TravelBio

The last weekend of November I agreed to be a debate judge at an American style public forum debate. Debating is the rage here in China, particularly among the students who want to study at American universities. Most students who participate go to international divisions of their high schools, and take a portion of their high school curriculum in English. The kids know that extra-curriculars can affect their admissions chances, and it’s all about getting into top colleges. Group of high school debaters; our school has a debate club with about 20 participants. It’s kinda funny how extra-curricular activities work here. At the school where I teach the students basically have to do an extra activity that they will list on their applications. The activity groups meet once a week during school hours, and debate is one of the choices students can pursue. The school also organizes a field trip / academic project to a neighboring province once a year. It’s mandatory, but students ...

I've been working here in Hangzhou, China, for a few months now. Hangzhou is a major city and capital of Zhejiang province, about an hour from Shanghai via high speed rail. Here's a bit more on my neck of the woods: Although the job itself is a step up from my kindergarten ESL days in Seoul, the location is a step down.  The city of Hangzhou has its bright spots, and I might actually enjoy them more if I were living near downtown.  As it is I’m about an hour north of the city center, in an area called Sandun. Ten years ago Sandun was simply countryside.  It isn’t in the sticks now – Hangzhou has grown rapidly – but it isn’t exactly the place to be either.  Sandun is northwest of downtown, and basically due north of the West Lake park area (a huge nature reserve west of the city).  Before urban sprawl reached Sandun, a small eponymous town was here, with a few apartment blocks, small shops, and a market.  Remnants of the old Sandun remain, and withi...

Not to jinx it, but as of now I like the job here in Hangzhou.  It’s not something I’d seriously consider making a career, but for one school year, it beats my old job in Seoul.  I generally prefer high school kids, and the whole college counseling thing is a new direction and a nice change-up. My office on the 5th floor, which I share with three Chinese counselors Day to day and month to month my schedule varies; late October was a busy time with the November 1 st Early Application (EA) and Early Decision (ED) deadlines looming, but things have quieted down here in November.  On the counseling side of things my job is primarily to assist students in writing their personal statements and college application essays.  I’ve also been advising several students on where to apply and which majors to consider, but the majority of my time is spent on essays. And those essays sure need work.  Our high school is considered an international division of a C...