The People's Glorious Republic of China

As a prelude, thank you for your words of appreciation for the blog. I've made it a goal of mine to set a little more time and productivity aside for writing. I'm also going to try to make the formatting of this blog a little more mobile-friendly. I may even try to edit my posts to limit the grammatical errors I tell my students not to make... 

China is a country that I see every day. I mean that quite literally, as I can see mainland China from my home, my place of work, and from almost any building that is at least 10 stories high. Macau is a mere 32 square kilometers large, nestled against the mainland of the mother country. You could quite easily walk across the border to the city of Zhuhai to do shopping, eating, or whatever people do there. Since I didn't have a travel visa to visit Mao Zedong's paradise, I wasn't able to explore it until now.

CHINA

Just mentioning the word 'China' can bring up a variety of opinions and pre-meditated pictures of what the country is like, depending on your constitution (Here's a link for the Proper Pronunciation for reference). I certainly did when I was offered the opportunity to work here. Besides our biased opinions about jobs being stolen, carbon emissions being emitted and constant global pissing contests, there's not much to go on to form a decent perspective (Here is some Popular Chinese Music for reference). It's a country I've done a lot of reading on, and it certainly has a cornucopia of historical content that is browse-worthy. I could certainly turn the focus of this article into 'My Pensive Semi-Informative Thoughts: A Scholarly Critique of China's Cultural, Mercantile and Military History; Emerging from Foreign and Maoist Influences to Develop into a Homogeneous Nation State within the influence of a Western-Oriented Globalized Planet". But who in their right mind would stay to read that?

Maybe my historically inclined, Hearts of Iron playing friends...

Whatever your opinion or thoughts about China, all of these pictorial representations are accurate in one context or another. 

Just good ol' old fashioned China.

It definitely didn't keep the Mongols out,
 but it's still China! (Take notes, Mr. President)

A casual Sunday drive in CHINA

Please Sir, Do not touch the China.

Definitely Democratic and Ever Benevolent China!

NOT HAMILTON. THIS IS CHINA

I had two main reasons for visiting China. First of all was the fact that my two friends invited me along on a 2 day hiking trip in some neat-looking nature. Secondly, in all my time in Asia, I still hadn't been to the mainland (and I don't count a layover in a Shanghai airport). So with my last full week of teacher-paid vacation (heh),  off I went.

THREE PAGODAS. FOUND IN CHINA.

If I could summarize what the People's Republic is like, I'd have to begin with the reminder that China is not really a 'normal' country. This is a country that was very communist for a long time (We're talking SUPER communist. Pretty much as Marxist-Leninist-Maoist as you can get. I'll save the details for an audience with several hours to waste with me, and a bottle of scotch, and dumplings). Only recently has the country started to open up, both internally and externally. The Capitalist reforms of the 90's turned the economy into the 'ON' position and launched the country from the 18th century to the 21st in the span of a handful of Chinese new years. This is why nowadays, almost everything we buy, use and hold dear to our hearts is stamped  MADE IN CHINA

"This is boring and irrelevant. I'm not one of your students"

Hey, shut up and look at this picture. I'm getting to the point. 

Top picture is Shanghai in 1990.
 Bottom picture is from last year. 

"When are you going to get to the part where you were locked in a zoo or almost detained because of a political comment? "
Fricken SIT DOWN, HANDS FREE and EYES ON ME. THE TEACHER IS TALKING.

So now the country isn't a feudal state, which means folks in China are no longer dirt poor. In fact, this generation are now the first who can afford unreliable appliances, overpriced clothing, and the ability to travel obnoxiously, just like us Westerners! When it comes to travelling in China, things get a little chaotic. 

The services for tourists are not what you might expect in other countries. There were bus drivers who drove like teenagers for a 5 hour duration and then dropped you off at a destination of their own choosing (like a closed railway station with no connecting buses or taxis!). There were taxi drivers that would turn their meters off and demand triple the cost for a standard journey, followed by aggressive haggling to get a fair price (if they decided to take you). We also missed a flight because we arrived on time with no check-in baggage. Yes, you read that correctly. The most exhausting aspect was the tour guides/hotel managers/etc who would refuse to assist you or answer your questions unless you bought their specific service. There seemed, in China, to be a distinct feeling of incredulous begrudgement when Westerners asked for help.

