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Fleta, do you plan on staying in touch with any of your students after you leave? Are you still in touch with any of the graduates now?
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May 15, 2017 13:49
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Viola the Mad posted:Fleta, do you plan on staying in touch with any of your students after you leave? Are you still in touch with any of the graduates now? I hope so, and yes! I occasionally hear from last year's graduates over facebook or WeChat, and they physically came in to say hello when they were all back during their Christmas vacations, so hopefully a few will turn up again soon, too. I don't message students or former students unless there's something I know will interest/help them, but will happily chat with them if they make the first move. e: I'm still in touch with kids I taught in Korea and Japan, so hopefully these guys will be the same.
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May 16, 2017 04:10
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Do you like basketball?
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May 16, 2017 04:31
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I would blow Dane Cook posted:Do you like basketball? Nope, I don't like watching or playing any sports. Just doesn't appeal to me. Plus, I'm like 5'4 so basketball is a stupid sport for jerk giants.
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May 16, 2017 04:33
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Fleta Mcgurn posted:Nope, I don't like watching or playing any sports. Just doesn't appeal to me. Plus, I'm like 5'4 so basketball is a stupid sport for jerk giants.
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May 16, 2017 17:17
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So I have a few more questions about Chinese education-- The high schools you all are teaching at are described as intended for at least pseudo-elite students. My latest reading suggested that mandatory education stops at 9th grade, and 10-11-12 are optional. Is that accurate, and how many students actually attend for those last three years? Are there free public options available all the way through high school? What percentage of Chinese students attend college? It sounds like a lot of the English learners mentioned are at least intended for universities somewhere even if they have little in the way of educational aspirations of their own.
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May 16, 2017 19:22
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Fleta Mcgurn posted:I hope so, and yes! I occasionally hear from last year's graduates over facebook or WeChat, and they physically came in to say hello when they were all back during their Christmas vacations, so hopefully a few will turn up again soon, too. I don't message students or former students unless there's something I know will interest/help them, but will happily chat with them if they make the first move. I'm sure I'm far from alone in saying that I hope Rhianna is someone who stays in touch with you. With the right guidance, that girl will really go places.
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May 16, 2017 21:53
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occamsnailfile posted:So I have a few more questions about Chinese education-- This may change from province to province but there are not free public options all the way through high school, and at the Foreign Studies High School, which was obviously a high school based on foreign languages but still just like any other high school, it actually worked like this. Most students have to take the 中考, which is the High School Entrance Examination. Students receive scores on this and then apply to schools that they want to go to, and the more that the school wants you, the less you have to pay to go there. This is why, when I worked in the public sector, students would get so upset over test scores. Because it actually meant they would have to pay more to go to the school. For example, say that you are about 136/300 in the student listing in your grade, and you take the exam and you get a decent score, and 84. If your family has a good relationship with the school, or your dad and the dad of someone on the school board bangs KTV prostitutes together on the weekend, or if your mother works in the local office or whatever, you'll probably be able to go into high school on a pretty decent price. It won't be crazy expensive. If you placed 2/300 of the students during the whole year, and got a 99 on the exam, you will probably end up at the school you were at for free, or for like five bucks for the whole year. They will do just about anything to keep you there. However, if you placed like 298/300 of the students and got a 34 on the exam, you will not be attending that school unless you pay an astronomical fee, or unless your father is literally best friends with the father of the school board. You will more than likely end up at Number 146 Middle School in the middle of nowhere, and probably be about average there, so in fact it actually kinda works out. So it's a sliding scale for payment based on how badly the school wants you. It isn't free for anyone unless you're like the top 1%. This is how it was explained to me in Tianjin in 2010, it may have gone under a massive overhaul since then, I haven't worked in the public sector since 2012. As for how many students go to college, I have no idea, that's a good question, but I'd guess that it isn't too different than the United States? I guess I may be way off, you definitely see a lot of people that haven't gone to college where I am right now, but if you roll through Amarillo, Texas, I'm going to guess you aren't going to see too many University graduates there either. The Great Autismo! fucked around with this message at 22:37 on May 16, 2017 |
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May 16, 2017 22:30
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^ TGA, thank you so much- I didn't know almost any of that. You've really clarified the whole test score panic I've seen here. I also have no clue about university entrances, but AFAIK being able to choose whether or not to attend high school is the same in Korea and Japan, but relatively few students do it. Speaking of tests, some students got their TOEFL scores today! For those who don't know, TOEFL is a Test of English as a Foreign Language, in which students are testing in their speaking, writing, and reading abilities. Any score below 80 is pretty much worthless, at least for North American schools. Students get so obsessed with TOEFL, their parents get obsessed with it...I'd say 80% of their education currently is a TOEFL class or practice session of some kind. It's a wonderful racket. 1700 RMB per sitting, and most students at our school take it between three and five times. Anyways, the worst student in the whole school doubled his TOEFL score from last time, so now he's rocking a 34. This is actually a pretty big achievement for him, and he seems pretty happy about it!
