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... -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China 
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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... -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
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. -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
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... -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
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 YeeTEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
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. -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
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. -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China 
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
On Christmas Eve, the Shenzhen school district hosted a dinner banquet for all the foreign teachers and our local Chinese counterparts. Of course the food was great, but the entertainment was even better. We were graced with performances from various teachers, students, and the school district head himself gave a - riveting karaoke performance. Now with the cultural power distances and protocol for respect, we were obligated to cheer him on (perhaps in spite of him?)
Every good Chinese banquet always has a large collection of wine and liquor. So, give that to a group of 130 Americans - oh and offer them all hotel rooms for the night...It was quite the crazy after party. This certainly wasn't a "traditional" holiday, but I was able to practice my Chinese, perform a little Shakespeare, and eat some delicious Chinese food (the latter of which is actually a tradition for me). So, all in all a great Christmas. Merry Christmas everyone! --Byron YeeTEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
Last week, our school hosted our annual English Festival, which is a week long competition designed to encourage students to get excited about learning and practicing English. Being the only native English speaker at the school, of course I was asked to be one of several judges.
The competition highlights included movie lip dub, where students dub their own voices over an original English movie. I helped students by transcribing various movie scenes - I can now quote the end of the Titanic scene rather well (the one where Jack freezes to death while Rose is floating on the door and pathetically cries). The funny thing was, when read by two male Chinese students, that scene has a lot more emotional insight (and humor) than the original. My other favorite was the English singing competition. Speaking of Titanic, "My Heart Will Go On" is apparently still a really big hit over here. Except when a Chinese girl sings it, she seems to be lacking in a certain Canadian accent. There's also less bagpipes in the cover versions over here. -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
There are times when my students' English levels after 10 years of English education is really frustrating, and other times when it's quite funny and charming.
Last week I was working with a newer class and we did a "Q&A with Mr. Yee" The notes were equal parts wonderful, hilarious, and grammatically incorrect. But they speak much better by themselves... 1. How did you visited so many places? 2. Can you make friend with you? 3. Do you love China girl? Or my personal favorite that made me laugh out loud: "Why are you so handsome?!" -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
Believe it or not, Southern China can actually get a little chilly. So that news and the fact that I packed very light coming here meant I needed some more clothes. This was my first time truly shopping in a couple years, so there was a lot of culture shock and other factors triggering some panic and anxiety. Such as:
- Rows of official and unofficial shops, all shapes and sizes - Most of the goods were knock offs, or some feeble and failed attempt at writing something cool in English - People shouting to attract customers - people with microphones to out shout the shouters - Loud speakers playing Chinese music to drown out the mics - Louder speakers blasting techno music to drown out the pop music - Employees clapping to the techno music to attract more customers - Employees beating sticks and noise makers to beat out the clappers - More employees ready to pounce once you do decide to enter a store - Employees on ladders in the doorways making sure you don't LEAVE the store w/o paying In the end, I've never had so many employees involved in my shopping experience. Yet even with the interaction of 15+ store reps, it was still ultimately and completely lacking in "customer service." I did get a nice shirt and pull over out of the ordeal though. So I guess I would do it all again... -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
So you know how awhile back I ate dog for the first time in a local restaurant? Well I was walking down that same street the other day. When I first moved into town, I always wondered why this particular restaurant had a giant poster of some Chinese words with a goat, donkey, dog, and smiling Chinese waitress. Now that I know more Chinese characters and have confirmed both by reading the sign and eating in the restaurant, this giant sign is no longer a mystery, its just very clear and blatant advertising.
Don't worry, the smiling Chinese waitress serves the animals - she is not one of the "dishes to be served." Just thought I should clarify... -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
Well, I'm not ready as much as when I was in Senegal. I have a little less free time as well as a lot more distractions from TV, internet, and all the joys of the modern age.
But I recently just finished reading Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne trilogy. It comes highly recommended as its full of action, plot twists, and bits and pieces of various languages. All around a very intelligently and interestingly written set of books. A couple warnings: First, don't read these back to back. Their too intense and exciting for that. Also, don't be expecting it to be anything like the movies. The movies are really good, but as always - the books are incomparable. Did you know that Jason Bourne speaks English, chinese, and French fluently?? Hmm, you know if this whole teaching English gig doesn't work out for me, I may be sending my resume and cover letter over to the CIA. I'm not sure how the interview process works to become a secret agent, but as soon as my Chinese gets better and I brush up on my kungfu, I'm pretty much a shoe-in. -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
Seeing as how this holiday was created by and in remembrance of the "first" Americans, it's not widely celebrated by Chinese people.
