ESSENCES OF TONGCHENG

About the Book

College students from Tongcheng Teachers College in Anhui Province of China share in foreign teacher’s daily life. Various topics from classrooms, of college apartments, trying city shopping or walking outdoors and invitations to indoor activities are after becoming resident in small remote city of subtropics in Tongcheng.

From 30 April 2025 Interview with Kate Delaney and America Tonight

Summary: What began as a simple walk turned into a journey across the world—and across cultures. In this episode of Newsgram, we follow Maureen Armstrong, whose recovery routine led her to teaching English in rural China, writing poetry, and discovering unexpected connections. Her book Essences of Tongcheng is more than a travel story—it’s a moving portrait of shared humanity and the power of embracing our differences.

Welcome to this edition of Newsgram! 

Sometimes, a great story begins with a simple walk—just a few steps to get your body moving and your mind wandering. And sometimes, that walk can take you farther than you ever imagined—across cultures, even across continents. For Maureen Armstrong, what began as part of an injury recovery routine turned into free verse poetry, pages of personal reflection, and ultimately a book. Her walks led to a life-changing decision: to travel to China and teach English, a journey that took her nearly halfway around the world.

So in this edition of Newsgram, let’s take a journey—spiritually, emotionally, and quite literally—to the Anhui [On-Way] Province of China. That’s where Maureen went to teach English, and where she found something far greater than she expected: a deep cross-cultural connection, unexpected moments of trust, and the kind of transformation that only comes from stepping far outside your comfort zone.

Thankfully, her colleague Maggie helped her through it. Her students became her friends. She had a private apartment that gave her some space to reflect. And she says the food was very good.

And she says when she returned for a second year, everything felt different—it was much warmer, more familiar. Her students were confident. the school had grown and the street vendor even remembered her hat.

Thanks for listening to this edition of Newsgram from Webtalkradio.com, I’m Sam Youmans.

About the Author

Irish, born in Saskatchewan, Canada, Maureen found abilities after high school to bicycle across Edmonton, Alberta’s High Level Bridge to begin career in post-secondary education and was awarded degree in Social Work in five years in Calgary, Alberta at University of Calgary. After moving to British Columbia, Maureen studied mediation at Justice Institute of British Columbia, completed Certificate in Family Mediation to continue work in criminal justice and public schools. Writing is affinity while daily walking often in nature and lead Maureen to teaching conversational English at Tongcheng Teachers College. With luck and good fortune to depart to China in 2016, Maureen searched and discovered living-well in smaller city. Two years of coming and going to Tongcheng developed with generosity and patience into long-term relationships. Simply said on being Irish, Maureen is always Irish enjoying travel across Western Canada.