Gaston's life in China

Life is sometimes full of surprises. Initially planned for one year, my stay in China has continued since 2003. I discovered a profession there that I really like. Indeed, I wanted to become a sinologist, more precisely a professor of Chinese history, and during my doctoral studies, my research director advised me to stay in China for a while. The idea was nice, but it's not free.

How to live while learning Chinese away from home? A Chinese junior high school welcomed me for a year as a French teacher. I am French-speaking and my level of Chinese allowed me to communicate in everyday situations, so my integration into this school was done without too much difficulty. Me who had always been afraid to speak in front of a group, and here they are 60 in front of me listening to my grammatical explanations in Chinese. No nervousness on my part, it's weird! My year in college went well, I decided to continue as a French teacher in China and not to return home. I had found my calling.

There hasn't really been a culture shock for me in China. I think that having known a lot of Chinese before I came to China helped me a lot. Beyond the language, regular meetings with my language partners from yesteryear have, without my realizing it, taught me many things about Chinese culture. So, when I got off the plane in Beijing, the first contacts were relatively easy, and since then he has had very few major communication problems. Obviously, I do not understand everything that is said in Chinese, but generally we end up understanding each other. In any case, with my students, things are going well.

My job has taken me to work in a few Chinese cities. Whether in the north, south or east, the cities I have known have changed dramatically, sometimes to the point of not recognizing them. This speed of urban development surprised me a lot. I often ask myself, "Where do these new city dwellers come from?" I imagine they want to fill the new jobs available in the burgeoning service sector, which is very visible in today's urban landscape. In fact, my students, after graduation, find a lot of jobs in the e-commerce sector. All of these jobs are in town, of course!

Indirectly, it was my profession as a teacher that gave me the opportunity to play a small role in a Chinese film. Local authorities were looking for a foreigner. So, I tried. This experience convinced me that being an actor is demanding and requires a lot of patience. It's interesting, but come to think of it, I'll stick with the teaching.

I would like to travel to China more often. I still have my passion for history. When I retire, I will have more free time. I will take the train without worrying about having too precise a timetable and I will visit archaeological sites. The train is a form of transportation that I appreciate very much in China. And when I travel between cities, I see the incredible development of the rail industry. We used to drive 120km/h, now we do it at 300km/h. Before I had time to sleep between leaving and arriving, now I only have time to watch a movie on my phone, something I obviously couldn't do in 2003.

Time passed quickly. I started a family here. I live well with my Chinese family. I don't know when the retirement time will come, but at least I know that I will have several places to visit in China.

My name is Gaston Ruel. I am from Canada, more specifically from Quebec. I am the director of the French major at the Boda Institute of Jilin Normal University in Siping, Jilin Province. I have lived in China for almost 20 years.

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.