Teaching in Taiwan Inspires a Novel about the Reality of living in Asia
Fictional story describes the reality of teaching in a foreign country and the struggles with cultural differences, traditional history, and an overwhelming sense of entrapment.
- (1888PressRelease) September 17, 2010 - Calgary, AB - Author, teacher, and former journalist Miles Burn taught English overseas in Taiwan from 1994- 2004, and like many others he went overseas full of optimism about the work he was about to embark upon.
However, the reality of teaching in a foreign country soon became clear to him as he struggled with cultural differences, traditional history, and an overwhelming sense of entrapment. His experiences form the basis of his fictional novel The Chicken Cage: Chilung, a stark, gripping book that describes the reality faced by many overseas teachers.
"The book is very much based on my experiences, and other foreigner's experiences in Taiwan. I lived the realities of life and purveyed them in the novel. Many people in this life are limited or entombed in their cultures and ways of thinking that are inculcated into them. I wanted to open up people's eyes to the reality of living in Asia and teaching in that country," says Burn who now teaches elementary school in Calgary.
According to Oxford Seminars, there are over 20,000 ESL teaching jobs being advertised each month all over the world, with Asia being one of the most popular places to teach. In The Chicken Cage: Chilung the reality of culture shock is examined in a fictional sense; however, the reality is, not everyone adjusts to their new surroundings.
Burn hopes his novel will both inspire and caution those who are seeking an escape from their world. "I'd like to think that those reading the book will gain some insight into the foreign cultures that they are stepping into. Going to another country doesn't mean freedom from the one they are leaving. It could mean the exact opposite. The city of Chilung, for me, was one of those places," says Burn.
For more information, about Miles Burn and his book visit www.thechickencage.wordpress.com
To book an interview please contact:
Rachel Sentes -Publicist
780-270-1211 rachel ( @ ) gal-fridaypublicity dot com
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