• New post by @wanderwoman_kat72 šŸ‡ØšŸ‡³ ā€¢ When I was 18, fresh out of high school, I went on my first trip out of the country. Before that trip, I wanted to work in counseling. But on that trip, my vision for the future changed. Dramatically. For these kids, English and education is a way out. It is an opportunity for them and their families to have a different future. Their parents often choose one child to go to school and sacrifice in order to afford it. I decided after that trip, that I wanted to help people work for a different future. Through my job here in China, I have found opportunities to keep doing that. I work with a project that helps children whose families have been affected by HIV/AIDS. Society rejects them out of fear, even if they are not infected. My project gives them an opportunity to learn English, which will help their chances at getting into college. I am not the only one working on this project, and we would love to have you join us. What do you say? ā€¢ ā€¢ ā€¢ #vision #teachersoļ¬nsta #teachersmakeadifference #teachingenglish #makeadifference #worldchangers #helpothers #hivaids #hiv #aidsawareness #expatlife #chinalife #whynotchina #teachoverseas
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    New post by @wanderwoman_kat72 šŸ‡ØšŸ‡³ ā€¢ When I was 18, fresh out of high school, I went on my first trip out of the country. Before that trip, I wanted to work in counseling. But on that trip, my vision for the future changed. Dramatically. For these kids, English and education is a way out. It is an opportunity for them and their families to have a different future. Their parents often choose one child to go to school and sacrifice in order to afford it. I decided after that trip, that I wanted to help people work for a different future. Through my job here in China, I have found opportunities to keep doing that. I work with a project that helps children whose families have been affected by HIV/AIDS. Society rejects them out of fear, even if they are not infected. My project gives them an opportunity to learn English, which will help their chances at getting into college. I am not the only one working on this project, and we would love to have you join us. What do you say? ā€¢ ā€¢ ā€¢ #vision #teachersoļ¬nsta #teachersmakeadifference #teachingenglish #makeadifference #worldchangers #helpothers #hivaids #hiv #aidsawareness #expatlife #chinalife #whynotchina #teachoverseas
  • This week we asked our Ambassadors to tell us about their professional growth in China. @sias_international_university is a unique environment where you are trained and mentored by expert teachers who want to see you thrive in your classroom. You don't have to be an experienced teacher to teach Oral English here. I didn't have a single day of teaching experience when I arrived in China! But teachers of all backgrounds find their skills sharpened by the professional training and classroom experience. For some people, fear of being inexperienced is the primary reason they don't come to China. I'm glad I didn't let that fear stop me from coming to Sias. What about you? Are there any fears keeping you from moving to China? ā€¢ ā€¢ ā€¢ #whynotchina #fears #fearoftheunknown #getoutthere #bebrave #professionaldevelopment #teacherlife #teachertribe #professor #oralenglish #efl #esl #collegestudents #whatsstoppingyou #expatlife #lovechina #chinatravel
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    This week we asked our Ambassadors to tell us about their professional growth in China. @sias_international_university is a unique environment where you are trained and mentored by expert teachers who want to see you thrive in your classroom. You don't have to be an experienced teacher to teach Oral English here. I didn't have a single day of teaching experience when I arrived in China! But teachers of all backgrounds find their skills sharpened by the professional training and classroom experience. For some people, fear of being inexperienced is the primary reason they don't come to China. I'm glad I didn't let that fear stop me from coming to Sias. What about you? Are there any fears keeping you from moving to China? ā€¢ ā€¢ ā€¢ #whynotchina #fears #fearoftheunknown #getoutthere #bebrave #professionaldevelopment #teacherlife #teachertribe #professor #oralenglish #efl #esl #collegestudents #whatsstoppingyou #expatlife #lovechina #chinatravel
