Free Hugs

Yesterday a few random people asked to give me a hug. When they left, the first thing I did was to check for my wallet and phone. Turns out they were just nice people spreading some Christmas love... And I got a free iPhone 6 out of it! (kidding) :-P

Tutoring Legally in China

I want to tutor and teach guitar after school in China, but it's technically illegal. Basically, the law says that you can't teach anybody anything without a work visa. And this work visa will not let you work anywhere except for your place of work. Therefore, private tutoring done outside of your place of work is technically illegal.

Yet, how do you define tutoring? A friend showing another friend some chords on the guitar is technically tutoring. A Chinese person teaching an American friend some new words is technically tutoring. A grandfather teaching his grandson how to play baseball is technically tutoring. A police officer explaining the illegality of tutoring is actually tutoring.

Of course, in all of these instances, there isn't an exchange of money. It's just friends helping friends. So, perhaps the illegality occurs when there's a monetary exchange. In America, there is a section on tax forms called "miscellaneous income," because the American government realizes that miscellaneous income is a part of normal life. For example, winning some money at a raffle, helping to paint a friend's house, private tutoring, getting paid to mow your neighbor's lawn or making some extra cash helping a friend move could all be miscellaneous income. Rather than simply requiring all of the above transactions to require a work Visa, China would be wise in creating an option for miscellaneous income. This will only increase revenue for the Chinese government and allow people to stop hiding their respectable side jobs.

Fake Churches in China

Big, beautiful new Christian "churches" are being built on many beaches and nature preserves in China. I was surprised to notice many of them at a few local beaches. However, I learned that these "churches" are being built for the sole purpose of decoration for wedding photos, for people who are generally not Christians or church goers.
While there are many churches in China that do have services, pastors and congregations, these ones don't. Having a beautiful Christian church building in your wedding photos is definitely becoming the new ideal in China. Personally, I thought it was an interesting and pretty funny phenomenon.

eBike in a Tropical Storm

Tonight I rode my electric bike to an English lesson about a mile away, and it started pouring on my way there. Even though I had an umbrella, I arrived drenched. On my way home, the wind and rain became insane. My umbrella was bending from strong gusts of wind and buckets of water. I had my computer in my backpack, which I was worried about. However, this wasn't the worst...

As I was riding, I noticed the water in the street was getting deeper. Soon, I noticed cars and buses stalled around me, and suddenly the rushing water was literally up to my knees. I became frightened of course, not sure if the water was going to get deeper. I was sure my tiny electric bike was going to die, but somehow, miraculously, it pushed me through about 75 yards of water that stalled cars and buses. It must have been a funny picture...

When I made it to higher ground I couldn't help but laugh, amazed at my electric bike. Thank God I made it home safely with my computer and my electric bike both fine. It's nice to be clean and dry again!

How Much Should I Charge for Private English Language Tutoring / Lessons in China

After having lived in Shenzhen, China for about 4 years, I've learned a lot about how much to charge for lessons. In China, I've taught private English, guitar and even some basketball lessons. Regarding tutoring prices, it varies among English teachers. However, you should not be afraid to charge a fair price.

I have a good American friend whose price is 250 RMB per hour (about $41 per hour) for private English lessons. He keeps very busy, though his market is definitely wealthier Chinese families. When I first started teaching English and guitar, I was content with 150 RMB per hour ($25). This is OK if you need to find students fast. And at that price, your schedule will likely fill up very quickly. However, once you become busy, you will likely want to increase your rate to 200-300 per hour. After increasing my rate to 200 (about $33 per hour), I didn't lose any students. Since I am no longer "desperate", I am now asking between 200-250 per hour for new students, depending on travel time, etc.

I have met some people who think 200-300 RMB is too expensive. Chinese English teachers often charge 100 RMB per hour, for example.  However, native English speakers in China are in completely different situations than local Chinese English teachers. For example, I am sacrificing time with family and friends in America. I also have to purchase a Visa and plane tickets every year. This can be expensive.

Also remember that, as a native English speaker, you offer something unique in China. Your accent, knowledge of culture and knowledge of grammar are generally seen as optimal for those who want to learn proper English.  If you have any college education, this should also be reflected in your price. For these reasons, your price should be higher than a non-native English teacher.

For group lessons, I feel a good price is 300-500 RMB per hour, depending on the size of the class. I have a friend who teaches in his apartment, and he always charges 400 RMB per class, no matter what the size of the class. This gives incentive for his students to find more people to bring to his class. Plus, he is making good money no matter what.

LONEi Club Address

LONEi Club 泷爱

No.8 Baishi Road East, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, China

深圳市南山区白石路东8号欢乐海岸

"All Men Are Superficial" - Funny Short Story

A couple days ago, a girl was talking telling me that all men are superficial. "They're only looking for a pretty face!" She said. Trying to be funny, I replied, "That's not true. We also look at the body." She didn't laugh.

Haircut Gone Bad

I went in to get a haircut and the lady asked me some questions that I didn't understand, so I just said "Sure" (knowing it's a decent place). So she ended up giving me a facial mask for like an hour in a room with a bunch of old women. It was pretty awkward, but my face felt soft for the next few days, which is a good thing (I think???)

"I Need You Now" - Funny Short Story

Last night I was hosting open mic and performing at a local restaurant / bar. After my first set a woman walked up to me and said, in broken English, "I need you now". I thought I misheard her, so I asked her to say it again. Finally she wrote it on her phone the same words, and I was pretty surprised. Later that night, as I was leaving, she showed me another Google Translate message on her phone. It said, "'I Need You Now' is the name of a song".

Funny Short Story - Google Translate Error!

In addition to teaching guitar and some basketball, I am also teaching some English in China right now. To keep the English lessons fun, I often buy new English kid's books from a local Chinese bookstore. While most of the books are very good, I've noticed not all of them use proper grammar all the time. In fact, I think some of them use Google Translate sometimes.

Last week, when reading a new book with a student, I realized I need to start "screening" kid's books. Basically the book was a funny kid's book about where to throw a booger. Yet in one line, the book called boogers "nose sh*t"! Unfortunately, my student ended up loving this book more than any other book, and her parents even asked me if she could borrow it!