These things look weird without a title

I live in a happy homestay bubble.  Betty, my homestay sister, doesn’t eat fish. Therefore I do not need to eat fish. My family is dedicated to helping me experience everything Changde has to offer. They take me to traditional Chinese teahouses, and force so much expensive Chinese tea down my throat that every time I get car sick I panic that I’m getting a kidney stone. My homestay father doesn’t like to carry a wallet, so my homestay mother pays for everything and has complete control at restaurants. They’re a goofy bunch. At night we watch 3D movies and eat delicious Chinese fruit and ice cream. Best of all: Betty’s parents spend way more on her education than most girl’s parents would ever dream of.  It wasn’t until my conversation with Elena at lunch today, that I fully grasped how my individual homestay family and being white has colored (haha pun) my experience.

Elena is half Mexican and half African American. Her experience has been much different than mine.

I pretend I’m going to slap my student’s hands: they giggle hysterically

Elena looks as if she might touch one of her students: they back away terrified

I am frequently dodging men on motorcycles while waiting for a cab.

Elena has not been approached by even a single motorcycle.

I created a lot of trouble for the school when I refused to switch homestay families halfway through the program.

A few of the potential homestay families said they would not be comfortable with a black student.

Elena is beautiful. “Leggy” and “fabulous” are the words I’d use. But no one notices in a country where half the beauty products include the word “whitening.”

I cried myself to sleep most nights in India because of the way women were treated, but Elena is so strong. “That’s China,” she says nonchalantly.  “I’m lucky I don’t have to deal with motorcycles.”  “If I want my students to behave, I just have to look like I’m going to touch them.” I’m incredibly impressed by the way she handles it. She doesn’t let it get to her the way I would.

We’ve decided that it’s less racism here, and more ignorance. It’s not as if they have any people of African descent in Changde. They’ve only seen them on TV where they’re portrayed as gangsters and thieves. It’s difficult to describe, but it’s less of a “black’s are inferior” thing, and more of a “be scared of blacks” thing. Of course neither is right, but the latter is slightly less offensive. It’s ignorance. I feel it could be rectified by better information.  American media could take some of the blame.

I have also run into my fair share of gender issues. Oh no! Katherine’s ranting about gender issues again!

Elena and Kayliegh teach at the less expensive school. Their classes have about twenty students. I teach at VIP, the expensive school. I have no classes with more than eight students. Elena and Kayleigh have a gender split of about fifty-fifty. I have at least five boys for every girl. In fact, I have one class with seven boys and one girl. When I spoke to one of the teachers about it, she said, “It’s Chinese gender discrimination. I have four siblings because my parents kept trying for a boy.”

No official from the school contacts Elena, Kayleigh, or me with important information. They all run straight to Ralph and expect him to convey the information to us.

I would say that about 95% of the teachers are female. In speaking with the female teachers, I’ve found out that at least 50% of them are just teaching until they can find a husband.

It’s no India, but things are far from perfect here.

After all the seriousness, I have a funny problem:

The Problem:

The teachers in their early twenties are all in love with the only boy on my trip. Let’s call him Ralph.

Why the Teachers in Their Early Twenties Don’t Like Me:

They believe Ralph and I are dating.

The Biggest Reason Ralph and I Aren’t Dating:

Ralph is gay.

Why I Don’t Like the Teachers in Their Early Twenties:

They hit on Ralph all the time! They text him! None of the teachers have any of the girl’s numbers. If they believe we are dating, then they are trying to steal him from me! Uncool. Women should stick together. I’m hypothetically jealous and angry.

Also, swear to God I’m teaching the Chinese Dudley Dursley.  He terrorizes the smaller kids while swilling from his mammoth iced tea bottle. I’m pretty sure my hopes and dreams are being swallowed with his iced tea.

But teaching can be very rewarding…sometimes. It’s nice to go to sleep at night knowing I’ve accomplished something during the day. And it’s doing wonders for my patience.