Farewell, Tianjin: what TEFL in China has taught me

After five months teaching English in China, TEFL intern Jacqueline looks back on her time in Tianjin. It’s been crazy, challenging and SO much fun!

The time has come for me to leave my teaching internship. I can easily remember my first night when I landed in Beijing… and the next morning when I woke up late to orientation due to jet lag. That could have been five mornings ago, and not five months ago. Since I’ve landed in China last August, I’ve picked up on a few things. These include but are not limited to: how to play dice, command a classroom, command a taxi driver in Mandarin, pick a lock, and to be more appreciative of things I took for granted before moving to China.

1. How to play dice.This is a game I learned to play in Foshan, a town a few hours from Hong Kong, over Golden Week. I reunited with pals from the internship who were placed there. There are lots of variations of dice games in China. It’s a very popular pastime. It’s played everywhere, so be prepared to learn as well! The dice game I was taught involved a lot of fibbing, but all in good fun.


2. Command a classroom. The main reason I came to China was to gain teaching experience. I’m very grateful for my co-workers, and how helpful and supportive they’ve been from the beginning. Holding the attention of children for a few hours after school and on the weekends can be exhausting. Keeping a mental note of games to play, songs to sing, and having coloring sheets on hand are true lifesavers. I remember being so nervous to teach my first couple of weeks. Public speaking has never been my forté. But from this experience, I’ve become fairly comfortable presenting in front of group of people… well, a group of children at least!
   


3. Pick a lock. #wheninchina… that’s all I’m going to say on this one.


4. Command a cab in Mandarin. Mandarin is the hardest language I’ve ever tried to learn. Not picking up more than I’ve learned is my own fault, for not taking the initiative to teach myself more, and feeling really self-conscious when it came to mingling with the locals (especially when they assume I’m a local as well, and they speak very quickly). But, I am very proud of the fact that if I know where I’m going, I can give directions to a taxi driver.
   


5. Be more appreciative of the little things… I’m talking toilet paper, common courtesy when it comes to lining up, and being able to pass complete strangers with a “hello, good morning!” without getting a strange look. These are things I took for granted when I was home. There is certainly a “China level” of organized chaos I probably won’t experience anywhere else. While I’ve been cut in line more often than I can count, I also no longer question how ruthlessly my taxi driver cuts off other drivers/motorcyclists. When it comes to toilet paper, that is one thing to never be without. I will never take toilet paper for granted again. Or Western style toilets. Or drinkable tap water. Lastly, I miss and love how easy it is to make small talk in America. Be it that my Mandarin is really basic, or that passersby here aren’t always the most approachable people, but a “good morning!” and a smile goes a long way.

As far as the little things go in China, China certainly has its own missable charms. It’s here where I’ve slowly built up my tolerance to sesame seeds, spicy food, and the taste of beer. I’ve gained so much experience in Tianjin: as a teacher, student, cat lady (I spent way too much time at this cat café not too far from my work), solo traveler, amateur blogger…

Five months may feel like five years to some, but it’s been a blur to me. Who will I miss the most? My kids. My students have had an immeasurable impact on me, just considering how much time I’ve spent with them over the past few months. I’ll miss the friends I’ve made: both locals (my coworkers) and expats alike.

I know that I will crave jian-bing, my favorite street food and a Tianjin staple. I will miss living where I can walk everywhere, but also have the convenience of the subway and cheap cab-rides at hand. China is a place where a trip to the supermarket was always an adventure, and it was in Tianjin where I learned to be flexible with my grocery list. Not everything was packaged familiarly, things came in odd flavors, and sometimes I had no choice but to purchase “mystery” snacks… #wheninchina.

As I spend the next few months traveling around Asia, I will miss that I was able to plant some roots here for a little bit, even if it did mean living in one of the most heavily polluted cities, and having to fight my way through the subway Saturday mornings for work. But, I am looking forward to refreshing scenery, fresher air, meeting whoever I may cross paths with, eating loads more delicacies and making the most of the rest of my time on this wonderful continent.