The Foreign Phenomenon

Being a foreigner in China is a unique experience, and one that will vary depending on your country of origin, what you look like, where in China you settle, and what it is that has brought you to China.

The fact that you probably don't look very Chinese, makes for a very interesting experience being a foreigner in China.  In some ways, being foreign in China is a lot like being Lady Gaga in the middle of Iowa; you are a celebrity.  However, while my overall experience as a foreigner in China was positive, there were also some frustrating things about being foreign in China.

Let me reiterate; while occasionally my life was frustrating (um, as life tends to be pretty much anywhere) I had a fantastic experience being a foreigner in China.

Daily Life: Foreign Phenomenon

A lot of times, walking down a street in China (especially if you happened to be in a smaller town or city, was a lot like being a celebrity in America.  You would constantly be pointed at to whispered choruses of "Laowai!"  This phrase means "foreigner" and it was the first Chinese phrase I learned upon arriving in Hangzhou; I heard it so frequently that I asked someone what it meant shortly after my arrival.

Another disconcerting aspect of being obviously foreign in China was being photographed.  Now, we weren't being photographed every day as we walked down the streets in Hangzhou, because Hangzhou is a relatively big city, and foreigners abound.  However, when we were in tourist spots in or near the city (as people from more remote parts of China visited these areas) or if we were in a smaller part of China, we would be photographed.  Some times we would be asked if we could be in pictures or if they could take our picture, to which we largely said yes.  The only time we refused was if we were in sort of a hurry or if we'd said yes, and then a whole line of people started, waiting for a photo with us.  I know, it's crazy--never in my life have I had people lining up to be in pictures with me.  But it was generally good practice to be accommodating with the pictures, because if you were traveling with only one other person, and wanted a photo of just the two of you, you now have a whole bunch of people who are willing to snap that photo for you.

Not exactly a hardship to be asked to be in photos. 

We don't know any of these people.  They just asked to us to be in a picture with them. 

However, what happened even more frequently than being asked to be in photos was the "sneaky photo."  This is the person who sees you, maybe they point and whisper and giggle to their friends, and sit down somewhere near you, but have not yet approached you.  Eventually, one or more of them will take out their phones.  Whispering ensues as they get the phone onto the camera setting, and then one of them holds the phone up and begins taking pictures of us as we are walking, sitting, eating, talking etc.  Now, some of them try to be sneakier than others.  Some try and pretend they are texting or something as they photograph us, but that is not always the case.  And since you begin to recognize the signs, and they are not always particularly quiet or subtle about it (plus, once you learn some Chinese, you can literally hear them talking about taking your picture--they just assume you don't understand)--you know when your pictures is about to be taken.   This is actually my favorite.  Because the amateur paparazzi is so focused on getting the picture before we leave, they are not actually paying attention to the picture they are taking.  We would wait until it looked like they were ready to snap the picture and then we would whip around and pose.  On one occasion, we did this, the woman then looked at the picture to make sure she caught us, and noticed we'd both posed; she jumped a little and looked up at us with a sheepish/embarrassed smile and waved.

The woman on the left is my favorite.  Stealth!

Below is a video from a town called Xitang--we found ourselves the subject of some photographic study--the guy with camera is not being subtle...the guy next to him is sneaking in a shot with his cell phone.

I have read some other articles and blogs on travel since I have begun my own, and what I am hearing from almost everyone is this surprise that everyone they met was so friendly.  We must be a very distrustful people, as a whole, to be continually surprised by the kindness of strangers when we travel to other countries.  This is certainly true for China; everyone I met was exceptionally friendly and willing to help me when I needed it.  When I was lost or looking for something, I would stop and ask someone.  Now, there was frequently a language issue because my Chinese was limited, and often times, so was their English.  But we would find someone--usually a teenager still in school--whose English was proficient and we would figure it out.  I never had anyone wave me off because they were too busy or didn't want to help.

Assumptions: Beating Gossip Girls

I don't know how many of you are avid Gossip Girls or Vampire Diaries watchers, but I can tell you right now, these two shows (among many others) are very popular in China.  Now, you might not think too much of these characters sexual proclivities--you may not share in them, but to each their own, am I right? We also understand that this is television, and that the lives of our teenagers are not all filled with promiscuity (just like we know that they are not filled with vampires).

