(Hello~stephen.I've never chatted with you before but i'm looking forward to.lol.) I think it depends on these several following questions that you need to answer: 1.What's your purpose of coming to China and teach English here?To know more about the real Chinese culture or simply want to change a place to stay and associate with people from different backgrounds?(if the first, i suggest you to come to the small cities in China, like Fuzhou, Xiamen etc,because they are less influenced by the western atmosphere and cultural,hence they are closer to the real chinese society. If the second, cities like Beijing and Shanghai would be a good choice..but it's almost like living in Newyork..expensive,stressed and competitive, more international and more amusement.) 2.How about your educational qualifications? In some small cities in China, any normal English native speakers can come and be a teacher due to the lack of native speakers, and i'm sorry to mention this but some of them are just trash~! If you are well-educated and want to associate with people who are nice and knowledgeble, i suggest you to go to an University in China. 3.It's ok to know some about the way we chinese people associate with other people but i hope you can stay just the way you are and don't be chinesenized(lol,i invented that word myself ..just like don't be westerNIZED~!hahaha) The same with your accent, just talk like talking with ur friends in America, i feel sad to find most native speakers are speaking to the chinese in a chinglish way, they choose the words that can be understood by chinese students here.but the point isP:we need to learn real english~! Please add me on MSN :[email protected] if you want to have a further talk on this or anything else. Hope what i've said is helpful to you. Mia