Shanghai HD Bilingual School – Songjiang, Shanghai-China
Kindergarten English Homeroom Teacher
I have said it before in my posts, but I will say it again here – I am really enjoying teaching kindergarten. It was never a part of my plan as I have grown as a teacher, but its going really great!
The school year just started and we just had Teacher’s Day! The parents, principal, and staff of our school celebrated us really well!
My students and parents presented me with flowers, cards, and a few other gifts as a thank you for being their child’s teacher.
The school year is off to a really great start! I have a class full of energetic young learners! I am looking forward to their growth and development over the course of this school year!
As always… thanks for joining me on the blog and following my adventures abroad!
What is China Teacher Day?
September 10, 2019
Teachers‘ Day recognizes the important work of China’s educators. It’s an opportunity for Chinese schoolchildren to express a meaningful gesture of gratitude to their teachers. Teachers‘ Day 2019 is September 10, 2019. It takes place every year on September 10
“If you don’t understand, ask questions. If you’re uncomfortable about asking questions, say you are uncomfortable about asking questions and then ask anyway. It’s easy to tell when a question is coming from a good place. Then listen some more. Sometimes people just want to feel heard. Here’s to possibilities of friendship and connection and understanding.” ― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah
Saturday, August 17, 2019 was a beautiful day in Shanghai, China. The AQI was healthy. The sun was out and Chimamanda was speaking at The Shanghai Library. The Shanghai Library had their annual ‘Shanghai National Literary Week’ and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (CNA) was one of their guest lecturers! She also did a book signing and took pictures with guests after.
CNA – is a Nigerian woman, feminist, author, novelist, short story writer, and speaker. She is well known for writing:
Americanah / We Should All Be Feminists / Half A Yellow Sun / and Purple Hibiscus – among a few other works.
When we, and when I say “we” – I mean “We” the Black folks of Shanghai & China heard she was coming we planned quickly to show up for her. We waited patiently for tickets to go on sale and register for the event, only to find out, eeeeek! Get this – it was free and you just had to sign up and register. Shanghai wasn’t ready! She was originally scheduled to speak in a lecture room that could fit 150 people, but there was such a great response that she was moved to a room for 750 people – BOOKED! We were so excited!
We traveled for this! Yes, I know I am in Shanghai, but folks traveled from Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and different parts of the Shanghai area for this speech and to support CNA.
I am so thankful that Shanghai continues to give me beautiful #melanatedmoments as I like to call them. I will be honest, I have not finished one of her books, but they are on my reading list and already in my #ibooks! My bucket list has on it, ‘Attend a book signing for an author you know nothing about’ – I can say this is the second time that I have done this and was pleasantly – no – beyond pleasantly pleased. Even though I have heard her name before, and have seen videos of her speaking shared in online social groups I didn’t know much about her myself. As the day was coming closer and closer I decided not to do any research, attend the event, and take it all in. Now, I am excited to jump into her books that I own and take in all that she has written.
We filled the front row of the lecture hall and when she walked in her face beamed with love for the black folks that came out to support her. She even started her speech thanking all of the beautiful black women in the front row for coming out! We yelled and clapped and great excitement.
So Much Joy In This Picture!
You can find her on http://www.youtube.com – with college commencement speeches, Ted Talks, and interviews. Check her out when you get the opportunity. It was truly a great event. We smiled, laughed, listened, took notes, and felt so much pride as we filled the front row for her lecture. I have also shared some links below.
I want to share the experience of a friend who attended.Check out her words below ….
Ayesha:
Words escaped me. I stood there wondering how to explain the impact her words had on my life, on all our lives, and how significant it was that she came to China, whilst my friend Iyabo called me out and explained to her that I’ve helped black women find a community and a home in China, and Chimamanda Adichie started hugging me instinctively, murmuring her agreement and supporting me… I. Died. A. Thousand. Deaths. Before. I realized that my tongue still sat in my mouth, was still connected to my brain and could still articulate itself, could still tell her that we had journeyed from all over China just to see her, from cities she would not see, from experiences we did not have time to share, where she could not venture to this time. I died and was reborn, a new woman existing in the era of After Adichie…. nothing can be the same. My hero held me and reflected my own joy, my own fear, she saw through everything they wanted her to see and she saw us! That shout out gave us all life!
