I like to think I am a positive person, but in this case I have to share a negative experience and give warning to other foreign teachers about a school in Beijing.Beijing Bacui Bilingual School hired me in 2011 upon my return to Beijing. While the job started out okay, it quickly unraveled into a very bad experience. And it all really boils down to the poor administration, Vice Principal and Principal.On average, anywhere from 5-7 teachers have left in the middle of the school year in an effort to escape. Last year was 7...gone...what some of use foreigners call "runners". The fact I have two small children has made it a little bit more difficult for me to move on, but I eventually found my dream job and will be starting in August. Therefore I feel free and compelled to write this now.Among the bad experiences I have witnessed during my six years at Bacui Bilingual School are: lack of organization by the Vice Principal, tedious tasks such as the VP forcing me to correct her son's writing while he is in university in Australia, the claim that the she (VP) went to Cambridge University in England (she consistently speaks/writes in Chinglish), the fact the Principal at a 'bilingual' school doesn't speak English, oversized classes above the number stated in the contract, recruiting students with only minimal English skills in university preparation courses, the misfortune of having a foreign teacher commit suicide last year after the VP would not let him return home after being homesick, hiring a teacher the VP eventually found out to be a drug dealer and not firing him (even re-hiring him!), the VP calling my newborn baby 'disabled' after I took time off because he was born with a minor birth defect, keeping salary from teachers who will not re-sign automatically, not cancelling foreign expert certificates for teachers wishing to move on to another school (in my case...currently waiting on this!), paying first year teachers more than 5th-6tth year teachers (also my case). It's not even run as a school really, just a business/training center that is corrupt on so many levels. It was founded by the Red Cross, but the Red Cross pulled out their funding after they found out one of the administrators was embezzling money. He left quietly the next year. And, oh yeah! Salary is only paid in cash as a tax loophole. So many problems with this school. I could go on and on...It wasn't all bad....some of my students were truly great, and I became close with some of the Chinese staff and teachers. But the Vice Principal, Principal and Senior administration were truly egregious. Manipulative monsters. I feel lucky and blessed to finally be free of them. A warning to foreign teachers....beware of BEIJING BACUI BILINGUAL SCHOOL!!!bacui.cn

I recently have come into so much good fortune in my life that I feel the need to share it with the readers in this Forum. To begin, I have recently become a spritirual person and even religious - I attended church on Christmas morning, and visited many temples (Hindu, Buddhist) while traveling around India in February. My luck has to do with employment, and a job offer I accepted this month that I never thought would be available to me. Now, I receive many job offers on a monthly basis, but turn a blind eye to 95% of them. My current job that I am leaving has been okay for me and provided a living for my family and I. I have taught at my current school for six years, but have recently become weary of my shady, perhaps sexist VP who dislikes hiring men, and has been giving new, 1st year teachers contracts that are more lucrative than my current salary and package. I've always worked hard for her, and she's promoted me to Senior English teacher, but she does not appreciate the teachers, esp. men that she hires. She is very proud of herself, and speaks in a mock-British accent with a Changzhou, Jiangsu dialect. She claims to have attended Cambridge University in England, yet cannot write an e-mail without grammar mistakes. After 6 years at this school, I was even planning on my son to attend this fall, and pretty much prepared to work for her indefinitely.Until I received a WeChat message from a recruiter who I'd never met before for a job at a new Harrow-run British school that opened in Beijing two years ago. Now this is the 1% of jobs that would perk my interest, and I told her, "of course I'm interested!" I don't even recall sending my resume in or anything to her. She put me in touch with the VP and former head of Harrow Bangkok, Harrow International and now current VP of my future school. A native of New Zealand and working on his 2nd PhD, I had a very friendly Skype interview with him, and he e-mailed me later to come in for a demo. "Wow!" I thought..."really?" Now the only other demo I've had during my 6 years at my current job was at Tsinghua International High School and it didn't go so well. So this time, I prepared. I prepared and put together a PPT that would impress any educator or student.After arriving at the school and meeting him personally, I gave my demo