 " I put some money in the stock market and became a millionaire, only to lose it all in the crash of the NASDQ. Sharon and I were divorced in about 1994, and I ended up living with a Metis lady and raising 3 little kids for 6 years. In 1999 that all came to an end, and I found myself in China in the summer of 2000. I loved everything I experienced, and permanently moved here on Valentine's Day. I was married on March 21, 2001 in Pingdingshan, Henan (the very center of China). When I was in Worsley teaching Social 30, the Berlin Wall was torn down and Russia turned into an open market economy. Little did I realize at that time that the 'Bamboo Curtain' was stronger than the 'Iron Curtain'. Since coming to China I have come to realize that this culture developed totally different ways of living and dealing with life. My mind has certainly expanded as I experience new foods, and ways of thinking and living. Life certainly is an adventure, and I would recommend China to all your visitors. I feel safer here than when I was living in Vancouver, and foreigners are treated with great respect. What has impressed me the most is that the family's top priority is education. They value it highly and everyone respects teachers. My adult learners treat me as they would their father, and it is very refreshing to be so highly valued and recognized. I do contract work for companies and Training Schools, running oral English classes. For adventurous souls with English as their first language, it is easy to make a living here. Many foreigners are very young and have no teacher education or experience, yet do very well. I have lived in Shenzhen, China for two years. My contact with other foreigners has been very limited as I live among the lower class Chinese and associate with the middle class Chinese (my learners of oral English). In my first year I worked for kindergartens, public schools, training centres and the University of Shenzhen. In my second year I switched to working for companies such as China Bank, Fairchild Semiconductors, Huawei etc., and training groups such as Shenzhen Government Management Training Group and Shenzhen English Daily. My learners are primarily Chinese middleclass individuals, aged 25 to 35, with University degrees. About 20% own their own car and home. In our classes and small groups, I have discussed all the issues I ever talked about in the 57 years I lived in North America. It is my opinion that individual freedom, economic opportunity, and entrepreneurship are all on the increase in China, while they are all decreasing in North America, especially individual freedoms. After living here one comes to the conclusion that social stability and personal security may be as important as individual freedoms. Every culture has to find the balance that works for them. The Chinese I come into contact with may not represent the average Chinese because they have left their home city to come to Shenzhen, a city of 7 million created within the last 20 years. As a result they have had to become more self-reliant and develop their own potential, rather than totally relying on their family for support. It is very interesting to witness them, especially the women, come to the realization that they can change their life for the better. It is similar to watching flowers bloom. All of the people I come into contact with are hard workers, highly value all education, save 25 to 50% of their salary, and are more than willing to put up with a lack of immediate gratification or consumption, in order to ensure a brighter future. I would be happy to correspond with anyone interested in learning more about China." Roger Humbke humbke@hotmail.com
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