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Thread: Why DO expats work in China

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[quote=KSWONG                  ,34255]Some years back, an expat told me that to work in the Far East is considered a "hardship posting". Hence, for the expat concerned, he would expect to be duly compensated by being paid generous allowances. Some expats I know of, get maid, housing and travel allowances, among other perks. I am not sure if this notion is still valid. Then there is the other kind of "expat", termed a drifter or driftwood. They are aimless, pretty much like a ship without sail, going wherever the waves carry them. Somehow they land on the shores of some Asian countries, take on "easy" jobs like teaching English to the "natives" while savouring some exotic "titbits" (pun intended) on the side. They don't mind jobs on local terms as it helps pay their rent/travel/adventure. They find it easy to get jobs as English teachers as the perception among gullible Asians is that a white person must surely be good in his native tongue. I just got back from Vietnam recently and was appaled when a friend showed me a "Beginner's English" textbook. In the textbook, it seems like the author was trying to propagate useless American English and culture. Example of a useless phrase: "Mr Smith drove up in a Cadillac". I was just wondering what is the relevance of a Cadillac to a typical Vietnamese earning USD80 a month. To conclude, I would say to expats working in China, enjoy while it lasts. The honeymoon will soon be over. [/quote]

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