I do appreciate the more honest discussion, I experienced very similar sentiments in Korea. But frankly despite the difficulties and constant griping from expatriates on daily basis, I tried to maintain a "stiff upper lip" and ultimately loved the country. In other words I remained an optimist. This summer I traveled in Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, it was close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit daily. It was not clean by Western standards, it was very crowded, it was chaotic, the sweat dripped off our faces at 9 pm. The sun was amazingly intense. The air conditioning was frigid and prices were frequently high. It was still the best trip I have ever had.