A Taste of Home

Sure, this country has a lot of great vegetable and fruits that we can't get back at home. Peaches, lychees, and bitter melon are in season right now.

However, I always see these beautiful bright red apples that are 3x the normal price on the imported shelves of the fruit stands. Look closely and you can see the bright red sticker with "Washington" written on it. It makes me nostalgic, and so sad that the price is so ridiculously high to eat one of those here. But my buddy took sympathy over my Seattle-pains and brought back a nice juicy one for me from Hong Kong. It was the BEST apple I've ever eaten in my life.

As much as I hate Snow White and her insanely annoying singing voice, I now have an understanding for why she so foolishly accepted that poison apple from the wicked witch. However, her taste in dwarves and princes is still questionable.

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Byron Yee
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Men's Fashion in China

Only in China have I seen men bold enough (and pretentious enough) to flaunt a Louis Vuitton belt and matching murse (man + purse). This is a country which is famous for it's copied/generic products, however, I'm 100% this man spent lots and lots of money for the real thing.

However, after exiting the fancy executive business building, I saw a beggar on the street with the same bag, but I'm equally certain that one was a knock-off.

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Byron Yee
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Foreign Policy

I remember growing up in California and hearing people complaining about how illegal immigrants were taking over jobs and flooding the workforce. Ironically enough, these immigrants they were complaining about were the same Mexicans they were paying to mow their bright green, baseball field quality lawns.

Recently, China's expat population has started to boom, both for higher end management jobs and also for those interested in the wholesale and commercial trade of cheap Chinese products. Quite a few of these expats, many from Africa, are here illegally, and the government is starting to really crackdown on these expats.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/03/world/asia/china-foreigner-crackdown-florcruz/index.html?hpt=hp_c4

I'm not worried because I have a legit visa for work, but even those are getting more difficult to obtain. I'm not sure why the immigration office is deciding to make this an increasingly difficult process, but that's how it works. So, wish me luck as I'm currently Hong Kong right now trying to sort out my new visa...

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Byron Yee
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Chopsticks: the multi-use tool

A couple weeks ago, the door knob on our office was acting a bit wobbly. The next week, it fell off completely. Seeing as how this was the doorway to the regular hallway, but also needed to be kept closed to seal in precious A/C, it was crucial we found a quick fix until it could be repaired.

So a math teacher (of course) took a pair of disposable chopsticks which are always in abundant supply and annoyance, wrapped the plastic wrap around the sticks, and wedged it into the lock mechanism, which when twisted carefully could open and close the latch.

So for any Greenpeace, WWF, or environmentalists who complain that these chopsticks are leading to the deforestation of bamboo forests (http://greenanswers.com/blog/265539/china-and-japan%E2%80%99s-use-disposable-chopsticks-threatens-asia%E2%80%99s-forests), you'll have to complain and whine much louder when you're trapped inside your buildings with broken doorknobs and no way in/out.

The other more environmentally friendly fix is to prop the door open with a broom, which is conveniently how the men's bathroom stays open - because there weren't anymore chopsticks to be found...

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

College Entrance Exams

Every year in June, the entire country buckles down, crams, and stresses about the the much revered and much feared College Entrance Exams. Similar to the SAT or ACT, its a long, meticulous, painstaking, and mind-numbing experience. Unlike the SATs, this set of exams has the power to determine your educational opportunities, professional life, career, and the general success and prosperity of the rest of your life. So, yes these kids have a bit of pressure.

And the entire country feels this pressure. Special lines on buses and subways are designated for these poor little high school students. School buses drive like tanks or battering rams through the morning rush hour traffic. Families lie to their children about dead/dying family members as to not distract their studies. Wait - WHAT?! True story, check it out:

http://www.chinasmack.com/2012/pictures/student-learns-mother-died-only-after-finishing-gaokao-exam.html

The mom of one of these students perished in a car accident 2 weeks before her son's tests. Rather than tell him and make him more emotionally distressed, the school, police department, and family members all collaborated in a huge lie.

So, imagine this boy, finishing 3 days of intense testing, breathing a sigh of relief once laying down his #2 Pencil, just to be greeted by his family (NOT his mom or dad), saying "Congratulations! You finished! Oh, and by the way..."

The bigger question is, what would you have done????