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May 17, 2017 02:28
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Fleta Mcgurn posted:^ TGA, thank you so much- I didn't know almost any of that. You've really clarified the whole test score panic I've seen here. That's actually a pretty good step forward, even if it's still a small score.  Good for him.
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May 17, 2017 02:57
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Fleta Mcgurn posted:^ TGA, thank you so much- I didn't know almost any of that. You've really clarified the whole test score panic I've seen here. The worst part about that is that at least for my school, we don't really give a poo poo if a score is higher than the cutoff--79. It either makes the cutoff or it doesn't, we're done. So busting their rear end for that 100 doesn't do much for us. Of course, some graduate departments care more (as they really should) since they're going to be relying on their applicants to teach undergraduates but basically the 80 is all that matters for most. The IELTS is even worse since they only report the scores with paper so it takes forever to arrive and process, and they're more, ah, generous with their scoring. I wish we didn't accept it but I guess we have to try and keep the TOEFL somewhat honest. 1700 RMB is a racket though. It costs about the same in the US too, and the GRE is $195. At least the GRE is good for five years, the TOEFL also expires practically overnight (two years) and kids are supposed to have a TOEFL that's valid when they enroll. Their application deadlines are in December of the year before the fall semester, which gives them a very narrow window for taking the test. (We're actually flexible about that but shhh) I've read elsewhere that only something less than 50% of Chinese students opt for some kind of post-9th grade education. I mean I guess you can drop out in the US after 16 in some states so it's not that different here either, just that most people choose to finish, and we consider the lower graduation rates in some areas to be a serious problem. It also is another way those "international comparison test" scores are skewed when you're only dealing with a minority of the HS-aged population. The sliding-scale high school fee thing is interesting though. I guess I see the logic but I also know that the people with the money for extensive academic resources do best, so the wealthiest will be paying the least a lot of the time. In addition to having the money to have influence and be friends with school board members. We do a large portion of our college admissions here based solely on HS class rank which is a rule intended as a backhanded sort of Affirmative Action--whether you graduate from West Bumblefuck HS or PS 349 in the worst part of the city or Jumbotron By The Lake you are judged according to how you perform against your peers, with the resources you have in the school you are in. There are problems with that (hell, college admissions in general is a huge mess) but it at least doesn't demand AP courses and band uniforms of people in districts struggling with poverty and the rich kids with resources are fighting against others with the same.
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May 17, 2017 03:16
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Yeah; I've told the kids that schools are more interested in their grades, essays, etc. than their TOEFL scores, and that the difference between an 80 and an 82 won't really matter, but they don't believe me. The whole system is kids asking us questions and not believing the answers, actually. One of the only students who genuinely graduated this year asked me if she had to write her last name on her application. When I said yes, she rolled her eyes at me and didn't do it. Okay? I also had a girl last year who refused to apply to a school she loved because her TOEFL was 80 and the minimum required score was an 82, like I mentioned above. She didn't believe me when I said it wouldn't make a huge difference and didn't want to try.
