The China Teaching Web

I finally signed a contract today. It’s been over two weeks. They finally got around to giving it to me for review. Almost everything was okay. Except for the section that stated “you shall not work for any of our direct competition within a year after the contract has expired.” No way. Who exactly is [...]

In the distance there was a great brown wall that grew bigger with every passing moment. The wall seemed to touch the sky and there were no ends on either side. The quiet desert wind was replaced with a howling gale as the wall grew closer and closer. The nomads tried to cover themselves with blankets and baskets but there was [...]

It happens at least twice a day. I’m in the middle of a great class. Everything is going well. I have the students attention and they are enjoying the topic. And then suddenly, someone’s cell phone starts blaring a Britney Spears song or worst, a Backstreet Boys tune. The magic that I had been working [...]

I’m sitting here early Wednesday morning in China in my small living room listening to the nighttime sounds of my apartment “neighborhood.” All is not peaceful. Cars go flying by every few minutes. People are arguing nearby. Or maybe they are just having an animated talk. It’s hard to tell. I just heard a door slam [...]

I have always drawn the line with dog. Even though my Chinese friends tell me that cooked dog in China is of the wild variety, I just cannot bring myself to partake of it. I always politely refuse. But that does not mean that I have not eaten some other very strange foods in China. Sometimes, you just [...]

I have a small apartment. It’s only 65 square metres. It contains a small kitchen, a bathroom with a bathtub(something I’ll never use), a medium sized master bedroom and another bedroom about the size of a large walk in closet. And I’m paying about 2300 RMB plus a 130 RMB per month management fee. And [...]

Once you’ve had some experience teaching English in China you will discover that most of your bosses will treat you well. Not only are they bound by the contract but they want to make a good impression on you as well and they hope that their school can establish a good rapport with the foreign [...]

I just got back from Walmart. What a wonderful place. They always have everything I need and then some. Sure, I can’t always find what I am looking for right away. Like tonight for example, when I was looking for flowers and I had six staff members gathered around me trying to understand what I [...]

So there’s big news here today and I can’t even talk about it. I’d like to but this site could be blocked.  I’ve been there. It’s a peaceful place. At least it was until a few days ago.  There is no excuse for the violence that is taking place there now. I’m angry about it.  Probably some [...]

Even though I was in a daze, I will never forget my first night in China. I remember the deep excitement that welled up inside me as my airplane’s wheels met the runway at Beijing International Airport. I snapped my first picture in Asia with my ultra mini Sony camera as the plane taxied into [...]