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Commemorating a "Secret" Event

The entire world knows about the events that happened in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in June 23 years ago.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/04/world/asia/china-tiananmen-statement/index.html?iref=allsearch

However, the local government is trying their best to still keep things silent, 23 years later...After asking my co-worker if she'd read any news or if there are any special events commemorating this intense demonstration, her answer was "NO." She asked her old history professor about the events and he refused to say anything in fear of job security. Apparently, if you mention this name or talk about this event on the streets, Big Brother's ears can tune in and have authority to arrest you.

Luckily, my VPN is giving me an internet link through San Francisco (I can't even access this blog without it), so I should be somewhat safe sharing the news here. But just a warning and a small little FYI about the People's Republic.

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Smoke and Urine

It sounds like a strange combination, but here those two activities go hand in hand.

Some of the nice restaurants have ash trays provided at each urinal and stall in the restrooms. China doesn't necessarily have designated smoking spots, anywhere is fair game. However at public schools, smoking in public is obviously discouraged, so many teachers light up in the bathrooms. It was a bit confusing the first time I stumbled upon a fuming toilet. My first thought was, "dang Mr. Wu, you really need to cut back on the oil and spicy pepper consumption."

What I still don't understand is that these fancy restaurants will pay money to supply their bathrooms with porcelain ash trays, yet they can seem to scrounge up another couple RMB in order to buy a roll of toilet paper. Priorities, people!

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Subway Girl Fight!!

No, it's not a new feature of World Wrestling Entertainment in China (unfortunately), just a busy subway ride during rush hour turned sour.

During Guangzhou rush hour (and other times as well), the buses and subways and streets leading to these vehicles are all incredibly full. Pushing is not impolite, it's just a necessity if you wish to make it on the car; being skinny and agile also helps.

Well occasionally, people express their intense discomfort and frustration about these conditions. (Grunts and various forms of the expression "AIYA!" don't count as they are considered a normal part of the experience). This past time, a girl was upset about getting pushed and stepped on and started lashing out at everyone around her. Another girl equally stressed had the fire to reply and soon enough a nice bickering match was in the works. My Chinese still isn't good enough but I picked out the words "awful" (referring to personality) and "stinky" quite a few times. Eventually the train emptied out a bit and things calmed down - so we thought. Turns out both girls were just waiting until they had a more open space to duke it out physically on the platform. Luckily, most Chinese girls' martial arts technique doesn't extend beyond an angry slapping motion (the shrill voices are more harmful),  so no one was truly hurt.

I would've stayed and watched out of pure intrigue, but my personal experiences abroad have taught me to head the opposite direction of those things as quickly as possible. But I was grateful for the entertainment as my mp3 player and Kindle had both died on the commute that morning...

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Darwinism: Survival of the Cutest?

CNN should be paying me for promoting so many of their articles. Just read an interesting opinion piece proposing that Endangered animals are more likely to be protected based on how cute and personable humans find them to be.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/05/06/world/beautiful-ugly-animals/index.html?hpt=hp_mid

My first reaction was"duh, that totally makes sense. Why would I want to save an animal I hated?"

My second reaction was, well that's rather foolish of us humans. This mainly reminds me of my most recent visit to Sichaun's Giant Panda Breeding Center. Panda's are struggling to survive for two main reasons.
1. Bamboo, their main source of food, is also endangered and rapidly becoming extinct.
2. Pandas' digestive system is terribly inefficient. Only a mere 30% or so of the bamboo they consume is properly converted to useful nutrients and energy. So if you think pandas are lazy because of their eating and sleeping habits, it's not laziness, they're really just an inferior species.

Sure they're cute and very cuddly looking, and also made a great movie character thanks to Jack Black and Dreamworks, but that's about it. I'd be just as willing to support and encourage the survival of mosquitoes, who contribute a bit more to our ecosystem. However, due to my feuds with malaria, dengue fever, and bug bite infections, I'm equally in support of re-legalizing DDT to kill all those demon creatures.

But hey, I'm no expert environmentalist. I'm just a lowly TEFL teacher...

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

One Activist Sparking a lot of Heat

You may have heard on the international news by now about a man named Chen Guang Cheng. However, if you're a Chinese citizen living in China, you may have never heard of him.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/05/04/world/asia/china-activist-us/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Basically, this is a blind human rights activist who spent the last 4 years in prison, and recently escaped house arrest and fled to the US Embassy in Beijing. These events have sparked a lot of interest as it's slowly uncovering the Chinese government officials' behavior and treatment of prisoners and activists. It's also interesting as this is a crucial challenge with US-China human rights, international relations, Clinton's current visit to China, and Obama's reelection campaign.