  • #chinaperks from @izbiss ā€¢ China is the place to be if you're a #foodie. My husband and I have probably tried at least one new food every week in the last 5 months. Going out for food fits well into our budget as #Sias teachers and it has really helped us adapt to Chinese culture. ā€¢ One of our favorite things to do is enjoy a family-style meal with friends. We pour over the menu and order multiple dishes to share, rather than getting individual meals. Just down the street from Sias, we found an orange chicken dish that far surpasses all my fond memories of Panda Express. ā€¢ At barbeque restaurants, we order trays of raw food to cook at our own table. It's a community-oriented mealā€”very symbolic of Chinese culture in general. Each person watches the food in front of him, carefully turning each skewer so that the food cooks perfectly for everyone. ā€¢ Sometimes when I'm craving sweets, I'll buy a fruit kabob from the vendor right outside Sias' East Gate. They're a traditional Chinese treatā€”fruits like grapes, strawberries, and crab apples are skewered and covered with a sweet sugary glaze. ā€¢ Baozi is the traditional Chinese breakfast dumping. I was never a breakfast person before, but I converted when I first bit into that soft steamed bread. You can get them with almost any stuffing imaginable. Meat, peppers, even tofu! ā€¢ As you might expect, there are countless varieties of noodles in China. My personal favorite is La La Mien which I can only find on Sias campus. It's the perfect comfort food on a cold day. ā€¢ ā€¢ ā€¢ #foodgram #streetfood #chinesefood #eatwell #baozi #community #familystyle #noodles #barbeque #kabob
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    #chinaperks from @izbiss ā€¢ China is the place to be if you're a #foodie. My husband and I have probably tried at least one new food every week in the last 5 months. Going out for food fits well into our budget as #Sias teachers and it has really helped us adapt to Chinese culture. ā€¢ One of our favorite things to do is enjoy a family-style meal with friends. We pour over the menu and order multiple dishes to share, rather than getting individual meals. Just down the street from Sias, we found an orange chicken dish that far surpasses all my fond memories of Panda Express. ā€¢ At barbeque restaurants, we order trays of raw food to cook at our own table. It's a community-oriented mealā€”very symbolic of Chinese culture in general. Each person watches the food in front of him, carefully turning each skewer so that the food cooks perfectly for everyone. ā€¢ Sometimes when I'm craving sweets, I'll buy a fruit kabob from the vendor right outside Sias' East Gate. They're a traditional Chinese treatā€”fruits like grapes, strawberries, and crab apples are skewered and covered with a sweet sugary glaze. ā€¢ Baozi is the traditional Chinese breakfast dumping. I was never a breakfast person before, but I converted when I first bit into that soft steamed bread. You can get them with almost any stuffing imaginable. Meat, peppers, even tofu! ā€¢ As you might expect, there are countless varieties of noodles in China. My personal favorite is La La Mien which I can only find on Sias campus. It's the perfect comfort food on a cold day. ā€¢ ā€¢ ā€¢ #foodgram #streetfood #chinesefood #eatwell #baozi #community #familystyle #noodles #barbeque #kabob
  • #chinaperks from @izbiss šŸ‡ØšŸ‡³ ā€¢ ā€¢ ā€¢ My last six months have been full of new things. New husband, new country, new job. As the semester wound down, I realized I needed some time away to reflect on the newness and establish healthy patterns for the coming year. Some of my fellow teachers are traveling outside of China during winter break. But I'll be using most of the six-week paid vacation to intentionally forget what day it is and remember who I am outside of all the changes that 2018 brought my way. If I had a career in the States, I might be cramming all my reflection time into a few un-paid days off. More likely, I wouldn't take time to reflect at all. And my mental health would be taking a hit. ā€¢ But to be honest, this time for reflection is more of a Sias perk than a China perk. Paid winter holiday, long summer breaks, and 3-day weekends were just a few of the reasons that we chose #SiasUniversity over other schools in China. And now my mental health is thanking me for it. Fellow teachers, how do you maintain mental and emotional health after the semester ends? What do you do to reflect and prepare for a new year? ā€¢ ā€¢ ā€¢ #mentalhealth #emotionalhealth #teachertribe #lifechanges #remember #reflect #refocus #selfrecovery #whatdayisit #healthyhappylife #2019 #2018 #expatlife #cultureshock #takecareofyourself
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    #chinaperks from @izbiss šŸ‡ØšŸ‡³ ā€¢ ā€¢ ā€¢ My last six months have been full of new things. New husband, new country, new job. As the semester wound down, I realized I needed some time away to reflect on the newness and establish healthy patterns for the coming year. Some of my fellow teachers are traveling outside of China during winter break. But I'll be using most of the six-week paid vacation to intentionally forget what day it is and remember who I am outside of all the changes that 2018 brought my way. If I had a career in the States, I might be cramming all my reflection time into a few un-paid days off. More likely, I wouldn't take time to reflect at all. And my mental health would be taking a hit. ā€¢ But to be honest, this time for reflection is more of a Sias perk than a China perk. Paid winter holiday, long summer breaks, and 3-day weekends were just a few of the reasons that we chose #SiasUniversity over other schools in China. And now my mental health is thanking me for it. Fellow teachers, how do you maintain mental and emotional health after the semester ends? What do you do to reflect and prepare for a new year? ā€¢ ā€¢ ā€¢ #mentalhealth #emotionalhealth #teachertribe #lifechanges #remember #reflect #refocus #selfrecovery #whatdayisit #healthyhappylife #2019 #2018 #expatlife #cultureshock #takecareofyourself