I was still working and teaching on Thursday, but took the opportunity to teach my students the holiday and about thankfulness. I also had a "traditional" Thanksgiving dinner of Taiwanese food with my co-workers that night. It was their first Thanksgiving meal, so it was a special event for all of us. Saturday afternoon was the REAL feast of turkey, cranberries, pie, and all those goodies a group of 100+ Americans can throw together in a potluck. It was delicious, filling, and that triptaphan kicked in full force on my hour long bus ride home. The highlight of this year's festivities was teaching students the proper word for "turkey" and NOT "fire chicken" which is the literally translation in Chinese (火鸡). Although, I think fire chicken sounds way more awesome than turkey. Think about it - "Then the pilgrims sat down with the Indians and feasted on corn, fruits, and freshly slaughtered fire chicken. The first Thanksgiving." And yes, the word "indian" was intentional. It's crucial to the politically incorrect and linguistic errors of the story... -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
In China, when a student turns 18 years old, they become an official and legal adult. Well, there's absolutely no Chinese vs. American difference there at all, I know.
However, what is different is the ceremonial process they go through. Luckily, I did not have to witness or attend any circumcision ceremonies like I did while in Senegal. This ritual was more tame in comparison. It involved speeches, more speeches, and a proclamation or oath that all the students took on our school campus. As I know and teach many of these students, it was an honor and privilege to be a part of this exciting day. This ceremony also marked the 200 day countdown from their very intense college entrance exam (yes, there's an official day for that too). So after the ceremony finished, all the students headed straight back to their classrooms to - you guessed it - more studying. Hey, at least they got a longer study break today, right? -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
Last week our school district had an English speech competition for all the local high schools. One of my students was selected to represent our school and so I worked with him over the past month. Our coaching included everything I learned including grammar, pronunciation, body language, expression, etc. However, the added challenge was that I had to coach him based on his level and comprehension of English.
He did very well. So well in fact, that he scored 2nd place in our district competition. That's the highest anyone has ever school for our school. So we were all very happy and proud of Chiho. Nice work kid! And thanks for giving me more of a purpose in life :) -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
One of my friends keeps an awesome blog about cooking called Kitchen Dance Party.
http://kitchen-dance-party.blogspot.com/ I thought of them specifically the other day when I tried eating dog meat for the first time. So if you guys are looking for another new and creative recipe to try out at home, dog tastes best when cooked as a stew. Potatoes go really well with dog meat as well - it really helps balance out the color, taste, and textures. Bon appetite everyone! -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
Today on my way back from Chinese class, I learned how to say "make love" in Chinese. It's exactly the same in English (to make + to love + particle). How exactly did I stumble upon this new word?
Well, on the way to class, my driver and I were staring and commenting about a voluptuous women running down the street towards us a catch a taxi. I leave your imagination to what he may have said. Then on the way home, we passed by the sketchy street of town and collected a man's "business" card. Hence my lesson in how to say "make love." Now, I know exactly where to find some scandalous women, as well as what to request from them if the depressingly desperate need arises. Ironically, I learned more on the ride to/from class than from sitting in my actual Chinese class. -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
This Saturday, a local charity called Captivating International (http://captivating.org/) held their 3rd annual midnight charity run. Because I'm crazy and slowly getting into running, I chose to run the 10km race as the 5km option was "too fun" for me.
Aside from the fact that we were running at midnight (way past my bedtime), yet there were a surprising number of pedestrians and motobikes out, the race went rather well. My time: 49min and a few seconds. That was my personal best and was also just 1 minute behind the fastest female. But to be wholly fare and depressing - 6 minutes behind the fastest male. The important thing was that I ran rather fast for myself. More importantly, I had a chance to participate in a charity event and am working with my school students and staff on collecting some donations as well. The organization threw us an after-race party as well. Although I should warn you, beer after 10km is a really bad choice. Seriously, not a good idea guys... -- Byron YeeTEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
In Chinese, the number 11 looks like bare sticks, which also translates close to the word "single." (光棍节） So on November 11, all the single people in China celebrated at local clubs, bars, and restaurants.