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May 17, 2017 03:20
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Hey I'm super out of the loop on this and I know it's University and not High School but I'm still hoping someone came across this: Is the CET 4 still a (unofficial) requirement for graduation, or have they actually done away with it as promised by now? Background: At university in China there's an English proficiency test that students were previously required to pass or they weren't allowed to graduate. For English majors it was the TEM, for other majors it was the CET. There were generally 2 levels for each: the baseline required test (for example CET 4) and then an additional optional one (CET 6) that looked better on a transcript. The test would have a grammar section, an essay section, and a listening section broadcast over radio. The topics were always archaic, and there were a lot of complaints about majors that would never use or need English being forced to pass this terrible English exam in order to graduate. Supposedly it stopped being a requirement but there was some trick to it so you actually still needed it to graduate,
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May 17, 2017 03:25
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I dont know if it's everywhere but at my uni undergrads had to pass CET4 and postgrads had to pass CET6.
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May 17, 2017 03:48
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Fleta Mcgurn posted:^ TGA, thank you so much- I didn't know almost any of that. You've really clarified the whole test score panic I've seen here. in 2012 I had my greatest achievement in education in China, I got a kid who was lazy and terrible and got a 44 on TOEFL to a 91, because the company let me develop a personal plan just for him and his parents actually followed it. I thought this would be flood gates and open a whole new way we do business but instead they reverted to the original way which was super Chinese style as just really bad Ah well, I'm happy now The Great Autismo! fucked around with this message at 05:00 on May 17, 2017 |
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May 17, 2017 04:58
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And now, the second freakiest expat story I've ever heard. As I said before, I used to have to teach junior high classes and I hated them. They were a huge waste of time, sucked my energy so hard that I would have to go home and sleep after teaching them, and were generally a huge pain in the tits for various other reasons. Twice this year, my boss has tried to force me back into teaching them, and twice it's ended in my flat refusal and a lot of grumping on either side. I finally won the argument with "I came to this school and took a huge pay cut because I wanted to teach subjects other than English and I wanted to teach high school. If you're telling me I have to do the same bullshit I did in Korea for less money, I might as well just leave now and go back there." Sorry; I'm blonde and American with an actual teaching license; I can make hella more money elsewhere, and they know it. So, last Friday, my boss sits me down and asks again. They're in a real emergency, those three middle school teachers have been fired. Why? Not one, but two different teachers were smelling students' hands. Think about that for a second. Think about what the average middle school student smells like. Probably not great, right? Now add to that the fact that there is no soap in the bathrooms for the kids to wash with, that they're frequently picking their noses or scratching their heads, that kids that age tend to be dandruffy and pimply and maybe not super-careful about hygiene because they're not yet aware of how their body odor has changed or strengthened, and....yuck. Oh, and it's SUPER PERVY AND TOTALLY loving WEIRD. The other teacher got fired for a different reason- he came up with a fun class called "How to Kill Your Teacher." It included instructional videos on how to kill/torture people. The school only found out because he was literally whipping the kids into a murderous frenzy. Erm, also, you know the Cultural Revolution? Yeah. It's not like there's no historical precedent in China of students murdering their teachers. So, I said yes to the loving classes. Jesus Christ. At least I'll know the kids are safe with me, as much as I hate teaching these crappy fake lessons. Oh, and they canceled two periods of my biology class- the one I was actually hired to teach- because the most important thing is their financial bottom line. Never the well-being of the students.
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May 22, 2017 04:50
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So business as usual then?
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May 22, 2017 04:58
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Fleta Mcgurn posted:The other teacher got fired for a different reason- he came up with a fun class called "How to Kill Your Teacher." It included instructional videos on how to kill/torture people. The school only found out because he was literally whipping the kids into a murderous frenzy. Erm, also, you know the Cultural Revolution? Yeah. It's not like there's no historical precedent in China of students murdering their teachers. Most of the Red Guards from the Cultural Revolution loved torturing their teachers and he just wanted to make the kids happy, which is the most important part of any English teacher's job.
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May 22, 2017 22:52
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So what was the hand sniffing thing about?