and pretty much knocked his socks off. He was impressed that I remembered the students' names the first time I met them, and really delivered an outstanding, bilingual English lesson based on global culture and customs.I met with him and their director of studies thereafter and discussed the position. I was extremely positive with them both and just honest about why I would be better qualified than most any other candidate. After I went home and traveled to India for a week, I came back and was told that the VP wanted to Skype again with me.This time I received an offer on the basis of providing references. I told my current VP that I may be accepting an offer and asked for a reference. She refused based on the notion that she cannot give me a reference until my current contract is terminated. I know, beyond infurating. Luckily, the Senior Chinese English teacher at my school provided a reference and I was e-mailed the contract. After reading it over carefully, I signed and accepted the position at one of the most prestigious, Harrow-run International schools in all of China, if not Asia.In addition to a much better salary, and now the chance to teach English AND History (I double-majored in both), my family will receive full medical insurance from a world class provider, more than DOUBLE for accomodation allowance, and free tuition for my children to attend. Free tuition. Unbelievable. This truly is the luckiest thing that's ever happened to me. I start this fall, and will miss some things about my current school, but not my manipulative, pseudo-Cambridge, MBA-business VP who I thought had me trapped here forever! Sweet justice!Life is good friends, and yes, I've become more superstious, spiritual and even religious over the years. Out of 50 applicants, I was one of two who got chosen, and I truly believe that this is fate and someone is watching over me. My life is about to change, and I will finally be living a dream I once never thought attainable.Stay positive and prosper, friends!

Another year gone, another year to reflect! (That what's old people do on their birthdays is what I was told when I was younger. Ha!)As I laid in bed last night thinking about my birthday today, I thought about the past year, and allits highs and lows. And, what my birthday will bring for it now that I am entering my 39th year.Yes, my birthday is today, and I just thought I would like to share what I do on a typical birthday in China:I woke up in our spare bedroom today, and had my wife come in and kiss me good morning to say "Happy Birthday". I then went into our main bedroom to snuggle up with our five-year-old for 20 minutes before I actually had to "get up." My mother-in-law wished me a Happy Birthday as well which was a nice surprise and I kissed her and our littlest 1-year-old and was off on my scooter to school. On my way, I noticed how blue the sky is today and how crisp and clean the air seems. I arrived at school and will most likely go through my five classes scheduled and return home around 4:30. I like listening to some of my favorite songs always on my birthday and just listened to Cat Stevens "Father and Son". I had a good discussion with my Senior 2 students about many topics this morning I call "Real Talk" (modeled after Real Time w. Bill Maher for those of you familiar). I'll see what they have for lunch today in the cafeteria and hope it's something to my liking. ("La zi Ji would" be great!) Anyways, yes, I'll get home around 4:30 and pick up my son from Kung Fu at 6pm. In between I'll most likely read a book and maybe meditate after. I asked my wife to bring home a cheesecake (my favorite) and not to worry so much about dinner tonight. I'll ask my mother-in-law to make noodles which is a must-eat birthday food in China. I have a friend from coming into Beijing tomorrow so I will be celebrating with him and other friends and colleagues Friday night in San Li Tun. I received an iPhone 6 as my gift (as per my request) from my wife and have been playing with that all day...I've been getting messages on WeChat and Facebook wishing me happy birthday...it's true family and friends really make life worth living...and happiness is not so much in what you get, it's what you give.Also, my son's birthday is on Friday (27th), so we usually celebrate our birthdays together as kind of a family thing. For the first time we are going for his birthday to have an actual party at a restaurant with his friends (Kro's Nest), so I'm excited as a father about that!Anyways, I think it's impossible to not feel good on your birthday, so I just wanted to share some good vibes with all the Forum readers here. 38 years today, with 12 of them in China. And I'm a pretty happy guy these days...I must be doing something right!Have a great day all! :)

