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