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May 23, 2017 00:27
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I would blow Dane Cook posted:So what was the hand sniffing thing about? Probably just some deviated preverts.
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May 23, 2017 04:42
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I would blow Dane Cook posted:So what was the hand sniffing thing about? I really have no idea. I couldn't stop thinking about it all weekend. I cannot imagine any situation in which that would be appropriate for a teacher. Literally the only thing I can think of is if you were toilet training a kid and you wanted to be sure they had washed their hands afterwards? but I've worked at that school before, and I know there is no soap. The school officials are a lot angrier about the "kill your teacher" thing; according to my boss, it was her choice to remove the hand-sniffers. (Although I think she meant to say there had been two different incidents of hand-sniffing, not two different people- her English is perfect but when she's upset she makes the odd mistake, and she was pretty upset about this.) I would say the sniffing was worse because I can't think of a reason to do that other than fetish poo poo. RocknRollaAyatollah posted:Most of the Red Guards from the Cultural Revolution loved torturing their teachers and he just wanted to make the kids happy, which is the most important part of any English teacher's job. I just want you to know this made me laugh.
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May 23, 2017 04:50
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I would blow Dane Cook posted:So what was the hand sniffing thing about? Catching the poop bandit.
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May 23, 2017 05:51
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Were the hand sniffers expats or locals?
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May 23, 2017 06:03
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I would blow Dane Cook posted:Were the hand sniffers expats or locals? Expats. Staffing agency hires, in fact. My boss's company was offering the princely sum of $900 US per month, plus housing, which isn't overwhelmingly bad for a do-nothing job but certainly doesn't pull in top candidates. That's all I really know.
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May 23, 2017 06:07
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My only experience with English teachers in China was back in April 2012, when, out with friends at dinner. There was a 17 year old kid there, determined to practice her English, who later asked to borrow my phone, as hers had ran out of battery, and she said needed to send a message to her English teacher. I didn't mind, but later when I saw there had been 50+ messages sent back and forth, curiosity got the better of me, and I invaded her privacy to read what she had written on my phone.English Teacher from England posted:You want to become sexier? Pupil posted:I want to more big. English Teacher posted:But you want to leave me Pupil posted:Because you treat me not in well. :-) English Teacher posted:Do you really want to be big or do you want to be big because you want me? Pupil posted:Both, maybe English Teacher posted:When will you buy a new bra? I guess putting my cum on your breasts didn't make them grow Pupil posted:What r u want to say? English Teacher posted:I really want to see you in a bra that's the correct size Pupil posted::-) .think about this way.I want to give a chance.to u. So Right know I won't leave u. But if u still treat me not good. Like before. I really will find another man. :-) English Teacher posted:You still need to wait until June Pupil posted:I think have someone willing to wait to June. English Teacher posted:You looked thinner today :-P and you seemed determined to show me you cleavage It goes on..... One thing I couldn't believe was the total lack of surprise when I rather hesitantly asked if this was OK for teachers in China? People assured me it was fine, and that the head-teacher of a local English school had married one of his pupils, and they knew of several other teachers who had dated pupils. Granted, this was in a Tier 2 city, but, is this something that's acceptable or something that you've experienced in your schools?
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May 23, 2017 06:52
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Jesus gently caress... That's some sick poo poo, any chance that could earn a guy a first class ticket on the death-penalty bus?
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May 23, 2017 07:26
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Trammel posted:
This would never be considered acceptable at my school, and I'm surprised that anyone would defend or it or consider it normal. According to Wikipedia, the age of consent in China for both genders is 14, so perhaps there are fewer legal concerns, but I would absolutely not think of that as normal in any way. You hear about this kind of thing happening, but I've never been any closer than third-hand to one of these incidents.
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May 23, 2017 07:31
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I've only ever heard stories. The only times the stories were someone in the same city (I've never known one of these creeps personally) were university teachers dating students, which is marginally less creepy I guess. There also seems to be a fair amount of dating/banging going on with adult classes but they're consenting adults so, eh whatever.