Hello Dear Readers,It has been a while since I've contributed to this Forum and figured now that I am officially on summer holiday and another school year is behind me I would share a post with you.More specifically, I would like to write about my feelings about going back to my home country and hometown (London, Ontario, Canada) after four years of living in China. Now, I have lived in China primarily since 2002, but this is the first time I have gone so long a stretch without returning to Canada. The last time I was back in my hometown was the summer of 2012 just after the birth of our first child.Since then, my family has visited my parents in their winter home of Tampa, Florida and my mother and sister visited my now family of four (my wife, our two boys and myself) in Beijing last year. So, it's not entirely like I have not seen my family in four years. With that said, I have been out of my home country of Canada and away from my friends back home, and away from the culture. During my time away my wife and I had our second child born last August, and I have traveled to Tibet, Qinghai, Gansu & Yunnan, as well as trips abroad to Vietnam, Australia & Japan. So, how does it feel to be out of your home country for such an extended period of time? Well, I guess my main purpose was to become more global in my thinking and not so Amerocentric. I wanted to test myself mentally and emotionally, get lost in the world a bit and learn my own boundaries. I also wanted to travel other countries as much as possible and put my efforts into being a father of two beautiful boys. People might ask me, so what's wrong with Canada? Lol. The answer is nothing is wrong with Canada. It's just up to the person, I guess. Most Chinese would say that Canada is a beautiful, safe country with clean air, a good environment and highly developed society with good healthcare and education. And it is, to an extent. I also think though that Canada is given this impeccable image of all sunshine and rainbows by its immigration industry that depends every year on convincing people to immigrate to Canada (and bring their money). It is a big part of our economy.The truth is, the last time I lived in Canada from 2008-11, I could hardly find a job teaching because of a lack of jobs, and was working in a factory for minimum wage while completing a Masters degree. By the time I had finished my degree, I still could not find full-time employment, and my wife had become pregnant with our first son. Frustrated at a lack of job prospects and the fact that my family doctor would not see my pregnant wife (only walk-in clinics), I started looking for a job back in China, where we were happiest. I was completely frustrated and exasperated with Canada at the time. Not to make this post all about my brief life in Canada during those years and our unhappiness at our quality of life there. We soon thereafter moved back to Beijing where we currently reside and made the right choice in hindsight. After four years, some of those bad memories during those three years have subsided and I really am excited to go back to the country of my birth and upbringing.I want to take my family to the many great parks my hometown has to offer, have them swim in backyard pools, play golf, go fishing, camping, watch a Toronto Blue Jays baseball game, see family and friendly faces, and have my mom cook a homemade dinner for us. Canada has many great things to offer, and my love of China aside, if I were to make as much money and have a similar job there as I do in Beijing, we would probably consider moving back.But for now, my family is ready to depart in three days back to the Great White North. To a land full of beavers and mountains, poutine and bags of milk, hockey, clean streets, a good-looking Prime Minister and people who say "sorry" probably a bit too often. I am expecting some reverse culture shock, but not as much per say as when I first started living abroad in my early 20s. I like to think of myself as a seasoned global citizen now that I am a well-traveled father in his mid-30s. I wonder what friends I will see, and what we can possibly talk about. I have fallen out of touch with some and I feel like I've changed a lot since I last lived in Canada. Will we have anything in common aside from our childhood? Questions, questions...It's funny, at my school some other foreign teachers are counting down the days until they go back home for their summer holiday. Most of them return every summer or even after each semester. One teacher asked me what I was doing and I told her, "I'm going back to Canada with my family. It's been 4 years..." Her eyes widened, "4 years! Seriously!?" "Seriously. 4 years....that's about 1600 days I reckon." This teacher, just finishing her first year in China, stood there as if she had seen a ghost. In hindsight, I won't stay out of my home country for this long again, especially since I have kids now and I want them to be familiar with Canada. But it does just go to show that it shouldn't be the days we count, it's the memories that matter.So, yeah...lots of feelings and a bit of nerves dear readers, but this seasoned Beijinger is happy to go 'home' to Canada for his summer holiday! With that said, enjoy your summer, try and beat the heat (pray for no rain), and make the most of the good times!