If my tongue had found its freedom earlier I would have told her that I have been writing secretly for years, that reading her work inspired me to write my own, that each and every black person she saw in China lived books of experiences that were best-sellers yet to be written, that her writing about living as the daughter of a University Professor in Nigeria in Purple Hibiscus resonated so much with my experience living as the daughter of a University Professor in Trinidad and Tobago, that seeing her articulate her experiences showed me that my stories were worthy of being seen and heard.
She was everything you see on tv and online and so much more! She was unapologetically herself, down to earth, humble, intelligent, gracious, witty, whole and wholesome! Iyabo and I had not eaten before the event yet we both commented on how full we felt right up until we had lunch long afterwards. What a day! I will tell my future children of how I met this future Nobel Prize Winner and she hugged the life into me! #chimamandangoziadichie
Thank You Ayesha for sharing your experience. Thank you for getting us all together for this event. Thanks for being wonderful.
It was truly a pleasure getting to know you in Shanghai.
So many thanks to Chimamanda N. Adichie for coming to Shanghai, for being so wonderful, and giving us such a beautiful message. You are a jewel!
If you want to check her out a little more for yourself here is her website:
….with all the greatness we experienced we took a ton of pictures, got our books signed, talked for a bit with CNA, and later she shared our pictures on her official Instagram and Facebook pages. That is super cool! What an unforgettable experience.
Her official IG Page!!!When A Black Woman Speaks – The World Listens
Just Beautiful! Nikki and Chimamanda
Sisters!
Karla amd Bridges
#blackgirlmagic
Elle and Karla – #blackgirlshanghaimagic
And we are super proud of sweet Judah – when Q&A started she was the first one CNA called on to ask a question! She did a great job with it too in front of everyone.
One of Chimamanda’s Bigget Fans!!!!Karla amd Bridges#blackgirlmagicWe Couldn’t Be HappierAnd we are super proud of sweet Judah – when Q&A started she was the first one CNA called on to ask a question! She did a great job with it too in front of everyone. #BlackFolkJoy @ShanghaiLibrary 8.17.19-Saturday
People say to me “You go everywhere” “You travel a lot” “How do you do it”
I traveled a lot when I lived in USA. I traveled domestically all the time with friends and solo (I posted about solo traveling months back so I will share that post again). I remember my first international trip- to Guatemala and I loved it. I am non-stop on the go. I love to travel. As long as I am able I will take a trip once a month. By train or by plane. I want to see all that I can see.
I know taking a trip can be overwhelming. From the money, to going to a new place, being unsure of the food, not knowing how to navigate a new city so many things! I encourage to travel when you are given the opportunity !
Car. Bus. Plane. Train. Ferry.
There are so many ways to explore and see the world. We have to expand our horizons! Look at your budget, plan, and go!
If you are in the states (USA) … check out a new city in your state that you have never been to. Take a day trip!
Here are 25 KMG tips for travelers:
Think about what you like to do or really enjoy and plan your trip around that. If you really enjoy a certain cuisine take a trip to a city or country where that cuisine is based and take a cooking class there.
If you enjoy running or athletic obstacles register for an athletic even in a destination city so you are committed to the trip. You will have to train and prepare for the event then you can enjoy a new city.
Start a savings account specifically for traveling. Depending on your own budget put aside a certain amount of money each month and the following year or after “X” amount of months you can take the trip you’ve been waiting for.
Think about your really close friends and see if there are 2 or 3 you can travel with. This can help keep costs low because you can split some lodging and transportation costs.
