Chinese teacher visits Shakespeare's hometown

On March 31, Li took a seven-day trip to the UK together with some 30 Chinese tourists. It was also his first time on an airplane.

"It was almost beyond description," he says. "I was so thrilled, and I was not scared."

He grabbed every opportunity to talk to foreign people in English. His first foreign conversation during the trip was in Beijing's Capital Airport right before the trip. He met a British woman and her daughter, who happened to be living in Stratford, Shakespeare's hometown.

"When I told them I love Shakespeare's works and was traveling to his hometown, they were so surprised," Li recalls proudly, rubbing his hands together.

Li says during his time in the UK, he had no problems communicating with local people in London, but felt frustrated when talking to people in Stratford, as well as some other areas outside London.

"They speak with an accent, which sounds different from what I learned," he says. "They understood what I said, but I did not catch their responses."

During his one-week stay, Li exchanged only 20 pounds of currency and did not buy anything. But he spent some money to post a letter to the British prime minister, David Cameron, to describe his trip in the UK and to express a special wish.

"I would like to adopt an orphan from the UK. I will treat the orphan, or any baby from UK, as my own grandson or granddaughter," he told the British leader. "I'll give him a very good education. I am doing this to contribute to the friendship between the Chinese and British people. This is my next dream."

Having returned from the UK for a week, Li is now working as a full-time teacher in Beijing at a private education company as an English teacher. He is very satisfied and happy with his present life.