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Teach in Yangshuo, Guilin, China -- Sara Seggie
To
all those pondering over the brilliant idea of teaching
in China,
Where
do I begin? This year of teaching in Yangshuo, China
has been one of the most mind opening, culturally educational,
mellowing, strengthening experiences of my life. China
has been a whirl wind of unusual opportunities, trips
here and there, delicious food, drastically improving
students, lazy days atop one karst hill or another,
adrenalin pumped rock climbing, kayaking or bike trips,
lampshade hats, swimming with water buffalo, smiling
wrinkly old people, my expanding ability to speak Mandarin
and the discovering of truths from within my own soul.
Of course there have been difficult times as well, feeling
lost, helpless and alone in huge cities just trying
to find my way home from Hong Kong, or feeling tricked
or unfairly treated (unlike how we are taught in the
west, life is not always fair). Any problem was always
short lived though and usually solved in my favor.
Jennifer
and Owen, my school director and boss have always been
at my side. They have always given me the better end
of the stick, the classes I preferred, the choice to
go on a promotional trip to a new school or not, the
choice to axe text books and buy all new ones, they
even lent me a CD player for my room when I said I was
thinking of buying one. They have filled my life with
brilliant experiences and opportunities; dining with
government officials, being an national TV as a center
piece in the HUGE New Years celebrations in Guilin,
opening a running race, again being in the newspaper,
experiencing and seeing rougher parts of China as well
as sun tanning and crystal-blue clear water splashing
in China's southern Island of Hainan on a paid holiday.
I
find the Chinese people to be ceaselessly generous people
who speak openly from the bottom of their hearts. Their
innocent curiosity and drive to learn leaves me helpless
against not getting emotionally involved with them.
The pride that swells inside of me at the end of some
of my classes occasionally explodes as my class and
I break into cheers, claps and a huge sense of achievement,
singing "thank-you" to each other and ourselves.
Life
can be routine, typical and narrow if you so choose
or it can be the greatest gift ever given to you. A
gift of lessons, adventures, love and silliness. I support
the latter.
All
the good vibes and encouragement you are open to receive.
Sara
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