I'm back in Zim at the moment. Why not consider Southern Africa?

Too much China can take it's tole but anything over a year and it starts to wear thin if you don't have a holiday.

I try to get away once or twice a year and find this extends my 'China Life'.

Once the employment goes or a better job comes along, I'm off. I'm sure that's what happens with most people. There are very few 'non classroom' jobs in China and if I have to step back into a classroom life here wouldn't be half as great, I'd rather get a better job somewhere else.

If for whatever reason when you leave China you can't go home I would suggest you let job offers dictate your agenda. If you're lucky enough that you don't have to work, there are two beautiful, affordable, welcoming, countries with little red tape and a great climate in S.A and Zimbabwe.

@alien
Opinions vary wildly on this subject, but here are mine on social responsibility versus profitability.

1. Profitability is of course critical for business to operate and grow long-term. That's undeniable.
2. Wall Street and thus the people who buy stock demand their profits, dividends, and stock value, so companies are focused on shareholder value as opposed to their primary mission, which is providing products and or services and employment. This fosters a sense of management arrogance, indifference, and the rest of abuses that go with the inability to see employees and customers as people, as opposed to consumers and costs.

I've worked for some truly great American multinationals with some of the best employment packages in industry (not including the Swiss or Scandinavians) and have seen some of the worst management abuses of employees, business processes, fraud, waste, abuse, and even horrifying industrial espionage.

As you noted, China actually has an opportunity to break away from that mentality of profits over social responsibility, but it will take a revolutionary corporate leadership to put that kind of structure into place.

A typical example of profit over social responsibility - a company wins a large contract based on and with its current staff. To increase profits, the company typically guts its middle management and mid-career employees, leaving a few experienced old-timers and a host of newbies, who'll work uncompensated overtime trying to get things done, to save their company or their jobs - essentially slaving away to remedy a problem that was rained down upon them by upper management. No small wonder there's little to no company loyalty these days...in certain countries and certain market segments.

@ Michael: Seems to me that companies' primary mission is to make a profit for those who own it - providing products, services and employment is just the means. I've never heard of revolutionary corporate leadership, and doubt if either those staying or those leaving will find it anywhere - but then I also doubt that many expats are looking for it anyway. However, I appreciate what you have to say about how companies use their employees - middle management and mid-career types as well as the average employee.
@ Peter: Glad you like Spain, so do I. However, although I haven't been to Spain in awhile, it's hard for me to believe that food is cheaper there than in Kunming. As for India & Southeast Asia, food safety and pollution are issues there too, and my stomach, anyway, is okay here, and Kunming pollution isn't as bad as many places in India, or in Bangkok either, I'm told - could be worse here (probably will be, it's been getting worse over the past 12, and more rapidly over the past 6-7, years - blanket appreciation of 'Progress', rather than selective appreciation, largely the cause - damn the advertising/propaganda industry). My point about India is the space it can force expat heads to face up to after years in China, and that Indian headspace is significant because of the numbers of people involved, even if not considered in terms of the values that it has - many of us already have a reasonable working knowledge of generalized western headspace (though don't get me wrong, I appreciate the Spanish particularities. And the paella too.)

As for China, I'm never quite sure why you seem to think that something is about to hit the fan here and that we'll all be in particular danger here - yeah, it might, but then there are fans whirling all over the world.
Anyway, Alice, KEEP YOU HEAD, as Gracie Slick used to say...

The Chinese must laugh when they hear a European say "shit's about to hit the fan". Some are blind to what's going on in their own borders it would seem.

@ Napoleon: Valid point, but I think it applies to foreigners within those borders as well, and to a great number of people within many other borders. Borders, like other categories assumed to be set in concrete and to function as barriers, form boxes - good idea to try to think outside them (living outside them, of course, is a bit more difficult).

@Tiger.

Not sure I understand your question. Anyway, personally,... I used Internet to search, it worked well (agencies), and went for an old andalucian traditional house, which means it has been so long time ago finished, - so indeed there is some maintenance to be done. Never went to see any of them new development projects. Ive heard of ppl having hassles along the sun coast but thats another area. Thats another world looked from the olive grove.

Sorry Campo, the topic went a bit off, but there was this question.

@Alien (Sorry again Campo)

If we talk about cheap prices, here you go. You get a small street corner bite starting for 1 EUR. The draft beer in the bar is 1.5EUR and its including a tapas. Sometimes the tapas is as large as a third of a lunch. One liter of wine goes for 0.65 cent in the shop. Thats real wine btw. A whole chorizo goes for 1.20 EUR (in Lidl maybe under a euro). A bag of potatoes 0.90 cent. Three baguettes 0.90 cent. 12 eggs 1 EUR. Et cetera. Oh, did I forget the olives. Starting at 0.29 cent.

Sure theres no 5 yuan mixian around but u bet i can handle that.

@ Peter: I stand corrected - actually, I haven't been to Spain since 1980. Anyway, the mixian I usually eat is 9 yuan.

Hi Peter, thanks for the answer. I cannot always tell where the prop is (new old location) from the a website. And I don't know the areas to tell which is sun city.
I envy you the choices of food and prices. China has caught up on many prices an overtaken on others.

@Alien

Since its quiet around, cant help asking, is the mixian you eat just the normal mixian (小锅米线) or is this 9 yuan a "luxury" version of mixian?

While being a bit sarcastic, also being curious, is this THE mixian price right now? Nine yuan a bowl?

Sixteen years ago you got a small bowl at bird flower market for 1 yuan. The one with pig brains was 5 mao, it was in an even smaller pot.