"HEY THAT'S RACIST"

Well then YOU travel through mainland China and form your own sugar-coated opinion of politically correct sunshine and happy times. China is also a country with other inhibitions as well, one of which is a closed internet. Since so many websites are blocked in China, I yahoo'd (not googled) how to download a VPN, to trick my device into thinking it's in a different country. The top search results were all the reasons why the internet is censored for 'public safety & security'. We attempted to get a SIM card for our stay in China, and service providers would say they cannot help us. Why? You need a Chinese I.D. to be allowed cell phone service. Just like you need a passport or I.D. to ride the bus or train. You cannot buy tickets the same day as your departure. You must be checked through security to be allowed onto buses or trains. You need I.D. to book any kind of accommodations. You must report these accommodations on your visa application prior to your journey. One airport experience summarized these needless restrictions and helpfulness completely.

(If you are tired of hearing me gripe about China, skip this part and go to the next section with the next accusation in big letters)

We arrive at our 2nd of three airports of our journey, rushing through border control, to the re-check-in desk for our domestic flight (Most domestic flights in China close their check-in booths between 30 and 45 minutes prior to departure, and will usually state the check-in closure time on the boarding pass). We approach the attendant who speaks no English, so one of us roughly translates for us. 

>Hello *panting* we are here to board flight to Lijiang
>You cannot go to Lijiang
>This is the desk of Lucky Air yes? To go to Lijiang?
>Yes but no more flight to Lijiang now.
>We have tickets for your flight to Lijiang, leaving in one hour. *points to ticket and screen*
>That flight cannot board now
>Why not? We are here on time
>Can not. Must be one hour before
>We are here one hour before
>No. Cannot. Must be one full hour before
(watches are checked to show that it is 58 minutes prior to departure)
>It does not say that on the ticket. Where does it say one hour?
>Cannot check in now. Check in closed.
>No but we are here. Ready to board. No problem.
>Cannot board with check-in baggage
>We have no check-in baggage. Carry on only.
*long pause*
>Cannot check in
>We are here, no baggage. Ready to board. Ready for flight. Still have time. 
>Check in closed now. Cannot board flight.
(10 minutes of more heated discussion)
>We would like to change flight date
>Cannot change flight date
>To rebook flight. Airlines can rebook flights.
>No cannot. This airline cannot book ticket again
>Of course airline can. Re-book ticket to different day, yes?
*Checks with other employees.
>Yes can rebook flight.
>Okay, we would like to rebook for tomorrow morning
> New ticket for tomorrow?
> Yes tomorrow, morning flight.
> That will be [Price of regular ticket]
> That is a new ticket, we want to change date of our ticket.
> That is new ticket. Cost is [full price]. To go to Lijiang tomorrow morning.
> No, we want to change the date of our tickets.
> Yes. New ticket on new date. [Price again]
> No. New date on old ticket. (as we check the airline's policy)
> Cannot. Only new ticket
> But we are on time for flight and cannot board
*Attendant pauses, then walks away without returning. We flag down a new attendant and re-explain the situation
> I am sorry there is no rebooking.
> We would like refund. Because we are not allowed onto plane.
> Cannot refund ticket
> We are not allowed on flight, but we are here on time. We would like to board or a refund
> We do not refund ticket cost. Cannot
> We want refund to book another flight to Lijiang
> Book another flight? Can.
> So we get discount on
*Long pause, discussion with other attendants
> Okay we refund 50 RMB (about $9 Canadian)
> That is not a refund. So little.
> That is refund of flight
> No, refund of flight is the cost of the flight. Or almost the cost
> Can only give 50 RMB
> Before you said no refund, now 50 RMB refund. We would like fair refund for not being allowed to board the plane.
> Can not. Only 50 RMB. Or no discount.

After an hour of heated discussion, 3 new plane tickets, numerous shady or overpriced offers by hotel hustlers, and non-existent hotel shuttles that were promised, we just jumped in a taxi and asked the driver to take us to an area with hotels. After another 20 minutes haggling over room rates, we were pretty frustrated with the Chinese brand of customer service. 