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May 23, 2017 10:54
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I work at a Chinese university. My contract expressly forbids me from having an "intimate relationship" with a student. I can't imagine this is acceptable anywhere but the most poo poo tier school. That or it's a private tutor/student situation. Either way that's really bad.
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May 23, 2017 16:05
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simplefish posted:Have I met you in Hong Kong, twice? I lost all idea of who was who when I left the China wechat group Late reply because I have been doing Things in Places, but yes. On wechat I am Jake. Because that is who I am.
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May 25, 2017 15:53
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Cool, hello again!
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May 25, 2017 18:36
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Regarding the aviation thing, it's unfortunate that China and Korea have taken the brunt of stereotyping for subordinates being unwilling to challenge their superiors or elders about obviously wrong decisions. It's a problem everywhere to greater or lesser degrees and I especially see a lot of it in manufacturing in the american south. The aviation community at least has recognized the problem and taken action to mitigate it while producing a large body of research, I believe those kind of dysfunctional relationships to authority have always been taken for granted as "that's life" until airplanes made the stakes much higher and more visible. In few other contexts does holding one's tongue have the potential for immediate and public death and dismemberment of hundreds. Korea Air Lines is the definitive case study for improvements in CRM and I really wish the underlying principles and concepts were taught in grade school because they're important and applicable in every field. Noteworthy examples: Bud Holland https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_Fairchild_Air_Force_Base_B-52_crash http://sbfpd.org/uploads/3/0/9/6/3096011/darker_shades_of_blue.pdf Nobody learned anything from Bud Holland https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Alaska_C-17_crash "Guys, I'm concerned." https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/c-5-crash-report.7918/ shame on an IGA fucked around with this message at 21:16 on May 29, 2017 |
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May 29, 2017 21:09
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This was a nice read and it's a shame to see it ensures so abruptly. Anyway, thanks for the great stories!
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May 29, 2017 22:59
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So people have asked once or twice what I wish I'd known before coming to China, and I did kind of a lovely job of answering the question because most of what I wished I'd known is job- or location-specific. But I don't feel like doing any work right now, and I am leaving this place in a few weeks, so I thought I'd make a general list of things I wish I'd known (or that other people I've met had known) before teaching overseas in general: - Don't talk about your personal life to your coworkers, no matter how much you might think you're friends. Don't give anyone any ammunition to use against you in the future, should they choose to do so. You may think you have a solid relationship, even a friendship, with a coworker, but if it's useful for them to throw you under the bus, they will. I have a chronic illness and my company has been very kind about accommodating me, but I recently discovered one of my coworkers is using my illness as leverage for something, even though it doesn't affect them at all. - You are not going to change anything. If you're lucky, some students will remember you fondly and keep in touch, but you are not there to change the system. The one thing I see experienced expat teachers tell each other all the time is "You're not here to reinvent the wheel." Your coworkers and students and even your boss may hate the status quo, but they are usually loathe to swim against the tide and your making waves is only going to cause problems. I hope that's enough mixed metaphors. - The kids don't wash their hands. If they give you unwrapped food, tell them you'll eat it later, and throw it away. But always take something you are given, because why not encourage them? - Kids are kids everywhere. Don't mistake novelty for respect or reverence. - Your novelty will wear off. Yes, it will. - Only use your own money to purchase things for lessons/classes if you really, REALLY like those students. - If they tell you they can't pay you for any reason, and they haven't made any good-faith gestures other than placating words, go. - Leaving a bad overseas teaching job and breaking your contract will only have repercussions if you immediately start looking for work in the same city. Leaving a crap position early in Korea will not prevent you from getting a good job in Vietnam. The only place I've ever broken a contract and actually had it affect me at all was in Japan, and all that happened is that my new boss politely told my old boss to shove it. - Have color copies of your passport, including