I'm still here!

[Marshall K]

I haven't reported for a mighty long time, sorry!  Things are rolling along nicely here.  I'm working 6 days a week, plus evenings, and am really enjoying my work.  I'm teaching at a middle school (high school) weekdays, and am teaching kindergärtners evenings and Saturdays.  The income is very good for China, and we have a comfortable life going here.  You can follow me at emsique.blogspot.com.
In the time I have been here, I have thought about how lucky I have been in finding the woman I have, and moving here.  It hasn't all been a bed of roses, but we are happy, and life is good.  One of the things I have found from living here is how many lovely single women there are.  If I had just taken a job and moved here, I doubt I would have stayed single for long. Heck, the cute teachers at my school would have kept me occupied!
I doubt I will move back to the States.  The economy here is booming, I'm established and comfortable, and I see nothing but gloomy prospects back home.

[evoltnvii]

congrats on your success and hope you continue to enjoy life there

[Dave H]

Hey Marshall,

That is  Great News! Congratulations!

I know what you mean about single teachers! There are some very nice ones at my daughter's school here in the Philippines. They are very shy! Not the 67 y/o principal (widow), who keeps asking me if I've found her a Kano yet!  

Dave

[Jeff S]

Hey Marshall - Great to see you back. There was a discussion about teaching Engrish in China a while back and I was hoping you would see it and respond. Good to hear you're still enjoying yourself. I periodically check your blog but had missed your restart after a several month dry spell. Please keep us posted on your goings on.

- Jeff

[Marshall K]

I couldn't recommend what I am doing to anyone, but for me it has been a very good move.  There are things about China that would drove a lot of Americans nuts.  If you need a good pizza, a bacon burger with blue cheese, or a good micro brew, this ain't the place.  No NFL, or decent TV for that matter.  You basically leave your culture behind, except for what you can get on the internet.  They block some of it, but that can be gotten around with some proxy server action.  You replace  most of your culture with theirs.
If you have an open mind and like to teach, it can be a very rewarding experience.  There are some annoying things about the Chinese, but they have some great values as well.  I spend a lot of time with Chinese teens, and they have a lot of qualities sorely lacking in too many of their American counterparts.
Something I have now is a strong appreciation of what someone has moving to a new country.  We have friends who have married American guys and moved to the US.  I think I have adapted better to living here than some of them have to living there. 
Part of the problem is that the men don't want anything Chinese introduced into their lives.  They don't want Chinese food!  Dudes!!  If you don't want Asian culture brought into your life, don't marry an Asian!  Big hint:  they don't eat cheese and mass quantities of meat.  Let them bring their culture into your life.  It should be one of the main reasons you married her in the first place. 
I'm one busy guy these days, but I will try to check in on a regular basis.

[Jeff S]

I couldn't recommend what I am doing to anyone, but for me it has been a very good move.  There are things about China that would drove a lot of Americans nuts.  If you need a good pizza, a bacon burger with blue cheese, or a good micro brew, this ain't the place.  No NFL, or decent TV for that matter.  You basically leave your culture behind, except for what you can get on the internet.  They block some of it, but that can be gotten around with some proxy server action.  You replace  most of your culture with theirs.
If you have an open mind and like to teach, it can be a very rewarding experience.  There are some annoying things about the Chinese, but they have some great values as well.  I spend a lot of time with Chinese teens, and they have a lot of qualities sorely lacking in too many of their American counterparts.
Something I have now is a strong appreciation of what someone has moving to a new country.  We have friends who have married American guys and moved to the US.  I think I have adapted better to living here than some of them have to living there. 
Part of the problem is that the men don't want anything Chinese introduced into their lives.  They don't want Chinese food!  Dudes!!  If you don't want Asian culture brought into your life, don't marry an Asian!  Big hint:  they don't eat cheese and mass quantities of meat.  Let them bring their culture into your life.  It should be one of the main reasons you married her in the first place. 
I'm one busy guy these days, but I will try to check in on a regular basis.

A - freakin - men to that! I've seen plenty of people find an Asian wife because they think she's good looking or heard they're subservient or something similar and completely shut out the culture. Everyone ends up miserable. I don't know how many times I've posted it, but it's worth another. First figure out which culture you are going to be at home with, then look for the girl.

Just had sanma shio-yaki (roasted whole horse mackerel) and cha-han with jako (stir fried rice with whole baby anchovies) for lunch - YUM!

Sanma shio-yaki:



Jako:

[robert angel]

We enjoy merging our different cultures. My wife and I both miss Filipino food, but last night, she was really missing it big time. Yes, you can get a lot of the ingredients here, but there's nothing like all the street vendors or the food mall courts with dozens and dozens of food vendors--it seems the smell is everywhere, all kinds of tastes, from sweet to spicy, from cheaper than you could prepare yourself to high end. Seems you fall out of the door and there's food.......

[thekfc]

talking about food, I have been practicing my 'filipino" cooking skills.
Last night I cooked Pinakbet & Maruya - and this time they came out good.

[robert angel]

"Ain't nothing like the real thing, baby"