As we began our volunteer ESL teaching to increase our “place-ability” with the Peace Corps (see our June, 2013 newsletter) we got to know an individual through the Laubach Literacy program who had taught ESL at a university in China.

We became intrigued with the possibility that maybe we could teach there as well!

Don’s father was a missionary in China for 9 years in the 1930s before Mao created that country’s transition.  So last summer he pulled out some of his Dad’s China keepsakes and discovered that his Dad had lived in the same area as the university.

To compound our interest, a number of Professors from that university came to Long Beach last summer to study and we were invited to meet them at a private BBQ held for them.  We got to sample “real” Chinese food! I got my plate of food, sat my chair against the wall and many of the women pulled up their chairs around me. We had fun chatting! We were warmly welcomed and found the Sunday afternoon passed too quickly.

Later in August, Don had the opportunity to invite a couple of the Professors to the Camarillo airshow and Don really enjoyed giving them the “cook’s tour”.

In the early fall we submitted our CV’s (curriculum vitae) to the university for the possibility for teaching English during the second (spring) semester of 2014. Regrettably, age restrictions were tightened up later in the fall, closing that door for us. Bummer – on to Plan B!