Don's ESL Adventure!
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Movie lover. Growing Capoeirista. Space enthusiast. Dedicated craftsman. And best of all, homegrown Los Angeles native. Wait, how in the hell did I end up in China!?
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 I don't know--it just happened. The moon was full, and the clouds had spread just enough to enjoy it's celestial beauty in whole. Suddenly, something hit me--I felt her. Her spirit. Her memory. Her energy. Our energy. And as I looked up into the starry night, gazed at a blinding moon that seemed to be staring right back down at me, a smile ran across my face--the first genuine smile I had in what seemed like an eternity. I realized, in that very moment, that somewhere across the far reaches of the globe, her eyes were glued to the sky just as I, and although we could not be together, I knew she was thinking about me too. And on this still night, in that same instant, I whispered into the universe, hoping the wind would carry my voice across the seven seas to soothe her soul: "Until we meet again, my love" ...  Look, I’m from America. When I think basketball, I think … NBA. I think WNBA, NCAA, AND1 Streetball Tournaments, Harlem Globetrotters, NBA All-Star Weekend. I think 21, Horse, 3-point shootouts. I think Michael Jordan, Kobe—may he rest in peace—Lebron, Shaq. I think Space Jam, Coach Carter, Love and Basketball, He Got Game.
 I knew an old man that used to garden. He started with a tiny plot of land and single seed, and overtime the entire space blossomed into a beautiful corner of the world, ripe with fresh fruits and vegetables, the most colorful variety of flowers you’d ever seen, and dozens of intoxicating aromas that no insect could resist.
 Plenty of things excite me about travel. For one, going on trips is just always a downright f**king awesome adventure. After all, you’re trying out new foods, exploring new terrains and cityscapes, engaging with people from different cultures, and learning about various lifestyles and traditions. *Damn, I miss traveling already … SMH.*
 I remember it like it was yesterday—It was my 1st year in China and I was speaking to my Chinese colleague about the education system in the country.
 If you’re like me, chances are you’ve already forgotten 2017’s disastrous Justice League movie. And sure, you’ve given DC some kind of credit for bouncing back stronger than ever with a solid performance from Aquaman, but maybe it just wasn’t enough.
 When it comes to traveling, everyone outta’ have one time in their life where they just flat out say, “Fuck it.”
 It’s been a wild 7+ years teaching English abroad in China—I know, I can’t believe it either. I’ve had ups and downs, highs and lows, experienced the good with the bad, and … yada, yada, yada. Who cares? Look, in the span of those years I’ve come to notice two genuinely important things: One, I don’t know who was/is a cooler president, Barack Obama or Xi Jingping? What do you think? Ah, that’s a tough one. Damnit!
![[STORY] Say Hello to Mr. Good Game | Don's ESL Adventure!](/uploads/1/0/9/3/10931435/img-20161015-012114_orig.jpg) EXT. SHANGHAI - MID-DAY. Upbeat hip hop music. A quick shot of the Lujiazui skyscrapers from the Bund. It’s busy, it’s beautiful, and it’s some of the best-looking weather you’ll ever catch in Shanghai.
 I just love catching Black superheroes (and villains) in action; after all, there’s nothing like seeing someone that looks and speaks like you kicking some a** and taking names. As a kid growing up in the 90’s, powerhouse comic book companies like Marvel and DC Comics introduced me to quite the variety of black superheroes and villains, and they played crucial roles, too.
 Thank God for Seinfeld! Seriously, not only is it my favorite TV series of all time, it's also the greatest show to exit since the dawn of civilization. Facts!
 "So, what's some hot trends, cool technology, and awesome products coming out of China?" Heck, it's like clockwork. As an expat in China for 6 years and counting, it's just one of those questions I've come to expect whenever I speak with people from back home.
 Dear China, for once could you please hold the ‘Méiyŏu?’ It seems just about every week that I, an American expat teaching English in China for the past 6 years, stumble upon what seems like one of the country's cruelest ongoing jokes: ‘Méiyŏu-gate'.
 A guy once tried to stab me in China—Shanghai, to be specific. No kidding, he pulled out a pocketknife and made multiple swings towards my head. And in all honestly, it was partly my fault.
 My mixed martial arts (MMA) coach taught me a valuable lesson today. It was nearing the end of class and not a second after setting a timer for 3 minutes of Jiu-jitsu rolling—he was my partner—I'd request that we start from the ground and on our knees, which is a common neutral starting position in a match. I sprained a big toe in the 2 weeks prior and didn't want to risk bringing on more pain by beginning in a stand up position with takedowns. Silly me.
 After nearly 6 years of living in China, I can't believe that I've just finally gotten around to spending at least thirty minutes to an hour each day exercising. Well, sort of.
 I really do not know why I don't read more. I really should. I guess I just fit in with most people in the world that rarely do the beneficial things they ought to be to doing to live a much more mentally, physically, and spiritually healthy life.
 I was working as an English teacher for a training center in China. On one particular day I had prepared my classroom half an hour before class and returned 10 minutes later as parents rolled in with their children—ages 4 to 6—as was the normal process.
 "Woop-Woop. That's the sound of the police!" A foreigner getting a traffic ticket in Shanghai, who'd a thought? Yep, it's happened to me just twice since moving to the big city at the start of 2016.
 How ironic: I got my e-bike stolen on my very last day of work, and to add icing on the cake, I found out just minutes before my colleagues would throw me a surprise party.
 Teaching English abroad in China has been an adventure of a lifetime. I’ve taught hundreds of young and passionate ESL learners, experienced new cultures, met people from all walks of life, and explored numerous regions around the world that I had once only known from television and movies.
 Everybody needs a little gangsta’ rap music in his or her life, period. No matter gender, race, culture, country, or social hierarchy, it’s an undeniable truth that everyone arrives at a moment in life where you need to just let loose, brag, curse, talk sh*t, wipe the “dirt off your shoulder,” and liberate all the stress and sheltered bravado that’s been built up over the day, week, month, or year. And gangsta rap, used responsibly, is one of the best ways to let it all hang out.
 It was October 3rd--Golden Week in China—and with my girlfriend having gone home for the holidays I decided to hop on my fully charged electric scooter bike and set off on a long adventure across Kunshan to explore Yangcheng Lake.
 Capoeira is the best martial art ever, period. A Brazilian martial art with origins in Africa, Capoeira is known for its flashy kicks, sweeps, acrobatic maneuvers, and constant movement, all of which are well blended into a dance-like choreography.
 I was less than a year into China when I lost my wallet in Kunshan. I withdrew 1,000RMB from an ATM, rode my bike home, locked it, reached into my pocket and realized that my wallet was gone. Womp.
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8/18/2020
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