May 1st is a national holiday in China. The school gives a week’s holiday but it was a shortened because of the Olympics. That still gave me time to take a short holiday to Korea.

What can I say about Korea that hasn’t been written before by better writers with better English? This is a good excuse not to write anything profound about my trip.

The Peace Institute also has Korean classes – so I have worked with Koreas every day I have been in China. They have a very distinct and proud culture. Do not lump them with China or Japan! In my experience, Koreans have make heartfelt and dedicated friendships with a strong group mentality. They are dedicated and disciplined in their work. I’ve gained a taste for Korean food. My favourite is sweet barbecued meat. Kimchi, which is pickled, spicy lettuce has a powerful flavour. I’ve yet to find a cheap Korean restaurant in London.

I posted the photo above to show the history and modernity of Seoul. There is a march in traditional dress in front of the entrance to a royal garden. In the background there is a Dunkin Doughnuts shop. America has greatly influenced Korean development but the independent streak remains. I was in Seoul during the demonstrations against the import of potentially BSE-infected meat from the US.

Tianjin International Fellowship (TIF)

TIF is a fellowship for foreigners living in Tianjin and it was my church away from home. There were a great mix of attendees from many nations. I particularly looked up to the many successful Christian businessmen. I helped with setting up the sound of Sunday morning. Fortunately for me the cables can only be plugged in one direction. The best memory was when I leaped off the stage to turn off a sudden burst of horrible feedback.

The Earthquake

12th May 2008. 69,227 dead. 4 million homeless. I still find hope in God. In the miraculous stories of those pulled from the rubble. In the millions in donations and the endless work of volunteers. (Link – ways to give).

In April, I learnt that I was not superman. Anyone could have told me this but I had to go through a crushing experience before I realised this. During April, I committed myself to:

1. Teaching English – part of my job description. About 25 hours a week.
2. Mandarin lessons – 4 + 4 + 4 hours of lessons, travelling and homework.
3. Coffee house – planning and rehearsals.
4. Gym – some hours in a sweaty dark gym. The gym I go to in London is bright, well ventilated and has a rowing machine. I still prefer the Tianjin gym
5. Mock interview practice – I scared the living daylights out of her. Oxbridge interviews were easier. She passed the real thing in the end.
6. Website – Creating the school’s new website was in full swing. Even though the technical aspects of the website design were outsourced, management still took a lot of time.

The pressure took its toll. Sometime in April I got very upset and extremely annoyed. I felt over-worked and under-valued. I wanted more help. I sulked.

This showed a lot about me. I enjoy helping people wherever I can. I value hard work. I feel that every minute of everyday should be productive. I need the acknowledgement of others for my sense of self-worth.

I learnt that this was incredibly unhealthy and I had to change my routine. I realised my limitations. There is a need for rest. April turned out to be my last Coffee House. I also booked a short holiday to Korea in May.

Looking back after a hectic 4 months in London makes April seem like a gentle time. However, I get to take a break from work on the weekends. My work life in Tianjin was more constant and there was the on-going pressure of cultural adjustment.

The Coffee Spot

I had my first meeting with Daygan. He was another fellow Tianjin Expat. But he was involved in local radio rather than teaching English. He started an ambitious project to open a Cafe in the heart of Tianjin. It’s called the Coffee Spot. Judging from the website, it looks like it’s successfully running.

Footnote 1: The title is a reference to the “Hundred Flowers” movement. The aim of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership was to start an open critique of the CCP by China’s intellectuals. In a speech that was delivered on 2 May 1956, Mao elaborated on the idea of “letting a hundred flowers bloom” in the field of culture. If you want to read more then look at pages 536 to 543 of Jonathan D. Spence’s book: The Search for Modern China.

Footnote 2: English teachers in China should never discuss history, politics or their preference of Coke or Pepsi.

March was a It was a mundane but busy month. Every line in my diary gets filled. I focused on online activity and writing.

My blog really got up an running. I had the blog re-designed in a fetching combination of green, blue and pink. I wrote an article about whether Chinese students should study abroad. I got a decent response to the article because I demanded that all my friends read it and comment on it. I was satisfied when some strangers read the article.

I also tapped into the Tianjin expats online community. I still have membership of tianjinexpats.com. The site works well because there is a small and motivated audience. A perfect niche. I used it to chat with other expats and publicise the school.

I started setting up the school’s new website for attracting new students. Like all IT projects, it was over budget and very very late. I hosted this month’s Coffee House, which was about Easter. There is photographic evidence below:

Economic forecast

Inflation lurches higher in Britain and JP Morgan offers to buy Bear Stearns for $2 a share. Could it get any worse? Yes – the price of bananas rise in my local street market.