Daily Life

TEFL teacher Harry in Changzhou

My experience teaching English at First Leap Changzhou

Before China I was 20 when I decided to teach English abroad. I wanted to see the world, save some money, and do something fresh and exciting, hopefully in a continent I had never visited. I assumed for three years that I would go to Japan, being the first country I learned you could teach English in, but upon learning of Japan’s expensiveness and China’s cheapness, let alone the salary, cost of living, and potential savings of China, I decided to switch countries, and I wound up living in the Jiangsu province, famously containing Nanjing and Shanghai, in the small…

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Qingdao – Where Europe meets China

Beer in plastic bags, KFC with draft beer and Medieval German churches. Where do I start?! The city of Qingdao is part of historic Shandong province where Confucius gained his claim to fame and it is also a place where you can enjoy a beach in the northern part of China. The city has a high speed station and a normal one allowing access to and from many areas of China and enjoys a pleasant climate of cool winters and warm yet not too hot summers. One of the main sites in this post-colonial town is an immaculately preserved European…

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Feeling a bit poorly in China? – What to do if you are unwell and what medicines to take.

‘I feel weak’ ‘I am soo drained’ ‘I have a dodgy stomach’ ‘I think I ate something bad’ ‘I need the day off’ ‘Which one do I buy?’  These are the many thoughts and feelings many other foreigners have had including myself whilst living in a foreign country (way before the new coronavirus pandemic) and it is not always straight forward to find an easy way of knowing what medicine you need for whatever illness you have! In a place as huge and unknown as China we foreigners are immersed into a fascinating culture and uniquely enjoyable lifestyle we have…

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Primary school students

Teaching Primary School in Shenzhen with CIPTC, Guangdong

Choosing to move abroad to live and work as an expat in a foreign country is one of the most exciting (and terrifying) decisions you can make! It will definitely change your life, and is not a decision that should be made lightly. To help you make up your mind as to whether this is the right decision for you, I’m here to tell you about my experience with living in China, in both my daily life and work. Shenzhen City and Accommodation. In the summer of 2018 I completed an intensive 1 month CELTA qualification. As my course drew…

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