However, our entertainment media seems to idealize a highly sexualized society.  And this is reflected in the assumptions that many Chinese had of Americans.   My students would say that Americans were very open.  At first, I thought this meant friendly; I learned later it meant slutty.  They really do believe that many American women view sex quite casually (which anyone whose been to Wisconsin knows is just not true).   As someone who is not particularly promiscuous, I found this assumption to be somewhat offensive. I do, however, have to admit a certain truth behind this stereotype; I would say on average, American women begin having sex a lot earlier than Chinese women.

Another thing idolized by American television is the desire to sit on a couch all day and do nothing.  It seems like many of our sitcom characters work towards being able to lounge around and do nothing, and they seem to place a high value on the time that they devote to doing nothing and are quite (comically so) upset when that time is interrupted.  Well, this (among other things) has led to the stereotype that Americans are on a whole lazy, and maybe a bit stupid (again, think of our sitcoms). If the stupid thing offends you, try also to remember some of the gems that have been said by our politicians and our media, not just our television shows.

Yet another thing idolized by Americans is violence.  I just watched the Expendables 2 the other day, and every time they shot someone, they pretty much exploded into a bloody gross mess.  Our movies are violent.  And to be fair, a lot of the gun violence in schools is hitting our media, and is certainly hitting media abroad.  There are Chinese parents who are afraid to send their kids to study in the U.S. because they are afraid they are going to get shot at school or at a shopping mall.  When I think of my country, I largely view it as safe, so the idea that someone was afraid to come to America was initially surprising.

So if you are keeping track, the Chinese seem to think of Americans as lazy, gun-toting, moronic, nymphomaniacs who are probably going to kill you.  I cannot tell you how many times sentences started with, "American's are..." and ended in something wildly exaggerated or outright untrue.  Having that ignorance thrown in your face often was frustrating, however, I did try to remember that America has just as many untrue and offensive stereotypes about the Chinese.

Language: Ting bu Dong

Chinese is hard.  While grammatically it is fairly simple, and seems to follow more rules than English, the correct pronunciation is very difficult.  Do not even get me started on reading the characters--I am terrible at it! This would be one area of life in China where being a native English speaker gives you absolutely no advantage whatsoever.   Thankfully in most large cities, most street signs are either also in English, or at least in pinyin (Chinese using the English alphabet), which is much easier to decipher.  It is possible to navigate most of the large cities (Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong) without knowing more than a minimal amount of Chinese.

That being said, I highly recommend you learn at least some "Survival Chinese."  Learn how to give/receive directions, order food, buy things, explain who you are, etc.  Your life will be much easier and you will have a better degree of independence--you won't have to rely on the availability of your more language apt friends, your students, or the presence of English to get around everyday. It also seems polite, to learn at least the basics of the language of the country giving you a job.  And hey, when are you going to have a better opportunity to learn a very valuable language then while you are living there?!

You know, muddling through with my basic Chinese.  Thankfully everyone was almost always very patient. 

However, even with some basic Chinese skills, you may not always be understood.  This is in part because many Chinese simply do not realize you are speaking Chinese when you begin talking to them.  They see you, in all your foreign-glory, and assume that the words coming out of your mouth are English.  This is due to two reasons.  The first, Chinese is hard, and you are probably not getting the tones and pronunciation right.  You might be saying the "right" words, but with the wrong tone, it totally changes the meaning.  This means that once the Chinese citizen realizes you are mangling his language, he or she then needs to think about the sounds you are making, consider the context in which you are making these sounds, to come up with the most likely intended meaning of the several possible phrases you are communicating.  You can understand why most of them just wave their hand and say "ting bu dong" (don't understand) or "no English" when you start speaking.  And I have had Chinese shopkeepers tell me they don't understand English when I am asking them a question in Chinese. Well I realize the fault is likely mine, because my Chinese is not wonderful, this is extremely frustrating, because it often feels as if the people who do this are not really giving me a chance to try to speak Chinese.

