Author Archives: connieinasia

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About connieinasia

I have been in the Asia region for 27 years as an English language teacher. A majority of those have been in China with the Amity Foundation , a Chinese NGO that works in all areas of development for the Chinese people. Covid stranded me in America for over 3 years, with China closing its boarders to returning teachers. In 2023, I was accepted into a new teaching role not in China but in Laos. Join me in experiencing this incredible journey into a different culture, a different language, and a different life.

Mrs. Obama: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Posted on March 25, 2014 by connieinasia

Mrs. Obama spent today in Chengdu with a gathering at the elite No. 7 High School, just up the road from me. I heard the school has a distance-learning program bringing quality education to rural, impoverished areas via the Internet. Countryside students … Continue reading →

Posted in Chengdu Daily Life, Tales of China, Travel | Leave a comment

The Candy Queen’s New Year’s Give-away: Part 2

Posted on March 24, 2014 by connieinasia

For me, my Year of the Horse gift-giving began at 6:30 a.m. for my morning swim at the pool.  After grabbing the first big bag of candy, I hustled out the door to hail a taxi across town to the … Continue reading →

Posted in A Chengdu Chinese Spring Festival, A Grand Chinese New Year Vacation, Chengdu Daily Life, Tales of China, The Chinese New Year, Travel | Leave a comment

The Candy Queen Gallops into the Year of the Horse: Part 1

Posted on March 23, 2014 by connieinasia

This was written awhile back but I was unable to post it.  Seemed such a waste not to so here it is now. After a week of crowded bus and train stations, traffic jams on the main city roads, mobs … Continue reading →

Posted in A Chengdu Chinese Spring Festival, Chengdu Daily Life, Tales of China, The Chinese New Year, Travel | Leave a comment

Finally, News from Chengdu: Mrs. Obama is Coming!

Posted on March 17, 2014 by connieinasia

After 2 months of struggling with posting updates from Chengdu on my site, I have finally managed an entry today! Let’s hope it continues. After a restful Chinese New Year, full of stories which I hope to report on later, … Continue reading →

Posted in Chengdu Daily Life, From Along the Yangtze, Luzhou Vocational and Technical College | 3 Comments

Part 2: A Foreigner’s Glimpse at Troubled Southern China

Posted on January 16, 2014 by connieinasia

 In yet another eye-opener, my Chinese organization (The Amity Foundation, 爱德基金会) had its foreign language teachers’ winter conference in Nanning, the capital city of Guangxi .  All the foreign teachers in our program, about 17 at that time, and their … Continue reading →

Posted in Longzhou: Tiny Town on the Li River, Luzhou: Yangtze Rivertown Stories, Tales from The Yangtze River, Tales of China, Travel | Leave a comment

Part 1: A Foreigner’s Glimpse at Troubled Southern China

Posted on January 15, 2014 by connieinasia

After reading of the major drug raid that took place in southern China (see previous post), I couldn’t help but recall my own dealings with this secretive criminal world when I lived in Longzhou, a small town located not more than … Continue reading →

Posted in Along China's Li River: Longzhou, Guangxi, From Along the Yangtze, Luzhou: Yangtze Rivertown, Luzhou: Yangtze Rivertown Stories | 1 Comment

A Drug Bust in Southern China Recently Reported Across the Country

Posted on January 14, 2014 by connieinasia

 I’m including this newspaper article to later follow up with my own experiences concerning drug-related issues in the south.  I also include it because I am currently watching Breaking Bad (a US TV series) and have seen the very disturbing Brazilian movie, City of God, both … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

“It’s here! It’s here! It’s here!”: A Christmas Tradition Continues Along the Yangtze

Posted on January 7, 2014 by connieinasia

My greatest purpose in returning to Luzhou for Christmas and New Year’s was to reconnect with teachers, college administrators, friends from around the city and my church community. But a tad more on the selfish side, I wanted to pick … Continue reading →

Posted in From Along the Yangtze, Luzhou Vocational and Technical College, Luzhou: Yangtze Rivertown, Travel | 1 Comment

The Yearly Blog Summary Report is In!

Posted on January 1, 2014 by connieinasia

Happy New Year, 2014! To start us all off, I’d like to share Word Press’ posted report of my website activities throughout the year. Thank you so much for following me in 2013. I look forward to your readership in … Continue reading →

Posted in Tales of China, Travel | Leave a comment

Luzhou Makes National and International News, Not in a Good Way

Posted on December 31, 2013 by connieinasia

Yes, I’m starting off the New Year with a rather tragic tale, this one posted from my home along the Yangtze. However, this last day of 2013 will allow me to begin 2014 on a happy high note, hopefully with … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment