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Guest

Hello everyone

I just wish to point out another side of life as an ESL "teacher" that I find really great. I am talking about the diversity of the teachers you meet here.

There are three Foreign Teachers here at my School now, Myself (57 and Australian), a black dude from the U.S.A. - he's 24 and a new black guy from Kenya whom I do not really know yet.

The guy from the U.S.A. and I go out together sometimes and lets face it, never in a MILLION YEARS would I have met him if I had stayed in Australia. He is about the same age as my youngest Son, and my youngest Son would not be seen dead in public with me. This teacher is taking me out to dinner this week. When we go anywhere on a local bus together, the locals ask him if I am his Mother and he says YES. He can speak Mandarin quite well. I usually hit him hard at this point which causes much laughter in the bus.

When he first arrived here six months ago, I told him I was his worst nightmare as he had just left his Mum in the U.S.A. and then had the misfortune to be confronted by another Mum who also said "clean up your room" etc. He just laughed and said if I was his Mum would I do his washing! I declined.

We are sometimes in fits of laughter as in the other day when he was commenting on the lawns at our School. He said "you think they would use a WEED WHACKER" . I started laughing and he said "what do you call it in Australia" and I said "A WHIPPER SNIPPER". We both dissolved into laughter - and there are many times like this.

Does anyone else have any stories about interesting teachers they have lived with?

When he first arrived here at the School the Chinese teachers were all whispering about him looking like Mike Tyson, which of course he doesn't.

He bought a HEAVY DUTY bike but it was stolen a week later and he has been walking ever since. When I first told the Chinese teachers about him having to buy a heavy duty bike because of his weight, they said "what about his bed?" and I said, "I don't know, I haven't seen it - YET" and they all laughed.

Anyway, when his girlfriend from the U.S.A. visitied here in January his bed collapsed and he tried to keep it from me and managed to for a while but when I saw the mattress on the floor I nearly died laughing!

These are the good times. By the way his bed is getting repaired at the moment but he told me that his girlfriend is coming back for a visit at the beginning of May.

James_T_Kirk · Joined: 20 Sep 2003 Posts: 357 Location: Ten Forward

johnslat · Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2004 2:06 am Post subject: Friendship

I agree, Captain Kirk. I count 6 former colleagues among my best friends, the associations going back as far as 20 years. That's because, when you find "fascinating individuals with very interesting and diverse backgrounds", you don't want to let them just drift out of your life after
you go your different ways. Such people are thin on the ground.
Regards,
John

Slim Pickens · Joined: 25 Nov 2003 Posts: 299

arioch36 · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 3589

I miss some of my friendships in America. There was a group of guys I played basketball with on every Monday. Well know I know a couple good friends in Zhengzhou, yes, people I would have never met in America, and we go bowling together each week for a brief period of sanity. I think we will be good friends for life.

I also find myself adapting myself to some of the foreigners I know here. As some on this site know, I can be rather blunt (or sharp if you prefer), especially during my times of insominia. I find it rewarding as a person to have to change myself some as a person to be friends with people who sometimes share quite different world views.

Staying in one province is rewarding, as I get to know Chinese acquaintances long term. We should not find it surprising they don't always show their true faces with us, as in their eyes, we are just blips on their screen.

I just made contact with some teachers from my first school. Not alltogether a great school but some good times, such as when we went to the local hangout and decided that we would sing some Western songs (as the Chinese are always singing songs when they get a little plastered.

Guest

See
Slim Pickens, I can write a complete sentence without using the "O" word!!!

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

My colleagues are about 90% of the reason why I like my job so much. I could not have hoped for a more supportive bunch.

I have made some close friends in this field, but I've also lost touch with them... Crying or Very sad

I am a fairly private/shy person, so it takes a while for me to mentally switch from thinking of people as colleagues to thinking of them as friends, but either way, I'm grateful to have them.

I've also had some unfortunate experiences--getting involved with male teachers when I know very well that it's a no-no (or at least awkard). I lost one friend that way a couple of years ago and am on the brink of losing another one.

d

ibasiram · Joined: 24 Mar 2003 Posts: 107

Seems an interesting topic, and I'm sure that there are many different interesting experiences. As a young male, I too hae had colleagues / friends many years older than myself - even one aged 55.. and we got on really well together and still keep very much in touch.
i'm very lucky with where I am at the moment, as my colleagues here are a really decent bunch - all of them at least 8 years older than me, but that's not a problem - we still socialise together a lot.
I also agree that it's not a good idea to get involved with colleagues..especially when you have to see them at work every day..I very nearly went down that road..but stopped myself just in time..actually that would be another interesting topic to start..
Have a good day..and good friendships everyone.. Wink

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

WhenI leave a place it's not usually the place I miss but the people. But then you meet new people Very Happy

Lanza-Armonia · Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2004 11:38 am Post subject:

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Non-Chinese: Friends, mostly, or good contacts;
Chinese: mostly clients, or students. Good rapport with either, but more likely to be of a permanent kind with non-Chinese.

Lanza-Armonia · Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2004 12:37 pm Post subject:

Roger posting only a paragraph? Are you feeling ok? They're normally university sixed journals!!!

LA

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

LA, EFL friendships aren't really forced. Just chance meetings. The fact that two people are in the same profession and like travelling gives a good starting point to a friendship. A forced friendship would be something like the meeting of John McCarthy and Brian Keenan's chance meeting in a Beiruti prison cell. ( mind you both of them were kidnapped in Beirut so I guess they had something in common)

BTW I've just read Keenan's 'An evil cradling' I highly recommend it.

Lanza-Armonia · Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2004 12:51 pm Post subject:

If/When I find it, I'll nab it! I'm dying for a good, stimulating read....

LA

Guest · Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2004 9:03 pm Post subject:

LA - dmb is correct, they are not forced friendships as you do not have to hang out with them, but they are opportunities to mix with people that you would never have met if you had not come here to teach English. I am just saying that they are the "icing on the cake" for me anyway.

Denise, getting involved with anyone you work with in ANY Country is never a good idea.. When the relationship hits the fan, someone feels as if they have to leave to ease the situation, and if you are both teachers, and both on a contract - that is difficult. I worked in the same job for 25 years in Australia before coming here, and believe me, there were temptations from time to time with some of the male staff (as the Company employed up to 90 people at times) but I always held back. My job was too important to me at that time.

Remember, men are like buses, if you miss one, there will be another one along in twenty minutes!