This year was especially important as it fell on the 11th year of the 11th month, and the 11th day (11.11.11). Hence, the super single holiday of the century. I being one of the millions was invited to go to a local karaoke joint and mix with other cute singles. And that I did. The girls were very surprised at my wonderful ability to sing English songs. They were even more surprised at my complete LACK of ability to speak Chinese. So, our flirting and mingling was limited to our bilingual skills. But anytime I can socialize and practice my Chinese, I consider this a successful outing. Throw some very cute girls into that mix and I consider this a VERY successful outing :) Happy Singles Day world! The rest of you married people can shove it ;) -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
I was out and about the other afternoon and passed by what looked like a peculiar cyber cafe. It was strange looking because there was only one single computer in the entire room and also a full steering wheel and pedal set. Hmm, the owner must be a serious gamer.
I generally don't look at signs because my Chinese character vocabulary is very limited and therefore cannot read anything. But out of sheer curiosity, I decided to look this one time. This decision was met with immediate satisfaction and regret - painted on the sign in bright ENGLISH letters: "Driving School" There are some days when my Chinese fails and I feel like an idiot. Then there are other days when my first and native language fail me and that's when I really feel stupid... -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
So, you may have already known that Karaoke is a really big thing in this and other Asian cultures. But allow me to give you a perspective on just how popular this is.
On almost every block in the big cities, there is a KTV or karaoke bar. And in every alley where there's a TV and a microphone, people set up their own personal shows. But it gets better... The other night I was taking my evening walk for the purpose of people watching and entertainment. And sure enough, both of my evening walk goals were fulfilled. I passed by a sporty looking car blasting music - nothing unusual there. But what was interesting was the even louder and slightly off-key singing coming from inside the car. I personally never thought about this, but since cars already have an dash board display for gps and car maintenance, why not add a microphone and turn it into a mobile karaoke machine? Brilliant! I was so excited, I almost knocked on the window to ask the dude if I could join him, but I didn't want to invade his personal privacy. Then again, if you have karaoke built into your car, I don't think these types of people are too self conscious... -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
This country doesn't really celebrate All Hallows Eve, so things were rather uneventful here. But nonetheless, everyday is always an interesting adventure.
Over the weekend, my US buddies and I went to a childrens' theme park called Happy Valley to visit their Haunted House. Unfortunately, it wasn't so haunted - nor was it much of a house. It was more of a darkly lit long walk around Chinese zombies (yes, the employees were pretty much bored, living dead) and styrofoam graveyards. We then went to a bar where they played crappy karaoke after their one Lady Gaga CD played all the way through. Despite (or maybe in spite) of the sad attempts, we all had a rather fun and strange time. Yesterday - actually Halloween, I brought candy for students. They had to visit me and sing an English song I taught them: "Trick or treat, smell my feet..." Needless to say, I spent the entire day handing out candy while students threatened in both Chinese and English to "pull down my underwear." If you're confused by the reference, ask an elementary school kid to sing you the above song. Then all will click into place. -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
You know you're becoming more integrated when:
You find a chicken foot in your bowl of soup at the lunch cafeteria and you're genuinely excited about it. Not that I was ever turned off from them, but I've grown a liking to chicken feet and fish head. Healthy, nutritious, and at our school cafeteria, and exciting bonus on some days! That was just one of those moments where you step back and observe yourself slowly adapting to a completely different set of cultural standards, norms, and perspectives. -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
Last week the English dept. at my school invited me to teach a "gong kai ke" or an open class. Basically, it's a class taught like any other of my English classes, but it's filmed on video and observed by any and all teachers interested in observing. This is generally followed by some feedback, which is culturally very different than our American "constructive criticism," but I was expecting the unexpected so did just fine.
My co-workers kept asking me "are you nervous?" And I wasn't really until they asked me. I guess its a much bigger deal and more pressure for them than for me. But then again, when you're a foreign teacher teacher a language that students barely understand (which is the only language I can communicate in with them), things are pretty much a high pressure situation every day. I celebrated my successful class that evening by going to bed early. I'm just that awesome and that exhausted from the experience. -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
You may have read this in the news recently, as this event has become international.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/22/world/asia/china-toddler-reaction/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn# Last week, a little girl was the victim of a hit and run in China. 18 people passed by before someone finally came to help. 18 people. This is a country swarming and oozing with individuals, all of whom are fully capable of helping someone in need. Why didn't anyone help?! Read the article as it has some interesting thoughts and theories on this. One of my thoughts is that this country is so bustling and crowded, there is a complete lack of individuality or personality. This and the feverishly intense pace of development and capitalism in the "great leap forward," have guided this country's social values and norms. Living in a country is the best way to truly learn about how things work. As I'm now rounding my 3rd month here, the "exciting haze" has faded away and I'm beginning to really understand how life is here. -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
Last week, my students were describing what they do to celebrate their holidays and time off. They mentioned hanging out with friends, but kept accusing their friends of eating "white food and white drink."
