Hey, you had to find out sooner or later....

EDIT: I will say though, a lot of people here do come across as being overly negative and cynical, ( I include myself in this group ) though not without their reasons.

I know plenty of people living here who still love it, despite the bullshit.

If you are having a good time and enjoying life here, don't let the negativity affect you.

I'm with you on this.  But I do think this forum often makes things seem worse than they really are. There aren't actually that many people who post on here and we don't represent a fair cross section of all foreigners in China.  All those who are loving life here, and there are many, have probably got better things to do than spend time posting on random internet forums.

Also it's in the very nature of sites like this to focus on the negative, it provides more conversation.  And once you get into the habit of picking out out all the negative stuff, its a difficult habit to break. Remember, everything you read on here is just the opinion of 1 person.  1 person who you don't know and have no idea about their life or what sort of person they are.  Read what they have to say, but then go and make your own opinion on the matter.

This site is for venting frustrations without having to bum out your RL friends. People are most likely to write something when they're pissed off or annoyed, thus the lean towards the negative. Just take it all with a grain of salt, and know that we're here for your BCDs.

Nope. Didn't change how I see China. I know the ups and downs/pros and cons of living here. 

This is a great site for learning how to deal with some of the issues here and letting off steam on BCD's. 

Seriously if this site changed your mind about China then .... I don't get it. I saw China for what it was before I came to ECC but I guess it must be different for someone who is new to China.

One gains more perspective based on life experiences, which could include living in other nations and having the ability to compare and contrast. For me, China is a very decent paying nation for educated, experienced, and talented teachers as compared to other asian nations (and many many nations across the planet). On the down side is the still ongoing "opening up" to the rest of the world, and the lack of things to do unless you have your own personal transportation.

It is good to know others are seeing the same things as I do, good and bad, and have an opinion about it, mostly the same as mine. 

I like this site, it is a good place to vent, especially on BCD's, but it hasn't changed me, it just helps me to overcome the isolation and boredom in a country I don't really belong in.