China, a welcoming destination to expats?

I Lived in China since 2010 . I guess you could say it's my second Homeland. I've seen the ups and downs of China's economy and also the behaviors and environments and cultures. One thing I've noticed after I left China, China has changed drastically toward expats. I would say that, since I've been back since January 2025 in my Providence of Shandong, it's been more difficult to find a job as a teacher. Age matters now, before in 2010 and 2015 it wasn't like. What mattered back then was that you had a lot of experience and that they could see it in you. The other thing that  didnt mattered is your degree at that time in 2010, it was experience that mattered.

  I was able to work with an associates of science and it was great because it got my son and I through his education in an international School. I supported my son for almost 6 years in China at an international IB School. But when the rules changed in China it changed my life. I had to go back to America. Because I didn't have enough money to finish my bachelor's degree I had to stay with my parents and it was very difficult back in America. so now that I'm back in China after Covid it's really different . I see the drastic opportunities of getting a job as a challenge. There is competition now whereas it wasn't before as much.

Teachers really have to promote, market themselves in ways that are almost like a celebrity.

In this Providence there isn't much support for the foreigners here. I have only seen one Western person here in Shandong. Maybe there is more but they are hiding. The food here in this Providence is not very westernized and if you want to find something that's really really good you have to really look for it. A couple times I was on a blog and I was looking at some places to eat and have a nice coffee but when I went down to that area I found out that it was closed and shut down.

This happened to me about 5 or 6 times so far since I've been in this Providence. Even my son that is 14 said Mom what happened to China?

I think since Pandemic things, have really , economically and socially changed.  And the friendliness that we used to feel, the family feeling, has diminished a bit. I have learnt a lot .

People are friendly, many towns have more historical areas than I expected and work is fun. I’m for one year in China (currently being back to Germany for 3 weeks).

On the downside, most people don’t speak English at all and even if they do, only very basic conversations are possible.

I don’t really like the food here, I mean, it is fine when we go to a fancy restaurant with colleagues, but I don’t like the everyday food. I lost almost 6 kg weight within 5 month because I eat much less if I don’t like the taste and all the bones, shells inside. There is no western or any kind of non-Chinese food available in the area where I stay, I need to travel about 45 min to the city centre to get some. Generally, I’m really not too picky with my food and I really did like the food in India, Japan, Vietnam and many other places…