"THAT'S DISCRIMINATORY AND PREJUDICED AND PRIVILEGED YOU CAN'T SAY THAT AS A WHITE MALE PRIVILEGED FOREIGNER TOURIST PERSON"

Okay okay, settle down. Maybe to you I sound like a spoiled foreigner, but when you have to fight your way to accomplish simple tasks, the lack of common courtesy becomes almost unacceptable. 
Ok. Now, I've been quite negative. Let me clarify and say that the trip was good and I also still quite like China, very much in the same way that I like my class of rascals, who are both endearing and needlessly exhausting. So, despite being at times a major pain in the ass, my pals Jake, Janice departed for Yunnan province for outdoor activities, food, and Chinesy-things.

China was a pain in the ass, not my pals. I bet you became rather upset thinking I was such a jerk. I'm glad you did, because I find that quite amusing. 
Our 8 day trip in China was split between the small historical cities of Lijiang and Dali, both in the South-West region that is close to the Thai, Burmese, and Tibetian borders. This area is at one end of the Himalayas, so the air is clean, thin, cold and very dry, pretty much the opposite of Macau. Headaches, chapped lips, and a general weary feeling hung over us for most of the trip, which wasn't helpful as we had planned a pretty physically strenuous vacation, like the keeners we are. 

In the city of Lijiang, our first stop was a place called Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the highest mountain close to the city. It looked like a mountain. Here's some pictures.

View from the base. Well kinda. 

The air was thin, so climbing was slow going

We climbed from where the cable car let us out,
the building with the grey green roof, center left. 

As far as they'll let you go. 4680 meters. 

Pretty Neat

#Healthyactivelifestyle #YAY

More rocks

View from the road next to the fake natural attractions

Not seen: Waterfalls made of concrede, submerged trees in a
human-made lake where a regular old river used to be.

The old city of Lijiang was pretty neat. It's been restored to look like not communism, which was pretty neat. 

A house

The street

Fruit wine stuff

A place

A view

Some pink trees or something

We ate very well. Lots of different kinds of Chinese foods (there are many many types for the many regions of China). Here's more pictures. 

Peking Duck, the equivalent of Chinese duck tacos. They are amazing. 

This was traditional Dali food. Kind of like Sichuanese but
different. Lots of pickled veggies, spicy oily fried meats,
flowers in the food, rich vinegary flavours.

Flying dagger noodles, veggies, and an empty plate where
 scrambled eggs and dumplings used to be. I drenched most
stuff in vinegar because it tastes even better.

CHICKEN

Hot pot

Yak cheese dumplings with honey

We also went to Dali. This is another city in Yunnan with a lot of minority cultures and stuff. It's got mountains and old buildings and food and stuff. 

Stuff

And finally, the Hike. We did a two day journey through mountains and valleys through a place called 'Leaping Tiger Gorge'. Apparently, according to legend, a tiger leapt across the rock face. 

The bus dropped us off here. It's a place. 

The route. As you can see, I was definitely in China doing
outdoor activities. No doubt about it.

That's us. 

Where the road became the path.

Jake and Janice told me to buy a hat. So I did. 

The view after the first climb of the trip. They're building
a major bridge/tunnel in the area, hence the construction.

We stopped for lunch in a village. This is a rice paddy. 

That's not pizza. It's a kind of bread thing that's like pizza.
We ordered it because it sounded like pizza.

All kinds of things for sale along the journey. 

Nature

Something written on a rock

"Wow, nature sure is neat"

More nature. Kinda looks like Canada

Janice was afraid of the goats. I was hungry. 

You can see the water if you look at the nature closely. 

Nature with some sun on it. 

Couple-y photo for the scrap book

Our guest house for the night. 

Day two of the hike ... 

Final stop before hiking the last leg downhill

Some Dutch friends we met at the guest house. I told
them ALL about poutine.

Almost there

The gorge

This is what it looks like in video form

So there, we did it. I think it was fourteen hours of hiking total. It was definitely satisfying to complete such a journey, to spend so much time in the neat outdoors, and to earn a healthy appetite that was satisfied each night. A side effect was that I was made much more aware of my age and genetics when I realized that I had inherited my father's terrible knees that creaked and throbbed while walking downhill, faltered while going uphill and set themselves in cement after the hiking was over. Oh well, shit happens.

