Canadian, 67, Teaches English for Free for 13 Years, Named ‘Foreign Lei Feng’

Canadian, 67, Teaches English for Free for 13 Years, Named ‘Foreign Lei Feng’
Apr 21, 2014 By eChinacities.com

Peter, a 67 year old Canadian, moved to Wuxi in 2001 after giving up his well paid job in search of a new challenge. Within two months in the country he had begun teaching English on a volunteer basis and providing private tutoring as well as assisting in English Corners.

Over the past 13 years, Peter has taught more than 1,000 people and given up around 3,500 hours of his time helping young people, especially with writing English CVs, job applications and interview preparation. He has also done volunteer work in orphanages and other welfare centers where he sings songs and plays game with the children, helping to brighten their day.

In the local community he has become known as the Foreign Lei Feng, meaning a foreigner who embodies the spirit of communism and is selfless and modest. The name is also a play on his Chinese name Tang Lei, which locals have changed to Tang Lei Feng (with different characters).

Source: i.feixin.10086.cn

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Keywords: 67 Teaches English for Free Canadian

9 Comments

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toyburrell

Good for him

Apr 22, 2014 09:44 Report Abuse

Englteachted

He lived there for 13 years giving his time and his talents, but he is still a foreigner. Foreign Lei Fang, China itself does not represent Communism and Communism is a foreign idea. That name is an insult and shows how racist and ignorant the people are in this country. Would you call Bill Gates the foreign version of Bill Gates.

Apr 22, 2014 08:18 Report Abuse

Robk

Good man and it is good he took up the challenge and did a good thing.. now if he really wants a challenge... I could think of a few tough ones in China. Like teaching people that red means stop...

Apr 22, 2014 01:24 Report Abuse

coineineagh

When I first came to China, there were people who wanted free lessons, or wanted lessons in exchange for a few bananas or mangoes. I even encountered an old man who scolded me for expecting payment for English lessons. It's nice that retired expats give locals free lessons out of the goodness of their hearts,but this kind of story is not created to *inform* people. This kind of story is meant to set an example of what locals expect English teachers to be: Selfless, helpful, retired paradigms of humanity with no interest in money. YOU FIRST, CHINA! Don't expect others to be something you can't be either.

Apr 22, 2014 00:33 Report Abuse

Robk

I hope they don't expect that because we all know it isn't happening. There may be a few that come to China to help of goodwill and of course in most cases they already well off and old so they don't need the money. People need to live, eat and feed their families. We can't all afford to be saints. I wonder what kind of visa this guy has in stay in China...

Apr 22, 2014 01:21 Report Abuse

carlstar

clearly he has the, good communist for the people in expanding the benefit of people under great party visa.... I think that is the "C" visa.

Apr 22, 2014 11:06 Report Abuse

carlstar

Yay for politicising it as the spirit of communism. He is a humanitarian or just a dude that likes it because as he said, he wants a challenge.

Apr 21, 2014 20:05 Report Abuse

sharkies

Exactly what I was going to say. Selfless acts performed by others are hardly the backbone of communism.

Apr 22, 2014 14:44 Report Abuse

desiriderz

good man

Apr 21, 2014 19:02 Report Abuse