The last few days of Winter vacation could not have gone quick enough. The break was much needed, however the buzz and excitement to get back to teaching was overwhelming. The thought of seeing my students, fellow colleagues and new staff members was such a thrill.

The Welcome Back meeting, an occasion whereby all the staff members gather, was an awesome get-together that re-kindled friendships, ignited new ones and all-in-all was a successful day. I could see that others too were eager and charged up to get back into the swing of things and get their respective classes underway.

For the next couple of days, preparation for classes were taking place. Whether you were doing promotional work, which consisted of promoting Aihua English centers to schools around Beijing, or just general class prep, it was a busy time at Aihua. Work ethics were high and enthusiasm levels were through the roof. Once the preparation for classes came to an end, classes commenced. Let the teaching begin!

It was obvious that students were ecstatic to be back as their running footsteps echoed through the corridors as they hurriedly rushed into class. Lively as ever, both teachers and students got their classes underway. Students were really cheerful and upbeat about being back in the classroom where they can safely learn in a fun and entertaining environment. The first week flew by and everything was running like clock-work again.

The start of another successful term at Aihua has commenced, and back to teaching has never felt so great!

This year marks the fourth Christmas I’ve spent away from home, and my first in Beijing. I wasn’t expecting any kind of festive experience, so imagine my happy surprise when walking around in Wangfujing and Xidan, shops blaring Jingle Bells and Rudolph, some interesting Christmas trees all around, and a few really beautiful window displays.

A hearty Christmas meal with friends was also on the cards – complete with turkey, gammon, lamb chops, and roast potatoes.

Another highlight for me was the Secret Santa at our centers, where foreign and Chinese staff exchanged gifts and celebrated this Western holiday together.

This was the first time that Christmas away from home actually felt like Christmas. China is full of surprises, and experiencing Christmas here as I would have back home (at least, in part), has been the perfect end to a great year.

Coming from a small town, moving to Beijing and being able to get around seemed very daunting to me. Luckily it wasn’t bad at all! Here are the 5 reasons why it’s great.

1. Ability to get anywhere. As you can see in the picture below there is a lot to see in Beijing but everything is spread out. Luckily the subway station can get you just about anywhere in Beijing and even on the outskirts of the city which is amazing.

2. Bussing around. Luckily we live not too far away from a bus stop which can get you to and from work. The buses come about every 8-15 minutes depending on what time it is. You can always hop on the bus to local markets or to the subway as well which is great.

3. Maps. So how will you know how to get to places, well just like you do at home most likely, type it into your app whether its apple maps or another type. This is what I do all the time! When I wanted to go to the Summer Palace, I typed it in and it let me know what bus to go on and what subway stops I needed to get onto and off at. Truly as simple as that.

4. Costs. If you’re like me then you are probably wondering what all this will cost you and let me tell you it’s not going to cost you much at all! It’s extremely cheap to go anywhere using the public transport. Whether its down the block or on the other side of the city. To get to work it cost 2 yuan for me, if I want to get to the city center 6 yuan. Which equates to less than 1 us dollar, amazing!

5. Getting lost. Now if you are anything like me you will most likely get lost. I’ve found that sometimes I forget to get off at the right spot but luckily you just get off the subway or bus cross over to the other side hop on to opposite direction and go back to your destination. You also have the other option to just explore a new part of the city that you hadn’t planned on visiting.

It can be scary moving to a new city where you don’t know the language but just know that luckily signs are still in English characters so you got that on your side. It’ll take time to familiarize yourself with it all but luckily the transportation system is easy to adapt to.

Hope you have a great adventure and always be kind to one another.

Or How I Learned to Love China and Truly Be a Lazy American.

When you first get to Beijing, one of the field trips you go on is to set up your bank account. Right around that time, you will also be required to get yourself the WeChat app on your smartphone. At the time I didn’t realize how this would be game changing. WeChat comes with WeChat Wallet. WeChat Wallet is like something out of a sci-fi novel. It basically IS your bank. Let me explain.