All politics and international relation concerns aside, Chen is an important voice speaking out against the government's treatment and behavior. Despite his international fame, many people in China haven't even heard about this guy because the government is trying hard to suppress and hide this news.

So, please read up on Chen, his story, his actions, and continue to spread the word. The more international attention this issue gets, the more the Chinese government will be pressured to make wise and appropriate decisions. That's all I can (and should) say.


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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Second Hand Shopping

Regardless of the country and language, the reasons for going to the second hand store are universally the same: have fun haggling, try (but usually fail) to save some money, and make yourself unnecessarily exhausted and frustrated. Well, thanks to this weekend's events, mission accomplished.

I went shopping with a buddy for a used fridge and fan. Unlike the US, there's no real store or building, merely a collection of dark and wet alley-ways with equally dark and wet salesmen. We settled on fan pretty quick, but I asked if I could lower the price and the lady recommended another fan that was 20 rmb cheaper. After inspecting it, I settled for the cheaper one as it had relatively the same wind speed and functions. But "you get what you pay for" and we discovered once home that the middle shaft and adjustable height screw was just held together by a big wad of tape. Hmm...

The fridge took a bit more work. Once finally finding one we wanted at a good price, we plugged it in just to check (ALWAYS test your products in China - even the "new"ones). Not so "cool." So we finally got another one. Unfortunately, the salesman refused to deliver the machine for us so we flagged down a giant rickety motorized tricycle (no really that's what it was) to take us and our electronic goods home. It was a squishy and bumpy ride home. It was a challenge to figure out whether to use my two arms to keep the fridge from flying out of the vehicle, or to hold myself from flying away.

After finally getting home, and finding some help to take the fridge up to the 4th floor (luckily it wasn't my apartment on the 7th floor), we both took much needed showers and cooked a lovely dinner. Ironically, we were so hungry that we ate all of the food, thereby not needing to use the newly purchased refrigerator to store any leftovers...

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

A New Look

Yes, I realize this is a bit stereotypical, but in truth, I didn't know what to expect when I walked into the hair salon that day. I went with my lovely Chinese girlfriend and after chattering away with the stylists, I was thrown in a chair and two hours later, there were still chemicals, steam, and hair dryers all up in my face. But the important thing is to embrace questionable style with attitude and stride. And that's exactly what I'm doing.

The thing is, this is really a modern and fashionable look here. My students have been commenting about "how handsome" I am now. Also, I blend in even better that I did before...All in the name of finding my roots.

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

A bit of nostalgia (and vomit)

I recently did a class for my students on American High School. We specifically focused on special events such as graduation and prom. Our final activity of class was to vote from Prom Royalty. Once the results were announced, there were royal "crowns," flowers, pictures, and of course no high school dance is complete without a little KC and Jojo.

It was just as awkward and exciting as I remembered it to be during my senior year of high school. Possibly even more so for them, since it is an official school rule that students are not allowed to date other students and are not even allowed to show affection towards others. But nothing like a little peer pressure and KC & Jojo to change the mood a bit...

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

On a Bus in Guangzhou

Wherever I travel, I always like to do 3 things:
1. Ride public transportation
2. Eat local street food
3. Drink the water

You can learn so much about a country (as can your stomach) by doing these three things. Guangzhou in particular gave me a special experience this past weekend. GZ is a huge, huge city literally bustling and brimming with people. The buses are no exception. When the doors open, people literally fall and spill out of the bus. Getting on the bus is extra difficult, but the good news is once you're on, you really don't have to worry about balancing or holding onto a hand rail as you're cushioned against all those other bodies. So you just fall into them, but they can't go anywhere either.

I remember playing a game called "jello" on car rides when I was younger. You basically let your body sway, bend, and fold where the momentum takes you. This adult version in a bus holding 150+ people is way more fun.

Of course, public transportation is also a cultural experience as society's finest is always represented. This time, and old grumbly man got on and started chattering in Cantonese, which I didn't understand. Then he switched to Mandarin and yelled at the gentleman next to him "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!" We all took a giant step back (in the already packed bus) to give him some extra space. He spent the next 5 minutes giving some dude an evil death glare, which I tried to avoid, by observing him through the bus' mirrors. Indirect eye contact is okay.

If Medusa were an old Cantonese dude...

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

If Music Be the Food of Love...

