Greetings Brothers,
Well Shaun you know my story so here is a brief undate. In 5 days I will have been here a full month. So far everything is going at least as well as I had hoped.
I have the love of my life at my side, our apartment is certainly big enough and is paid for by the school. I have discovered that I have some skill as a teacher and that I am enjoying it. Several students have told me that I am a good teacher and that my voice is easy to listen to with no accent. My boss has also told me I am good and the students tell her I am popular. Also my job pays a bit better than the average i saw before I arrived.
So all in all I have managed to make the leap of faith and not only land on my feet but came up smelling like roses and running full speed ahead. ( hows that for piling a bunch of metaphors into one huh?)
I find the people to be friendly and helpfull and the students have a genuine thirst for almost any knowlede you can share with them. They love to learn. Now what more can a teacher ask for?
Anyway the point is I am having the time of my life and have no regrets at all about moving here. Every issue I have encountered either Zhen has come up with the fix or we have worked it out together. So all in all life is good for me in China.
So if you have half a mind to come to china thats all you need. That and a plane ticket of course. If you can swing the finances its not only a great way to cement things with your lady but you most certainly will learn a new appreciation for china and its people that all the posts on every forum on the net can never give you. To see is to believe.
I honestly think if people saw the way the chinese live and work ,the conditions, the food, the utilities, the apartments, and yet at the same time the happiness the friendliness and the great work ethic they have you would truly question many things about life at home. These people aas a rule find happiness in almost every situation and even the lowest paid worker gives tehir all everyday at work. Can we from the west truly say the same?
So to close Shaun if you can possibly swing the trip I think it could well be one of the best decisions you will ever make, at least until you propose to that lady of yours.
Sincerely,
Zhen and Brian
PS as for the language, the more I am around Zhen the more language I pick up. Also Zhen will often speak to me in chinese and although I do not know the words I understand what she means/wants. My vocabulary is growing just by association. Also keep in mind my actual chinese is very limited as is Zhens english yet we live together and rarely resort to the translator.