well, asking about significant and slightly scary events in the not-too-distant future is a rather unsettling way of starting a conversation! so it’s no wonder that i - and yourself, and many others - give vague or false answers, for convenience’s sake.

being british, talk about the weather, then religion, then beer; though not necessarily in that order.

The Chinese do seem to think that we are “Guests” but nothing else. I think their thing is how would anyone from rich countries such as ours want to stay here forever.

Even with their emmense sense of pride, they know the money is not here and they are all addicted to the idea of making money, not personal fulfillment through travel and leisure.

Our ideas are romantic, but not practical to them.

China is funny like that.

There’s a certain amount of experience behind the question, though: When my students ask, it’s because the last foreign teacher was here a year or two, same with the one before him, most likely. We’re a transient bunch.

Then again, every time someone I know decides to go home and “get a real job,” as they inevitably say, it feels a bit dreary, like someone’s giving up the struggle. I don’t know what to make of it all.

To be fair, the first question the peeps from back home ask me is “so, you staying there forever then?”