Well this rag-tag bunch of lonely Americans certainly weren't the "food of love" but we certainly did our best. A dozen of use English teachers got together over the past few months to put together an abridged version  of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. I had all the challenges of doing a community theatre piece, but with the challenge of doing so in China. But the Chinese audiences that saw the performance seemed to enjoy it (the Chinese plot summary probably helped a lot). But for them, it's kind of like Americans going to the opera: you probably don't understand a single word and everyone looks kinda silly, but you feel more sophisticated and cultured after the experience.

This was my first theatre performance I've done since graduating almost 3 years ago. God I miss the stage...


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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Rest in Peace, Howard King

One week ago, my grandfather passed away while travelling with his wife in Beijing, China. There's an expression in Chinese that means "the leaves always fall to the roots." In many ways, he came to rest that much closer to his original roots. Roots: this is the main reason why I'm here in China right now, desperately trying to  unravel my past, learn the language(s), and learn about my true Chinese culture.

Unfortunately, my Chinese is still nowhere near good enough to be able to act as a translator, especially concerning health and international embassy matters. This added to my grief as I felt exceptionally helpless knowing that we were in the same country, but still very far apart. However, my personal quest to find the missing pieces of our family history while still continue, with newer and stronger motivation.

Rest in Peace, Gong Gong. Your life, your actions, your history, and your legacy will never be forgotten.

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

China's Innovative Energies

I found this CNN article interesting. Especially since the first line refers to a location extremely close to my town. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/03/20/opinion/vaitheeswaran-china-innovation/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn#

China is growing and very fast. Soon they will be competitive in areas other than cheap manufacturing, so watch out, world. As a fan of Adam Smith's "free hand," the world should be getting ready for China's explosion of intelligence, innovation, and ridiculous work ethic. Don't fight it guys, just support and collaborate with it. That's all.


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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

祝我生日快乐！

Well, yet another birthday celebrated in yet another country. It doesn't stop feeling strange or weird. But my birthday was simple and fun. After teaching classes all day, my coworkers took me out for dinner.

Korean BBQ, sushi, dumplings, and cake - dang that was tasty. Gifts included cups, cards, and a Lady Gaga DVD. Coincidentally, she is exactly 1 day older than me.

Well Lady Gaga, you may be a bit more accomplished, fabulous, and sexier than I am. But I will forever look WAY younger than you :)

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Beefing Up Education

7 months ago, I may have not cared as much about this article. But after becoming a part of the education system, and experiencing/observing the intricacies of the Chinese school system, my interests have changed a bit.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/03/20/opinion/rice-klein-education/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn

I agree, the US education needs to be stepped up. But I would warn the government against making China it's benchmark or model program. These kids here are wound way too tight; the schools start preparing them for the college entrance exam as early as 1st grade. It's bad enough that even current school teachers are afraid to put their own children into the public school system.

Also, yeah, these guys are great at math and science, but they lack any creativity or individual spirit. So, just a warning USA: as you begin your massive education reformation, be wary of designing a system that churns out very high scoring, intelligent, but completely impersonal robots.

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Chinese Students Learn the Blues

Let's face it, if anyone really has a need to sing blues music, it's Chinese students. They're learning about American music right now, so I decided to spend a week teaching them about the classic 12 bar blues.

The format and chord progression equally technically and lyrically simple as it is bursting with passion and emotional insight. Perfect. My students came up with some interesting lyrics and topics - most revolved around the themes of gross cafeteria food, too much homework, and love.

The best part was that at the beginning of class, one of my students said "blues music is so boring." He quickly changed his mind once I told him that it was not only permitted, but encouraged to sing about "idiot teachers" and "mice in the rice."

That may have been one of my most successful lessons yet.


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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Fun Shops in Hong Kong

 

Last time I was in Hong Kong, I stumbled upon this shop. I thought the name was funny, then I peered closer into their display window thought it was really funny. How do you suppose the name of this shop is pronounced?

Yeah, call me a pervert, but you're all thinking the same thing I am ;)

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Shit Asian Dads Say

Follow up to the stuff Asian moms say. Don't worry Dad, you're certainly NOT like this. But I do know a few Asian dads that are...

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Asian Moms Say the Darndest Things

My good friend and fellow ABC (American Born Chinese) sent me this youtube video. It's quotable quotes from the "typical" Asian American mother.

A rule I learned while studying theatre is that every comedy has some very dark truths. This is one of those cases. After being in China for a little while, I've discovered that Chinese moms can also be very similar. So, here's a bit of culture for you guys.

