So? What was it like? What is China like? Did you eat dog? Would you go back? READ THE BLOG! Would I go back is a question that I do feel needs answering - yes, but after the Olympics. I never got the chance to go to Shanghai or Hong Kong and I certainly would like to. So hopefully sometime after the chaos of the Olympics has died down, I will return to see quite how much it will have changed.
If asked to pick some of my favorite experiences, the trek along the Great Wall would definitely have to be included. The feeling of being entirely alone (even in a group of 30) in relation to the hustle bustle of Western life, stood on the original part of the Wall, in scorching sunshine was simply amazing; Kayaking around Halong Bay in Vietnam was unbelievably simply due to the stunning scenery; Sitting atop Mount Taishan, again in absolute silence (something that is hard found in such a densely populated Country I tell you that!) was incredibly surreal.
So far, I don't miss the teaching and I don't miss the students. It will always annoy me that I always got the impression that the huge majority of the students did not seem to wish to use the foreign teachers as a source of information. I'm not sure how that sounds, but the best way to explain is to give Brock as an example. And I am not doing this to mock, but to show what it was like. I remember clearly during our first ever week of teaching, Brock turning up for his first class, dressed smartly, armed with his laptop and lots of ideas on things to teach. Fast forward to a few months later, and Brock (as were we all) was all out of enthusiasm. We weren't working the students hard, in fact compared to their normal lessons our 40 minute slot was farcical. If one student had just put up his hand and said 'please tell me....', or 'what's it like....' etc. But no. We were treat worse than that teacher everyone always used to have that no one listened too or took seriously. It's hard to convey in one paragraph what I am trying to explain, and there were certain students who really were a joy to teach, but overall I would have to say that the teaching aspect of my time in China was a disappointment.
If asked to pick some of my favorite experiences, the trek along the Great Wall would definitely have to be included. The feeling of being entirely alone (even in a group of 30) in relation to the hustle bustle of Western life, stood on the original part of the Wall, in scorching sunshine was simply amazing; Kayaking around Halong Bay in Vietnam was unbelievably simply due to the stunning scenery; Sitting atop Mount Taishan, again in absolute silence (something that is hard found in such a densely populated Country I tell you that!) was incredibly surreal.
So far, I don't miss the teaching and I don't miss the students. It will always annoy me that I always got the impression that the huge majority of the students did not seem to wish to use the foreign teachers as a source of information. I'm not sure how that sounds, but the best way to explain is to give Brock as an example. And I am not doing this to mock, but to show what it was like. I remember clearly during our first ever week of teaching, Brock turning up for his first class, dressed smartly, armed with his laptop and lots of ideas on things to teach. Fast forward to a few months later, and Brock (as were we all) was all out of enthusiasm. We weren't working the students hard, in fact compared to their normal lessons our 40 minute slot was farcical. If one student had just put up his hand and said 'please tell me....', or 'what's it like....' etc. But no. We were treat worse than that teacher everyone always used to have that no one listened too or took seriously. It's hard to convey in one paragraph what I am trying to explain, and there were certain students who really were a joy to teach, but overall I would have to say that the teaching aspect of my time in China was a disappointment.
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