You can tell from the Dad hat that it's me

One of these only has one 240th of the horsepower of the Buick

We're done. Made it back up to the road and our pick up point.
Time for naps and dinner.

I mean, we did other stuff too, but this post is long enough already. Here's a short list

- We rented motorbikes and Jake crashed his. GOOD LEARNING EXPERIENCE JAKE
- We picked strawberries and then it started raining torrentially. We ate like a quarter of them but that's okay. It was fun.
- We tried foods made of flowers and stuff. That was fine. It tasted like flowers or whatever.
- We met plenty people who were nice, like a lady who drove us to the airport when taxi drivers were being rude, or strangers who helped us translate things for us. People who aren't in the tourism industry seem to be ten thousand times nicer and more helpful. Definitely cool cats.
- We took other photos and looked at stuff

So there you go. That's China! Look at the pictures and stuff, you don't need me to talk about it any more. Look, here's a dog. There were lots of nice dogs in China. There, that's a good finishing point. See ya.

A dog. 

Also that was my last trip until I come home and start pouring all my hard earned money into old cars. Dunno what the heck I'm going to post about next. Aside from cars, that is. 

India

This smelled pretty darn good

This past February marked the beginning of a new year in the Chinese zodiac, so Kung Hei Fat Choi and happy year of the dog! Chinese New Year also brings the added bonus of some time off for me. After procrastinating on booking the flight (which cost a pretty penny considering everyone and their mother is travelling in this part of the world), and procrastinating even longer to submit my visa application (which only arrived on the morning of my departure), I took ten days to explore a country I've had a desire to see for a long time. 

That's what India looks like. There
you go. 

On the recommendation of a colleague, and spurred on by the popular Top Gear special (Season 17 Episode 7), I took a trip to the bustling metropolis of Hyderabad and the warm beaches of Goa, both of which are found in the South-ish part of India. The country is a place that smells different (scents which can change every several meters), looks different (devout instagrammers would have a field day with the patterns and colours) and tastes different than the more well known Asian tourist destinations (China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, etc). For me, the main attraction was hunting down as many different dishes as my appetite would allow me. If I have to explain how Indian food is superior to all others, then please follow the link below...

http://bfy.tw/GgaG

Hey look, I did see a thing though!
A whole thing! 

Before I get started properly, India is not a country of which I am very knowledgeable. I don't know much about its history, I didn't put in much effort to explore its culture, nor did I read about or research much before my trip. As such, I am not a very good tourist, and most of my travelling nowadays will be spent eating, napping, reading and infrequently socializing because I'm a lazy bum. I may not offer the most useful observations or tips. You're welcome to find another person who writes a more culturally appropriate, politically correct, or otherwise 'hip' travel diary.

For those of you who are still with me. This is what I've got.

Beaches in Goa. Strategically excluded
from the picture was the food on my shirt 

India is a big country. Lots of people, lots of languages, lots of foods, lots of religions,
India is so stupendously big and diverse that it's difficult to paint a single portrait of the country without leaving major parts out. India is in many ways still a very raw country, and while my trip won't portray things that way, the bigger cities of Delhi, Mumbai (Bombay), Kolkata (Calcutta) or provinces of Kerala, Rajastan, or Punjab may give you a better picture of what's going on in this neck of the woods. 

This hostel was in the neighbourhood
of $11/night. I paid a bit more for a
room with A/C. 

For me, I chose a tiny province of India that is more well known for its beaches and Portuguese influence, Goa. Most of my time was spent hanging out in hostels, reading books in shady spots, and letting my appetite dictate what I do next.  Between reading sessions, I hit the road to visit nearby towns, and just to enjoy the experience of riding a bike without the silly rules like having proper 'licenses' and such. More on that later. 

Hoda & I. She showed me around
Hyderabad. Note the touristy
sunburn and floral shirt. 

