What I did
I went to Luoyang, in Henan Province, to teach English to preschool and primary school students at a private boarding school. I chose Luoyang because it was the sister city to my parent's town, so there was a small support structure for me there. I also chose it because Luoyang is a reasonably average Chinese city. It is considered a "small city" of 4.5 to 6 million people, depending on how you draw city lines. It is not internationally famous and it doesn't see many foreigners. It is located in Henan, the second most highly densely populated province in China. The peasants grow corn in the summer and wheat in the winter. It would look a lot like Iowa, if Iowa occasionally had beautiful groups of mountains in the middle of a large plain. While the average citizen is far from rich, almost everyone owns shoes in Henan. The region is trying to industrialize, but the vast majority of its citizens are peasants.
I was in China for one school year and I had a very interesting time. Some times were good and some times were bad, but I'm really glad I went. I look forward to visiting again, but I'd like a few years rest before moving abroad again.
Why you shouldn't believe what I say
I want these pages to accurately reflect China, but that's an impossibility. China is too big and too complicated. Could you write a comprehensive summary of American life? There is huge variation across China. . . the south has more free market aspects in their economy. . . Beijing and Shanghai are considered totally different from the rest of China. . . every city has it's own cuisine, festivals, and place in Chinese history.
I was in China for 11 months. Most of those eleven months were spent within school grounds. I did go there to work, after all. My school was private, so I was mostly exposed to the upper classes. Even when I left school grounds, I was usually escorted by someone from the school. To pretend that my experience was anywhere near 'normal Chinese life' is an absurdity.
I'm not even sure a 'normal Chinese life' exists. China is changing at an incredible rate. Even if I manage to get something right, it could change within a year.
I recognize that my efforts are limited and biased. I hope you do, too. I have tried to accurately reflect my experience, but I am uncomfortable making generalizations about Chinese culture with it.
If you are traveling to China, don't be surprised if your experiences are totally different than mine. I would be very surprised if they are the same! People who travel in China, especially with a tour group, will have a much more westernized experience. People who work in China have incredibly varied experiences. Even the group of foreigners within my city have very different experiences because they live in different areas of town and work for different companies.
Whoever you are and whatever your reasons for being here, don't take my experience as the definitive experience because it is not.
Need a Job?
I still have contacts in Luoyang if anyone wants to go teach. There are opportunities ranging from kindergarten to university that I have access to. Even if you are not interested in working in Luoyang, I'm happy to answer any comments or questions anyone has about my experience. Contact me at jhanmer@projectjanel.org.