Previous to coming to China, I had never been to Asia, so I did not really know what to expect.

I am the kind of person who enjoys travel; for me, the more different, and the further I travel, is the better. I can report not having experienced the fabled 'culture shock' that we are often told awaits many people on arrival in China, but I'm not a very 'set in my ways' Englishman. I think people who settle best here are those who are prepared to be flexible in their ways and in their thinking. Bear this in mind, and you'll have no difficulty in adapting to and embracing a culture which is wonderfully different and deeply interesting.

So far, in every place I have been in China, I have found that the Chinese go to great lengths to accommodate foreigners here. I have enjoyed a taste of stardom in smaller cities, where it seems that everyone wants to know me and have their photo taken with me. This celebrity experience is not so much the case in larger cities where there are more foreigners, but there too, the Chinese are more than welcoming.

I am not a quick learner of languages and have been slow to pick up Chinese. After a year of being here, I still can't order in restaurants or ask anything beyond very basic questions. Fortunately, I've always had a support network around me composed of the very helpful Chinese, some of whom speak good English and have a good understanding of westerners. Apart from them, other more experienced westerners are not usually far away to help me.

JESIE itself has supported me with everything I needed from the first day of arrival. From taking care of travel arrangements and accommodation to administration and continuing professional development, JESIE have looked after my interests here superbly.

So, after having been in China for a year, and having decided to stay here, on reflection it has been a great and positive experience. I have broadened my teaching experience immeasurably, had the opportunity to travel to other places (Hong Kong and Thailand this year), join in Chinese customs and traditions, earn more money than I could at home, said goodbye to dealing with bills and rent and have much more rapid career promotion than I could ever hope for back in my native England.

Do I miss England? - I don't miss the weather, the expense, the traffic congestion, or really the food (in cities, most western food is available if you know where to look). I miss my friends and family, but I have new friends now and I know I will see everyone I know in England sometime soon. Staying in touch on Skype makes the world a smaller place.

I don't think of England as home anymore, since I don't have a home there. For the reasons I have given, it is very hard to justify living and working in England again. For me, and many like me, China is home now. I intend to make my life here.