Random thoughts on the last several posts:

--There are indeed NO parallels in the USA, to the way you have to get things done in China. Part of it is sheer numbers of people that are also trying to scrabble to get things accomplished, part of it is language barrier (if you don't speak at least intermediate Mandarin, it's hard to figure out exactly what is going on), and part of it is just that inscrutable Chinese logic as to why some idiotic regulation or procedure exists.

--You spend a lot more time on the "infrastructure" tasks of life in China, especially if you are on your own (student, freelancer, locally hired). A list of mundane personal tasks--banking, grocery shopping, dry cleaners, ticket pickup, etc--that might take 1-2 hours in the USA may take 1 or more days in China. To free up time, expats with even part-time ayis (maids) send them out to do as much of this as possible, as a 3-morning-a-week cleaning lady only costs about $20/week (big city price). Just cleaning your apartment takes more effort, as the dust and pollution in most Chinese locations means no surface can go more than 2 days without requiring thorough cleaning. I've yet to see anyplace in the USA where you can't get by with once a week (or even longer--OK I confess I'm not the Martha Stewart of housekeeping on any continent!)

--I know plenty of students, English teachers, and others NOT on cushy expat packages who lead very fulfilling and happy lives in China, despite the daily frustrations and occasional China Rants. So having money to burn isn't the critical factor. It's not necessarily even based on one's prior Third World travels, as I know well-travelled people who've enjoyed places widely regarded as reasonable toughies like India or Egypt, but who despise China (and vice versa). The differential seems to come down to one's innate personality, adaptability, and expectations. And whether the culture just strikes the wrong "tone" with one. Vesicle obviously just can't get in tune with China, and that's OK. Best thing to do in this situation is move on to something that works for you--life's too short to stay in an uncomfortable situation and there are plenty of interesting options out there in the world.

--Even with my episodic Bad China Days, I actually like it here. China grows on one...like a fungus! And if you are here to work, and have the right skill set, you can make and save gaboodles of money, which is one justification for putting up with a lot of aggravation. However, due to the serious quality of life issues such as pollution, most expats who have open-ended stays (not finite corporate or diplomatic postings) eventually decide to move out of China, or to a relative "clean" location in China. I'll have to re-evaluate this myself in a couple more years.

--Most long-term expats, of which I'll include myself, find they must leave China at intervals of no more than every 4-5 months to "recharge", not to mention change the air in their lungs. This is called a Sanity Break, and one good thing about living in China is that in only several hours, you can be on a nice beach with a tall cold one in hand, in a carefree environment in SE Asia.