  • #chinaperks from @izbiss ā€¢ ā€¢ ā€¢ By now my husband and I have gotten used to the shy glances and outright stares. At the beginning of the semester we took a dozen selfies with giggling students who had obviously never met a foreigner before. Living in China is like having the red carpet rolled out for you all the time. (And not just because red carpets are literally everywhere.) Today we found ourselves in the middle of Dengfeng right as school was letting out. We were continually swarmed by school children saying hello and pressing candy into our hands. We thought we had escaped their sweet chattering when we stepped into a coffee shop. But when I joined Terrance at the table I found him once again surrounded by children. This time they were clutching their English workbooks and critiquing his Chinese pronunciation. It's not just the kids either. People of all ages will yell hello! to us on the street, proud to show us the extent of their English vocabulary. Almost everywhere you look there's a face that's excited to see you and I wouldn't have it any other way. How would you handle your celebrity status in China? Would you embrace it? Or maybe try to ignore it? ā€¢ ā€¢ ā€¢ #celebrities #American #stickoutlikeasorethumb #hello #selfies #chinaculture #honoredguests
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    #chinaperks from @izbiss ā€¢ ā€¢ ā€¢ By now my husband and I have gotten used to the shy glances and outright stares. At the beginning of the semester we took a dozen selfies with giggling students who had obviously never met a foreigner before. Living in China is like having the red carpet rolled out for you all the time. (And not just because red carpets are literally everywhere.) Today we found ourselves in the middle of Dengfeng right as school was letting out. We were continually swarmed by school children saying hello and pressing candy into our hands. We thought we had escaped their sweet chattering when we stepped into a coffee shop. But when I joined Terrance at the table I found him once again surrounded by children. This time they were clutching their English workbooks and critiquing his Chinese pronunciation. It's not just the kids either. People of all ages will yell hello! to us on the street, proud to show us the extent of their English vocabulary. Almost everywhere you look there's a face that's excited to see you and I wouldn't have it any other way. How would you handle your celebrity status in China? Would you embrace it? Or maybe try to ignore it? ā€¢ ā€¢ ā€¢ #celebrities #American #stickoutlikeasorethumb #hello #selfies #chinaculture #honoredguests
  • Hello! I'm @izbiss, social media coordinator for AIA. This week I'll be sharing about the benefits that come with #chinalife. ā€¢ ā€¢ ā€¢ Yesterday my husband and I set out for a little retreat in the city of Dengfeng, just a couple hours west of Sias. As newbie China travelers, we expected to make a few mistakes en route to our #airbnb. And sure enough, Google gave us the wrong destination address. So after arriving in Dengfeng we took a bus and ended up in the wrong part of the city. Fifteen minutes and a taxi ride later, we were at the door of the hostel and chatting with our friendly host. Between the bus and the taxi, we only spent 8 yuan correcting our mistake. That's about 1 US dollar! Travelling on your own can be daunting, but it becomes a very affordable game when you approach it with an adventurous spirit! How about you? What's the most memorable mistake you've made while traveling? ā€¢ ā€¢ ā€¢ #mistakeshappen #surviveandthrive #adventure #chinatravel #expatlife #borntogo
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    Hello! I'm @izbiss, social media coordinator for AIA. This week I'll be sharing about the benefits that come with #chinalife. ā€¢ ā€¢ ā€¢ Yesterday my husband and I set out for a little retreat in the city of Dengfeng, just a couple hours west of Sias. As newbie China travelers, we expected to make a few mistakes en route to our #airbnb. And sure enough, Google gave us the wrong destination address. So after arriving in Dengfeng we took a bus and ended up in the wrong part of the city. Fifteen minutes and a taxi ride later, we were at the door of the hostel and chatting with our friendly host. Between the bus and the taxi, we only spent 8 yuan correcting our mistake. That's about 1 US dollar! Travelling on your own can be daunting, but it becomes a very affordable game when you approach it with an adventurous spirit! How about you? What's the most memorable mistake you've made while traveling? ā€¢ ā€¢ ā€¢ #mistakeshappen #surviveandthrive #adventure #chinatravel #expatlife #borntogo
