Where to go? The big decision

Once I received the Fulbright, the next big decision that I had to make was where to go.  I was encouraged by Ms. Huang Taozhen, the Education Assistant who manages the US side of the Fulbright program, to go to Yunnan University in Kunming, China.  She told me that it was a very clean area, and I'd have the opportunity for "an authentic Chinese experience."  However, I mentioned that my original request was for Shanghai International Studies University, and I wondered if this university would still be possible. Graciously, she said she'd let me know and would be willing to work with me to accommodate my request. In the meantime, I consulted with a professor currently at Yunnan, MaryJo Lee, who was kind enough to have a one-hour phone call with me (from China) all about Yunnan University and Kunming. I got very excited about it.

But then I talked to my colleague Yanmei Jiang as well as my former colleague Xuewei Wu, and they both highly recommended that I go to Shanghai. Yanmei, in particular, mentioned that "there is no comparison" between the students at SISU versus the students at Yunnan in terms of their English ability. Also, my research indicated that Shanghai seemed to be a much more GLBTQ-friendly place to be, which I thought would be better for both me and Kerry.  So between the recommendations from Yanmei and Xuewei and the gay-friendly climate, I decided that Shanghai would be best for me overall. Yanmei even helped me get in touch with her friend at SISU, Dr. Li Shanghong. I even got to talk to him (in English) on WeChat!  He helped me procure an invitation to SISU.   Here it is below:


Dear Dr. Brain Lewis,

Greetings from the School of English Studies, Shanghai International Studies University (SISU). 

We're glad to learn of your proposal to teach at SISU with your Fulbright fellowship, and it'll be our great honor if we can be your host institution. Please let me know what we may help to facilitate your visit.

Look forward to your reply.

--
Kind regards,
Amy Huang | Liaison for Foreign Teachers
黄钰霞  | 上海外国语大学 | 英语学院
The School of English Studies
Shanghai International Studies University
No. 550 Dalian Rd. (West) | Hongkou District | Shanghai, 200083
Tel: (86 21) 3537 2433 | Fax: (86 21) 3537 2556


Both Yanmei and Xuewei warned me about the poor air quality and the traffic in Shanghai, but I'm hoping that I can tolerate these things while I am there. They mentioned to me that the bad-air days are in the minority--but a mask would still be helpful.

So...that's the story of how we are Shanghai-bound. I told MaryJo my decision, and she was very understanding. I still hope I can possibly meet her sometime this summer!  And I do hope I can visit Yunnan U. as a guest lecturer at some point during my stay in China.