This is a week long series on the different Chinese food I eat on a regular basis. To start at the beginning, click here. I’m not including breakfast because I eat the same thing, yoghurt, every day so I don’t
Chinese Food Daily Diary: Day One
Without a doubt, the biggest question I get asked is, “What is the food like?” followed closely with, “Is it anything like Chinese food back home?” And here are my answers: Fantastic! Not at all. Of course there are similarities
On Becoming a Tutor
As a native English speaker and a foreign teacher living in China you will constantly be bombarded by tutoring requests. Sometimes it is from the students themselves (young people approach us regularly and ask for our phone number. “Uh, why?”
File This Under Genius
The paper the students use for class is very low quality. It is more akin to newsprint then actual paper and is quite see-through and rips easily. (In fact, all the students use tape as white-out. Because the paper is
Welcome Back Gifts
Have I said yet how nice my students are? They have just returned after a month and a half long break and many have brought us presents. Of course this being China the gifts are not what you might expect.
The 6-Month Report Card
We have now officially been here for six-month and it feels equal part much longer and much shorter. In a short half a year period I have taught my first semester of school ever, traveled hundreds of miles all over
The Chinese Concept of Guanxi and our New Apartment
A week ago, as I was picking up a package at the international office I was told there was “good news.†“We want to move you to a nicer apartment!†The thing is we already have the nicest apartment so
Outside the West Gate
The first day we arrived at the university we now we live we woke up early and took a walk out the Big West Gate. This is what we saw: It was a big shock that first day because it
The Best Teachers
I don’t want to brag or anything, but we just found out that the students voted Ryan and I as the top 2 foreign teachers. Okay, I lied. I do want to brag. Yes, those of you who know me
Making Magazines
That’s it. Classes are over, school is out. In 2 weeks we’ll be taking off for sunnier locations (western/southern China) but until then I have a lot of work to do. Namely, I have to grade finals. The way the