By continuing you agree to eChinacities's Privacy Policy .
Sign up with Google
Sign up with Facebook
Q: Would you still come to China?
Knowing what you know now, everything you've discovered about China... If you could go back to before you came, would you still come?
Tricky question. I don't really have regrets about taking a job in China, things turned well for me. Career moved on exactly as I wished it, met my wife.
But ! For me, life here is grinding my soul fast. If my past self looked at me, he might freak out at this grinding and
1) The lazy solution : stay in Vietnam and take that teaching job in a private university. Vietnam is way, way more compatible with me.
2) The alternative solution : giving up on Asia and go try my luck in Australia.
Yes!! China is close to Thailand!!
bill8899:
Yes, and the Philippines!
Any place with warm weather, clean air, beaches, scuba diving, jet skis, American (International) breakfasts and dirt bike and mountain bike rentals is heaven for me.
TedDBayer:
I was thinking of Go Go bars, I don't drink in China, Phiippines different story, biggest bar bill was $550 and I had a bar girl rob me , aww what memories.
bill8899:
Some people have all the fun. I got a sunburn and crashed hard every time I tried the parasail/surfboard thing. Other than that, smooooth sailing.
My largest bar bill was near $100.
Oh, maybe next time I should go alone.
TedDBayer:
I just got the visa bill for last month, almost sorry I went, almost. I need someone to control my spending. A new all time record.FM
Yes, because despite all the ups and downs, this country provides opportunities that I could never have back home. I know this may differ with others working here but that's my take.
Tricky. I met my wife here but, if I could have met her somewhere else? No, I would not.
It's a toss up. I could have had a more meaningful, career building job if I'd stayed in the US, as the Chinese work environment (based on my statistically significant sample size of 1) doesn't reward creativity or critical thinking....especially anything thinking critical of the boss or his ideas. Pay is/was about the same.
On the personal side, living here has definitely put a strain on friendships and relationships at home. Living here has also resulted in a couple of romantic relationships with Chinese girls, the latest of which has real potential for more.
So, if I had to do it over again? I would probably still come, but put a limit of 1-2 years on the stay. No idea what the environmental and food prep conditions have done to me. Check back in 20 years or so to see which cancer(
I end up with. 
I am not sure knowing what I know now changes much. However, "having tried to live in China" would make it a lot easier to say "been there, done that, tshirt was too small"
I have a kid and 2nd one coming soon. Would I have such a beautiful kid if I'd stayed at home, freshly robbed of my savings by my ex-wife? Not anytime soon, that's for sure. The misery I endure in this country is small compared to the thought of dying alone, or having a down-syndrome kid with some leftover 40-year-old uggo. I'd still have come, though I'd probably have taken care of my affairs in the homeland more thoroughly before departing.
Absolutely, knowing what I know now, I got robbed every minute and didn't care, now I can get robbed half as much.
Of course I would. I love China quite a bit. I am a huge fan of Chinese language, culture, history, food, architecture, etc. I am completely in love with China as a country.
Not only that, but I have a sweet wife and an amazing daughter. Yeah, I've fought with my wife a bit, but for the most part we have a very good relationship. And our daughter is just so amazing, always happy, so beautiful, etc.
I'd go through it all over again if I had to, but I might do a few things differently.