Whether you are traveling domestically or internationally keep a copy of your ID Card/Passport in your checked luggage and in your backpack/carry on luggage. Also email it to yourself, to a family member or friend, and text it yourself. You may think this is overkill, but you never know what will happen and you will have documentation in more than one place. It can come in handy!
Don’t let anyone shame the way you travel. If you want to drive. Drive. If you want to take the bus. Take the bus. If you want MEGABUS (in the states do it. If you want to take the train. Boom. Take the train. If you want to fly. Fly. Whether you are economy/economy premium/business/business first/or first class you are traveling and that’s all that matters! Take YOUR trip for you – not for anyone else – not for social media, but for you!
If you are traveling domestically your bank card/credit card should be fine, but having cash always comes in handy. For some traveler’s who want to stay in budget you could put a certain amount of money on a Visa gift card or purchase a Visa/American Express/Mastercard gift card and use that as your spending money while on vacation. If you don’t spend it all you could save it for your next trip and already have some money ready! This will keep you on budget and you can freely enjoy your trip.
If you are traveling internationally check the exchange rate for where you’re going. This will help you to know how much to save for your trip. $100 USD is a lot of money in another country or even a lot less depending on where you’re going.
Look online for the top things to do where you’re going, top free things to do where you’re going, check IG and Twitter hashtags for where you’re traveling, use YouTube for vlogs. People have been everywhere! This will help you to get an idea of the place you’re going to and help you to make informed decisions for your schedule while you are there.
Be Flexible. You can plan. You can research. You can prepare. And you can show up for your trip and things can often not go as planned. You have to be okay with this. You are in a new place. You are not at home. Be open to asking for help. Enjoy the journey.
^Don’t be afraid to ask for help^
If you are traveling to a new country download a translator app. This will be helpful in case English isn’t so strong where you are going. Try learning some simple phrases and responses for those phrases.
Always get the hotel business card with the address on it. You may have it in your phone, but often times its easier and quicker to show the printed address which is in English and the language of the place you are traveling to.
Get a local map! Don’t be afraid to use a map.
Check the local news and weather for where you are traveling to.
McDonalds/Starbucks/Cafe’s will usually have free wifi. Also Pack extra charged batteries for your phone! Phones are important and your phone is out juice … uh oh!
Check international plans so that your phone works while you are away/If your phone is unlocked you can get a local SIM card for when you arrive in new country/You can purchase pocket wifi so that your phone works while you’re out – all your choice. Research what is best for you and your budget.
Lunchtime is the best time to visit historical sites!!! Enjoy
If you can avoid it don’t eat near a tourist attraction – it will often cost more, and it will be packed full of people. Eat at expensive restaurants during lunch. They usually have the same dishes on the lunch menu as the dinner menu. Smaller portions and smaller price.
Try new food! Be open to local food and try new dishes when you are in a new place. You don’t have to love it, but be open to trying it! I have tried lots of things that I didn’t ever want to eat again. Sea Urchin being one of them. Yuck!
Try free walking tours! There are so many free walking tours. You can see so much when you are on your feet and its all for free. Take it all in. Just keep the weather in mind if you are going to do a walking tour!
Have comfy walking shoes! You do more walking than usual when doing a walking your. You want to be as comfortable as possible.
Be frugal not not cheap! Look for deals and don’t wast money. Time is money. Spend them both wisely.
Pre-book your attractions. You will often find better deals online. When you arrive for your trip everything is taken care of and you just have to show up and enjoy.
Enjoy the trip.
I know that was a lot. I do hope that this is helpful! Happy Traveling.
This summer has been great! I took a trip to Japan with some of my friends from Shanghai and we had a great time. While I did do some things I did on my last trip to Japan (which I still have yet to post about-thanks for the invite Naima) I was able to check some new things off of my list! Ramen in Japan – Fried Chicken Ramen at that / Hiking Mt. Fuji in the rain / Visiting Osaka Castle / and even checking out Universal Studios!
Osaka Castle!
It was hot and humid, but at the same time wonderful.
