I feel a little odd that I’m writing this post since it’s such an odd number. Why is it 3.25 and not a more rounded number? Well, that has mainly to do with the fact that for much of 2017 I was actually in Canada and only returned to China in October/November of that same year. And since I’ve been back for roughly 9 months… 30 months + 9 months = 39 months/12 = 3.25. It’s an approximation and doesn’t take into account the months I was out of the country for vacation, but it gives a general frame to my time here.
Anyway, I recently put together an index of sorts of all of the posts I’ve written about China to date. You can find that at www.stevensirski.com/china. I’ve asterisked a few of the entries (okay, more than a few) and given them descriptions because I think they are a bit more informative posts while the other posts would be more ephemeral blog posts… meaning they’re kinda relevant for the day but maybe not so much after.
I am a little bit surprised that I have written so many but, at the same time, a touch disappointed that I haven’t written more. After all, after 3.25 years you’d think that I’d have explored much of the country so far and be able to give you some sort of unique insight into the country, its people, its language and whatever else you might need or want to know. And yet, it hardly seems that way.
I have done two or three rather lengthy journeys through the country, one from Beijing to Kashgar, another from Dalian and Harbin in the north to Hong Kong, and then I also went along the Trans-Siberian Railway via Mongolia. Oh, and my new job does require me to do quite a bit of travelling but mainly for business which means I literally get to see a lot of airports and train stations, hotels and the buildings we work in. I’m hoping that will change and I’ll take some time to go a little further outside of the regular stops.
You might recall that I wrote that I’d only stay for a few years. And that is typically what you’ll hear from most expats. Originally it was going to be for 2-3 years and then I later revised that to be for 3-5 years. And here I am at 3.25 years.
So why have I stayed so long?
Money, though I should be a little more tactful and say “jobs” instead. The reason for this is that my chosen field of ESL is a good industry outside of my home country, but not so good inside my home country. The one bit of success I have had this year was recouping all of the money I would’ve made had I stayed in my old job. You see, my old job stopped being viable and then a new opportunity opened up, a much more lucrative opportunity, and so I took it. And within eight months I was able to make what a university English teacher makes in a year. Nice.
Another reason is because I really got tired of jumping around (China was Country #24 for me) and was more than content to “settle down” for a while, ie, to actually unpack my bags. I was a bit disappointed to have 2017 happen the way it did but, all things considered, I don’t think it could’ve happened any other way.
So what are some of the things I’ve learned thus far?
First, the Chinese language is probably one of the most difficult I’ve ever tried to learn. It’s not impossible but it does take some concentrated effort to learn the language and then use it flexibly.
Second, China has done some remarkable things (like build a massive high-speed rail system) that other, more developed countries struggle to even green light for production proposals. It’s almost embarrassing to think about!
Third, the country’s strengths lie in its products and has yet to really work on its services component. You’ll notice a difference when you go to a shop that the staff will be very friendly until they realize you won’t buy anything (or you have actually bought something) and then all of a sudden they don’t speak English and it’s back to their phone they go.
Fourth, a lot of the young people talk about their dreams and what they want to do, despite many of them never having any work experience to speak of. Granted, ask any student what their job is and they’ll respond “Haha, I’m a student.” You see, in China, being a student is a job itself, especially until they’ve passed the GaoKao (university entrance exam).
Fifth, I’ve put on and also gained weight while in China. Why is this significant? Because China is the first country where I actually put some effort into going to the gym and I put on about 8-10 kgs (about 20 pounds). To put this in perspective, however, I can bench my body weight, squat just a bit more than 100kg, and topped out my deadlift at 170kgs. My battle now is my waistline which seems to creep forward a little more each year. To help counter this, I have installed a pedometer on my phone that tracks how many steps I take in a day and so that has motivated me a little.
Other than that, as I’ve discussed in a recent post, “Chinese Changes”, I’ve been talking to a few people and noted some of the differences they have seen occur in Beijing over the years but I can’t say my time has shown me any really big changes. There are, however, two things I have noticed:
- China is the only country I’ve been to that other people I know have subsequently come over and worked, if only for a short time. Two were musicians and one was my uncle as a part of a business trip. (This goes together with what I wrote above about there being jobs here in China.)
- Pubs that have done well are closing and people (expats) are beginning to leave. I should counter this by saying that the people who are leaving have usually been here for a while and are leaving the country, not just leaving Beijing. It really seems that Beijing is the final destination before one leaves for life in another country, or home, whichever beckons.
- The news is always happy. And now my former students’ essays make sense with their suggestions for what the government should do and how people should live moral and upright lives. Well, it’s all in the news. I encourage you to read through some of the China Daily and see what you think of the reportage.
On that note, the students whom I taught in my first year are graduating. Some of them went to the USA to complete their degrees while others remained in China. Although I have many listed as WeChat contacts, I think, out of the 126 students I taught in my first year I keep in touch with maybe one or two total. (The number is about the same for former colleagues!) Anyway, I guess it’s nothing to be shocked about and is probably something everything teacher has experienced.
Finally, now that I’ve recouped my potential earnings from last year, I’m now focused on building up more of a savings while also working on a few other projects that I’ve put off to the side for a while. The job I have, though fun, will not last forever and so I do have to make the best of my time here. That’s the one downside of being an expat is that we do live in a little bubble of sorts and time seems to distort itself all of which means I do need to make a few preparations should things change again. Among them include buffing up this website, publishing some of my older travel vids and pics, and working on some other creative projects.
That’s it for now. Should I toast to another 3.25 years (at least)?
If you have any questions or comments, you can send me an email at stevensirski [at] gmail [dot] com or tweet me @stevensirski!