Full Version: Rick is a Canuck who studies and teaches in Dalian, China

Rick is a Canuck who studies and teaches in Dalian, China

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Canadian-born Rick is both a student and a teacher in the city of Dalian in China. Having a healthy sense of humor helps him adjust to life in a vastly different culture, which he respects. Rick is doing his best to help expats like him know more about this great place, in spite of knowing that they will always be regarded as “laowai” there.
  
Rick Martin



  

July 18 2006

-Where were you born?
St. Shott's, Newfoundland, Canada. Population 150. Not quite a "bustling metropolis" but it was a great place to grow up.

-In which country and city are you living now?
Dalian, China. Population 6 million.

-Are you living alone or with your family?
I’m living with my Japanese girlfriend. That always makes for interesting conversations with the Chinese locals...

-How long have you been living there?
About three years total.

-What is your age?
According to the Chinese count I'm twenty-nine. But on this point, I'm stickin' with my culture - 28.

-When did you come up with the idea of living in China?
I just wanted to go traveling after graduation. In my home province of Newfoundland, you need a note from God to find work. It's insane. So I figured I'd drop in on China. No god over here, and thus no need of any note from God to find work. Ha.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
Easy as pie. When I was teaching English it was all arranged by the school; though I later found out it was done so illegally. However, illegal over here doesn't necessarily mean it's dangerous. It's pretty common, and therefore, the authorities are unlikely to single you out for disciplinary action or fines.

I'm a Chinese language student now. So the visa situation is a little easier. Pay the tuition: instant visa.

-How do you make your living in China? Do you have any type of income generated?
I teach. Sometimes "officially" and sometimes it's "unofficial-on-the-side-stuff." My first teaching job was found after my arrival. I'd recommend that over flying in blind. It took me about a week of searching, with the help of a friend who was already here. It's really not as intimidating as it sounds. Once you arrive, you can easily meet many expats who are willing to help.

-Do you speak Chinese and do you think it's important to speak the local language?

I speak Chinese at about an intermediate level. I've been studying Chinese at a local university for about a year, and I wish I had done that from the start rather than teaching English in a language school. It's way more enjoyable. You can hang with the locals, and you just have a much richer experience overall. You tend to get more respect from the locals, but you are still a “laowai” (foreigner) no matter how high your level of fluency is.



Should we observe local customs? Naw... Stick to your roots. You try to can assimilate if ya like, but I prefer to just adopt the language - not the culture. I'll observe Chinese culture, and say to myself "Hey that's interesting!" but by no means do I want to convert to it.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
Sometimes. I miss the people in Newfoundland. But I don't miss Newfoundland.

-Do you have other plans for the future?
Future plans? I've been working on a Web site while here, in order to help out the local expat population here in Dalian: the Dalian City Guide and Forum ([url]http://www.pandapassport.com).[/url] There are other expat Web sites but nothing that's a good organized information resource. That's what I'm trying to do. If the potential is there later for business, all the better. But that's just a hobby. In the meantime, I'm looking for some non-English-teaching jobs. If anyone has a suggestion, drop a line. :)

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
I'm renting. We pay about 1500RMB per month (less than US$200 per month).

-What is the cost of living in China?
Cheap. But there are plenty of opportunities to be an extravagant white-guy if you're so inclined. I try to stick to cheap rice, and cheap fruit and veggies - but the Japanese restaurants quite often do me in...

-What do you think about the Chinese people?
They stare. And they stare. And then they stare some more. But when you start chatting, they tend to be pretty cool. Of course you run into an occasional moron, but that happens everywhere. There's a very sincere and genuine curiosity on their part to inquire as to every aspect of my daily life. Quite often they will run down through a list of questions (not unlike this list). You become quite good at repeating the same answers after a while. I'm thinking of writing down my answers, photocopying them, and then handing them out when I meet new people. That wouldn't be anti-social, would it?

But seriously, they're pretty decent. The only time I sometimes run into behavior problems is when dealing with Chinese business people. When there's cash on the line, relationships take on a whole new quality. Proceed with caution, just to be safe.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in China?
Positive: live cheap, opportunities for study, tons of free time. High Japanese and Korean population here in Dalian, so you can experience those cultures without dishing out for a plane ticket.

Negative: It's about a 25-hour flight from home. Not including all the time used for changing planes – four stopovers usually. It's madness. May as well be working on the moon.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in China?
Do your research before coming. A lot of foreigners come here without preparing, and end up packing it in and going home after a few weeks. If you don't have a flexible personality, don't even try.

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about China?
My own of course:
Pandapassport.com: Dalian City Guide and Forum
This Web site has a Dalian Information guide that the local community can contribute to by posting their information in the forum. Very simple and easy. There is information about:

-Dalian Restaurants, Bars, and places to shop
-ESL schools, complete with school listings and ratings
-Mandarin study in Dalian, plus online resources for Chinese study