Dear readers,I teach the South Australia Certificate of Education (SACE) to grade 12 students in the International College of my school. As the Senior English teacher at my school, students in SACE must write a piece of descriptive prose/short story (minimum 500 words). For this year's class, students are to write in the genre of suspense with the introductory line of "it was a dark and stormy night..." (cliche, but apt for this assignment.)Anyways, here is my story. I though I would share it with China Daily's Forum for all the English Language Learners and fans of Creative Writing in general. Hope you like it! Archibald Chapman’s LamentBy Mark Munro It was a dark and stormy night and Sir Archibald Chapman was sitting slumped at his big oak desk in his old estate home in the Lake District of Northern England. Archibald, or “Archie”, as his schoolboy mates called him in his younger years, was old and gray now; a thick beard and mustache covered his upper lip and his eyes were cold and chiseled like blue ice. As the large grandfather clock struck 11 o’clock, he tried not to remember the thoughts that were dancing like tiny devils in his mangled mind; thoughts from the fire that happened in this very house that took the life of his granddaughter, Alice, 5 years prior. While most of the damage from the fire had been repaired, the discomfort and tension he felt with his son for leaving the stove on all night after drinking his late night brandy was still with him in perfect memory. Archie was now 73, and widowed. His wife had died of breast cancer in her fifties, and his estranged son was really the only family he had left. He hadn’t spoken to his son since Alice’s funeral, and was no longer invited to Christmas dinners or any family occasions.As he sat at his desk, he looked at the piece of paper which was to be used as a letter for his son in plea of reacquainting himself with his family. Archie knew that he wouldn’t live much longer; his lungs blackened from years of hard pipe-smoking and a fatty liver that was soaked in whiskey and brandy from nights of trying to forget that fateful fire from 5 years ago. “Unnggghhh…” Archie lamented, as he looked out the big French windows that were being pitter-pattered from the heavy rain outside. He knew that the Lake would most likely be flooded tomorrow morning and the waters would rise enough to drown out the backyard garden. He put his pen down and closed his eyes, hoping that the loud booms and crashes of thunder and lightning would help him evade his memories. Archie then picked up his old lacquer pipe and took a long draw of his cherry tobacco. He exhaled the fumes in a soft sigh and coughed raspily; his eyes glazed over the only way eyes could from a heartbroken, 73-year old man. He poured himself a glass of Brandy and sipped it slowly.Suddenly, he saw the strange shadow of lights flickering on the wall beside the window. He glanced back slowly with one crooked eye and noticed the bathroom door half open. The bathroom light flickered on and off one more time and finally stayed on. “That’s peculiar,” he thought. No one else was in the house, nor had been for months. Archie slowly got up from his chair and quietly crept towards the bathroom. He peaked in through the door and looked around. There was nothing. Archie’s mind began to wander and think of any plausible explanation as to how the light got flicked on. “Nonsense,” he grumbled, flicking the light back off and closing the door.Archie walked slowly back to his big, comfy chair in front of the window. Just as he was about to sit down, the bathroom light began flickering again wildly, faster than before. Archie’s glazed eyes widened when a loud crackling sound came from the bathroom…he turned around and quickly ran back as fast as a 73-year old man could. “Goddamnit! Who’s there!” he exclaimed. He swung the bathroom door open with the lights still flickering on and off…the switch moving uncontrollably by itself. He looked to his left to see the bathroom mirror cracked into pieces. He tip-toed over to the mirror trembling and looked in it gasping out of breathe. As he peered in the cracked mirror, he did not see his own reflection. Looking back at him through the mirror was the face and small figure of Alice. Pale and white… ”Grandfather…let’s play hide and seek...” she whispered to Archie…

Hi all,I have a question for only Chinese readers now that the National Holiday is upon us. "Which country/countries is China most friendly with?" Or, to rephrase, "Which countries does China have the best relationship with?" I think nowadays Russia would be obvious, but who else do you think Chinese people and the government have the best relations with?Why do you think your relationship is so amicable with each other? Please give a reason.Also, do Chinese people prefer to travel to countries that they are most friendly with? Do Chinese like traveling to Russia now that their countries have become so close? What about other countries? Which ones? And why?Just inquiring.Enjoy your National Holiday!