It wasn't till Chinese class a few days later when I learned that "bai chi, bai he" (literally meaning white food, white drink), means FREE food. So, with this new information in mind, I went back to my English classes and taught my students a new and important vocabulary word: Freeloader: One who constantly partakes in "white food and white drink" -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
I just read an interesting article discussing whether or not people who speak 2+ languages are more intelligent.
Apparently, bilingual people are more able to multitask and switch mental tasks (ie. music to math) more easily than others. This is probably because these people train their brains how to rapidly switch communication methods in both words and actions. So, since Chinese is my 4th language I'm studying, what does that mean? Either I'm super intelligent or just extremely confused. As of right now, I'm leaning towards the latter. -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China 
During my travels to Zhangjiajie, I came across this sign. My Chinese is still not good enough to read it, but I can make a few educated guesses:
1. Warning: Straddling guardrails may be harmful to male reproductive organs. 2. Caution: Perform gymnastic routines at your own risk. 3. Sexy and Raunchy Coyote Ugly bar dancing Strictly Prohibited. -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
Two nights ago I went for a little evening stroll after dinner. This is a twofold operation: 1) Exercise, 2) Entertainment walking by shop after shop blasting Chinese techno and overly bored store employees attempting to attract customers by dancing and clapping off beat.
(BTW, do you know how difficult it is to clap and dance OFF the beat of techno music?! I mean, I know I'm the son of a music teacher, but still...) During my exploratory walk, I discovered two new awesome things that my town has. First, there's a sweet arcade! I remember when I used to think arcades were super cool (no - not two nights ago) and they had Tekken 2 come out. Well, we have Tekken 6 here now and that's just too much ass-kickery for me to handle right now. Speaking of kicking butt, the other awesome discovery was at my local book store. They see nun-chucks next to the monthly planners. Only in China... But seriously, as neat and high tech as the Nook is, Barnes and Noble could really reach a huge untapped market segment if they put nun-chucks on their shelves too. For reals, guys! I'm talking about a 3rd of the world's population here. And did I mention that their nun-chucks?! -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
It's true. His English name is Jack, he's in middle school, and his mother is another English teacher here at this school. Everyday we hang out and talk in a strange mix of English and Chinese, 50% of which I understand (which is NOT always just the English part).
Yesterday he brought his chess board over, so I thought I'd give it a whirl knowing that it'd been over 5 years since playing that game. He also brought over his Rubik's cube, which he solved 10 minutes into our game, then proceeded to put me in checkmate several minutes later. Hmm, let me count the ways I feel incredibly stupid right now... But today I got him back - meaning I won. He still solved his dang cube during the game though. -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
There are few people who are (and should be) as excited and ecstatic about Royal Shakespeare's new season: 37 plays in 37 different languages. WHAT?! That's just too much theatre excitement at one time. It's also encouragement to continue working on my Chinese, as that's one of the 37 presentations being produced in London.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/09/27/world/europe/uk-shakespeare/index.html# If you happen to be in the area during these performances, GO! It's going to be a mindblowing international cultural, artistic, and linguistical experience. -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
Last week, my dad was in DC for business. He happened to have a taxi driver who was from the Gambia, Senegal's little neighbor and just 20 minutes from where I lived while in the Peace Corps. Wanting to make casual conversation my father mentions, "my son was in the Peace Corps in Senegal and speaks Wolof."
Taxi Driver responds "That's the language I speak and I saw your son on TV!" Back in March 2011, I was a featured volunteer on a documentary about PCVs in Senegal. Well, this video spread to every part of the globe where Senegalese and Gambians live. DC was one of those places. My dad's coworker told the taxi driver "Congratulations, you just met the father of a famous PCV." I'm not sure who was more excited about this encounter, my dad or the taxi man. Personally, I'm sad I missed out on this moment. I miss speaking a language I can hold a decent conversation in - and funny enough, Wolof is one of them. Taximan, if you happen to stumble upon my blog (which is certainly a random possibility), Jamm ak jamm. -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China 
So you know those cool mountains that float amongst the clouds in the movie Avatar? Well, I went there.
