1) Avoid any other ex-pats who seem to be high and mighty and think they are morally superior to others.

They don't have any "moral high ground" they just talk shit. AVOID!

Those people are usually the creepiest, scariest sort. They have to put on that kind of show for others. Well, if they're teachers, that is. Some of the other expats tend to know how to appear squeaky clean without shouting from the rooftops though; for some strange reason, it always tend to be the 'real teacher brigade' that feel a need to tell you how morally superior they are to you, because they don't drink on weekdays, fuck students etc.

2) Keep away from other ex-pats/foreigners who says things like "Chinese is so hard to learn isn't it!" or "China is an amazing place hey". Or those idiots who tell you that Chinese women are "traditional".

"marriage minded" and "dignified" that's nothing but old-fashioned stereotypical BS. Chinese women only care about two things: money and marriage. If they marry it's only for money. Nobody should think "marriage minded" means "serious about marriage" in China, nothing is further from the truth. Marriage in China is nothing but a financial transaction.

Marriage is a global scam anyway that only benefits bridal shops and designers, jewellers, shoe sellers, cake makers, flower sellers, reception venues and the like.

The now almost inevitable divorce process is also a gravy train, for lawyers.

China is kind of an amazing place, but in the sense of that it is totally unique kind of headfuck. But once again, you don't need to shout about it once the novelty wears off.

3) Avoid any ex-pat who tells you to "avoid other ex-pats and only mix with Chinese people". Only a GW ( grovelling weasel ) and a sell-out would ever listen to that advice.

On top of that, under certain circumstances you could get yourself in big trouble if you don't have support and back up from other foreigners. You need the Chinese to be scared of you to a certain extent and I developed strategies to induce fear in some Chinese people I really didn't trust. The ex-pat ( or FT ) who thinks he is morally superior to others and feels he has some sort of moral and ethical high ground is THE WORST type of foreigner you can ever come across. Also, those people who say BS like "Chinese culture is fascinating" or other such rubbish are to be ignored.

There's partial truth in their advice, but it should be more like: 'Don't exclusively mix with expats.' And the fascinating side of Chinese culture? It's the side that the propaganda departments wouldn't like you to be fascinated by. The past 30 years are arguably just as fascinating as the 5000 that the Chinese love to boast about. The chaotic nature of modern Chinese culture as a result of the unintended consequences of rapid development do fascinate me at times. However, it is not a classy or wonderful culture, just an interesting one to observe.

If you want to learn about 'real Chinese culture®,' there's more to it than Confucius, TCM and tea. Think instead of academic articles about HIV infection rates amongst gays in larger Chinese cities, WeChat latest developments, ShengNv/leftover women, gender imbalances, gaokao stress/suicides, migrant worker related social issues etc. Issues like that are forming what modern day Chinese culture is really becoming.

Back up from other foreigners can be important, and so can back up from Chinese people. But Chinese people tend to throw all loyalty towards a foreign friend in the bin, if faced with the possibly of being labelled a traitor for failing to support the Chinese side in a conflict. Foreigners, however also pick up these local habits and can be completely disloyal snakes too. Sadly, a lot of your foreign friends in China will not turn out to be true friends.

4) Chinese nightlife is some of the most boring in Asia. This ain't no Bangkok, Pattaya, Angeles City, or Cebu. Chinese nightclubs are packed with zombies who "book tables" after work and just hang out with a very closed group of work colleagues or family members. People in China don't go to bars or or clubs to meet others, although if you want a one nighter with a Chinese girl it is still fairly easy, but not like in Thailand or Philippines. The "Soho" bars in China are boring, but usually they are full of sluts, at least the ones in Nanning and Wuhan are. For most Chinese however the idea of a "big night out" is going to some boring restaurant (Chinese of course, YAWN ) and then playing cards till 11pm and going home.

If you don't have foreign friends or Chinese friends who are Fu Er Dai types that studied overseas etc, you most likely won't have such a great time if you want a Western style night out. Unless that is, you get into the seedier sides of doing business with certain people, but I wouldn't recommend mixing heavy dinners, baijiu, ketamine and hookers on a regular basis to anyone.

5) If you are going over there to teach English don't take it seriously: It's not a real job and you should just use it for access to 20 year old university gals for casual sex. You are not saving the world, you are not "contributing to a developing country". Chinese students won't get better jobs because of you. English teaching is not a real job, the pay is shit and it;s generally very boring.

Go over there for a year if you must, put in minimal effort, drink beer in ex-pat bars, shag the local women if you can ( the early to mid thirty and early forties ladies are the best for sex )

You see? Teaching English in China has its uses. But don't do it for too long. Get out whilst you can!