any current visas, a set of passport pictures, and a list of emergency contacts at your house or your place of employment, if you have a secure place. - Either pack a bug-out bag or know exactly how you would pack one, should you need to escape in a hurry. - Polite, smiling recalcitrance will always be more effective than yelling- but a sudden burst of tears can be very useful. - Always have hand sanitizer, pocket tissues/baby wipes, and an Advil in your bag. - Create a separate social media presence for students and coworkers to contact you on, should they wish to. - Have an alternate route to and from home and work. I was followed by an angry trike driver for forty minutes last week because I didn't want to get in his vehicle. - If you don't want to or can't learn the local language, at least know the following words: hello, goodbye, thank you, excuse me, I don't speak [language], bathroom, bus, subway, taxi, foreigner (both the polite and rude terms), and the word for your home country. At least you can twig on to whether people are talking about you or not. - You are 100% replaceable. - Everyone's a little bit racist. And sexist. - Don't ever argue with someone who tells you their country does XYZ, even if you know it's not true. Just smile politely and say, "That's great!" If you really want to rub their noses in their own bullshit, figure out a subtle way to do it later. - Learn basic Powerpoint and design skills. If one of the lower-ranking teachers sends me another PPT copied from Wikipedia in 15 pt font with a million animated pictures per slide, I'm gonna lose it. - You are not obligated to be friends with your coworkers. - You are not obligated to accept any and all invitations. Is it a good idea? Usually. I would go to at least the first and final work events of the year. - It's not always personal when you hear coworkers say your name in the midst of a long string of {whatever language}. - Always read every single line of your contract, get clarifications, and have the clarifications written down by whoever's clarifying. "Let's discuss this later" will never happen. - Check all potential employers against all available ESL blacklists. Talk to the teacher who's leaving, if possible. - Don't be offended by personal questions. If I got mad every time someone asked me why I don't have a baby, I'd be dead by now. - You are an easy target and will be made a target at some point for something. - Know when and where people in your country typically travel. If you want to avoid large crowds of Chinese tourists, for example, don't go to Thailand in February. - Don't just ignore things like emails or texts that you can't read. Use translation software or a friendly person who speaks your language to help you. Sure, it's usually spam, but there are times when it's important information. - Yes, everyone probably learns English at least until high school, but that doesn't mean they remember any of it. - More people know what "gently caress you" means than you think. - Figure out public transportation ASAP. - The silent treatment is always a bad sign. - Don't get a pet unless you know FOR SURE that you are staying a long time and/or can get it out of the country and/or have someone else who can take it. There are more dogs and cats abandoned by English teachers than you would believe, even if they were originally rescues. - Cheating and lying have different values and uses in other cultures. - Personal space is not something you are entitled to. - Never EVER give your bank book/card, passport, birth certificate, or anything else like that to your boss unless they tell you exactly when it will be returned to you. If it's not returned on time, keep asking until you get it. - Don't get in a physical fight with a local unless you have hella backup, regardless of the other person's size or apparent strength. You don't know if twenty of their closest friends are on their way. And if someone tries to egg you on and get you to hit them, don't. Never, ever make the first move unless you are seriously threatened. - You don't have to give your phone number or email to everyone that asks. - Secure all recommendation letters, etc. before leaving the country. - If someone approaches you, speaking impeccable English, and really wants to chat, they're probably a JW or a Mormon. - If someone asks, "Will you be my friend?" they want free English lessons. - No one has the right to take your picture without your permission. - Always have an emergency lesson on deck. - Drunk Asian girls love big-titted white women.
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Jun 7, 2017 04:25
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Oh, and don't say "I'm so grateful to be here!" It's a job and you were hired to do it because you were deemed capable; it's not a badge of honor. Don't grovel. Ditto for "amazing opportunity." If I ever hear another 21-year old tell me that being a teacher at some lovely fly-by-night chain school in Korea is an "amazing opportunity," I'll pee on their loving shoes.
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Jun 7, 2017 04:32
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Fleta Mcgurn posted:- Drunk Asian girls love big-titted white women.  Honestly, this just makes me want to know what other bizarre poo poo is definitely going to happen to American teachers working abroad.