You link your Wallet to your bank card. You can get money into your Wallet in two ways. The first way, is just to have it deduct your spending straight from your bank account like digitally swiping your bank card. Alternately, you can preload the Wallet with funds from your account and spend from this pool instead. This is great if you need to stick to a budget. Throw a few thousand RMB into your Wallet for the month and you can always see the balance. Can I go on a boozy weekend pub-crawl? Let me check my Wallet.

Now, if you are from the States like me, you might think ‘Yeah, seen that before in other payment apps…so?’ WeChat Wallet’s true functionality comes from the way it is linked into a huge variety of 3rd party apps. Let me start with the ones I have used personally. I top up my mobile every month through the Wallet. I never have to go to a cellular provider or give one my bank account info. “Tap tap tap” and paid. Need a ride home after the buses stop running? Call a Didi (Similar to Uber). “Tap tap tap” and done. Don’t want to spring for a taxi? Bike sharing is huge here. “Tap tap tap”. Want to get dinner but not put on pants? “Tap tap tap” and the food is on its way.

Seriously, using the Wallet along with all the affiliated apps you could never leave your apartment. If you do desire to treat your skin to some life giving sunlight the Wallet can help you there too. Need movie tickets? Plane tickets? A hotel in Shanghai? The Wallet is like that friend who always “knows a guy” that can help. If I was forced to give one singular best thing about WeChat Wallet is that I have yet to find a place that doesn’t take it. I have heard that there are some but I have even seen street vendors with the little scan code signs on their carts. My roommate hired a housekeeper to come clean our place and he just transferred money to her Wallet from his when he paid her. It really is that simple.

So, come to Beijing, get your bank card, put it in your physical wallet and never look at it again. Just make sure to keep your phone charged. No one likes the guy that says ‘Can I just send your money later, my phone’s dead?’

Take a closer look at the school’s living arrangement in this video! The video introduces the arrival procedure as well as the apartment arrangement for the school’s foreign teachers.

The first time I stepped into the center at Zhongguancun, the first face I saw was that of Lydia. Having just been remodeled, our center was a whirlwind of construction dust and stacks of books and computers and furniture which needed to be dusted and moved back into the offices and classrooms. Lydia, all 121cm of her, seemed to be in charge of the process. Her bright, beaming smile greeted me that day and she then proceeded to blow my mind with her strength and determination and laughter as we attacked the job of putting the center back together for the new term, my first. Lydia works the front desk at Zhongguancun and that bright, beaming smile greets me every day. She speaks about as much English as I spoke Chinese when I arrived those months ago. We communicate with smiles and laughter and an occasional nod.

Working with our staff of Chinese teachers and administrators is as rewarding for me as the work with my students. The Chinese teachers speak English well, and the team approach we truly have at Zhongguancun has made an incredible difference for this new foreign teacher. I don’t have to pretend to be interested in my Chinese colleagues, and I don’t have to force myself to be kind. I enjoy their company and enjoy working with them. No matter how long I stay in China or where my life takes me after Aihua, I will never forget the experience of working with the team of people we have at Zhongguancun.

Moving to Beijing was quite the change of scenery for me. Previously, everywhere I had lived were small communities so the transition from small town to one the world’s biggest cities was a big change. After arriving and getting situated by the amazing Aihua team, it was time to venture out into the vastness that is Beijing. At first, I was hesitant to go out on my own as I potential of getting lost seemed quite high and I only spoke a few basic words in Chinese. The curiosity of living in a completely new city, country and culture took over quickly and I was out exploring.

I have lived in Beijing for four months now and this city is quite spectacular. There really is everything you could imagine here – from amazing public sporting facilities to some of the best food I have ever eaten. Beijing’s public transportation is also very easy and convenient to access which made the initial transition period to life in the city quite comfortable. One of my biggest concerns about moving to Beijing also turned out to not to be quite true. I thought that the vast majority of Beijing’s public areas were going to be full of people and I would have to walk amongst massive crowds of people – not true. Only once in my time here so far have I been in a huge crowd and that was at Tiananmen Square on a National holiday. For the most part, walking down most streets is no different than being back home, other than getting looked at for being a foreigner.