Don't worry mom, I don't think you're ENTIRELY like this ;)

--

Byron Yee

TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Spring Time

Southern China doesn't quite have the same 4 seasons like many places in the USA. However, we still practice "spring cleaning" here - very intensely, in fact.

Unfortunately, spring time here doesn't quite mean beautiful flowers and occasional sunny days. Spring time really means sporadic and completely unpredictable days of pouring rain, cold spells, and 95% humidity days. This past Monday was quite the chilly one. The entire school shuffled outside reluctantly for our weekly flag raising ceremony. The staff speaker greeted the school by saying “春天好。” Which means "spring greetings." This was followed by cynical murmurs of “可是这天气还是冬天！” (But this weather is still winter!).

Despite the cold weather, our national anthem never sounded better; the chilly temperature gave everyone the shivers, which created quite a beautiful vibrato throughout the song. Hey, lemons from lemonade, right?

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

More edible Reptiles

I didn't know what I was eating, and rarely do. But when I have the courage to ask, it's usually a pleasant surprise. This time it was turtle. So how was it? Well, it has the fragrance of fish, the color of algea, and a texture somewhere between frog and eel. But I guess you have had to eaten all of the above in order to truly get the reference...

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

A Walk in the Park

Everyday is a new cultural experience  with all the sites and sounds of living in a factory town. But if you want to learn, observe, and experience all of China's demographic and social life at once, go for a long walk in a public park on a Sunday morning. Why? Let me "walk" you through it...

 - First get warmed up with a little ballroom/salsa partner dancing. Couple even bring their battery powered dvd players and loudspeakers for instruction.
 - Once you're thoroughly warmed up, pop on over next door to the morning techno jazzercise party. Their music is even louder and they draw an even bigger crowd of all ages.
 - Not tired of exercise yet? Bring your badminton set, frisbees, and hackey sacks.
 - Okay, all that exercise has worked up an appetite. Good thing there's fresh cotton candy, candied crab apples, and fried tofu readily available.
 - Take your goodies and enjoy the free music performance. Bring your own instrument and join in if you want.
 - Finally, make a pit stop at the public toilets. The facilities and cleanliness depend on how much money maintenance wants to save. The super frugal managers can save a lot of money by not installing doors on the squat toilets, which makes for a very awkward and surprising show. But hey, at least you don't have to knock first!


--
Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

China Trip #2

Every year during Spring Festival, better known as "Chinese New Year," the entire country shuts down as everyone goes home to be with family and enjoy 2 weeks of festivities. So I took advantage of the long holiday and my father, aunt, and uncle came out to visit me. It would be impossible for me to recap the entire adventure (although if you have 2.5 hrs and a computer projector, my father would be more that thrilled to tell you the whole story). So here's some quick highlights of the trip where I played (and pretended to be) tour guide, translator, tourist, and occasionally a "native."

- Hiked up an 1800m mountain (Huangshan)
- Drank various local beers
- Convinced other American expats that we were local Chinese and took pictures and drank beer with them
- Ate frog
- Ate eel
- Met some distant relatives living in Hong Kong
- Celebrated the end of Spring Festival in Shanghai
- Learned a few random Cantonese phrases and insults from my Uncle

All of which was done without any terrible hiccups or injuries. And we were under our predicted budget. Being tour guide was exhausting, but a lot of fun. My goal for my Chinese language skills is to get good enough to become a Chinese tour guide for English speaking groups and have someone compliment me by saying "wow, your English is really good!"

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

A taste of home

I was walking through a new shopping mall in downtown Shenzhen with my family and stumbled upon America's own Coldstone Creamery. The Chinese shops are exactly the same. Same smells, same colors, same sounds, same greetings and scripted lines (just in Chinese), and same fake smiles.

Being in that shop for the 30 seconds I was there brought back all the horrible memories of working there. It was my first high school job, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. But man, I really hated that job...

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Darwinism and Pandas

I'm guessing Darwin was a very cynical person when he was doing his research. If he had written a report on pandas, he would have told people that they're wasting their efforts trying to intensively breed an inferior animal.

Don't get me wrong, I think pandas are absolutely cute and cuddly. But being "precious" doesn't count for much on the survival scale or endangered species lists. Pandas can only properly digest about 20% of all the bamboo they consume. So if they appear lazy and love their nap time, it's mainly because they spend what little energy they have digesting their food and then searching for their next meal. Frankly, it's a terribly inefficient cycle, and since bamboo - the majority of their diet - is also in danger of dying out, hopes are't very high.

But that's also why I will never be hired by the Chengdu Breeding Center. Sometimes I question my own thought process...