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Jun 8, 2017 04:19
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Viola the Mad posted:
It depends on your definition of "bizarre," really. There are a lot of things I barely notice that friends and visitors have been taken aback by. - People taking pictures of you, with or without your permission. If you go to a tourist site, there's a non-zero chance that local visitors will want a picture with or of you, and have no shyness about just running up and asking. This is something I personally hate and won't do unless a child asks, but other people find it novel and funny. I just think it's dumb. Maybe a little racist, or maybe not, depending on how grumpy I am when I consider the situation. People taking pictures of me without my permission...I've knocked phones out of peoples' hands more than once. I don't belong to you, motherfucker, and I'm not a goddamn photo op. - People just randomly screaming poo poo at you. Every time I take a walk, someone yells "HAAALLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" at me as they zip past. I don't even acknowledge this anymore. - People following you. - People staring at you. - Having your hair touched, body parts grabbed, tattoos poked, etc. Men almost always have one experience where someone, usually a kid, grabs their arm hair and yanks. - Being babbled at in the local language at top speed, often regardless of whether you're even acknowledging the person or whether you have said anything to them. - People being absolutely fascinated by the food you're eating at a restaurant. - Hysterical laughter when you do anything, or say anything, or sometimes even if they just look at you. "It's a response to being embarrassed" is usually the reason given; no one has ever acknowledged that this is rude or upsetting when I've brought it up. But for me, this is one of the worst things, mainly because it wastes time. Like, I just want to buy this bottle of water and I've given you more than enough money to pay for it; you don't need to shriek-laugh to your coworker for five minutes while you try to figure oout how to say "5 [local money]." Relax. I don't WANT to talk to you. - When you're talking to another English speaker and someone starts imitating the sounds you're making. This is one of my pet peeves from adults. - Being asked questions about whether you can do basic things ("Can you eat rice?" is literally my least favorite thing Japanese people ever said to me. NO, I CAN'T, MY LIPS WERE SEWN SHUT. It's just rice!) or being over-praised ("You are so good at using chopsticks!" "Yeah, I've been in Asia for seven years." "Wow! So...you can use chopsticks? Really?"  )- "Really?" is a response to ANYTHING, by the way.
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Jun 8, 2017 04:38
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Fleta Mcgurn posted:
Actually I just remembered. I was eating in a place popular with tourists. They also do the thing where they seat people who don't know each other at the same table. I am directed to sit at a table for 4 with only 1 guy there. I sit diagonally opposite, then his 2 friends come back. They're mainlanders. The woman tries to sneakily snap a photo of me because she's sitting with a Foreigner! But then the flash goes off and she's really embarrassed. I just smile a big ol toothy grin at her. Actually by the end of the meal it's ok, after we seni-communicate shuffling dishes round the table to fit em all on, sharing the teapot, passing pencil for the menu etc. Nice people in the end, just fascinated by race. quote:
Ok this would make me hopping mad, hasn't happened to me before in HK thankfully. quote:
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Jun 8, 2017 04:54
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Something I notice here, which I'm curious whether it happens elsewhere in China, is that if I'm speaking English, or just being white in their vicinity, people switch to English. I don't mean service staff, but walking down the street, if the people near us realise I'm talking English with my wife, say the couple in front of us will start having their conversation in English, when moments before they were speaking Cantonese. Browsing in a clothes shop, tbat group of teenage girls hear me and my wife and suddenly all switch their conversation to English. In a restaurant, the table next to us - same. Actually now I think about it, there are always women involved. Groups of only guys don't do it. It doesn't happen super regularly, but sometimes it does. Also I'm told some young women here adopt accented Cantonese to pretend to be or just seem more ABC or BBC or CBC. Or they pretend they don't speak Cantonese at all. Maybe it's related
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Jun 8, 2017 05:01
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| # ? May 4, 2024 22:12 |
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Fleta Mcgurn posted:So people have asked once or twice what I wish I'd known before coming to China, and I did kind of a lovely job of answering the question because most of what I wished I'd known is job- or location-specific. Let me guess, bad day?
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Jun 8, 2017 06:15
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