Seeking Clues About Your Next Employer’s Company Culture

The job search is a two way street. Last week, one of the featured LinkedIn articles talked about how job candidates need to be mindful of company culture and how that will affect their success on the job. Most experts agree that company culture plays a huge role in how well an employee will adapt to a company.

Posted in Careers, Non-China related | Leave a comment

What I Would Have Done Differently My Second Year In Asia

People often ask me what I would have done differently if I were to travel and live in Asia all over again. The answer that always comes to mind for my experience is that I would not have spent two full years living in China. I would have spent my second year in another country, most likely South Korea. As one person I met recently so aptly put it, China isn’t the only country in Asia.

Posted in Culture, Teaching In China | 7 Comments

8 Great Reasons to Travel to Seoul, South Korea

USO DMZ tour south korea

To the left of this South Korean soldier is South Korea, to the right is North Korea. The flag and recorders on the table are the official border of the two countries. The countries occasionally meet in the room to negotiate.

Posted in Travel Asia | 4 Comments

Traveling to Bangkok and Koh Samet

Koh Samet Island Beach

A view of the beachfront at Koh Samet island.

Posted in Travel Asia | 3 Comments

Setting Expectations for your Time in China

While I generally recommend teaching English in China to other foreigners—keep in mind that you should have realistic expectations of what your time in China will be like. China is a developing country which means that you will have to deal with living conditions that will be different from what it’s like at home. In this post, I’ve outlined some of the things I, and many of my fellow teachers, were most surprised by.

Posted in Finding A Job, Teaching In China | 30 Comments

Thanksgiving Day Burrito

IF you are an American and will be spending Thanksgiving Day in China,  you’ll probably be spending it just as I did at a 5-star hotel that offers an evening holiday buffet. And even if you aren’t American, you may just happen to be spending Thanksgiving there as well.

Posted in Food & Drink, Teaching In China, Western Food In China | 2 Comments

Teaching English Abroad Webinar- This Saturday 11/19/2011 At 12 PM EST

Have you ever had any interest in teaching abroad? Now is your chance to find out what exactly is it like. I’ll be teaming up with Michael Tieso of Art of Backpacking to deliver a Spreecast, a new “webinar” style social video platform. Please join us this Saturday November 19th, 2011 at 12 noon EST to find out what it’s like to teach in China, and other locations around the globe.

Posted in Teaching In China | 5 Comments

Tired Of Drinking Tsing Tao In China? Try Cheers In, A New Premium Beer Delivery Shop in Shanghai

beer in Shanghai

Cheers In offers 300 types of beers from 30 different countries.

Posted in Food & Drink, Marketing/Finance | 10 Comments

Why Taking A Break May Not Be The Best Thing For Your Study Routine

Sometimes a nice break can be good while learning Chinese (or any other subject); a rejuvenating experience that helps you refocus and set new goals. But, for me, an 8 week holiday this summer wasn’t quite that. While I still did maintain bi-weekly podcast lessons, it wasn’t enough to keep alive the daily routine that would have allowed me to continue making steady progress.

Posted in Learn Chinese | 17 Comments

Adventure In The River: Hiking in Fujian

fujian river hiking

The pools of water were quite deep. Deep enough to jump off from the top of this waterfall.

Posted in Traveling in China, Xiamen | 10 Comments