Goingnative's Wiki Page
MindSay wiki pages: Only the friends of goingnative can edit this page. Going Native FAQ:
- Why the blog?
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- August 2005, GN (Heather) and the DH (Ivan) moved from Toronto, Canada to Shijiazhuang, China to work for the first private aviation academy in China, Beijing Panam International Aviation Academy. Now they are working for the second private academy, Jiutian International Flight Academy (JTFA). This blog was started as a way to keep family and friends informed of GN's thoughts and experiences while in China. So this all started off as a way to avoid emailing a hundred people. GN never had great expectations of writing the authoritative blog on China, there are other blogs that do a better job of reporting news stories and political info. This blog was more of a personal story. In the future, GN will continue to blog on her expat experiences in Linyi, China and interesting things she sees and reads. GN is mostly interested in expat issues, travel, and international affairs, so other than stories of international life, those are the topics she might mention.
- August 2005, GN (Heather) and the DH (Ivan) moved from Toronto, Canada to Shijiazhuang, China to work for the first private aviation academy in China, Beijing Panam International Aviation Academy. Now they are working for the second private academy, Jiutian International Flight Academy (JTFA). This blog was started as a way to keep family and friends informed of GN's thoughts and experiences while in China. So this all started off as a way to avoid emailing a hundred people. GN never had great expectations of writing the authoritative blog on China, there are other blogs that do a better job of reporting news stories and political info. This blog was more of a personal story. In the future, GN will continue to blog on her expat experiences in Linyi, China and interesting things she sees and reads. GN is mostly interested in expat issues, travel, and international affairs, so other than stories of international life, those are the topics she might mention.
- Who is Going Native?
-
- GN is a small-town girl gone global. Of North American origins, she is really more of a gypsy at heart. GN is married to her DH, who is from Spain, one of GN's favorite places. GN and DH have been married for 6 years and enjoy travelling. They have a strong sense of adventure and wanderlust. So far, in their time together, they have lived in 5 countries.
- Where is Going Native right now?
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- After a three month break in Spain, GN and the DH are back in China, this time in Linyi, a city close to the East coast. (Near Qingdao, if you have ever heard of the Tsingtao beer.) They are back to another aviation academy.
- After a three month break in Spain, GN and the DH are back in China, this time in Linyi, a city close to the East coast. (Near Qingdao, if you have ever heard of the Tsingtao beer.) They are back to another aviation academy.
- What does Going Native do?
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- GN is an aviation English teacher. She is also working on a Master's degree in Library Science. In a former life she was a registered nurse, specializing in cardiology. DH is the Chief Flight Instructor and Manager of the Flight Department. In all his former lives he has been a pilot and instructor.
- What does Going Native want to do?
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- Travel the world, write books, learn languages, read magazines, watch movies, listen to music and work on her Mac.
- Travel the world, write books, learn languages, read magazines, watch movies, listen to music and work on her Mac.
- Where has Going Native been?
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- GN just came back from two weeks on the beach in Vietnam and wants to go back! She has been in China for two years and has traveled throughout much of China, including Tibet. She has also visited Malaysia, Cambodia & Thailand. GN has been lucky enough to travel extensively, she has only Antarctica & Australia left to visit before she can say she has touched every continent. She has lived in the US (New Mexico, Colorado, Texas), Kuwait, Costa Rica (San Jose), Spain (Aviles), Canada (Toronto) & China (Shijiazhuang, Linyi). GN believes that we are living in an ever-changing, ever-shrinking world and the only way to understand people is to see the way they live. She wishes she had been around in the days of Marco Polo, Gertrude Bell, Freya Stark and great explorers like Magellen, Cook, and Lewis & Clark - People who really did see things no one else had seen.
- GN just came back from two weeks on the beach in Vietnam and wants to go back! She has been in China for two years and has traveled throughout much of China, including Tibet. She has also visited Malaysia, Cambodia & Thailand. GN has been lucky enough to travel extensively, she has only Antarctica & Australia left to visit before she can say she has touched every continent. She has lived in the US (New Mexico, Colorado, Texas), Kuwait, Costa Rica (San Jose), Spain (Aviles), Canada (Toronto) & China (Shijiazhuang, Linyi). GN believes that we are living in an ever-changing, ever-shrinking world and the only way to understand people is to see the way they live. She wishes she had been around in the days of Marco Polo, Gertrude Bell, Freya Stark and great explorers like Magellen, Cook, and Lewis & Clark - People who really did see things no one else had seen.
- What does the future hold for Going Native?
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- Nothing is certain but uncertainty...
- Nothing is certain but uncertainty...
- Who the heck is DH? What is with the initials?
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- DH = Dear Hubby. At one point GN decided that it might be a good idea to maintain a sense of anonymity, although she knows practically everyone who reads this blog! DH is a common abbreviation used on internet chat groups and forums to refer to one's spouse.
- How can I contact GN?
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- email her: imaglobalgal at gmail dot com
- email her: imaglobalgal at gmail dot com
- Did you like China? What was China like? (Questions I was asked while in Spain!)
- I was asked these questions daily on my return to Spain/US and they are not easy questions to answer. Did I like China? Yes, I had a blast in China. I loved experiencing life in a small rural village. I loved traveling to Beijing and to the South to see more of the country. But, hey, I love the expat life. I love being challenged! Every expat living in China will tell you this - some days you love it, some days you hate it. I'd say that is true for every place on the planet. Life is what you make of it, no matter where you are. We were lucky to have incredible friends and a unique view on Chinese life.