The visit to Hyderabad showed me what urban India is really like. Dirty, bustling, constantly exuding both noise and movement all times of day and night. Millions of people of dozens of cultures into jammed communities between crowded streets of vehicles, street stalls, families, workers, livestock and the occasional large hole in the ground. 

Hoda and I had a plate of chicken
that was too big and too tasty

It's also a place where people will speak to you with a genuine tone, asking where you are travelling from and what you've seen. Hyderabad-er-ians (?) had asked to take pictures with me on occasion, later learning that foreigners are very much an anomaly, despite the city's size. 

Through the welcoming chaos, I was guided by my friend and former boss, visiting the historic Muslim city center, the former Nizam's palace, and a particularly interesting city park & marketplace. Aside from the sightseeing, we had a comforting chat about being conscious of one's sense of community and home. It put a lot more confidence and clarity into my final decision to return to Ontario after three very satisfying years in Macau. 

This ISN'T Shantaram, but another
neat book about going places and stuff

Like I said before, I didn't really take myself to the more internationally-known places. No Taj Mahals, or long, crowded train journeys. I did all these things vicariously through one of the novels I was reading at the time. Shantaram is a fantastic adventure novel that also happens to be true. The most adventurous thing I DID do was to eat with my hands, like you're supposed to do with Indian food. They say each finger represents one of the elements, and brings about a connection between mind and body as you eat. The most frequent connections I made was between my meals and my clothing, in my haste to devour everything and anything that I had read about beforehand. Something else I had researched prior to my trip was India's love affair with a particular motorcycle that I had the privilege of renting. 
 

My iron horse for the week

Comfortable, crimson and clumsy.
Like me on vacation with a sunburn. 

The Enfield bike is the darling of India. It's a British design that continues to be manufactured in India to this day (which is remarkable given how far automotive technology has progressed). Perhaps you are intrigued by motorcycles as I am, or perhaps you are wagering which type I will be riding when I'm found in nine pieces under a tanker truck. Either way, here's my take on 2.5 years of bike trips in Asia. 

Chinese New Year 2016. First time
on a real bike. 

A Vietnamese re-manufacturing of a
rugged Honda design.

Like old cars, motorcycles have thrilled me with their charms. If I'm travelling during a school break, I'll likely pick a destination where I can get my hands on some wheels and go exploring on my own. Even better is the opportunity to share the experience with friends and encourage them to give riding a try. I'm entirely self-taught, starting on simple scooters, and slowly working myself towards riding a proper bike with a clutch and manual transmission. 

Taiwanese bike. 150cc is barely enough
for winding country roads. 

I've ridden small engined Suzukis, aged Vietnamese Hondas, and a charming but gutless Taiwanese brand called a 'Sym'. The Enfield handles more like a Buick than a bicycle: wide, heavy, loud and slow to respond to the driver's various orders. On one hand, this makes for some creative handling in rush hour traffic and crowded side streets, not to mention a considerable amount of embarrassing effort to reverse the bike when backing out of parking spots and attempting 3 point turns. 

I actually own this bike in Canada.
Only I don't have the paperwork, or a
licence, and it hasn't run in 12 years

On the other hand, it produces a comfortable and endearing ride on open roads, much like a rusty-yet-handsome mid-90's Park Avenue might. Between the different types of vehicles, the roads turn into a sea of slow moving exhaust, honking and rumbling of engines, packed with goats, cattle, car parts, potholes, lanes that suddenly end, and vehicles travelling in the wrong direction, driving in India can be quite the eye-opening experience. In fact, I thought the experience of learning how to ride a clumsy bike in an extra-chaotic place warranted a little comparison to how things are done back home. 

State of the art public transportation

On Indian roads, you will have to navigate around an array of vehicles that range between ancient, erratic and animal-powered. One of my favourite sights were the antiquated city buses that would look more at home in a Mad Max movie than in public service. These are machines with re-re-repaired and re-re-painted body panels, belching out black soot when pulling away from each stop. 

This means honk if you want to pass

A taxi driver explained to me the culture of truck drivers to decorate their vehicles. Since drivers spend most of their days on the road, they conspicuously paint and affix things to their trucks to make them feel more at home, and also because it's awesome. At home, we just have boring regular trucks with no tassels or flags or fun bits. BORING. 

