted on here , 
have you ever thought about playing practical jokes on the locals ? 
glue a coin to the concrete gutter in a busy area and count how many try to pick it up. 
Or maybe try one of my favorites and stand very still on a clothes store window the scare the crap out of passers bye, 
in the colder areas you can through hot water out the window and watch it turn to snow, or grab hold of a branch of a snow laden tree and shack the crap out of it when somebody walks under it, 
then there are the ones that invlove explosives ,but i might leave that alone due to the watch list thing
A pocket knife and some wood would be nice...or...
go fishing...or...
learn how to draw (many resources on the net)...or...
go find some chick...
I started reading the ex-pat corner. For now it is taking time from being bored. Turns out I like the comments section. Gives me some idea how other ex-pats are doing.
Can't be that much of a farmer town if you have a Starbucks!! My previous town didn't.
Sign up for a language course.
Go and meet random Chinese at a hole in the wall restaurant and drink them under the table.
Buy a mountain bike and cycle the surrounding countryside while getting fit.
Buy a PS3 ( or PS4 ) depending on your budget, hook it up to the net and play online with your friends back home.
Get WeChat.
Good luck in farmville. I got out after 3 years. So glad I did! 
mike695ca:
haha no my farmer town definitely does NOT have a starbucks, i meant i drove to a real city out of boredom and go to starbucks or something