If you have never been to Japan here are my thoughts – take a trip there if you can:
Contrary to popular belief it is not as expensive as people say it is
It is very clean!!!
It is very safe!!!
There are many free things to do. Look it up before you go.
The food was excellent
Cabs are expensive. Public transportation is easy to use!
English is everywhere which is great!
March to May and September to November are the best months to visit.
Typhoon season is July to October. We had some rain while at Mt. Fuji – besides that it was fine.
It is easy to travel in Japan using the train system
SO many flavors of Kit Kats in Japan
Japan has two Disney Parks/ Universal Studios/ and Anime
Themed Restaurants
Video Games in cool arcades
Shibuya Crossing – the busiest intersection it the world
Japan is full of nature! Enjoy.
Vending machines everywhere and for everything! Japan is Great.
Check out the pictures below!
1: Travel Day – Shanghai to Tokyo!
2:
• Nakamise Shopping Street
• Tokyo Skytree
• Senso-ji Temple
• Kitakata Ramen Bannai Asakusa
3:
•Shopping directly off of S2/Shinjuku Station Exit C4
•Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
•Dinner- Oreryu Shio Ramen Jingumae🍜
•Tokyo Tower
4:
•Day Trip to Mt. Fuji
•Shibuya Crossing
•Noodle Dinner
•Drinks in Otsuka Area
5:
Tusjiki Fish Market – if you like fish and seafood this is the place for you- Have your Yen 💴 and Tastebuds 😋 ready!!!
Explore Nippori ( 😢 didn’t happen)
Dinner in Shinjuku @
Drinks and Arcade Games 🕹👾 in Shinjuku
Day 6:
•Speed Train from Tokyo to Osaka – 2.5 hours
•Dotonbori (tourist neighborhood) (10 min)/ No cost
•Tempomzan Ferris Wheel 🎡(32 min) / 800 Yen
•Ebisu Bridge 🌉 (11 min)
Day 7:
Shitennoji Temple
Osaka Castle
Universal Studios
Shinsekai- Old Downtown Neighborhood
Not my first #friendcation but definitely a great one! I am looking forward to more great memories with friends. As always … I encourage you to get out and see something new! Travel your home city, home state, and home country! Or be brave, get the passport and plan an international trip if you have never done so. If you do travel internationally, share your travels with others! The world is so big – and so small at the same time!
SHOUT OUT to Deatra, Wesley, and Mike for making it a memorable trip!
Clearly I can find a school anywhere! #ChocolateGirlsTakeOsakaTaking it all in!
Hey! I just wanted to share a post from a friend with some great travel tips!
Hope you find this helpful. Happy Traveling.
David and Taylor have a great website and I really enjoy their posts on their travel blog. Check them out when you have some time… http://www.davidandtaylor.net and here is a recent post about preparing for a trip … “Before The Plane” …. Enjoy!
…One thing I know … ‘I haven’t been everywhere, but its on my list’ – Okay … so maybe every where isn’t on my list. There are a few places I don’t have any interest in visiting but there are a lot of places on my list!!!
University Teaching at Taiyuan University of Technology – TYUT
Oh my gosh! I did something that was never on my list of things to do, but I am so glad I did it.
I was a University Instructor at TYUT for two weeks this summer. I taught ‘Conversational English’ to University Freshmen for two weeks. Week A (I had 56 students) was one group of students and Week B (I had 54 students) was another group of students. I have never wanted to teach college students, but I am so glad that I did this. It stretched me for sure, but I was able to see what I am capable of doing!
From short readings, to Old English Poetry, Ted Talks, music talk, discussions around technology, reading science based articles, discussing ‘favorites’, and debating conversational issues we found a variety of topics to use as discussion starters. One of the most interesting topics was a debate on whether or not bamboo should be used to build houses. This isn’t a topic I would have found on my own, but my students did lots of research and really enjoyed debating. Some of the debates were really heated and we had to stop them!
