Tale of two cities whets the appetite for adventure

Arriving in China during the fall of 2016, I was immediately struck by the dynamism of my adopted city of Shenzhen, Guangdong province, as previously, I had spent two years living and working in Ethiopia. Different in many respects from East Africa, and similarly unlike my home country of the United States, I was excited to begin a new chapter in my life, embracing change. After all, change is how we grow.

Teaching at a STEM university in Shenzhen, I had a front-row seat to the altering landscape of not only tertiary education, but by extension, to a vibrant high-tech community, which by all accounts, is nurtured in that southern megalopolis. From innovators to incubators, Shenzhen was (and is) a microcosm of the larger world: the exploration of new ideas through the fostering of creativity. While I taught critical thinking skill sets to my college students, who were learning how to code, design, and create machines, each of us use unique approaches to logic, and the circuitous, not linear, routes which are sometimes demanded.

Outside academic settings, Shenzhen also provided me with an insight into the vastness of China, acting as a migrant melting pot of sorts for people from across the country. Uniquely Guangdong, while at the same time celebrating diversity, the coastal city was the perfect landing spot for someone like myself, who has traveled around the world, and finds consolation in multiculturalism. During my six years there, it was the variety of food, which perhaps, had the biggest impact on how I learned to appreciate the many facets of Chinese culture.

Able to venture out often and travel around the country to cities including Guangzhou, Shenyang, Shanghai, Wuhan, Zhengzhou, Haikou, Dali, Changsha, Harbin, and countless others, preferably by high-speed rail, I was reminded that oftentimes, it is the journey, as well as the destination, which shapes the cumulative experience.

Each city offered new understandings, cultural insights, stunning landscapes, and, of course, delicious cuisines.

In the spring of 2024, I made the move to Beijing, quite the juxtaposition from the Special Economic Zone of Shenzhen, with a history measured in dynasties, not years. Again, teaching at a university, I continue to be amazed by the level of dialogue both inside and outside the classroom, not only related to academics, but perhaps more importantly, to visions of the future and the expanded world-view. Beijing certainly has an extensive rearview mirror, but it is the lens through which it looks forward that interests me the most.

Within the realm of teaching, things remain active, with students continuing to embrace innovative approaches to what can be common dilemmas. In preparation for the larger world, where the collective "we" transcends the individualist "I", our discussions try to focus on solutions, not problems. Respect is given to all ideas, as we are a community of learners: a class of 20 teachers, not one teacher and 19 students.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't give credence to Beijing cuisine, from the wonderful dumplings to the roasted duck, which is, quite possibly, the single best dish in China. Similarly, there is no shortage of Western food as well, including two staples of my diet: craft beer and pastor tacos, each of which I can, unsurprisingly, find in abundance, whether hidden among the ancient hutong or underneath the canopy of modern steel structures. And it is complexities such as these — the dumplings and the tacos, the then and the now — which makes Beijing unique, solidifying its status as a dynastic city.

Shenzhen and Beijing couldn't be more different from one another, while at the same time, having myriad similarities. Each offers endless possibilities, from a professional, as well as personal, standpoint, encouraging adaptation and growth on both fronts. Challenges are embraced, for like change, that is how we grow. Yet it is the opportunities for success which have kept me in China since 2016, a testament to my own global directives, paired with experiences in two dynamic cities.

The author holds a master's degree in teaching from the University of Southern California and has been living and teaching in China since 2016, in Shenzhen, and now, Beijing. With an extensive global background, he has taught abroad for nearly 16 years, in Asia and Africa.