On any sidewalk in North America, a blonde, 5’6″, middle-aged woman, and a 6′ 2″ man with a grey moustache, attract very little attention from passersby. We not only blend in – we’re mostly invisible. But in Changsha, where few foreigners visit, my teaching partner Walter and I became minor celebrities. The first time we were …
One week into our China trip, Aaron and Mia, two of our grad student guides, decided it was time for Walter and me to get to know the non-academic side of Changsha. On Saturday morning, they arrived at our hotel at 10 o’clock, brimming with plans: a trip to Taiping Street, one of the city’s …
I have a new name. It is Yang Mila. I guess it’s not quite accurate to call it new. When I took Mandarin lessons more than a year ago, my teacher translated my English name and helped me to pronounce it. But before I came to China, I’d found very few opportunities to introduce myself …
Recently, I returned from a month-long teaching experience in Changsha, China. The professors in my class were participants in the University of Alberta’s Teaching in English program, a Faculty of Extension citation designed for higher education instructors to enhance their ability to teach their subjects in English. My seat mate on the 11 hour flight …
Wise Woman Travel 