The purpose of this class was to give students an opportunity to be taught by a native English speaker and practice using English at length. Chinese students (even at the university level) don’t often have the opportunity to use their English and be corrected when unsure of the language. At the end of the week students had to give a 60-90 second speech about any topic that we discussed during the week or something that greatly interested them. I was very proud of the care and attention to detail the class put into their speeches!
THANK YOU JANE! I had the most amazing TA- Jane. She was a dream to work with. Extremely professional, kind, and helpful. She did her job extremely well and really wanted to learn from the experience. I am glad that we were matched together for this summer teaching course. I can tell from my two weeks with her that she really wants to excel in what she does. And who doesn’t want to do that??? She was a beautiful reminder to me that I should always be in a position where I am teachable and can learn from others.
Thank You Jane S. for being wonderful!
Blessings and best of luck to you in all that you do!
Karla and Jane Summer 2019 – TYUTEnglish Teacher/Teacher’s Assistant/Class Monitors-Helpers
Students had a 5 hour school day. We were in class from 8:30-11:30 – break from 11:30-2:30 – and finished the day 2:30-4:30 – Teachers had a feed back session from 4:45-5:30 to discuss what worked and didn’t work in your classroom and how to be the most effective in the days to come. Each hour of the day we focused on different topics to lead our discussions.
Also while in the Shanxi Province my friends and I happened upon a African Drumming Studio! We were able to take a class! It was such a great experience.
Our instructor Styve was so great and told us all about his home country, Benin!
Drumming Instructor: Styve LESSON TIME
Here are a few pictures from my time at TYUT In Taiyuan
The two weeks I spent in Taiyuan were great. My students expressed how thankful they were for me coming to teach them and we all learned from each other. I would definitely consider doing this again.
Hello and GoodBye July and very soon Bye Bye summer! Life has been very good and also very busy. Lets look at the past two months ….
a smiling KMG at a Chef’s Table event in Shanghai
June: June was super full and busy. SUPER FULL and SUPER BUSY! I have never experienced a graduation like I did at Shanghai HD Bilingual School! Never have I ever been to a kindergarten graduation as detailed, intricate, full, and looooooooong as the Shanghai HD Kindergarten Graduation I experienced this year. If nothing else, it was nothing short of amazing. Out students did a magnificent job, and I don’t just say this because they are our students, they really did do a wonderful job!
Teachers ended the year with a 1/2 day of a staff BBQ and everyone headed off for summer travels. I have had the same schedule for pretty much all of my life. There was a short period where I worked in the summer because I was teaching/working at a transitional living facility so we had students all year long, so I traveled during the year, outside of that I have been a student or a teacher all year and enjoyed summers off. This summer was packed. Today is August 1 and summer is slowly winding down. I am thankful for all of the experiences and travels I have had.
..A few detailed posts are to come.
Here are a few pictures from graduation ….
One of my students won the spelling bee! She won spelling a nine letter word! Way to go kid!!!
Our kiddos did a play as a part of graduation!
July: I am looking forward to sharing about the below experiences
TYUT – University Instructor for two weeks (Shanxi Province)
Trip to Seoul with my friend Kim
Trip to Japan with friends from Shanghai
SO many great things happened in July! I have learned so much about myself this year but definitely this summer. If nothing else ….
Anything is possible. If you really want it -No is not an option. Be realistic about how you can achieve your goals.
When life throws you lemons. You can make lemonade and take on any challenge thrown your way. Have a cold refreshing drink while checking off some major items from your life list.
Changing World isn’t easy, but one person really can change the world. Someone is always watching your example. Be true to who you are no matter what.
Sometimes what you think is hard, is well, yes really hard – doesn’t mean you can’t do it! Go for it. Push yourself. You can do it.
Hey Yall! I was hoping for a few more responses for this post, but I am excited to share what my fellow expats are thinking. If you ever wondering what China is like and what living in China is like here are some thoughts from a few folks who have been living here for awhile…happy reading.