The most pleasant surprise and my favorite thing about Beijing is the people. The local people here are such kind-hearted people and have gone to great lengths to help me even though there is a huge language barrier. For example, I was biking to work a few months ago and my wallet fell out of my pocket without me knowing it. People on scooters and other bikes were yelling at me for a minute until I pulled over to try and figure out what was going on. Turned out, a lady behind me say my wallet fall out, stopped and picked it up and chased me down to give it back! That is what the majority of my experiences with the locals of Beijing have been like and that is why the people are my favorite part about this city.

When preparing to leave for China, thoughts about the teaching environment were constantly racing through my mind: “What if, I won’t be able to teach Chinese children?”; “What if the students are out of control?”; “What if, the class sizes are as profuse as the population in China?”; “What if…”

After arriving in Beijing, I was comforted when I was greeted by the teachers who would be assisting me. These are native Chinese teachers, ones that could communicate in Chinese as well as English. With their experience and translation skills, it’s made managing the classroom easier than I thought. Yes, it does help that the class sizes are much smaller than I originally thought. (My largest class size has ten children and my smallest has only four.) Still, to have someone in my class that can directly relate to the learners is by far the most useful tool I have, working at Aihua.

These Chinese Teachers are more than just helpers: they communicate to parents, regulate the classroom, and assist me when I don’t know what to do. They are such an integral part of Aihua, and yet they are sociable. The work environment is so pleasant with them around. Even if I have a question that is outside of work, they are quick to help me in anyway possible.

I owe a lot to the Chinese Teachers at Aihua, and I try my best to keep in close contact with them outside of work. Aihua is more than just a company, it’s a community of teachers that care about one another.

Beijing is a beautiful city full of delicious local food secrets. In Shijingshan where I live there are a lot of small local cuisine restaurants walking distance away. Kung Pao chicken is one of my favourite dishes full of chicken, onion and a little bit of chillies to spice things up. Beijing is also very famous for their Peking Duck (I must admit I have not tried it myself, but I have heard that it is beyond exquisite). The best food is sold in small local restaurants and you can find them around every corner.

When I got to Beijing I tried to stay away from actual Chinese dishes. I proceeded to find places with western food. Yes, the western food is great here too, but I must admit now being here for a few months my view has changed. Why have western food when you can have Chinese cuisine?

It is easy to get ingredients here for cooking. Yes, it might be a little different to back home but, in the end, it is still easy. My housemate and I make a lot of curries and soups. She is vegetarian. In the beginning, it was quite a struggle for her to find vegetarian dishes but as time passed, we have realized that it is not that difficult to find vegetarian options and cook them too. There are fresh market shops all over Beijing with the best produce.

Please see attached photos of some of the best dishes I have had.

Rongjingcheng is a take away from the rest of Beijing, so close to the main attractions of the Summer Palace and Tiananmen Square, but minus all the costs from staying near the inner city!

Everything that you may miss from home is right here, 10 minute bike ride away is the local mall Wanda Plaza with Carrefour, a French supermarket stocked full with a foreign section of goodies, Pizza Hut, Dominos, KFC, McDonald’s and a huge array of clothing stores in case you think the Chinese clothes sizes are too small for you.

For the local options, right underneath the apartment complexes that you will be staying in, there is a whole row of Chinese cuisine to try out. From vegan Mongolian dishes to a BBQ restaurant I would recommend trying them all out and finding your favourite. If you want to try you hand in cooking there is also a local supermarket 2 minutes away that is full of fresh meat, fruit and veggies that you can make into a local masterpiece.

For entertainment we are surrounded by some local gems only a maximum 10-minute taxi ride away from where you would live. One is the Bajiao Amusement Park, the name of the subway stop you would take to go into the city. It is a must see if you want to have a laugh at some of the Disney copy paste rides and scenes. The garden expo is a short bus ride away with its very own temple with commanding views of the area around us if you’re a natural born photographer. Lugu or Marco Polo bridge is not to far away either, I would recommend entering on the western side to walk over and enter the old fort on the eastern side.

A lot to see and do on this side of Beijing and if your willing to go out for a walk or a cycle you too can find your own gems of Beijing hidden on the western side of this amazing city!