I. Want. This.

In the West, we have a very organized and regulated system of operating motor vehicles. We stay in between the painted lines, use our blinkers to tell others our intent, and maintain a constant speed within the stated legal limit. We even go so far as to ridicule and shame our friends and family who are unfortunate enough to be caught committing any discrepancies (google tells me indiscrepancy isn't a word so don't even think about ridiculing me either). Driving, once the basics are learned and peripheral vision is utilized, is more akin to watching pain dry than the interactive operation of a big metal toy.  

Relaxed rural riding

You may claim that that is simply  'defensive', 'cautious', or even so far as 'safe'. However, it is not necessarily 'good'. I believe that our Western style of driving is lazy. Not in a bad way, mind you. No no no no! Of COURSE not in a bad way! Just in a domesticated, mindless, privileged and inefficient way. You understand, of course. 

No? Well, while we may not realize it, we have an extremely entitled attitude when behind the wheels of our five-figure, air conditioned chariots. I will give you a few examples using this handy chart: (You could even go so far as to call this a graphic organizer. THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is what an education degree will get you. Yessim)

	India	Canada
Improper blinker use	Who uses a blinker? What's a blinker even for? I'm watching out for livestock and truck parts, not blinkers.	Other drivers will be shocked to see that you're not an octogenarian, just an idiot who hasn't refilled his car with blinker fluid.
Honking	Constantly necessary for every pass, merge, turn or 'DON'T HIT ME PLEASE' situation. Definitely the most useful tool of your vehicle	Only acceptable in the most extreme of situations, such as infringements on your personal space.  Maximum duration allowed: 1.4 full seconds
Driving into other lanes of traffic	People are going to use whatever damn lane they can to fit themselves through, even if it's not a lane. Yield to the larger vehicles and watch out!	Considered 'Illegal'. Apparently, you're supposed to remember what country you're in BEFORE you set off.
Infringing on another vehicle's personal space	Traffic represents the randomness of the universe, drive according to the ever-changing conditions.	Drivers and passengers alike will even take their eyes off the road to incredulously  stare into and scream at the offender's face, thereby putting themselves in harms way.
Driving between moving or stationary vehicles	Called 'Lane Splitting', considered a necessary behaviour in a country with 1.3 billion people.	Called 'Being a F*&king Maniac', considered to be harmful to a driver's sense of personal space and delicate feelings.
Gently coming in contact with another vehicle with your bumper	The most effective way of both asserting yourself and maintaining some degree of personal space. Wave! Say hello! This happens several times a day. After all, what are bumpers for?	UNFORGIVABLE

There you have it. I encourage you to try your hand at driving in a new setting, so you too can have an enlightened opinion on the operation of motor vehicles.

Please ignore the fact that wikipedia quotes India as 'generally considered to be one of the most dangerous countries in the world in which to drive', as well as the other scathing and completely factual sources of information. 

Teaching Overseas

My classroom

Hi. It's a smoggy afternoon so I suppose this is a good time to catch up on my writing. Thanks again for stopping by to read.It's dawned on me that I haven't really touched on about what my job is much like. You may find this helpful or neat, but if not, that's too bad because this is one topic I know at least a little about, so here goes. 

I'm not a smart fellow who planned this ahead of time. There was no long term goal that brought me here. Most of the things that worked out for me have been due to a combination of coincidence, opportunity, and luck. But don't let that dissuade you. If someone like me can do it, you'll be golden! 

Look at this idiot. A jazz degree, a dad shirt and an
armful of cheeses. What kind of priorities are those?

A little background knowledge about me, I got my degree in music because it was something I enjoyed and was decent at, knowing full-well that it probably wouldn't provide me with immediate and steady work. I pursued teachers college because I liked (and still do like) working with kids & teenagers, but I struggled through my classroom placements for a number of reasons (organization and diligence probably being the main ones). I didn't know if I would enjoy or be good at teaching, mostly due to the constant problems I was encountering in my practicums (practice teaching). I accumulated a handsome amount of student debt, and seriously doubted my ability to survive in the field. Yikes. 