This post is just a look into the experiences of some of my fellow expats! I asked them to answer the 4 questions below…. Enjoy!
China is Like …
1. China is like …
2. The best part about living in China…
3. The most difficult part about living in China
4. Your Favorite thing you’ve done in China ….
…. Angelique
1: China is like an exotic fish you hear about and doubt if you should try or not, but once you do you find it’s not that bad. But after a while, you notice it has a bit of an aftertaste, so you rework the old recipe to make it work for you/your taste.
2: The best part about living in China is experiencing a different culture and learning/ practicing the different dialects of Chinese.
3: The most difficult part about living in China being “different” and people occasionally going out of their way to show/tell you how different you are. It can be exhausting trying to explain who you are, and that you really are no different ( wash my hair in the shower, yes, I get darker in the sun, etc) than the person asking 21 questions.
4: Your favorite thing you’ve done in China that you haven’t done anywhere else! That’s a hard one. The Great Wall Concert séries a few years ago with all of my closest friends. Some who have now passed on, and others who were just passing through China.
…Ru
1: China is like a song you don’t particularly like but keep playing it because it grew on you and the beat is nice.
2: The best part about living in China is being able to pursue dreams, save money and live lavishly. Oh, let’s not forget traveling.
3: a- The most difficult part is the racial tension, blurs, and lines.
b- The most difficult thing about China is time. I’m convinced that 24 hours here are different than 24 hours in other parts of the world. I sometimes never seem to have enough time.
4: My favorite thing I’ve done in China hmmmm –this is a hard one. I’ve done a lot of things in other parts of the world, but nothing in China really stands out. Well maybe I’d have to say unlocking my creative genius.
…Erica
1. China is like…a formerly “sleeping giant” that’s wide awake and a major global player.
2. The best part about living in China… Shanghai. It’s a 24/7 city with endless energy, possibilities and opportunities. You can put in the effort and make impactful connections.
3. The most difficult part about living in China…homesickness. I’m grateful that there’s a pretty solid Black expat community that’s very supportive, communicative and understanding.
4. Your Favorite thing you’ve done in China…personal growth. Living and working here is radically different from life back home in the States. I’m grateful for the opportunities I have had to move closer to my dreams and make some of them real.
…Shinnel
1. Most days, living in China is like … preparing to walk out into torrential rain storm only to cross the threshold of your doorway and have the sun come creeping out 2 minutes later. You prepare for a day not knowing what to expect only to end up having a good day in the end.
2. The best part about living in China…is connecting with the large expat community and becoming friends with people from all around the world…even more exciting is having weekly brunches with said group of people.
3. The most difficult part about living in China is the ideal that no matter how much of the customs you pick up, or how much of the language you learn, you will always be seen as a foreigner.
4. Your Favorite thing you’ve done in China … live with a farm family in rural China. The days were warm and peaceful and I would come home to fresh cut watermelon everyday by the grandpa. Every day all my favorite dishes were cooked with fresh ingredients, eggs included by the grandmother. And after dinner I would join the ayis dancing my heart away. I felt so honored and welcomed in the rural village.
Hope you enjoyed this read. My monthly update is coming soon and a few other fun posts!
I hope that you are enjoying the spring spotlights and interviews. I greatly enjoy sharing about my expat adventures, but during the month of May I will share about the experiences of some fellow expats I have met during my time in China.
Dante: Thanks so much for joining me on my blog. More importantly, thanks for sharing with us about your experience in China.
Let’s do a quick introduction:
What’s your name, where are you from, and how long have you been in China?
My name is Brandon. Many people out here in China refer to me as Dante (my middle name) because when I first arrived to China, I brought my photography/videography freelance business “Dante Be Multimedia” over with me. I would introduce myself as Brandon but then in the middle of projects people would forget my name and just call me Dante. It stuck (laughing).
But yea, I’m from the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area. I’ve been here for almost 2 years.
Are you single, married, have any children? If you are married how has married life been for you in China – as a black couple abroad?