- Now, to be completely honest, I experienced quite a lot of little annoyances, that in and of themselves were no big deal. But annoyances can build up and over time you find yourself feeling more and more frustrated. I usually relieved myself of these feelings by taking a break, which is why I think frequent mini-vacations is a good idea and a big part of expat life. By annoyances I mean not being able to communicate, getting tired of the food, not having a kitchen, feeling isolated. If you have a supportive environment, these annoyances matter less.
, - Everyone asks me what China was like, and that is difficult to answer. China was a country of contrasts. Constant contrasts. Rich/poor, urban/rural, good/bad. In general the Chinese people were curious and polite towards us. China is experiencing major changes and everywhere you go it is evident.
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hi from jpscrawler it would seam you haven,t bloged for a while hope every thing ok. i know some what of what you mean of travel as i came to the north east from delmarva area. alittle south of here. started driveing truck i know this area better then the locals. the major roads that is, the ones that git you from here to there fastest. well stay well your friend jpscrawler.
Hey,
Had my first CBT this afternoon... Absolutely delicious! Thanks for helping to bolster my courage enough that I would dare to try some street food.
Since I'm allergic to so many things, I have had to wait for my vocabulary to catch up to my stomach... No peanut oil!!! (In addition to about 15 other things)
Laters...
Had my first CBT this afternoon... Absolutely delicious! Thanks for helping to bolster my courage enough that I would dare to try some street food.
Since I'm allergic to so many things, I have had to wait for my vocabulary to catch up to my stomach... No peanut oil!!! (In addition to about 15 other things)
Laters...
Oh my gosh! You are allergic to peanut oil? That must make things so difficult in restaurants!
I am glad you liked the CBT. I haven't had a lot of street food lately, since I've been cooking more and more. Never thought I would enjoy cooking so much. I guess that is what happens when one lives in a hotel for a year!
BTW, I am now studying Chinese more formally, for an hour everyday with one of my coworkers. It is amazing how quickly I am learning. (I've also been spending a lot of time with this girl outside of work.) I think after 18 months I have finally absorbed the tones and rhythm of the language enough to effectively learn. It is such a joy to carry on a (however short) conversation with shopkeepers and taxi drivers.
I am glad you liked the CBT. I haven't had a lot of street food lately, since I've been cooking more and more. Never thought I would enjoy cooking so much. I guess that is what happens when one lives in a hotel for a year!
BTW, I am now studying Chinese more formally, for an hour everyday with one of my coworkers. It is amazing how quickly I am learning. (I've also been spending a lot of time with this girl outside of work.) I think after 18 months I have finally absorbed the tones and rhythm of the language enough to effectively learn. It is such a joy to carry on a (however short) conversation with shopkeepers and taxi drivers.
CBT is called: Jian bing gua zi.
It's funny, I'm so used to hearing and speaking the tones now that I don't pay attention to what they are anymore, I just say them.
I haven't ever studied formally - You are soooo lucky to have the time to do so - But I feel as though my Chinese is progressing, though maybe not as logically as it would in formal lessons, certainly as quickly. It's fun to be able to converse, though it's also easy to take it for granted after a while (until someone throws something like, "Are you looking for a boyfriend?" at you and you have to reply to something other that what country your from, how long you've been in China what foods you eat and how much money you make.
I love the Chinese!
It's funny, I'm so used to hearing and speaking the tones now that I don't pay attention to what they are anymore, I just say them.
I haven't ever studied formally - You are soooo lucky to have the time to do so - But I feel as though my Chinese is progressing, though maybe not as logically as it would in formal lessons, certainly as quickly. It's fun to be able to converse, though it's also easy to take it for granted after a while (until someone throws something like, "Are you looking for a boyfriend?" at you and you have to reply to something other that what country your from, how long you've been in China what foods you eat and how much money you make.
I love the Chinese!
Let me clarify that I am studying formally as in classes - I'm just meeting for an hour everyday with my friend, and since she studied English and teaching, she is quite good at instructing. Usually she introduces some new phrases & words and we practice reading poetry. She tells me stories about the culture, etc. I wish I could attend a university program here to study, but as I have to work right now it is not an option. Still, you can't help but learn if you really get out and try, and learn from friends.
Thanks for the formal name of the CBT. I hadn't seen it written in Pinyin, so I've been calling it Jian bien. There is also a way to call it in local dialect that I have learned. I say it whenever I want everyone in hearing distance to laugh. They just laugh and say, How do you know that?
The biggest problem I have is that I can carry on a conversation, but only so far. Once I have used up most of my phrases, the hard work of constructing sentences with very limited vocabulary starts. And by then the unsuspecting taxi driver or shopkeeper thinks you are fluent so they just go off... frustration!
Thanks for the formal name of the CBT. I hadn't seen it written in Pinyin, so I've been calling it Jian bien. There is also a way to call it in local dialect that I have learned. I say it whenever I want everyone in hearing distance to laugh. They just laugh and say, How do you know that?
The biggest problem I have is that I can carry on a conversation, but only so far. Once I have used up most of my phrases, the hard work of constructing sentences with very limited vocabulary starts. And by then the unsuspecting taxi driver or shopkeeper thinks you are fluent so they just go off... frustration!
Happy Chinese New Year!!!!!!
Happy Chinese New Year!!!!!!
Mkay Native, I am gotng to ask my friends for advice in creating a Wiki page. When you get a chance, pass me some advice. Ty Lea
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