Now I'm in my third year of a full-time contract teaching English, Math, Science & Social Studies to 10 year-olds in a former Portuguese colony turned casino-land in China. Not too shabby eh? Also, not exactly where I thought I'd end up. Heck! I even wear ties to work and shine my shoes, like a professional!

Organization is key

The first year of the job was by and far the most strenuous. I'd like to think that teaching is a mental work-out routine, so to say. It was a trial-by-fire, but it was definitely good for me. Your mind struggles under the weight of each day's new challenges, but by the end, it gets a little stronger, smarter, more efficient. Whether it's dealing with an arbitrary conflict, planning a unit from scratch, managing a rowdy bunch of kids on a field trip, creating better resources to make a lesson interesting, marking a small mountain of projects (I could go on...), I found myself better able to meet the needs being asked of me. I also had a lot of support and guidance from my colleagues. A LOT of support Thank you Hoda, Hope, Marion & quite a few others! I'm glad the first year was a big kick in the head, I wouldn't have got my shit together had it been anything but. So, this whole Macau thing kind of worked out in my favour. It's full time work in my field, it's challenging yet rewarding, and it's been good for me (both the ups and the downs). But it's rude for me to only talk about myself, so here's how this might apply to you. 

Kids are both fun and funny 

Thinking about teaching?Whether you've got some training or experience in education or not, you can find work. Schools will come in all shapes and sizes. Some adopt a culture/nationality for the basis of their staff & teaching content, mostly from Western countries with prominent education programs. Scattered around the globe, you can find British institutes, American Academies, and even a few Canadian international schools. Some schools will be secular, while others are religious-oriented. Many schools have been founded by those wishing to spread their faith, and make up a larger number than schools at home. International schools will likely hire you as a full-time teacher, teaching multiple subjects or grade levels simultaneously, much like you'd do in a full-time position at home. Local or specialty schools might hire you specifically to teach English to students with varying levels of English abilities. Pay, benefits, vacation time and the workload will all vary, but there's lots of opportunity out there for those whether you have official certification (B of Ed, TEFL, etc) or not. 

(I've got to say that I feel like a bit of a domesticated professional using all these terms) 

From my experience, there are strong pros and cons for leaving your home country to find work elsewhere. 

"Ewwww, foreign countries. Those are the ones on the news that have stuff going on all the time, and they don't have Tim Hortons..., and they're just... different..."

Did you find that comment sarcastic? Maybe a little offensive? And yet, did it still strike a chord of truth somewhere deep inside you? That's because that's what I myself thought.

Well, I wasn't that bad, but I knew it'd be different. Also, I realize that a positive aspect for one person could certainly be a negative aspect for another, so I'll try to outline the most significant ones without categorizing them, and you can decide for yourself. 

This is HK but that's close enough

Living in a different country has been a challenging, interesting and awakening experience. For many people, it's the initial put-off that may dissuade them from even considering leaving home (For instance, what kind of thoughts come to mind when you think about moving to China? Or the Middle-East?). For me, it was a process of being intrigued, frustrated, bored and finally comfortable with the stark contrasts to life at home. I could probably do a whole other post on how Macau is so different to Canada, and I'd probably forget to leave out the things I'm used to by now. If you have the gusto to move to a new country in the first place, you'll get used to the differences and find your own way to keep yourself happy. 

Go to Taiwan. DO IT.

If you enjoy travelling, there's excellent potential for adventure. I've been able to visit a number of countries and try new things, although I find it better to do it with a friend than strike out on my own. Learning how to ride a motorcycle and going on multi-day excursions is probably my single favourite thing to do. The next expedition will likely take place over Chinese new year if anyone would like to come to Goa (India) for some great food, beaches, nature and riding. 

As with any job,
it's important to get feedback

Opportunity. If you grew up in an English-speaking country, you have the enormous benefit of being eligible for opportunities in places high and low. I left Canada because of the crappy teacher job situation there. The land of opportunity is out there, and there are jobs and countries that need the next batch of teachers for the coming school year. You can search these out online (TeachAway, SeekTeachers, etc) or at a job fair if you want to take things to the next level. It's a pretty unique ability to rock up at the doorstep of almost any country and find some work. 

