Interview with Jim Miller who teaches English at Lanzhou University in China
 

Where are you from Jim?
 
Sacramento, CA, U.S.A.
 
Where are you teaching or where did you teach?

Lanzhou University, China. 

What do you like most about living and working abroad?
 
Seeing new cultures and learning from the people of these cultures.

What do/did you dislike the most?

Difficulty getting return train tickets, policy
of small restaurants that customer is never right, pedestrians walk into your path and are angry if you do not stop before their foot is placed under yours.

How did you get started teaching abroad?

Internet search.

Do you have any back ground in teaching English if not, how did you learn?
 
I had no background before coming to China. I learned from teacher's web pages and on the job here.
 
How long have you been teaching English?
 
One year.
 
Do you feel teaching English overseas is a good way to earn money?
 
No. The pay is very low in China. I teach here because I enjoy it and because it is a low stress job.
 
Can you give some advice to someone thinking about living and teaching English abroad?
 
Plan far in advance before applying for jobs. Do a lot of research in libraries and on the web about the country and the city you choose.
 
Can you describe what's it like living and working in country you're in?
 
Living in China is good and bad. It is crowded, loud and confusing.

At the railway station, people make a crowd around a ticket window rather than a queue. They reach over your shoulder from behind to hand their money to the ticket seller rather than wait their turn. They crush in ahead of you when the bus door opens so they can get the last remaining seat.

Restaurants are very loud with many men playing drinking games by shouting at the top of their lungs. Restaurant staff and other business people often come from the countryside here and do not have any training in customer relations. They refuse to take a large note in payment if they see
you have a smaller one in your wallet. They even lean over to look closely at the contents of your wallet to see what smaller notes you may have. If you are served some dish that is not fresh, that is
your problem. They expect full payment even if it is inedible.

Crosswalks in streets have no meaning. Cars rush at you honking to make you jump out of their way even if you have the green light and are in the crosswalk.

My students are warm, friendly and helpful. They have a strong desire to learn. I find most Chinese people in the community also very friendly and helpful.

The variety of culture here is wonderful. Tibetan, Uyghur and other groups have
foods, songs, dances and styles of dress that are very different from that of the Han majority.

The university administration is very
accommodating and hospitable. I almost never have any issue that goes unresolved and most requests are fulfilled in very short notice.

When I walk along the bank of the Yellow River, I see folk dancing and hear amateur singers of folk songs and singers and musicians of opera. The people in the crowd smile at me and are very happy that I am seeking out this local culture.
I have found some restaurants and small
businesses that are very professional in their training of staff and offer service on par with that of the west.
  
Do you have any warnings for people considering teaching English overseas?
 
Look both ways before you cross the street. Ask a lot of questions before you accept a job. Read the contract carefully. If something is not in the contract, don't expect to get it. If the person in authority at the school seems not to be genuine or seems untrustworthy, believe your feelings and keep looking for another job.
 
If you could do it over again, what would you do differently?
 
I would ask to see some photos of the apartment and contact some teachers at the school about the apartment before accepting the job. My first apartment was not good. My current apartment is very
good. There is a lot of variation even at the same school. 
 
Is there a way for someone to contact you for more information?
 
thirdrockphoto@mail.com