老外 vs. 外国人／中国通When I check into this Forum sporadically, it seems like more and more posts are pretty much a bunch of Lao Wais interpretation of their experience of the events in which they've lived here. Here...in China, my home of more than ten years.The country I have decided to raise my now family of four in. Yeah, I know...I might as well be Chinese. While some blogs from Foreigners are amusing and somewhat insightful into the lives of the authors, very few I read, aside from perhaps our Austrian blogger of the year, actually resonate with any substantial social, historical meaning or any "true" understanding of this country. While I could proverbially flip through the pages of squat toilet blogs, squid on stick squeamishes, it almost seems like many Lao Wais (and I call you Lao Wais, because to me, that's what you are) have no real understanding of this country and why it is, where it is, as of now. I digress, I call 80% of the Foreign bloggers on here "Lao Wais", and perhaps the other 20% "Wai Guo Ren" or even fewer, "Zhong Guo Tong". I wonder how many people can truly speak of the Boxer Rebellion, the Opium Wars, The Long March; know who Zhu De, Liu Xiaoqi, even who Zhou Enlai or Deng really were. These Lao Wais seem to live in China only to reap the economic benefits while ignorantly trolling along in a country just because most local Chinese (at least in 2nd-tier cities) smile at you, and perhaps put you on TV once in awhile. No need to learn the language, and even worse, little, if any interest in traveling this magnificent country or learning about its history or culture.The equivalent might be a Chinese moving to N. America without a clue about Mount Rushmore, the Alamo, or who Ben Franklin or Thomas Jefferson were, but unequivocally speak the wonders of their newfound home because of shopping malls, bravado, and self-commendability for moving to another country they seemingly know nothing about.Not to beat my own drum, but after studying history in England and Canada, I moved to Beijing at 23 because I was infatuated with Chinese culture and history. The economy had absolutely nothing to do with it. As soon as I got here, I went to Mao's home farm in Shao Shan, travelled Gansu on my own, visited Sun-Yat-Sen's tomb in Nanjing, went to Qufu, Confucius' birthplace in Shandong...I did almost everything and anything I could do to make the textbooks I studied in University come alive. As this 70-year anniversary of the end of Japanese Agression parade commences in my hometown of Beijing, I have a deep respect of the history behind it, and why it plays such an important role. I came here as a young man to help this country, because I understood its history - from Qin Shi Huang through to the Qing Dynasty. Chinese culture in all its glory...and I wanted to live it.When I see some bloggers come on here and just constantly speak of themselves, I honestly want to throw up. The "Lao Wais" have started to make us "Wai Guo Ren" or even "Zhong Guo Tong" look bad.So, for those Foreigners who live in this country and have made it a priority to know the history, language, and travel abound and beyond, relish the celebration that is this weekend's 70th anniversary of the end of WW2. We understand it, and to some extent, that's why we live here. China is still Red, the last time I checked, and that's why I, as a young historian/global citizen, moved here in the first place. Whether it be Mao or Deng, or the Tang Dynasty or Emperor Kangxi, foreigners owe it to themselves to learn a little about this country before they write their self-congratulatory, "Look! I went shopping by myself today!" or "I'm such a famous and well-liked teacher!" bravado in this Forum. In short, the inane stories have become infuriatingly frustrating for some of us real expats here to read...again, and again, and again, and again. The same nonsense, again, and again...It's mind-numbing torture. These are the Lao Wais who have lived here for 2,3,4,5 years who still can't speak a lick of Chinese, nor care to learn the language one iota. The same ones who would probably would castigate any Chinese family who's lived in the USA for years but can't speak English. Talk about a double-standard. The only difference is Chinese are just much more accommodating to foreigners than American society is accepting of immigrants.If you don't know the history, reflect a bit this weekend, and learn something, anything substantial, about the country you profess to love so much.And as for China's victory against Japanese War Aggression, that's another story I'll have to ask my grandfather about next time I'm in my wife's hometown of Shenyang.Chinese history makes its present come alive. Respect it, and you'll have a whole new appreciation of this country.

