One Year Anniversary Since Teaching in China!

It's been a year since I came back from China, and I have a very different perspective now from then. At that time I was ready for my time to end and return to the people I loved. Now that I've settled in, I can look back and reflect more. It really was an awesome, transformative experience. I think I gained more patience and confidence.  

I really wanted to have a fun, super social year. In reality, I had a more of a introverted experience which isn't necessarily a bad thing. There was a nice balance of alone time and social time. I hung out with the same small group of friends and had such a great time with them. I talk to most of these people to this day. Thank you WeChat! lol 

The Three Musketeers! Remus, Dean, and I^^

I'll be honest, initially I was upset that I didn't have the opportunity to do a lot of activities. Dongying didn't have much to offer. We really didn't go to the movies because it was super expensive. There was no way to take any kinds of classes, not even Mandarin which I wanted to study. No martial arts, no clubs, no sports, nothing. In a lot of ways it was actually better for me to have less distractions. I really got my stuff together and made some life choices. I think I was afraid to be with alone my thoughts before that point and didn't want to think about my future. I really hoped that I would go abroad and things would click and I would stay for awhile and have it all figured out. And honestly that wasn't what happened and it made me stronger.

There were a lot of reasons why leaving my school was a better decision for me. My boss (a foreigner) and the school administration was not easy to work with. A lot of schools in China will lie to you (which I experienced) and be sneaky about things, so you have to be careful. Luckily, my boss was usually super lazy and we didn't have to deal with him most of the time. But then he would get these random micromanaging moments and he would be really rude and nasty as if he told us things when he didn't. I think because it was his first year in charge, he really didn't know how to separate our professional and personal life. He really acted like our parent at times which is very unprofessional. It was like he would just mess with us to show that he had power.

Of course being black in China and dealing with ignorance and/or simply being different was another thing I had to encounter. I had the most trouble from fellow expats which I knew could happen. Prior to going abroad, I read a lot of blogs of run by black people that studied or lived abroad. Many of them faced the most ignorance, prejudice, and downright racism from fellow foreigners. I was able to not let their super negative asses take me down. I mean they were trying too hard! I experienced a lot of sexism and racism from them. They would talk about Chinese people and say how much they hated China or how stupid the locals were, but some of these same guys had Chinese wives or girlfriends -_- Most Chinese people treated me normal. They didn't ever do anything malicious or just be super rude/mean to me for no reason. The most annoying thing I had to deal with was the staring, and that wasn't even everyone on the street. Some people would look quickly and go about their business if they even looked at all. After awhile you just ignore the staring.

Despite being in a negative social environment, I thrived. It's empowering to know that I despite not being in an ideal situation, I refused to let them break me. I was able to distance myself from them and find true friends. I found happiness and supportive people. I didn't let others bring me down even though they were constantly trying. I really only left China because I knew that I wanted to start working on my career and figuring out what I wanted to do. If I stayed longer, I would end up in the same situation. I would have just delayed dealing with those same questions. I also didn't want to try working in a different city only to be at another bad school. I don't think I would have had the patience to deal with it. I probably would've just quit and broke my contract, and I didn't want to put students through that.

There were WAY more positives than negatives. I really liked China and wouldn't mind going back to visit my friends. If I ever taught there again though (which I probably wont teach abroad again because it can be problematic) I would go to a larger city. I was in a VERY small city by Chinese standards. I loved teaching at my school, and I absolutely loved my kids. I still miss them and think of them from time to time. I wish nothing but the best for them. I made some wonderful, amazing friends. I got to accomplish a goal that I started pursuing in 2009. I was able to travel outside of the US for the first time. I was able to experience a way of life that was different from my own and participate in cultural exchange. Thanks for reading!