Your first year or so as a TEFL teacher can be a very up and down experience. There can be a steep learning curve at the beginning, followed by a nice comfort zone, followed by (for some), a bit of burnout. Let's explain what burnout is first; then talk about…...
Dating In China – Other Expats
Well here it goes, I decided that I wanted to try and write something about dating in China. Funny how life changes from staying up all night to finish a paper that you hate, to voluntary writing a piece just because you want to. Life is a strange or maybe…...
Things you should do before leaving China
You've made the decision; you have had your time in China, but all good things must come to an end. And now it's time, you are leaving China next week. Everything needs to be sorted out. You may think leaving China is easy as just packing up your things in…...
Alex in Lotusland – Reinvent Yourself & Redesign Your Life
Alex in Lotusland was nominated for the prestigious Webby Award - hailed as the "Internet's highest honor" by The New York Times. You can visit the website here: https://www.alexinlotusland.com/ A few years ago, Alex left his entire life behind to seek freedom, adventure, and happiness. And now, he's here to inspire travelers like…...
Chinese Food: A New Experience
Living in China there will be things that happen which seemingly come out of nowhere, and will have the potential to ruin your day, leaving you with a bad taste in your mouth and that same question on your mind; “is living in China the right thing for me?” Let's…...
Teaching Chinese Students
Teaching Chinese Students with special needs: How can we help? Here I discuss my first hand experience teaching Chinese students with special needs. All names have been disguised. During morning exercise, within a crowd of 300 students, Stanly puts minimal effort into his motions. Much of the time stopping at…...
Musings on Chinese Breakfast: Baozi Bonanza! by Ben Baldieri
Bacon and Eggs. Toast and sugary cereals with enough e-numbers in to send you to the moon. Bottomless coffee and litres of juice. All staples in the most important meal of the day. In China, the above staples are gone. Most of what’s found in their place is as different…...
Living in China Steps To Success
Congratulations! You have accepted a position to be a Foreign English Teacher with SDE and bought your plane ticket to China. So exhilarating! You will be living in China and you will need pointing in the right direction. But there’s something holding you back from feeling as excited as you…...
Getting Lost in Shenzhen: I’m Going on an Adventure..! by Lynn Berggren-Goodwin
Back home, my rep as a navigator is shady. I’ve always relied on instinct (not maps or GPS) to get me to places, and most of the time it has worked. But I didn’t realise that I would need more than a sniff of the nose and the goodwill of…...
Vegan Food in China – Cody Hoffman
Vegan Food In China - A Guide Cody Hoffman discusses what it is like to find Vegan Food in China. Cody also adds the top 4 vegan foods in China into the discussion. I am sitting at the table, at a fairly nondescript Chinese restaurant in Shenzhen’s Fumin district. Around…...