Where am I from? Why did I come to China? How much money do I make?
These are questions that Chinese people ask me when they first meet me, but often they are the same questions that I seem to ask myself from time to time since coming to China a year ago. Well, maybe not the last question... except for payday every month when I'm reminded of just how little my salary as a university oral English teacher really is. Not that I'm complaining though. After all, I didn't come to China to make money. I came here with much grander ambitions.
So why did I come to China?
First, I should say that I have always had the urge to travel, be it within the United States or internationally. From an early age I also developed a fascination with language, and after dabbling with learning Spanish, French, Chinese, and American Sign Language in High School 
and early college years, finally settled on Japanese language as my university major. From there it was a natural choice to move to Japan after finishing university. I lived in Tokyo for 3 years, teaching English there and enjoying every minute of it. Japan is a beautiful country with a rich culture and wonderful people. I decided though that I wanted to broaden my experience in Asia and to learn a third language, so began looking for chances to come live and work in China. I eventually found a teaching job at Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and began teaching here in September, 2010. 
and early college years, finally settled on Japanese language as my university major. From there it was a natural choice to move to Japan after finishing university. I lived in Tokyo for 3 years, teaching English there and enjoying every minute of it. Japan is a beautiful country with a rich culture and wonderful people. I decided though that I wanted to broaden my experience in Asia and to learn a third language, so began looking for chances to come live and work in China. I eventually found a teaching job at Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and began teaching here in September, 2010. Before coming to Zhengzhou I knew almost nothing about this part of China. Henan, and Zhengzhou in particular, are not places that most people outside of China are familiar with. Although Zhengzhou might not be as famous as other cities in China, and although on the surface there might not seem to be much of interest in Zhengzhou, I've found the people here to be very open and friendly, and the level of growth and development here very impressive. Zhengzhou is a city that seems to be searching for a new identity, a city that feels like it is on the cusp of something new and exciting. It is simply up to the people of Zhengzhou to decide what that new identity and direction will be.
I came to Zhengzhou knowing almost nothing about the city, and not planning on staying here much longer than a year or so to teach. In the space of just a few months I have seen my plans change completely, and now see myself staying here for another year at the very least. There are new opportunities opening up here every day if you just know where to look, and I feel that I have so much more to explore here.
I'm always interested in meeting creative and forward-thinking people. If you want to get in touch, send me an email at joshiedesu@gmail.com
15 06, 11 09:38
posted by: BUZ
Great idea to start a real professional guide to Zhengzhou. Just when the city is starting to make its presence felt. Keep up the great work.