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Adventures in Sichuan

Last week, me and some other buddies spent a few days in the Sichuan province. It would be impossible to explain and describe the entire trip, so here are some highlights. Check out my picasa album for related pics.

Highlights of Sichuan:
 - Visited the world's largest and most famous breeding center for Giant Pandas
 - Ate hundreds of dumplings in honor of the birth place of dumplings: Chengdu
 - Traveled at 194km/hr on a new high speed train
 - Visited over 25 temples
 - Prayed at the feet of the world's largest Buddha (Leshan)
 - Hiked 50km in one day through ice snow
 - On that note, saw and walked through snow for the first time in 3 years

Overall it was a great trip. It was fun to see and experience a completely different part of China, meet other international travelers, a live in actual cold weather again.

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

A Funny Shoutout

My students are always excitedly shouting, sometimes in English, but usually Chinese. With 3,000 other students, it's their only way to compete for a teacher's attention. However, this most recent shoutout was equally shocking and confusing.

For the Chinese New Year, our school gave each teacher a batch of goodies: a new coffee - or rather, tea cup,        a bottle of olive oil, a 10 kg sack of rice, and an entire box of apples. As I was preparing to travel and therefore was trying to empty my kitchen, I decided NOT to consume all 3 dozen apples myself and gave most of them away to my students.

The next day a girl shouted at me across the school grounds "Mr. Yee, your apple is delicious!!!" At first I thought she was making some sort of new sexual innuendo I wasn't yet familiar with. But no, I have to remember that when teaching students a foreign language, you have to listen and interpret things very, very literally.  She was simply just very hungry and very grateful for the snack. And I was simply just being my perverted self...

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

School's Out!

Due to the fact that Chinese students are wound so tight and get such few breaks, the last day of classes were predictably wild and frantic.

Most classes spent the day watching movies during and/or in between classes. I spent my last week playing English games and singing songs - so I guess it was a regular week for me. I chose a special song for the students called "Welcome to My Life" by a rock band called Simple Plan. I found it to be appropriately emo and angsty.

When the bell rang, 3,000 students exploded out of the classrooms, only to bottleneck themselves in the main gateway. They were shouting in joy, triumph, at other students, other teachers, and at me in various Chinese dialects. I totally understand their excitement as all the teachers were equally anxious for a much needed break.

I celebrated the evening in my apartment watching a movie. Call me lame, but everyone else was doing the exact same thing.

--
Byron Yee TEFL
English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Learning Foreign Languages

Recently read an interesting article from the travel section of CNN:
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/22/travel/speaking-the-language-tl/index.html?hpt=wo_t5

I can definitely relate. The most interesting point was that Americans and other Anglophones are born disadvantaged when in comes to learning a 2nd language. why? English is everywhere, others want to learn it, so it's easy for us to speak in globally.

In my opinion, the US should follow Canada (all political and economic reasons aside) and introduce a 2nd official language. It's a step in the right direction - the "right direction" being developing a more respectful global image of our country, and fostering a bit more culture and understand of American people.

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

You Know You're in China When...

I had something hard and round rolling around in my shoe. So I took it off to shake out what I assumed were pebbles or sand. Nope. It was rice.

I don't know how or why, but I consider that a sign of integration.

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Byron Yee
TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China

Sha Jing Middle School's 55th Anniversary

At the end of 2011, my middle school celebrated it's New Year and 55th Anniversary. So of course they asked me to participate in the performances and of course I readily agreed. Nothing like a little Chinese choir practice to improve your skills.

1. The show opened with the school's staff choir singing it's school anthem and some other epic and majestic Chinese country hymn entitled "Love of the Motherland." If translated correctly, you could probably sing the song in Russia as well.
2. Lady Gaga: Me and 25 of my favorite students performed Lady Gaga's "Just Dance." complete with some original choreography and assymettrical eye makeup. It was a big hit, even for the teachers.
3. Closing off the evening was a banquet. Every good Chinese banquet has 2 things: not-so-smooth alcohol and even harsher karaoke. So I busted out my guitar, rounded up my English teaching coworkers and sang another famous Chinese song about friendship. People were very delighted that the foreign English teacher could sing chinese. The booze made the cheering even more flattering.

So, nothing like some Chinese music, wine, and Lady Gaga to produce a very important and effective cultural exchange. This day also helped me get closer to two of my life goals: Learning Chinese, and becoming Lady Gaga's backup dancer.

--Byron YeeTEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China