A 60+ year old friend of mine who was one of the volunteers at our Hong Kong school won a scholarship to learn Mandarin in Tianjin, China, a city of 12 million. It has been quite an experience for her (not in the least because they didn’t know she was 60 when she applied!). She writes:
“I sometimes think I’ve come to the dark side of the moon, or the dust capital of the universe. Tianjin is a huge city of 12 million …… After several frustrating months trying to ensure my success (and probably engineering my own failure), I have come to the realization that westerners are deeply devoted to logic, to process, to goals and (to) facilitation. These are not in the Chinese thought universe. It’s remarkable how many concepts and activities here are directly opposite to western ways…….At the moment I just wish I could get over this chest cold I’ve had for all of December, so I can make the most of (my opportunity). I find the Chinese people friendly here, but this is wildly different from Hong Kong, and not just because it’s perfectly flat here in Tianjin! Take a few gulps of that clean fresh BC air for me, it’s precious.”
The ‘differences’ she experiences in Tianjin are on the same scale the students experience when they come to visit us on Read, only the student’s experiences are more positive. Or so it seems from their comments.
Our Off the Grid Home 
Susan in Dundarave – My Dad, now deceased, taught English in Tianjin for 10 years and made some good friends. Many baffling experiences, especially around the complicated system of exchanging favours (can't get a railway ticket unless someone speaks for you as a favour) Air pollution very bad. Read "Wild Swans" for some hints on history.Not certain if you will read this comment as it is attached to an older post.
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