Make sure to bring essential items to
foreign lands, for your mental health.  

Being away from home, and the things that go with home, is probably the biggest difference. I came here to chase and opportunity and scratch out a bit of a living. If you've heard of the saying "Go West, young man", I went as West as one could go. I missed (and still do miss) many of the things that I had or could pursue in Canada, and coming to a new place forced me to strike out on my own to seek out people, hobbies, and satisfying uses for my time to keep me from going crazy. As a wiser man said, "There is no growth without change, no change without loss or fear, and no loss without pain". 

There are other fields to find employment and explore the world. A buddy of mine has been doing the same thing, only as a musician. He signs on for hotel/cruise ship venues in various countries and has been doing that successfully for about 10 years. If this is an intriguing prospect for you, or if you have other questions you think I'd somehow be able to address, you can leave a little message down below or contact me some other way. In all likelihood this is being read by someone who I've met in person already (and if it's not, how the heck did you make your way here?). 

Hopefully this thing still works...

As for me, Macau has been good both to me and for me. I'd like to think that I learned a lot and did a good job where I could. A big part of me would like to stick around for another year or two, or hunt for another school/country to continue what I'm doing now. Writing this blog, appreciating the little things and and reflecting on general stuff has led me to make a decision. After a lot of consideration, I will be returning to Canada in July of this year to make my home in Hamilton. Another year, I may yet disappear and chase another overseas opportunity, but for the foreseeable future I will be fussing over old broken cars, hosting backyard parties and trying to recover the remnants of my jazz chops in the Hammer (and maybe find a high school music teaching job?).

Shit. I'm going to have to find a new name for this blog....  

I went to Japan

Before I go and complain that I only had a mere 5 days of vacation, I realize this is an opportunity that not many get to have, and so I will not be salty about the amount of time I am able to spend travelling. 

Our school calendar is designed in such a way that at the end of each school term (there being four in total), a number of days off are designated to allow the teachers to rest and recover. I usually take advantage of this time to explore little parts of the continent that I  have not yet explored, or that I might find a few friends in. In this case, the end of our first term allowed me 5 days to get a small taste of the land of the rising sun, THE EMPIRE OF Japan.

(just regular Japan)

There are some people I know that idolize and revere this country for its various qualities. I'm not one of those people.Unless it's got a selection of antiquated motorcycles for rent, or an insured 23 year old Buick waiting within its borders, I go into these things with minimal standards and an apathetic attitude.

I'll skip the details of the things said and done there, because pictures , and also because things ran so smoothly that I didn't even embarrass myself ONCE.

There were two things about Japan that were especially evident. Foremost, Japan is a SILENT COUNTRY. You don't speak on the train. You don't speak in the streets. You don't  speak too loudly indoors because the country is inhabited completely by church mice. This is difficult for me. Perhaps I did embarrass myself a few times. I couldn't even roll my small suitcase down most streets because the gentle rumbling noise of the wheels on the pavement was too harsh and disturbing for the tone of the neighbourhood. It was a unique quality that was not all that easy to adapt to. 

Secondly, Japan impressed me with its astounding cleanliness. While this may come as something taken for granted for those who live in Canada, Macau is not a clean place. China is not a clean place. But in Japan, everything of human creation: sidewalks, streets, parks, subway stations, EVERYTHING, was kept in meticulously tidy order. Even the hanging handles on the trains that usually feel greasy, moist or smutzy were sanitary to a level usually reserved for your dinner plate.

The other things you may have thought about the country are also true. Yes, the trains run on time, religiously so. Yes, the people are polite, less than 2 thank you's in an interaction would be surprising. Japan is as thoroughly organized and civilized a country as one could possibly be. I am now back in Macau to begin another term of teaching, and it is just now that I realize the certain things I appreciate most about Japan. Only now, days after my return, that I have realize that I miss the manners, and respect for the environment. 

Hey, also. Thanks for reading this blog. I have a hard time keeping up with what everyone's doing, especially as we all wander off down our own paths and do adult things. I wish I could better track what's going on with everyone, but it's nice to see a few people check out what I've written and posted cause that's neat. Makes the whole thing worth doing, ya know?