Students Name: William Ward
Nationality: UK
Time in Global Exchange Center: 5 weeks from Oct. 10, 2011
William has been in our program three times before since 2007.
Tell us a little about your background before coming to China?
Before I came to China I was working for a cereal crop breeding company in Cambridge. This work suited me as there was a variety to the work. I could work out side in the fields in summer collecting samples and weeding out any rogue crops. In the Autumn and through winter I could operate seed cleaning and treating machines, order pick and load wagons with a forklift truck. After several years I decided I needed to expand my horizons a little. I took the CELTA certificate to teach English as a Foreign language and I decided to come to China.
Tell us more about your teaching experience in China? did you enjoy it and why?
I have taught English for 4 years in total. I have taught a year in 4 seperate and very different cities in China. I first worked in Daqing in Heilong Jiang province. Although the weather was challenging, I enjoyed my time there, I was able to visit the Harbin ice and snow city in Feburary. The fact that there were few foreigners in this city meant that I had lots of opportunities to speak Chinese.
Next I worked for two years in Zhejiang province in Wenzhou and Hangzhou. Wenzhou is well known for its industry and Hangzhou is a tourist city famous for the West Lake. In my free time I enjoyed walking the paths through the hills that surround West Lake. Finally I lived for a year in Yantai in Shandong province. Yantai is a pleasant sea-side resort with several sand beaches, a hot summer and a coldish winter. The provice in famous throughout China for it's vinyards and for producing large apples. Changyu wine company has it's headquarters in Yantai. The sea food is good too.
How do you compare Yantai with Beijing?
As I have lived most of my life in small cities I must admit I prefer the slower pace of life in Yantai to Beijing. Beijing is busier with alot of traffic. It is also the cultural and political center of China. Beijing has many interesting things to see such as the Summer Palace. There is also a wide variety of restaurants to eat in. On Dongzhemen street you can see many restaruants, and the street is full of red lanterns. It is really a good experience to eat down there. You can also visit an antique markets such as the one on Zou An Lu Road. If you want to buy something you must be good at bargaining though.
As you have been in China in relatively a long time, could you make some culturally compares between Chinese and people in your country?
Chinese people are friendly and honest. They will be interested in your life and will always ask which country you come from. Family is very important to Chinese people and they will want to know about your and brothers and sisters. Also about your wife and children if you have any. Chinese eat socially and take food from the same dish when eating. They rarely eat alone, and often in large grops at a round table.English people tend to eat in pairs often with their wives or girlfriends. They order their food seperately not communallly. English people are usually a little more reserved and when making conversation will ask less personal questions discussing the weather or other general topics with a stranger. A Chinese will often ask how many children you have if you live in a big house how much your watch cost etc.
So in summary although I am English I have found it easy to adapt to Chinese culture and way of life and hope to come back to work in China in the Future.