I was born with a cleft lip and palate.If any Chinese don't know what that is, fear not. It is a minor birth defect that I had repaired when I was a small infant. A gap between the lips and roof of the mouth, approximately 1 in 1,200 babies are born with it in the developed world. Statistics are actually higher among Asian and African babies.While this minor birth defect has not affected my life so much, I am writing to you now because my wife and I just found out that our 2nd child (whom she is currently 7 months pregnant with) has a unilateral cleft and probable palate.My life in China has officially come full circle.Now, I have lived in China for almost 12 years, and know the "ins and outs" of this country perhaps better than any foreigner I've ever met here, but still, my first reaction was, "No! Please! Not in China!"Having been born with a cleft, I must say that I have, at times, lacked certain confidence in my life. But that lack of confidence was built up by my father who challenged me in every road of my life: to study at universities in 3 countries; to not be afraid to kiss a girl; to learn how to look people in the eye; and how to travel the world by myself as a young man, and live in it as an adult.Coming from a country such as Canada with Universal Healthcare, and a mother who worked at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto for 20 years, I was given the best treatment possible as a young child with a cleft lip and palate.Now that my wife and I both have good jobs and are settled in Beijing, my biggest worry was, not the cleft itself, but how well my newborn son will be treated and taken care of in China.It was not long after we learned from his 4D Ultrasound in Beijing, and he indeed had a cleft, that we discovered Wong Faye's Smile Angel Foundation in Beijing.While the hospital that my wife is currently going to for the birth is one issue, the fact that there is a Cleft Center in Beijing with a team that specializes in repairs brought an overwhelming wave of relief to my wife and I.The specialist who we met, from Taiwan, was even educated in Toronto and met the doctor who repaired my own cleft way back in the 70s. He knew of the Latham Appliance (medical terminology), and has done repairs all over the world with nothing but worldwide renowned and expertise. He flies in to Beijing every 2-3 months specifically for cleft lip and palate repairs. While that has been a Godsend, we have experienced some Taboos about clefts from the hospital my wife is giving birth in. Questions from OBGYN's such as, "You have to make a decision" and "This is your choice if you want to keep it" are unheard of in the West, and actually sickening for me to hear. It has been hard at times for me to let such doctors say such crap to my wife to her face, when the father of the child has a cleft himself. Again, for a doctor to say such a thing to a 7-month pregnant woman in the West is absolutely unheard of. I questioned myself, "What am I doing here?" "Is China really this backward? In Beijing?" And then I thought about it and calmed down. This is a country that had a 1-child policy ingrained in their conscience for so many years, I guess that kind of thinking was normal. "But my kid isn't Chinese? This is a Canadian baby! And my wife's a Canadian permanent resident! How dare they say such a thing to her!"Whereas Taiwan has become a first class leading center all over the world for cleft repairs, doctors in the mainland apparently still ask mothers to abort. Sadly, the mainland still has a long way to go when it comes to these kinds of issues. I even wondered, if I was born in China with a cleft in 1978, would I even be here today? I honestly don't know. Yeah, a lot of soul-searching going on. So, what does one do? He goes to the source himself: his mother. When I Skyped with my own mother back in Canada, she was overwhelmed that we had found such a doctor in Beijing who could perform the repair in China, but also understood my anger and questioning, and everything else surrounding my new baby. After talking with her, and feeling much better, I realized that truly, like I said, it's not the cleft itself, it was the worry of having a baby in China without any idea of the system or specialists, etc. And, we found the doctor! So everything as of now is a huge relief! So, for now, I thank Wong Faye, whose daughter was also born with a cleft. If anything, it is a minor repair that is treated after three months, and the palate at one year. It is not a disease or a disability. I actually met her ex-husband at the clinic and spoke to him and was reassured that they are doing great things.The last thing the doctor from Taiwan said was, "Don't worry! Your son will look better than you!"An insult compliment if I've ever heard one, but probably apt: I do have a 70s job, and my son will get the 21st century, state of the art, surgical repair.If anything though, it's really given my life meaning! I've also started volunteering at Smile Angel and will continue to do so once my 2nd son is born.Perhaps the reason I am writing to you dear readers, is to educate you that such minor birth defects are not a big deal, and that such a child can be born, have it repaired, learn and grow, and have a girlfriend, and go to universities around the world, and pretty much live as normal a life as anybody else.Truly, we are blessed, and will no doubt feel the joy again of seeing another baby boy born, only to raise him and become his own man in the world.12 years in this country, and even at my most frightful and personal moments, I still have so much faith living here, and raising my family of soon to be 4.God Bless Wong Faye and the Smile Angel Foundation.

