Last week’s featured article was about some questions that i commonly hear in regards to living in China. My friend Magnus runs a website called MandMx.com. You may have seen Magnus comment a time or two and he has even featured one of my posts on his website before. Last week, Magnus left this comment on the featured article:

So, i thought this week i would dedicate the whole featured article to answer Magnus’s excellent questions. Hope you enjoy it and please go give Magnus some love.

1. Where do you get your ideas for your classes?

This is a great question because i’m sure many people struggle with class materials. I’m fortunate to have a DVD that was given to me that is full of content for classes. There are even sections of the DVD that have an entire semester’s worth of lesson plans including the syllabus for the course. I also use other teachers as resources for ideas for classes. There are only a handful of different courses that i would ever be asked to teach in China: oral english, writing, pronunciation, or film. Those classes have been taught for years so finding recycled materials is the best approach.

2. How do you get around in Beijing?  Which one do you most prefer?

I heard an interesting statement recently. A foreigner said that they ride the bus because that’s what the locals do. So, who are all those people keeping the taxi companies in business? Anyway, my answer is going to be a frustrating answer. My real answer is that it depends. Depends on where i’m going, depends on my mood, depends on how much time i have, and depends on which method of transportation is most easily accessible. I love riding the subway, but it’s not always the most convenient. This one really depends on where i’m going. The bus is fun to ride because i can just get on and not have to think about anything until i arrive at my destination. The problem with the bus is that i have to be able to read the bus signs to know which bus goes where. This is not easy because the signs are in Chinese and my knowledge of Chinese characters is very limited. Subways and buses are also very inexpensive which makes them a preferred way to get around. However, for convenience sake, i have to say i love taking taxis. They go from point A to point B and there’s usually minimal fuss. There are two problems with a taxi, though. The obvious problem is that they are expensive. At the very least a taxi ride will be 10 times more expensive than a bus. The other problem is that Beijing drivers are notorious for ripping off passengers by taking indirect routes that run up the meter. When taking a taxi it’s usually best if you know exactly how to get where you are going and can easily tell the driver which roads to take. My final method of getting around Beijing might be my favorite. I love to take my little scooter to places that are fairly close to my apartment. On beautiful sunny days it’s a lot of fun to experience the freedom of having my own transportation.

3. Which airline did you use to get to China and which do you prefer?

This is a common question that i hear a lot. Most people who travel back and forth to Asia have their set airline and for better or worse they stay loyal. Last June i had a miserable experience with Air Canada on my flight from Beijing to Atlanta via Toronto. I got stuck in Toronto for the night because of a delay in Beijing before we even left. Air Canada was the exact opposite of helpful once i was on the ground in Toronto. They even seemed to be going out of their way to make life even more difficult. But, for better or for worse, i do love Air Canada. Their rates are unbelievable inexpensive (usually about $750 roundtrip). But here’s the thing with Air Canada, the flight is perfect from Atlanta to Beijing via Toronto and here’s why: you leave Atlanta at 9:30 a.m. and arrive in Toronto just in time for lunch. The connector isn’t until 3:30 p.m. and the Toronto airport has free wi-fi. So i land, eat lunch, check my email and then i’m on board for Beijing. It’s an easy 12 hour flight and you land in Beijing at about 4:30 p.m. which is perfect timing to get to the apartment, drop off my luggage, and go meet friends for dinner. So, since going back to the US on Air Canada is a nightmare, i think next time i will try my luck on United. United goes to Atlanta via Chicago and should be fairly pain free, but we’ll see. So, to answer the question, i’d say my current preferred airline to get to China from the US is Air Canada.

4. Where did you get your awesome haircut?

That’s a secret. We can’t all have rockstar haircuts like this one.

5. What are you reading now that you are back in China?

I’m not currently reading anything about China. Well, unless you consider Beijing magazines and websites to be reading. My favorite ways to keep up with Beijing is through The Beijinger magazine and Time Out Beijing magazine. I also read a couple of newspapers and online news sources on a regular basis.

6. What is your weekly Chinese practice? or How do you practice your Chinese?

I’m not a good Chinese student. I like to practice my Chinese on store clerks, waitresses, and taxi drivers. It’s easier to practice Chinese with people who i will likely never see again than it is to practice with Chinese friends. My Chinese is horrible.

7. What in the world is BISCUET anyway?

BISCUET is not a what, but a who.