It was an intense 15 hour train ride there, but worth every miserable moment to visit one of the most amazing and beautiful national parks on earth. Seriously, it was that amazing. The thin and cold mountain air with a light mix of rain also reminded me of home. Unfortunately, I did not see any blue aliens or dragons around the area, but I did almost get into a nasty thrown-down with some Chinese tourists who behaved and sounded very similar to a pack of six legged wild dogs. Check out all the pictures on picasa: www.picasaweb.google.com/TheByronYee -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
First of all, Happy National Day! In honor and celebration of when this amazing country formed the People's Republic of China. The government also decided to declare a national week long holiday to encourage travel, tourism, shopping, and a boost to their own economy. And when 3 billion people in one country have a vacation, it's certainly a showdown...
My buddies and I took advantage of the day off to eat food and drink local beer. So, it wasn't anything different, unusual, or epic at all. But it was all in the name of national day. I guess I can drink to that. -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
When in a foreign country with limited to no language skills, bad things are bad to happen. And sometimes they happen all at once...
In my case, I missed my first day of chinese class because: - My ride dropped me off at the wrong location - I couldn't find the nearest subway station to get to the actual location - I ran out of phone credit and couldn't call my driver - Phone battery was dying - Still can't speak Chinese, so calling my driver wouldn't (and didn't) help - The China Mobile store did not cell phone credit for its own service... But obviously I survived and tried to make this an optimistic experience. The good things? - My Chinese vocab has dramatically increased with terms such as subway, phone credit, and basic directions - I know where the correct place is, so this won't ever happen again When abroad in an awful experience you hear the phrase "I've learned so much today." Well, I learned a helluva lot and glad my daily education is a little less intense than that... -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
Happy mid Autumn day!
This is a day meant to celebrate a beautiful full moon, and a successful harvest. There are a handful of legends and myths behind this holiday, but the gist is to have a relaxing dinner with family, stare at the moon, and eat moon cakes. My fridge currently still has 14 of those (down from about 17). So, I have enough moon cakes to last until next year's festival, or have to find a way to subtly pass these onto friends and neighbors. My next door neighbors have kindly adopted me into many of their family gatherings and such, so I was able to celebrate Mid Autumn and learn even more about my fascinating culture and history. -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
Last weekend was China's national Teacher Day.
Although I'd only been an official teacher for about 1.5 weeks at that point, all 300+ staff at our school were invited to an extravagant banquet dinner at a nearby hotel. My colleagues informed me that other teachers would be performing, so naturally I agreed to do a little somethin. Those performances consisted of blaring karaoke music and even louder singing. It was epic. Then I got up with a guitar and performed a live version of "We Are the World" by Michael Jackson. Of course they loved it (I actually really hate that song). That morning in school, I was showered with flowers and cards from my students - all of whom were teenage girls who are apparently in love with me. *Sigh* Being a working man is tough ;) -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
Being a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) has its perks. The biggest of which is that my current experience is a vacation compared to what I just went through.
But sometimes it also means an occasional claim to fame. My country director just sent me this link: http://www.peacecorps.gov/ Click on picture number 2 and you can find me! Proud as ever to have served as a volunteer for the US government. -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
Every Monday morning, the entire staff and student body (3000+) dress up in their Monday best and attend a flag raising ceremony. This past Monday was extra special as it was the first Monday of the school year. So in front of the entire school, all the new teachers were introduced, then they announced a speech was to be made by the new foreign teacher - me.
Luckily I knew about this beforehand (many times I don't know what to expect when I'm called to go somewhere). More fortunately, I was allowed to make my speech in English. Pictures coming soon, but I should warn you, it's much more difficult spotting me out in a school in China vs. a school in Senegal... -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
Did you know that "3 times bigger than" and "3 times as big as" are NOT the same?!
After much debate (in both English and Chinese) and several browsed websites, I confirmed this to be true. Americans general use them interchangeably, but of course Chinese are a little more mathematically wary than others... Never have I thought more about the English language than since I started teaching 2 weeks ago... -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
It is tradition for a foreign teacher to offer gifts to the headmaster and other important teaching partners when starting the school year.
