We walked into this first grade classroom in the Xicheng District of Beijing to find Daniel teaching English to an exuberant group of six-year-olds.
After class was over, Daniel told me his fascinating story: He was born in Ghana and moved to England with his parents when he was a teenager. He got his law degree at Cambridge, much to the disappointment of his parents, who consider this a dishonorable profession (apparently a strong perception from Ghana).
This resulted in a family rift, so Daniel left England to see the world and cool down. His first day in Beijing -- just a few months ago -- he learned that English teachers are needed so he applied and got the job.
Now he's fluent in Chinese and has a contagiously enthusiastic teaching style. By the way, he's back in good graces with his family, and his mother is coming for a visit soon.
He says he's never been happier.
Wow! Go Daniel! And Chinese is a hard language to learn; my husband studied it in college and never progressed far beyond "where can I get a beer" and "Which way to the library."
ReplyDeleteDaniel must be one smart dude! Fluent in Chinese after only a few months? I lived in Beijing for three months studying Mandarin and reached about the same level as Kat's husband.
ReplyDeleteHe speaks English with a hybird Ghana/British accent, so I imagine the Chinese people find his accent similarly interesting when he speaks their language.
ReplyDeleteDaniel is a really interesting guy and it's obvious that teaching children is his true calling.
Glad his mom came around!
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