I was just wondering if anybody else has been restricted from commenting on Michael M's blogs, or is it just me? I think the only time I ever replied to one of his blogs was when I sarcastically replied by saying, "The Sky is also blue". It seems to me like this is not a civilized way of discussion, and for one to be so sensitive to any comments on his blogs, is not only not fair, but also extremely ostentatious and jerk-like. I have met many foreigners in this country over the years, and many, many who have moved here for a couple of years and think they know everything. But for someone to out-write "block" me from commenting anymore on his own self-righteous writing for such a trivial quip is very angry-making, and shows how small some foreigners can be when they move here with their own sense of self-entitlement and altruistic rubbish that they constantly spew which makes all of us real China Hands look bad. Censorship in China is bad; and thin-skinned, self-righteous Americans who filter other real China Hands from making real commentary on their own writing makes this Forum look even worse. If you are in love with yourself for moving to China, and have some super-superior complex which you can't even discuss with those younger than you, who have lived here longer than you...well that's just the tip of your insecure iceberg. This is supposed to be an open Forum for discussion, American ego aside. And for those that have lived and experienced this country and have given their lives to China, I say this: this is not just for those foreigners who want to make a name for themselves in an internet Forum. This Forum is not a platform for your own ego.So, Michael M, I know you are great, because that is all you talk about. Why not open your doors, Deng Xiaoping style, and accept some of the opinions of the Foreigners who have lived here longer than you, and maybe even, with your help, can be as great as you someday. I don't like arrogant Foreigners who are full of themselves, let alone those who do so and shut out others opinions of their own self-righteous, trivial musings. Not for me, and not for my foreign brethren who have given our lives to this country. Congrats on your award for being thee haughty, know-it-all Blogger of 2013, who makes sure everyone knows it.You really still have so much to learn about this country. And if you don't get that, then get over yourself, stop wasting my/our time, and stop pretending to be the be-all and end-all of Sinology, and start really experiencing this country by learning the language and traveling everywhere you can and speaking to the locals wherever you go. Because that's what I've done. For 12 years. Humility is one of the greatest of Chinese virtues. I hope, for all of us, you will get that someday. Until then, keep blocking me in your privacy settings for saying, "the sky is blue", and anyone else who slightly disagrees with you or hurts your feelings. You may be older than I am, but you sir, need to grow up.Really, how much self-congratulations do you need? Please open your heart, and mind to those who also love this country. I have lived here too long and been too far in China to be so cavalierly blocked from commenting on your haughty, imperious, pretentious posts.Thank you for your understanding.

Memoirs & Memories (Part I)I'm 36. I'm Canadian. My Chinese name is 大海。Without going too much into the "Boo-hoos" and "ha-Has" about my upbringing, I'll cut to the Chase as best I can. Aside: I grew up reading History & Writing (Songs, Script & Poetry) as a young man, so I will try and stay true to that in this piece without too much eye candy or extraneous photos. I am a man of thought and words, not ego, razz-ma-taz or bravado. And I like to think I have found somewhat of a poet's solace in the written word as I've studied it through the years.Insofar as writing about myself feels kid of weird, I am doing so here because this past month, our most gracious Forum Editor, Victor, posed the question to us writers, dreamers & readers alike why we originally came to China. I didn't reply because I thought the topic was too general to begin to even think about what China means to me, and why I've given, as of now, my entire life as a young adult to this country.To begin...Basically, by the time I was 16, I had become very interested in people, and history and books, and culture, and music & art as a Canadian kid with a penchant for comedy. I started university in Canada, but knew at a young age that I would not let the barriers of my birth determine my future in the world. After two years studying in Canada at a 19thc. Anglican University in London, Ontario, I was growing antsy to get out in the world. I eventually decided to take advantage of a study abroad/exchange program in the UK at York St. John University, in the great Olde city of York, England. As I look back at this, the first major decision of my own as a young man, I can't help but think of some of my current friends (Chinese & Foreign) who ask me what the value of traveling is. I'm not saying being a homebody or living in your comfort zone is necessarily a bad philosophy in life, but it is a lazy one - especially if you actually care about what is happening in the world. "The Parlance of the Times.." Are you a serious human being, or do you just care about yourself. Or something...Anyways, after my time of studying and traveling Europe, I went back to my hometown again, this time at 23. I tried to get into McGill University's prestigious Asian Studies program, but my Chinese at the time wasn't up to snuff.So, I went back to China in August of 2002. 