china:
anqing,
where do i begin?
for years i wanted to come to china, to wander along the road less travelled, after 2 years in australia & many shorts stays in other countries i took the leap, the step & the flight; & so i found myself in anqing, and what can i say? “i’m in love”
ireland is a small island country with a population of a little more than 4.5 million people; and china, well it couldn’t be more different, geographically & culturally!
anqing, for me, is so different to any where in the world i have ever been, with her bumpy streets, mountainous views & old cultural feel to the city. the local people have really gone out of their way & expressed more patience than i thought possible, when dealing with me, investing so much time in communicating despite our massive language barrier! so far, there have been many heart felt laughs & stories shared by just pointing & miming.
teaching at the anqing foreign language school is really an honour & a privilege; i feel a part of something more than just teaching staff. the children are enthusiastic about learning, eager & fun kids. my most amazing experience so far has definitely been the warmth & eagerness of my students & their acceptance of this new foreigner here to teach them. they are always ready to say “hello” when they pass me, & are eager for me to join in games with them outside of class as well as being extremely helpful; some are great ping pong teachers, others are great fun to talk to, each student unique & special in his/her own way & helping to make china the wonderful place it is showing itself to be! the students make china one of the best, most fun places i’ve ever been & the people i’ve met double it.
let me sum up with 3 lines from robert frost’s poem “the road not taken” that express what anqing means to me:
“two roads diverged in a wood, and i—
i took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference”
