Adventures in Asia

Longing to travel the world? Interested in teaching? Looking for a different, new adventure? It may have crossed your mind: What about teaching English in Asia…? Rural area of Zhejiang province You aren’t the only one. It’s incredibly easy to get a teaching job in several Asian countries, including China. All you need to apply is… -Be a native English speaker -Have a bachelor’s degree (any field) -Be willing to commit for a year -Have an “aptitude” for teaching (literally the wording they used on my first application) You do not have to speak the local language. You do not have to find your own housing. Your flight will be reimbursed upon the completion of your contract. You can literally just go. It’s the wanderlust dream of my generation. On top of that, many teaching jobs pay very well. Even if the salary doesn’t look like much in US dollars, it can go a long way in a place like China that has much lower living costs. I’ve been able to...

Having lived abroad for about five years now, I’ve encountered a few (understatement) preconceived ideas about me/people from my country. Recently I came across a book called “Survival Kit for Overseas Living” that actually lists the stereotypes many people from around the world hold about Americans. Fascinating! I then shared a partial list of these stereotypes on my Chinese social media to see what my international friends thought. (I should mention that I have friends from all over the world on that app, and the responses / these stereotypes do not exclusively represent the Chinese perspective.) I have now come up with a slightly modified list based on their comments. So without further ado, I’ll end the suspense and share it here: Americans are usually… -Friendly, outgoing -Optimistic -Casual -Loud -Rude -Hardworking -Aggressive, confrontational -Wasteful, extravagant -Confident -Uninformed, ignorant -Privileged -Impatient -Ge...

As I walk down the street, heads turn. A woman coming out of a shop does a double take. A group of older men, resting in the shade, openly stare – and keep staring. A student riding a bicycle is so distracted he nearly causes an accident. A mother nudges her kindergartener, saying, “Look, a foreigner! Practice your English. Say ‘Hello!’” The child looks up at me, entranced, silent. “‘Helloooooooo!’” coaxes Mom unsuccessfully. A man waiting for the bus casually lifts his phone – I know he’s taking a photo. Strangers come up to me and offer teaching or modeling jobs. Sometimes someone is gutsy enough to ask to take a photo with me, instead of just sneakily doing it. Whispers of “So tall!” and “So white!” echo as I make my way through the mall or to a table in a restaurant. It’s just a normal day as a foreigner in China. And I am not exaggerating. There are certain places where it’s heightened, such as tourist spots crowded with people from all over the c...