| Another World | | | | in the dirt poor countryside? |
| The best part about traveling to another country to | | | | Major regional cities |
| study a TESOL Course is the exposure to another | | | | There are many large cities in China (2 million +) that |
| culture. The language, the food, the customs. Some | | | | are great places to live and are still `Real China`. The |
| countries are literally another world. | | | | city I live in, Harbin, is one of the best examples. |
| | | | Harbin is a city of 10 million with 4 million living in the city |
| I say almost because Western cultural dominance isn`t | | | | center. It has all the conveniences of a major city but is |
| near total or complete. Every country, even Western | | | | different from the hectic mega cities in its personality. |
| ones, still have pockets of unique and relatively | | | | Even though it is a large city with all the modern |
| unspoiled culture. | | | | trappings, it is still relatively untouched by Western |
| China | | | | culture. Harbiners see their city as a Chinese regional |
| One of the best examples of a country with lots of | | | | capital seeking to represent the best of China. This |
| Western influence, but still maintaining its | | | | means that people are proud to display their tradition |
| `otherworldliness`, is China. | | | | and culture. |
| China is a huge, alien world with an even larger wealth | | | | This is not to say that it is a `closed city`. Rather, Harbin |
| gap. There is almost no Western influence in vast | | | | is often referred to as the friendliest city in China. Local |
| areas of China. In the countryside and smaller towns | | | | people love to meet foreign friends and are curious |
| modern conveniences are difficult if not impossible to | | | | about Western culture. With a small core of about 400 |
| find. (Chinese consider a city of less than 1 million | | | | Westerners living in Harbin, foreigners are not so |
| people to be a small town. These cities often do not | | | | common that your neighbors won`t still act as though |
| have movie theatres, McDonalds or supermarkets. | | | | you are a local celebrity. |
| They are agricultural support centers.) | | | | If you want to force yourself to learn Mandarin, Harbin |
| On the other hand, the hectic mega cities have | | | | is the place. The dialect is well known as the most |
| become near clones of any large city in countries all | | | | standard Chinese in the country. You can`t really get |
| around the world. Thousands of foreigners live in these | | | | by comfortably without knowing how to speak some |
| cities and millions visit each year. This has created an | | | | basic Chinese and, if you choose, you can go days |
| environment in which foreigners are a dime a dozen | | | | without seeing or speaking to another Westerner. |
| and the locals see themselves as worldly citizens | | | | By shopping in the street markets, eating in the small |
| seeking to emulate New Yorkers or Londoners | | | | BBQs or noodle houses, and striking up a conversation |
| When living in these and several other major Chinese | | | | with the talkative local people. You can attain a basic |
| cities, you may as well be in LA or Toronto. | | | | level of Chinese in a couple of months. |
| What options are left for travelers who want to go to | | | | This is only one example of how China`s major |
| China to be immersed in a new culture, to learn the | | | | regional cities can offer an enjoyable experience in |
| language and customs, but who don’t want to live | | | | `Real China`. |