Life of Guangzhou - Jon Ransom: Taking Part in a Child's Early Education Makes Me Proud

lifeofguangzhou.com: What impressed you most during the working period in Guangzhou ?

Guangzhou is a remarkable city, as are its people, so there is a lot that has impressed me during my working period here. I am impressed by the commitment to English language studies Guangzhou's students have. It is difficult to really understand the massive drive to learn English unless you live here. Another thing that impresses me is the change one witnesses living in Guangzhou. Change is everywhere, and all the time. You see it in the people, in the culture, and in the land and cityscape. By my estimation, things that would take 20 years to change in Canada, take only 5 years, or so, here. It's impressive, and even intimidating sometimes.

lifeofguangzhou.com: Are there any touching stories happened during your working time in Guangzhou ?

Hmmm, my own love story about how I met and married my Cantonese sweetheart is quite touching... but maybe only to me!

Sadly, I have not witnessed many stories that have touched me here in Guangzhou. I think this is so because I am separated from the happenings of Guangzhou in part because of communication barriers and in part because I am so busy with work. Also, I do think that Guangzhou residents are a little reserved in reaching out to those in need. I have seen many needy people ignored. Just recently a friend of mine witnessed a woman being robbed on the street and was cut very badly with a knife. Even then, nobody wanted to help her! Finally my friend and another man ran over to her and brought her to a hospital. Maybe people in Guangzhou are too busy, but I hope this is not the case.

I do have one friend who reached out to a homeless woman living in the Guangzhou Dong Zhan. She offered her a place to live and found a job for her. Her act of kindness has totally changed this homeless woman's life in a positive way. I think that even small acts of kindness could really make this city even better.

lifeofguangzhou.com: As a foreign expert in Guangzhou, do you think what the biggest achievement you have got? What made you feel proudest?

I have several students, both in Huamei and from my tutoring classes, that I have taught and watched grow into really proficient English speakers. I have developed a close friendship with these children along the way. To watch these kids grow and to take part in a child's early educational development makes me feel proud. To see this development through fully is the biggest achievement for me.

This year I am honored to be receiving the "Guangzhou Friendship Award" for education. To be recognized for any kind of achievement always feels good, so I am thankful to Guangzhou for such a great honor. I hope that I can continue to help this generation of Guangzhou's children in becoming people of good character and true assets to China's global development.

lifeofguangzhou.com: Are there any difficulties when working with your Chinese staff at Huamei School? How did you deal with it? For example, some culture difference.

When I first came to China I think I experienced many difficulties with culture and language. I think everyone who comes to China experiences these misunderstandings. Now I have been in China for more than 5 years and am married to a Chinese woman, so I have begun to understand the culture and I can now speak the language.

I see a lot of difficulties among new-to-China foreign teachers and the Chinese staff because the new teachers do not understand the language or the culture. Also many of the Chinese staff do not speak English and therefore cannot express themselves clearly. I see them facing the same problems I did when I first arrived here. The problems these new teachers face are due mainly to communication. As we foreigners are guests in China, I think it is our obligation to learn the language as soon as possible. It is the least we can do, especially considering the lengths to which many Chinese people go to learn English. Patience is, of course, absolutely necessary here. Understanding culture and differences takes time and patience.

lifeofguangzhou.com: Why did you come to work in Huamei School ?

I wanted to work for Huamei because it was an International School that was a bilingual school as well. I am a specialist teacher who is grounded in early childhood language learning, so I guess that is what Huamei was looking for. Also, Huamei School was gracious enough to give me a shot at teaching for them. I had only a few years of experience when I started at Huamei, so when I went for the interview, I didn't expect that I would be given the job. After all is said and done, I'm really happy to be working for Guangzhou's oldest international school and I hope that I can continue to do a good job for them.

lifeofguangzhou.com: How long do you plan to work in Guangzhou ?

That's difficult to say. My wife and I expect to be here for another 3-5 years with strong possibilities of making Guangzhou our permanent home. I have grown to love Guangzhou and China, so if I end up living here permanently, I don't think that would be such a bad thing.

lifeofguangzhou.com: What's your suggestion to Guangzhou city?

Guangzhou has already made many good changes to the city and I am really happy to see that they are striving to make this city better and better. I was so happy when the city started putting pedestrian traffic guards on busy crosswalks to make sure that people were crossing the road safely. I think more and more drivers are starting to obey the rules of the road more, too, however, I would like to see traffic guards fining those drivers who do not respect the rights of the pedestrian on the road.

One thing that needs to change in Guangzhou is littering. Our children especially are adopting the habits of their parents when it comes to throwing away litter in an improper manner. I know that Guangzhou has hired street cleaners to deal with the garbage on the roads, but I think that too much waste still falls into the water system and damages the environment. Even in the wilderness of Phoenix Mountain near Huamei, I still see piles of garbage left by those who are not concerned with the environment. What's more, "litterbugs" make our beautiful city look ugly! I really hope that parents can change their habits and educate their children to dispose of litter properly and respect our environment. Perhaps a fine for "litterbugs", such as the $1500 fine in Hong Kong, would help solve this problem.