The second reason for this is that because Chinese is so hard, many Chinese simply do not believe that non-native Chinese speakers can learn Chinese.   And to be fair, it takes a long time to really perfect the language.  So, when they see you, and you do not look Chinese, they are going to assume that you just don't know the language.  This is particularly frustrating for people who have been there many years--one of my friends who had been in China for many many years prefers to conduct conversations in Chinese via phone--when they can't see him while he is speaking, they think he is a Chinese citizen.

Teaching: Getting Over the Fear of Limited Direction

I have talked briefly before about how I was given a relatively huge amount of freedom when designing my courses and my curriculum.  As in in many other aspects of my life in China, teaching was sort of carte blanche.   I was not formally observed very frequently by the school (although I was often observed by the other foreign teacher's I was working with), I did not have to provide lesson plans, I was not given any curriculum for the majority of my courses.  Basically I was asked to fill out a very general course outline at the beginning of each semester, with how I was assessing students and the topics I would be covering and about what week I would be covering those topics.  But I was never really asked to account for these plans--no one really checked in on week seven to make sure I was, in fact, teaching exactly what I'd written I would be teaching at that time.  The fact that I spoke English fluently and had a minimum of a bachelor's degree was pretty much all the curriculum I needed, or at least that what it seemed like.

Now, if you are reading this and thinking, "oh hey, this sounds like a cake job I can take while also getting to live in and see another country" I want you to stop reading.  As teachers, we have a responsibility to our students, and while the school may not hold you accountable, at least not initially, you owe your students the best opportunity to learn that you can give them.  Imagine someone blowing off your education as simply a chance to see the world and get paid while doing it?  I am pretty sure that would piss you off--you'd feel cheated of an educational opportunity.  As you can imagine, not too many native English speakers find their way to China in order to teach, and you owe your students your best.  And while a university may not fire you for being a shitty teacher your first year, they are not likely to hire you back for a second year.

Now, if you are reading this and thinking that this sounds like a great opportunity to explore and expand your teaching interests or skills, by all means, read on, and I apologize for the soap box in the paragraph above. Since native English speakers are highly valued, you will not have trouble finding a position at a University or high school in China (although, like anywhere, there are different requirements for different schools--some are quite rigorous).  While having no curriculum is at first somewhat alarming (especially if you are trained as a teacher, you will be thinking: "But what do I teach?!?!"), you get used to the idea that if no one is telling you what to do, then no one is also telling you what you can't do.  This gives you a huge degree of creative freedom when it comes to curriculum design and implementation. The kind of freedom you are not likely to have in the States. For more in depth information on the kind of courses I taught, see previous posts here, here, here, here, and here.

Also, many of your students will adore you.  First, because you are a foreign teacher and this is a novelty.  You will actually find yourself being whispered about, and speculated about (is so and so dating this other foreign teacher?)  You will find yourself being ranked among other foreign teachers on levels such as cuteness, likability, strictness, and attractiveness--which is weird and somewhat unsettling at first.   However, like I said, if you are not a good teacher, this adoration will not last long.  So the second part of this adoration comes from doing your job well, and challenging your students to be better, while keeping in mind that they are learning English as a foreign language.  Also, the Chinese just seem to value their education, and therefore their educators, to higher degree than is average for Americans.

As a native English speaker, your are considered a valuable commodity.  Sometimes it will feel like the school you are working for is pointing at you and saying, "look here, we have him/her! He/she is from *insert English Speaking Country Here*"  It feels strange to be so highly valued simply because English is your first language.  As a such a commodity, you will often find yourself being traded to other schools.  Of course, this is done in a professional way; someone will ask you--repeatedly--if you'd like to do a guest lecture at another university or a primary school.  The school you are working with is typically offering to rent the services of their foreign teachers as a way to build or maintain relationships with other schools. While it is not expected you say yes each and every time they ask you, it is expected that you, and the other foreign teachers working there, will take turns agreeing to participate in this extracurricular teaching.  The school will often times pay you, and will usually provide transportation from your home to the other school. I had some really fun and rewarding experiences teaching guest lectures for other colleges and secondary schools, and I would recommend occasionally saying yes to this request, and not only just to make your employer happy.