I’m not married but I do have a lovely girlfriend. We met back in college at Bowie State University. She’s also from the DC area and she came out about three months after me. It’s been a great experience being able to see the world with someone that you love and care about.
If you do have child(ren) how has life been for them growing up in China?
(laughing) no children yet. Slow down!
Would you and your family ever consider moving back to America or to another country?
We do plan on going back home. We have been looking to move back during the summer of 2020.
What brought you to Asia- more specifically China?
I actually have an aunt that was living here (in Shanghai) for three years (between 2014-2017). I came here to visit her for 11 days. Within those 11 days, I saw great opportunities to travel, learn another language/culture, and save a great deal of money. So I told myself I would come back. Within 10 months of me leaving China, I worked on receiving my TEFL certification and I was back as a temporary resident.
Now we have a little background information about you let’s dig a little deeper!
Breaking and Crushing:
In your opinion – what do you think are some of the biggest stereotypes we (generally speaking – though I know you don’t speak for everyone) face as people of color living abroad – here in China?
Wow, it’s so many (laughing). I would say that the two biggest ones though is that many of them believe that we all like basketball and hip-hop. Though many of us do at least like one of the two, you and I both know we have some friends or family members that don’t like either of those things (laughing). Now, in my case, I don’t help with this stereotype because I enjoy both. However, I still make it a point to educate the Chinese that not all people of darker complexions are entertained by these two things.
What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced living here?
One of the biggest challenges that I’ve experienced is the colorism. They have this mentality that white is the representation of handsome or beautiful.
I remember around the time that I first arrived to Shanghai during the summer of 2017, I was teaching one of our summer school classes at my previous school. For our warm-up, I had the students play, “Two Truths, One Lie”. One of my students (8 years old) came to the board and wrote on the board “Teacher Brandon is ugly”. I’m thinking it’s probably a joke and the students will find out that it’s a lie. Come to find out, it was his truth. Most of the other students disagreed and didn’t even take it seriously and initially I just laughed it off. I don’t take stuff like that seriously and I always make jokes out of it. Then a few students later, a little girl came to the board and listed her things, one of which were “Teacher Brandon is handsome”. Her turn concluded with that being one of her truths but the first boy responded back by saying, “No, he’s ugly!”
So, I asked the boy why he thought I was ugly. His response was “Because you’re black.” I was so shocked about how blunt and unapologetic his answer was. Then I asked him, “So what is beautiful to you?” Without hesitation, he said “White is beautiful”. Of course the first thought that came to my mind was that he’s not white. So I told him, “You’re not white, so are you ugly?” There was silence.
At that point, I couldn’t allow the rest of my day to continue without addressing this issue with the class. It’s actually a mental issue that seems to plague the minds of many Chinese people. I decided right then that I would set aside my original morning lesson plan to have an impromptu lesson about colorism and self love with my age 7-11 students. (I won’t go into full detail about how I went about teaching this lesson but just know that we never had an issue like this again in this class.) I developed some pretty “woke” students. Though I hate this word, I’ll use it because of its relevance to this topic I guess (laughing).
How do you think we are crushing stereotypes- if we are at all?
After the situation that I just mentioned, I always strived to create opportunities for my students and other Chinese people to learn more about black culture. I want them to know that we are different than we they see on the news. I want to understand that we are also intelligent. No, we are not all criminals. I want them to understand that we are not only musicians and athletes. We can also be doctors, inventors, presidents, etc.
We are crushing stereotypes in this country every time we confront ignorance instead of bypassing it.
Knowing what you know now- about life in China and being here as long as you have been here, would you still have moved here knowing what you know now?
Absolutely! I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world. I still feel like it’s probably one of the best life decisions I’ve ever made.
#LIC – Let’s talk a little about Life in China! There are definitely some positives about being here.
What are three things you like about living in China (if you can think of three).
Being able to travel around Asia for reasonable prices, being able to learn a new language, and being able to meet so many people from all over the world!