23 years old. I had already conquered Europe by myself and played paid shows for money on guitar and singing, meeting amazingly friendly people, and learned a lot about life.And then came China. I first moved to China at the aforementioned age to Jiangsu, Wuxi to teach English at Southern Yangtze University. (In hindsight, a good Uni & start to my Oddysey.)Why did I come here in the first place? Well, that's the big question, isn't it? Aside from post-9/11 paranoia taking its roots in America and my deepening unease to live in a certain kind of cryptic culture, I guess it mostly seemed like a natural progression after my time in England & Europe. Perhaps my historical paradigm also started gravitating from Europe to Asia, Chinese Ideas, History, Philosophy & just anything that was exact opposite from the culture I was coming from. At the time China kind of seemed like a breathe of fresh air from the N.American media/hysteria machine..So be it, it was, my gentle readers. I was going to let my past pass once again from my native land and prepare myself to conquer my next country as a newborn 21st c. Global Citizen. This time: China.I began my time in China in Jiangsu, Wuxi (sorry I'm writing it the Chinese Way). It is truly a great city, and one that is built surrounding Tai Hu lake. Jiangsu province in general has the best Education system in China, and its proximity to Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou & Shanghai make it an exciting town to live in with lots of branch-out opportunities.So, yeah, I taught there for a year, and thanks to some friendly expats, a whole new understanding of myself and window into the possibilities that is the future of China, I fell in love with China after a year. Now that this is a New Year, I want to give all my friends in this Forum a blessed New Year of the Lamb/Sheep/Ram!? I don't care, I'm just going to eat a lot of Yangrou Chuar. Without being too verbose, I just wanted to say that this country has pretty much given me everything I have now. And I can't say that of my own country. I studied History because History gives people perspective.Some people get that, and some people don't. I'm not a perfect man, and all I can try and do is be a good man and live up to my own potential. I have seen as much or more of this country than anybody I've met my age and usually fit in with Chinese academics or older Foreigners socially. I've been to 80% of this country's geography, but still search for the pulse of man & men alike from the Qinghai/Tibetan Plateau, to West Lake, Inner Mongolia & the beautiful rolling landscapes of Yunnan, to my very own street corner in Beijing. I speak to the locals wherever I go in this country. My mother once remarked to her friends in Canada that, "you could drop Mark off anywhere in China by parachute and he would not only land safely, but get in with the locals easily."But enough of me. Aside from traveling China a lot and speaking pretty good Chinese, I just like the ease and anonymity of living here. And it's a perspective thing. Many people say I'm older beyond my years. Yes, I grew up going to High School in the 90s but I listened to the Beach Boys, Hendrix & Zeppelin. I was always feeling like I was out of my time when I was younger. I needed some perspective and time to think as a young Canadian on the brink.Enough reminiscing. Enough cloying sentimentality. Alas, Dear reader... let me gently cut to Core: Now, that I'm 36 and am specializing in my field, and am making a good living raising my family of soon to be 4 here, and after almost 12 years, I'm still pretty enamored and in love with this country. Yes, I still have moments of frustrations (many), and head shakes, but I appreciate everything this country has given to me in return over the years. And that's the bottom line.The power of positive thinking is true my friends! Perspective must come first, and then you will start the understanding of your own potential, with progress unshackling the mind-forged manacles of the past.My 12-Years in China are a whole other kind of marriage to me. Sorry to my wife, but I think it's true. I've been married to China! For a long time now! Wow!...Whew. Ha. Yeah, and I'm still here, and she's been very good to me as a Canadian who's only loved her back as much as a Bai Qiu Wen & Da Shan sandwich.My country of my birth has already forged a great Heritage with China - the country I chose to live in years and years ago. While some of the romance has gone, my heart has also grown fonder in my appreciation of this, The Middle Kingdom, and for me to continue the great tradition of Chinese-Canadian Friendship & Family.P.S. To my Chinese readers - Don't trust any foreigner who has lived here more than 3 years and still can't speak Chinese ;)With my extended family outside Beijing this Spring Festival.