SEEKING
BALANCE
IN WORK
AND LIFE
T
he name Baxter has both Anglo-Saxon and Scottish origins. It
means baker in the first – persons who can not only make simple
to sumptuous culinary delicacies but are also creators, innovators
and designers in their own right because they not only tend to your
palate but also to presentation. George Baxter may not be a baker,
but he is definitely a creator, innovator and designer. Find out more
in this article about Mr. Baxter – the designer, the artist, and the
teacher.
K
eystone’s residential community gets a flavor of Scottish culture
every Monday morning as they wake up to the deep soulful
melody of the Great Highland Bagpipes thanks to George
Baxter. This is a demanding instrument, and it says a lot about
anyone who can play it. It demonstrates the person’s methodical nature,
reflective complexity and inner balance. Mr. Baxter is a person of all these
traits. Balance is not only part of who he is, but also part of what he
believes in, and part of the reason he has been in China for the last 10
years teaching in Tianjin.
“Life has to be balanced,” says Mr. Baxter as he explains how Taoism
and Confucianism fit well with his existential outlook, and how this
philosophical and cultural affinity has kept him in China. Mr. Baxter
highlights that he has always been fascinated with China – one of the
world’s oldest and most interesting cultures that, he believes, “formed
much of human thinking” as we know it today. “I spent the first third of
my life in Scotland, and the second third of my life in New Zealand. I got
married in England, and my wife and I moved to New Zealand where we
raised a family. Then my family and I moved to Tianjin together in 2003.
My family has moved back to New Zealand,” he says feeling nostalgic
about his time in China, and remembering his daily commute amongst
thousands of cyclists. However he adds, “…I am not ready to leave China
yet.”
www.keystoneacademy.cn
45