You will also find yourself being asked on the street (whether your are a teacher or not, but especially if you are a teacher) if you can tutor someone, or their children, in English.  Some of the smaller, less well-funded schools also have people who ferret out where there are new foreign teachers, and will discover their mobile phone numbers.  You will occasionally receive text messages from strangers who work at a local primary or secondary school, asking you to teach on weekends.   Some schools have strict policies about taking part time work for another school, as you are being hired by them to devote your full attention to that particular school; however others are less particular so long as your teaching for them is not negatively impacted.  Whether or not you would like to take a secondary teaching job is up to you; I did not, as I found my full time position to be fairly time and energy consuming.  However, if you do decide to take another job, go to the school for the first time with someone you trust.  If you take a tutoring job, agree to meet them at a cafe or public place--China is safe, but that is no reason to not take precautions.

The Great Firewall: And Other Restrictions

It is easy to forget that China is one of those places where the government has a stronger presence in personal liberties that we often take for granted.  It is easy because on most days you do not feel in anyway inhibited or restricted.   However, there are just some things you cannot do or access while you are there (or at least, not without a bit of tech help).

The first thing is the internet.  Sites such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Blogger, Tumblr, and similar sites are all blocked in China, and without a VPN, you cannot access them. Now purchasing a VPN before you leave is not really difficult or expensive, but it is something that you will have to do before arriving.  That being said, there are a number of sites in China you cannot access in the States, and I miss those websites.  Since copyright laws in China seem to be nonexistent (or at least largely ignored), people post current television episodes, movies, music on to the Chinese version of YouTube, and you can go on a downloading/viewing/listening spree 24-7.  For me, the lack of Facebook my first semester (until I got a VPN) was difficult; it was the medium I used to communicate with my family and to share with them my life in China.

There were a few other restrictions in China, ones that were not really enforced unless it became an issue.  For example, as a teacher, I was informed that I should not really talk about the disagreements between China and Tibet or China and Taiwan.  I was also encouraged to steer away from discussion about the events in Tiananmen Square (you know which event I am talking about) and to avoid criticisms of Chairman Mao.   However, these were not really something I worried too much about, as I would only really be spoken to if I was overtly vocal about these subjects.  And to me, it would seem rude to loudly criticize the country that has hired me, so it was never really an issue for me.  However, there were times my students would say something that I just really wanted to debate about, and stopped myself.  Your classrooms are monitored.

Some of the people that come to teach in China come through missionary groups.  These groups are largely left alone in China, despite the fact that foreign missionary work is technically banned in China.  Again, so long as they are not standing on a street corner offering free baptisms, the government largely leaves them alone, especially if they are working there as English teachers.

Degrees of Foreign:

Now, as a white American, I did not really face too many negative feelings from the Chinese I interacted with.  Occasionally there would be one or two with legitimate criticisms of America that they unfortunately took out on us, but usually even these individuals simply wanted our opinion on these issues.  I was also typically respectful when I was out and about, gave my seat to old people or pregnant women, etc--so I did not have too many instances of negativity, and none that really stick out in my memory.

However, the Chinese do not have similar feelings about black Americans.  This is for a couple of reasons.  The first is that they simply do not believe that black people are American, they automatically assume they are from Africa.  So when a black person tells a Chinese person he is American, the Chinese person might actually feel that they are being lied to; this is extremely frustrating, for both parties.  Another reason lies in China's cultural ideals of beauty--the paler the better.  They actually have lotions for sale (at varying degrees of expense and correlated supposed efficacy) called whitening lotions.  These lotions, with daily use, are supposed to make you whiter.  For a really well written article that examines the causes this prejudice in China, as well as the experience of an individual living there, I would read A Minority in the Middle Kingdom: My Experience Being Black in China. I cannot personally speak to this experience, but I know my friends of color had a different experience than what I had in China.  One of the teachers, a Chinese American, was called a liar and was struck by an elderly Chinese woman when she tried to insist that she was American.  Another teacher was not hired for a position because the school preferred white teachers.