  • #Repost @rebekahisalwayslost 惻惻惻 Can't believe after 5 months of living in China, I will be going home tomorrow! It will be amazing to see my parents (and a blue sky) again. Seattle here I come! #China #American #travel #explore #adventure #globetrotter #teacher #professor #blogger #family #love #visit #vacation #winterbreak #chinesenewyear
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    #Repost @rebekahisalwayslost 惻惻惻 Can't believe after 5 months of living in China, I will be going home tomorrow! It will be amazing to see my parents (and a blue sky) again. Seattle here I come! #China #American #travel #explore #adventure #globetrotter #teacher #professor #blogger #family #love #visit #vacation #winterbreak #chinesenewyear
  • New post from @wanderwoman_kat72 . In every place Iā€™ve lived, what makes it feel like home is very different. China is home to me because of my friends. We arrived from a 16 hour flight together, went through culture shock together, and adapted to our new home together. After all of that, we couldnā€™t help but become each other's support. Once you build a foundation like that, it is easy to appreciate the little things that make a place home. For me, every one of these pictures has a special meaningā€”my first classroom here in China, a quilt from my great aunt who passed away recently, and a taste of the South (ZAX BBQ in Zhengzhou). I would not be able to enjoy these moments and stories without my support here in China. My friends here are my foundation. They allow me to remember my old stories with fondness and to be brave enough to make new ones. What stories will you bring here to tell us? What stories do you hope to make here in China? . . #cultureshock #friendslikefamily #travelstories #mutualsupport #whynotchina #expatlife #lifeabroad #liveandlearn
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    New post from @wanderwoman_kat72 . In every place Iā€™ve lived, what makes it feel like home is very different. China is home to me because of my friends. We arrived from a 16 hour flight together, went through culture shock together, and adapted to our new home together. After all of that, we couldnā€™t help but become each other's support. Once you build a foundation like that, it is easy to appreciate the little things that make a place home. For me, every one of these pictures has a special meaningā€”my first classroom here in China, a quilt from my great aunt who passed away recently, and a taste of the South (ZAX BBQ in Zhengzhou). I would not be able to enjoy these moments and stories without my support here in China. My friends here are my foundation. They allow me to remember my old stories with fondness and to be brave enough to make new ones. What stories will you bring here to tell us? What stories do you hope to make here in China? . . #cultureshock #friendslikefamily #travelstories #mutualsupport #whynotchina #expatlife #lifeabroad #liveandlearn
  • @missmle86 is one of our teachers that some lovingly refer to as a boomerang (a Sias teacher who moved back to their home country for a time before eventually returning to China). We asked her to reflect on some of the things she loves about #chinalife the second time around. . I love the river that runs adjacent to Sias campus, especially at night when the multicolored neon lights flicker on the water. When I moved back to the US, I'd often think of Sias as that beautiful walkway. Memories of Xinzheng were encapsulated by by images of food street and the local temple. I visited the temple recently and accidentally caught a photo of myself in the mass of polished roots with embedded dragons. It made me feel like I was back in a place where I fit. One more thing I love about Chinaā€”intensely geometric window frames. My eye is pulled to them over and over again, a detail hardly worth explaining to the casual listener, but lovely to soak up in a quiet walk on a dark evening. . . #sias #boomerang #expatlife #homeagain #ancientchina #temples #geometricarchitecture #adventureisoutthere #liveuncommon
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    @missmle86 is one of our teachers that some lovingly refer to as a boomerang (a Sias teacher who moved back to their home country for a time before eventually returning to China). We asked her to reflect on some of the things she loves about #chinalife the second time around. . I love the river that runs adjacent to Sias campus, especially at night when the multicolored neon lights flicker on the water. When I moved back to the US, I'd often think of Sias as that beautiful walkway. Memories of Xinzheng were encapsulated by by images of food street and the local temple. I visited the temple recently and accidentally caught a photo of myself in the mass of polished roots with embedded dragons. It made me feel like I was back in a place where I fit. One more thing I love about Chinaā€”intensely geometric window frames. My eye is pulled to them over and over again, a detail hardly worth explaining to the casual listener, but lovely to soak up in a quiet walk on a dark evening. . . #sias #boomerang #expatlife #homeagain #ancientchina #temples #geometricarchitecture #adventureisoutthere #liveuncommon