4 ms·

I've lived in China, even did a bit of English teaching on the side from time to time. My experience was that the bar for English teachers was very low, people

I've lived in China, even did a bit of English teaching on the side from time to time. My experience was that the bar for English teachers was very low, people with no skills other than speaking english as a first language could move there and have a comfortable life. The chinese government perceives this import of low skilled workers as a problem. Working illegally (on a non valid visa) in china is quite common as an expat, but it was pretty much the only industry I saw that deportation was strongly enfoced. Reading between the lines, this doesn't strike me as a story of pushing yourself to achieve your goals, but instead one about a person who lacked focus, moved to china and settled into the easy ex-pat lifestyle of teaching english. I would be hesitent to take any advice he gives.

mustafabisic1 10y ago
Thanks so much for adding your 2 cents here. I appreciate it. For me, it was more of a story of searching for his passion and path in life. But, you read it like that and it's probably our fault to not communicate it right. Once again thanks for adding value.
- bertlequant 10y ago
  I lived in China for a few years as well, and most expats you run into are usually teachers. This doesn't mean they are all low skill or lost perse. Many are young and come there after college for a gap year or two, to travel and experience something different. However, many are enticed by the ease of life: 16 hour work week for Uni foreign teachers, relatively decent salary, ability to travel, and other assorted reasons. I've seen many people get into side businesses while over there, but it was usually running a school (most likely with a foggy legal arrangement and no ability to procure residence permits - eliminating the true draw of a school for many parents over there). It's been a while since I was over there, so things might have changed, but I think, for the most part, the poster above is correct.
- crestedtazo 10y ago
  It's clear the comment you're responding to bothered you a lot because your thinly-veiled compliments do nothing but reveal your insecurities. The guy you are responding to is correct - this is more a story of a lazy person taking advantage of a system than it is about "searching for passion".

mustafabisic1 10y ago

Thanks so much for adding your 2 cents here. I appreciate it. For me, it was more of a story of searching for his passion and path in life. But, you read it like that and it's probably our fault to not communicate it right. Once again thanks for adding value.

bertlequant 10y ago
I lived in China for a few years as well, and most expats you run into are usually teachers. This doesn't mean they are all low skill or lost perse. Many are young and come there after college for a gap year or two, to travel and experience something different. However, many are enticed by the ease of life: 16 hour work week for Uni foreign teachers, relatively decent salary, ability to travel, and other assorted reasons. I've seen many people get into side businesses while over there, but it was usually running a school (most likely with a foggy legal arrangement and no ability to procure residence permits - eliminating the true draw of a school for many parents over there). It's been a while since I was over there, so things might have changed, but I think, for the most part, the poster above is correct.
crestedtazo 10y ago
It's clear the comment you're responding to bothered you a lot because your thinly-veiled compliments do nothing but reveal your insecurities. The guy you are responding to is correct - this is more a story of a lazy person taking advantage of a system than it is about "searching for passion".