Before leaving the states, I found some nice, small, and simple souvenirs with pictures and images of Seattle, my hometown. I thought that this would be a pretty and appropriate gift because of the authenticity and beauty of the city. Local goods make great gifts. However, right before giving these gifts, I looked to make sure there were no price tags. Good thing I checked. I didn't find any price tags, but rather I found stickers that said 3 little words you've seen many times "Made In China." Well, it's the thought that counts, right? -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
My friend pointed out a scary looking truck to me and asked "how do you call this in English?"
It was a street cleaner. However, they are a little different than the ones I'm used in the US. Two things: 1. There is a very violent jet stream of water shooting out of a hose, which gets the street very clean, but ironically makes all the cars next to the truck very filthy. 2. They play music! In this case "It's a Small World," which makes the thought of nasty street goo on your car a much more pleasant experience. -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China 
I went to a very cheap and tasty restaurant with some buddies. We were lucky enough to be presented with the English menu, which had a few confusing mistakes (but direct translations from Chinese). Our dinner consisted of:
"Small foul child" with a side of "acid cowpea mince river powder," then followed by "three little gorgeous face." Like I said, it was delicious, but strange. Funny enough, that first dish did weirdly have a foul odor to it. But I've never eaten child, so not sure how the texture compared... -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
One of my teaching colleagues was trying to tell me that it was lunch time. So he used the universal sign for eating. Well, sort of...
In the US, people used two rounded hands to symbolize eating, as if consuming a hamburger. In Senegal, people signal eating by stuffing their fingers in their mouth (we eat with our hands there). So naturally, many Chinese people sign eating by mimicking the use of chopsticks over a bowl of rice. Is this sign language "universal?" Clearly there are still gaps in pantomime and signs. Just goes to show that even when communication is inherently clear, things can still get "lost in translation." -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
Last Friday, I was informed that I should attend a meeting for new teachers to the school. Okay, no sweat...
NOT quite true. All 26 of us had to introduce ourselves, which isn't a big deal - unless you DON'T speak Chinese. That was probably the poorest public speaking performance ever. But people know that I'm the foreign teacher, so they were all rather patient and understanding. Then the headmaster said "now we're going out to dinner!" Now, a dinner banquet party in China is exactly that - a giant feast and party. I've been raving about the good Chinese food, but I spoke too soon. Actually, I didn't eat a whole lot as we were all busy giving and receiving toasts in the name of anything to sip more hard Chinese liquor. I lost count after 3 shots. I lost the ability to count after 5. But I somehow managed to hold my own; it helped that 22 of the 26 new teachers were skinny girls. That night was by far the most fun I've had in this country. So here's to a fun new community and a great cultural integration. BTW, that whole "Asian glow" thing is totally real (luckily not for me). If you don't know what I'm referring to, buy an Asian friend a beer and time how many minutes it takes before they are beet red. -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
How many Chinese does it take to install internet, TV, and a phone line?
The correct answer is 5: 2 technicians from China Telecom, 1 school network specialist, 1 who doesn't speak a word of Chinese, and 1 bilingual translator. The good news is that all of these things are currently running smoothly and problem free in my super sweet apartment. I even discovered WWE on demand this afternoon! Life is so good right now... -- Byron Yee TEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
What better way than to get to know your new staff members and score some cultural integration points than going out for Chinese foot massages!
I was too overwhelmed and excited to relax, but it was still a very enjoyable experience. It involved a lot more slapping and punching and was overall more violent than past massages I've had. The static TV, leaky A/C, sleeping attendants, and general shady atmosphere of the place just added value to the experience. Would I do it again? Um, eventually my answer will be...absolutely. -- Byron YeeTEFL English Teacher - Shenzhen, China
So, I've determined that 2 weeks at home after being gone for 2 years and about to be gone for another extended period of time is NOT enough. Oops!
Regardless, my bags are repacked and tomorrow I am bound for China. A very special thanks to everyone who treated me to the hundreds of cups of coffee, the fantastic conversations, and the amazingly delicious food. I love you all very much. And I love America more than ever before... The next time you'll hear from me, I'll be once again a bit lost, confused, dysfunctional, but very excited and living life to the fullest. And at this point, hey, what's another foreign language and foreign culture?? Peace and love. --Byron YeePeace Corps Volunteer - Senegal, 2009 
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