Achiever of the week: Thendo Mathobo

This week’s feature is Thendo Mathobo. Thendo is from South Africa. She holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical Engineering) from the University of Pretoria. She is currently working as an ESL Teacher in China. She moved to China alone after graduating. Thendo's initial plan was to teach abroad for a year, save money, travel and then go back home. But through her expat experience she has discovered opportunities that she didn’t even think were possible and has stayed abroad longer than she had initially planned. Moving abroad has taught Thendo so much about herself, every day she is learning and unlearning things about herself. Moving abroad made Thendo realise that she is more courageous than she thought. While in China Thendo is planning to work on building wealth and to put herself out there.

Get inspired by Thendo's expat story. Thendo shares what inspired her to move to China, how she found her job, her highlights and lowlights, how her day as an ESL teacher looks like, her travel experiences and future plans.

This or That?

· City or countryside?

City

· Hot country or cold country?

In between

· Swimming or hiking?

Hiking

· Do you prefer to walk, take public transport or take private transport?

Riding an ebike

· Airplane, fast train or boat?

Fast train

1. What was your job before you started teaching in China and where were you working?

I was not working before I came to China, I had just graduated from varsity.

2. What motivated you to pursue a TEFL career and why did you choose China over other countries?

Funny enough I didn’t even know about this TEFL career. After graduating, I decided to move back to Pretoria to job hunt. As I was job hunting on ‘indeed’ I came across an advert that said “Teach English In China and earn between R20 000 - R40 000”, I said to myself “mmh, this looks like something I could do for a year, save money, travel and come back home”. I then told my friend Tshepang and she told me that she has a friend who’s teaching in China at the time and she connected me with her. Tshepang’s friend gave me information in detail and some of the important things I needed to know, and right in that moment I was sold to the idea of teaching in China, the following day I registered to get a TEFL Certificate.

3. Was it always your goal to live abroad?

Not even, I never thought I would live abroad. To visit? Yes, but not to live.

4. How did you find your current job?

I found my current job through an agent named June, I got her WeChat contact from a friend.

5. Do you speak Chinese? If yes, how long did it take you to speak Chinese? If no, how do you survive without speaking the local language?

I speak a little bit of Chinese (一点点 as they would say), I am able to understand some words. Previously, I used to learn from my colleagues, but now I decided to sign up for Chinese classes because I want to obtain at least one HSK certificate and I have realized that life is a lot easier when you can speak Chinese here. I also use Baidu translating App in situations where I can’t seem to understand what the locals are saying.

6. How does your day look like as an ESL teacher on weekdays and weekends?

I recently just moved to a very small city and there isn’t much to do here. So on weekdays, I work Monday to Friday from 08:15 - 15:30, after work I go home and try to figure out what I want to do for the rest of the day depending on what needs to be done, and some days I take detours on my way back home because I’m trying to explore the city.

Weekends: I try to do fun things. On weekends when I’m not out of the city, I visit a local restaurant and eat a local dish and on Sunday mornings when it’s not too cold, I cycle [this is my way of exercising haha].

Warmer days are coming, my colleagues said they’ll show me around the city so I’m excited to explore more. And of course some weekends I just want to stay in my apartment and do absolutely nothing!

7. Did you move abroad with your family/friends or did you move alone?

I moved alone.

8. How long did it take you to adjust to the new environment and what /who helped you?

I want to say I am able to adapt to a new environment quite well as long as I know where and how I can get certain things. When I moved to China, I was working at a training center and I was the only foreign teacher, my boss and colleagues made everything feel so simple and easy. They were so helpful in every possible way (sometimes I felt like it was too much because I am one of those people who want to do things on their own). After a month or so I logged into Instagram, typed the location of the place I was at and I found some foreigners, I reached out and we would hang out every now and then.

9. What has been the most interesting food you have tasted in China?

There’s quite a few but Bullfrog and duck blood takes the cup. Living in a small city turned me into being an adventurous eater.

10. What has been the most interesting place you have visited in China?

So far I’m going to say Harbin (in winter), I went there not so long ago and loved everything about it. I would not mind going back.

11. Who and what do you miss the most about your home country?

I miss my family and my friends, but thank God for technology they are just a phone call away. And I think about Chicken Licken a lot; the wings, the siders, the hot sauce OMG I’m salivating as I type this. If anyone who’s currently in SA is reading this, please buy it and enjoy on my behalf.

12. Out of all the countries you have visited, which one has the friendliest people?

I haven’t visited many countries, I have only been to Hong Kong and China so I can’t really say.

13. What can’t you travel without?

My nasal spray！

14. What have you discovered about yourself and life ever since you moved abroad?

After 2+ years of living abroad, as I look back and I realized how much I have changed and grown based on the experiences of being an expat. Moving abroad has taught me so much about myself, every day I am learning and unlearning things about myself and I realized that I am more courageous than I thought, I only have one life so I should do whatever is good for my soul and I live by these words “we are here for a good time, not a long time so make it worthwhile”. I am such a curious person, and this experience has broadened my horizon. I am discovering opportunities that I didn’t even think were possible. All in all, it showed me how small the world is, and how people from all across the world can just connect and form lifelong friendships. And most importantly knowing that I am not alone, God is always right beside me makes everything feel easy and doable and I can’t be grateful enough.

15. What are your future plans?

I am currently working on building wealth and I am trying to put myself out there, after China I will see where life takes me. I can’t really give too much right now but the future looks bright and exciting and I am thoroughly enjoying my current life.