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Q: What keeps you in China?
A girl (or guy).. the money or the lifestyle...or something else?
Or what keeps you going back?
With the constant balance between the good and the bad...what tips the scales for you?
A. The chance to make some decent money to take with me back home
B. Mainly the lifestyle here, I can't still fit with , and the friends and beer back home 
Truthfully, not much anymore. I originally came to China in January of 2010 with the purpose of studying traditional Chinese ink painting techniques and applications. I've done that for the last three years, primarily in Hunan province, which has a rich tradition and artist base for this type of painting.
My intent, when I move back to the U.S., will be to use the discipline in a fusion illustrative style, with a leaning towards fine arts. At this point, I'm finishing up preparations, and will be making the re-entry back into the Pacific Northwest soon enough.
giadrosich:
Thanks kindly, Pogger! Hope you're having a great Holiday!
Lifestyle...have all the free time in the world...almost no stress or financial worries, travel to places most of the people I know back home never will...I think I have finally found my place
The fact that i got used to this place and me speaking the language and understanding the chinese way make me keeping going here
Wife is in China.so,No choices LOL
This is the answer from my husband.
My work
Salary is good and the cost of living low
I will stay as long as my company want me to.
Wife and family ........ learning to enjoy this place....... cheap and DIFFERENT, it's all a good education and the language is a challenge I have taken on, and refuse to give up on after only a year and a half.
I came to China after a good number of years in Russia and an equally good number of years in Japan (St. Petersburg and Tokyo). Prior to that, I had worked in Argentina and in Brazil, about 2.5 years each. I came to China, seeking the Orient, and quite not knowing what to expect. I thought about Taiwan at first but felt it might be too confining.
In the end, there are good China days and bad China days. There are things that I really like about China and things that I can only suffer with the greatest amount of patience (like all around here have mentioned -- the spitting, the garbage just heaved overboard, etc., etc.). I found it relatively easy to make friends in Southern China and tha that the Guangzhou folk were a lot more worldly and foreigner-savvy than the folk up here in the Dong Bei. I teach a good crowd of little muppets, however, and when I lead the current crowd through Grade 6, I will leave for South America again. Of course, having to endure a boss who is struggling with alcohol dependency does not make the task easier for me (or for any of the other foreign teachers). And it's surely not the weather -- the weather here in the Dong Bei is about as bad as I have endured (except for Russia). The weather in Guangzhou, on the other hand, was great, except for the prolonged rainy season.
I got lost after the Beijing Olympics.
China provides the opportunity for an enjoyable second (or third) career. I teach at a university with the standard paid vacation.
My close family are all dead, my wife's family are still alive.
Hugh.G.Rection:
Thanks guys, but at my age (50) it's to be expected.
I was going to ask this, and found that it has already been asked ages ago. But I am wondering whether anything has changed for those of you who have already posted, or whether anyone else has any thoughts?
I think for now, my girlfriend is an important factor. Without her I think I might be ready to leave...
* Initially, I came with the idea I could develop my career while quenching my thirst for the unknown, adventures and dumplings
* Although it did not happen in a fully controlled manner, I actually got what I was asking for, yay !
* I also met that person that eventually became my wife.
* Now, I want to leave <insert here long term China expat usual rants>, but it takes some planning to make it happen, between having the wife ready for it (visa, qualifications, mentally ready for the culture gap, her parents mentally ready for this) and the career (negotiating for working from home)
DrMonkey:
My home country, France. Mostly because it's much less visa hassle for my wife, she got one year residency almost automatically, with right to work and she can benefit from the national welfare. The only downside is that living in France imply speaking French, which is a bit of a downer for my wife. My home province used to be English back in the Middle-Age, so she's just a bit late ^^
DrMonkey:
@royceH We could try it, we can claim 120 points, which is enough to ask for residency... but not enough for quick processing of your demand. In practice, less than 140 points is making the application a fairly random affair, that can drag on for half a year in the best case, a fair enough of money and all that for maybe nothing. My wife really, really don't like playing dices with life, I'm not exactly willing to stay a few more years to make things happen reliably... France is a sure shot, the visa takes one week to process, cheaper real estate, equivalent lifestyle and some additional perks :)
royceH:
I see.....fair enough I suppose.
My wife waited 12 months for her temporary resident visa for Australia and we've just returned from our first visit there under her new visa.
Good luck to you both.
TedDBayer:
Not Chinese dumplings, so disappointing, Ukrainian Halushkry/Vareniki, Italian Raviola/ Tortellini maybe. At least they have sour cream or good tomato sauce, Chinese dumplings blow.
I don't know anymore.
I stay here mainly because my wife has a small business and is situated here. If we go back to my country, I am pretty sure she could find a decent job. We are just in a bit of a saving phase and plan to buy a place in China (already have) and in my home country to start a family. Then I think we are pretty much set.
My wife, she keeps changing her mind about living in the UK. As with Robk's wife, she has a business here and really enjoys what she does, so I sacrifice some. I have my home there and a home in Perigueux, France, both countryside, relaxing, clean fresh air. To be honest China is now becoming boring after 8 years. Back home I had lots of interests and hobbies [classic cars] being the main. Never in a hurry to go anywhere fast, I'll not stay too much longer. Maybe one more year will do. With or without the missus.
I developed some rather severe anger issues and dont want to go home until they are sorted out.
I have a fairly good job by western standards where I can develop my career, and a good community of friends.
Girlfriend, now fiance. I'm at a career dead end without getting the qualifications for IB schools, so I have to go back to the states.
wife and baby
also its a catch 22,what would I do if I go home age is not on my side when looking for a job back home.
A good solid sense of responsibility to my kids and a wife who's hidden my passport.
Next year i go back to europe. I dont really appreciate the good points of living in china, but i understand if you are married, have a girlfriend etc, you want to keep in china. By the way i dont think china is cheap at least compared to some countries like spain or italy
The final 7 months on my contract, and a desire to trek through xinjiang-qinghai-gansu provinces.