What do you do for fun with your free time?
In my free time, I like to hang out with my girlfriend and other friends, read books, travel, and anything else life randomly throws at me! I’m very spontaneous.
Has it been hard for you to meet people and make friends here?
Not at all! Once you get here and start joining WeChat groups and going out to events you’ll quickly learn how small the communities are here. It’s not difficult at all to make friends.
What do you do for work here in China?
Currently I’m a Leadership and Public Speaking Teacher for a company that has contracts with different public schools around Shanghai.
Food- Food makes the world go round!
How has your food journey been here? Has it been a hard transition from home to here?
I will say, I thought the food here in Shanghai would’ve been similar to the carryouts back home in the states. (laughing). But I arrived and learned that the food from back home is actually Hong Kong style Chinese food (laughing). Nevertheless, I have no problem with the Shanghainese food. You can find things here that you will enjoy!
Have you tried anything here that you love that you don’t have at home?Hmmm…. maybe dan bing, vegetable baozi (don’t like the meat ones), and xiao long bao. The dumplings here are also amazing!
Have you tried anything here that you absolutely hate and hope to never eat again?
I tried Durian (stinky fruit) and I would never try that again! I’m also not a fan of red dates or red bean. And they frequently like to use these in different foods and desserts here in China. Kill me. (laughing) Just kidding.
How is shopping for food here for you? Do you spend a lot buying food or eating out?
So I’ve been mostly eating out since I’ve been in China because groceries for foreign meals are more expensive here than at home. However, lately I’ve been considering trying to cook a little more so that when I go back to the states, I would’ve developed the habit of cooking more.
Access to travel – A lot of people move abroad because of the access to travel to other countries. Let’s talk about this!
China is huge!!! Have you been to any places in China? Are there any places in China you would like to visit?
Yes, actually I’ve been to quite a few places in China. The places I’ve been are: Hangzhou, Suzhou, Wuxi, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong (not considered Mainland but you catch my drift). I think my favorite place so far out of all of these places would have to be Guangzhou. They have awesome seafood and it’s always warm! The cost of living is also cheaper there than in Shanghai. Some places I would absolutely have to visit before I leave China would to be Chengdu, Yunnan, and Guizhou. There are other places that I would like to go but these are the main three.
Have you visited any nearby countries since you have been here? Where did you go?
Yes! I’ve been to Jeju Island in Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. All beautiful countries with unique cultures.
What cities/countries are on your travel list?
In terms of Asia, my travel list consists of: The Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia. I would also like to visit Australia and New Zealand. There are so many other places in Africa and Europe that I would like to visit but I will keep the answers within Asia and Oceania (laughing)
What is your dream trip? Have you been there yet?
I want to go to so many places but I think my #1 trip that I MUST make before leaving this earth is to Egypt. I have always had a fascination with ancient Egyptian culture. I haven’t been there yet but I’m sure the universe will make it happen in its proper time.
One Last thing-
If you could share one thing with everyone about life what would it be.
I would just like to encourage everyone to live the life that they envision for themselves and not the life others envision for you. The last thing that you want is to reach old age and look back with regrets. Take advantage of the one life you have and inspire others to do the same.
What am I listening to?
I’m listening and watching the music video for the song “Call it Home” by Foreign Exchange. One of my favorite songs.
Thanks so much for joining me on my blog! Many blessings.
Here are a few pictures of Dante and his life abroad:
just your reminder to find something to be thankful for in this day!
Hey Yall! I hope that you are having a good month so far and that you closed out Q1 on a positive note. We are halfway into May and I am working towards the goals I set for myself at the beginning of the year.
Work is going well.My students are doing well.Shanghai is – not so bad – it’s pretty cool living here. I am healthy.Life is swell!
I just wanted to share a friend’s blog post about being grateful. Blessings to you all!
We have more interviews and another spotlight coming soon too!
FEARLESS in SHANGHAI 