A fantastic post. I'm kind of the same way, though I'm still learning... Ripping someone a new one certainly feels good at times. Here's a typical example of negotiation, being hard nosed and chewing someone out. I'll let it be known that this kind of negotiation pretty much happens on a daily basis.

We had exams today, and in addition to telling off my teacher (who's no more than 25) for giving us a very late notification regarding the exam, I let them have it when she and the other proctor when refused our class's request for them to notify us how much time we would have left in the exam at certain intervals.

There was no clock on the wall and we made note of this; my teacher and the other proctor decided it would be a brilliant idea to tell everyone to turn off their phones. That's fine and good, since phones can ring and people can use them to cheat. However, this also meant that people wouldn't be able to keep track of time. I mentioned this point to which I was given a response.

"We don't want to distract you by telling you how much time you have left."

My response, "Ok, Then you'll write it on the board."

"Ok, we'll tell you when you have 10 minutes left."

"No you'll write more than that"

"Ok when there are 20 minutes left and then when there are 10 minutes left."

"No you will do it when there are 50 mins left, 40, 30, 20, and 10. And no I am not turning off my phone, I will put it on silent."

They wrote it in 10 minute intervals, starting at 50.

Don't think I did great on the exam though...

With regards to the queueing thing, I find it quite embarrassing when some dude (I'm still a dude myself) tries to push past everyone to board the bus (including older people who have difficulty walking/canes). I usually just body them out or elbow them pretty hard and let the seniors on their way. Shameful considering that tradition Chinese culture is all about respecting elders. While I have gotten into the butting in line habit as well as others (really no choice), you've got to give older people some room and then let the melee begin...

There is nothing in the USA that is as frustrating trying to do as it is in the Third World....the mean DMV ladies have nothing on China. Even the horrible computer phone support is in India so you could again blame a different culture.

You brought up a good point about the elderly...I have no problem shoving a young, able bodied person out of my way if they try that nonsense on me but to see them do it to an old person is sick and again shows an innate lack of respect.

I live in Central Europe and as rude as many people can be in public one thing that I never fail to see is people getting up so old people can sit on buses etc...even the most chav looking idiots will move for grandma....strange conficts of action.

This is my quote and I stand by it.

"China is like the DMV... on crack" It's how it is on a daily basis. You've just got to get used to it, take your lickings, get up and go at it again. I've learned a ton about myself and about other things here though...

You are a better man/woman than me...I had enough after a couple months and hope to never go back.

I see no need to subject myself to the daily struggle if I don't have to.

Good luck!

Funny since I'm actually leaving Beijing in a matter of weeks to move to HK. Thanks though. Anyone else with China rants, feel free to post them here.

Hehe...lucky you getting out of there.

I would not go back there even if someone paid for first class tickets.

Having money in China is a great thing, believe me, much more so than in the west... I'd be back here in a flash if I was on an expat package... Numerous expats and I'll quote them have said this, "It's very easy to get comfortable here."

Maybe in regard to a nice flat etc but no amount of money buys clean air or the ability to change the public's rude behaviors.

I know some people like it there but for me it was the worst place I have been...

You haven't been to too many bad places, I take it.

Money buys you the ability to avoid dirty air a lot. It also avoids you to having to face much of the public, which means you get things done faster and don't have to encounter such behavior.

I have been to plenty...what I meant was while you can insulate yourself from some annoyances by having a nice flat, taking a car, eating at 5 stars restaurants etc...you are not able to go outside and do normal things without subjecting yourself to the bothers...money doesn;t change that. So if you are content living in a cocoon on another planet then yeah I agree you might have a high QOL relative to salary.

I have known a few expats who have dealt with the conditions you describe by pretty much being intoxicated the whole time. Downside is they eventually required a liver transplant - upside they are in the right country to get that done.

Haha...yeah I have known plenty of those types. I have to say I generally avoid other expats when living abroad as they are some weird cats often. I also seem to always meet the expats that have a "great business idea" they want to involve me in...no thanks!

Drinking always helps. Though I think in China, they'll probably take away you're liver and ship it to Guangdong long before they'll give you one

Exapts aren't always nutty, it's only in countries like China. Expats not on expat packages here, or those who have been here a long time are kind of nutty (I'm getting to that point), but you've got to be in order to survive. Vesicle, In my 16 months here, China has eaten up and spit out so many people I know that I've simply stopped keeping count.

BTW, my nice flat is pretty cheap. And I eat at unlicensed restaurants (many of which are better than overpriced overhyped 5 star ones). Though sanitation... Well I'm still alive.

Regarding clean air, we can't forget how LA and Pittsburgh were in the past. And while it's disgusting here, the air at least, it'll pass (hopefully). Growing pains. Growing pains. Not to mention that per capita, the US wastes oodles more than China or other developing nations...

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.

Additional thoughts on "nutty" expats:

I actually meet very few nutty types here in China, especially not long-termers. Most of the true nut cases--or those who arrived normal but were turned into nut cases by the Chinese--will be out of this place inside of 3 years, often much less. The long-termers generally have opened businesses, have families and/or friends, are integrated in both expat and general life here, and are achievers and non-slackers. By no means are all of them corporate types or requiring luxury support services. I have met some of the most absolutely fascinating and thoroughly grounded expats in China, compared to anyplace on earth. And most of them have a mixture of love for China and the Chinese in general, but also problems and criticisms (and rants) about other aspects of this country and society.

Contrast that to parts of SE Asia (Thailand, Cambodia come to mind) where the living is cheaper and easier than China. These places have a very large collection of foreign slackers and truly Lost Souls wandering around. Lots of certified nut cases and parasite-types there, but most of them arrived in SE Asia already that way.