Welcome Back, Now Go Away

Three weeks may have been a bit much, at least for a summer vacation in China. This is one hot, humid country. Every time I sat down at a computer, I couldn’t stand the heat long enough to even answer my e-mails. But now that I’m in my new apartment in Changzhou, it’s time to jump into the first inning of a long game of catch-up.

Getting this apartment wasn’t so easy, however. My school was never very clear about when classes started or when I could move in, but I figured they were smart enough to figure out I would need somewhere to live when I dropped half of my stuff off at the foreign affairs office and said, “I’ll be back in three weeks.” Well, three weeks later, I showed up only to meet a very surprised foreign affairs representative. He wasn’t expecting me to move in until the 30th. Instead of being apologetic about the misunderstanding and offering to help (by giving me the apartment or helping me find something else), he said, “It’s none of my business what you do.”

I was more agitated than normal by his indifference, because my brother had this same problem earlier that day. His school was in the process of moving to a new campus and didn’t have an apartment ready yet. They actually offered to pitch in for a hotel in the meantime, though. Mr. Dipshit at my school didn’t. He didn’t care what I did. He just wanted me to leave and not come back for five days. If this was how he and the school were going to treat me, then I didn’t want to work for them. I told him so, and he replied, “Fine. You can find another school that will hire you.”

After that note, I think he was waiting for me to fall on my hands and knees and beg for forgiveness. But I didn’t. Though I was shaking inside, I simply said, “Okay.” We stared at each other for an awkward 30 seconds before his attitude suddenly changed. “All right, I’ll make some calls. I can’t guarantee anything, but I will help. Please just… wait for me to call.” And here I am. I still had to find a hotel that night, but I was able to move into the apartment the next day.

Now that everything’s settled, is it really that big of a deal to show up a week early? I’ve never had this problem with a school before. Do they honestly think a foreign teacher can move in one day and start teaching the next? Can you imagine flying to another country and having to make such a quick transition? Granted, my situation is a little different, but I’ve been traveling for three weeks straight. I’m burned out from living in hotels and waking up at 5:00 to join tour groups and wearing the same reeking clothes every day.

I’m also getting sick of Chinese people thinking it’s easy to be a foreigner. The obnoxious part about this misguided information is that the majority of offenders have never left the country and have never experienced McDonald’s in another language. China can be a very rude awakening for many Westerners. It takes time to adjust to the food, the culture, the communication barrier, the way people look at you. And somewhere in there, you’ve got to get situated into a new apartment, too.

Mr. Dipshit thought it was funny when I asked if he expected me to sleep in the street. It’s easy for him to holler from his high horse that it’s none of his business. He’s a Chinese citizen. He lives here. He speaks Chinese. For me, it’s still just as hard to get around as it was last year. I still don’t speak the language. I still don’t have a permanent place to live (nor do I know how to get one). I don’t have a car or a bike. I live with an expiration date (my visa) hanging over my head at all times. I’m just glad I have a friend, a local hotel owner, who’s willing to help me out whenever I get screwed over by someone else. His hospitality gives me hope when the rest of the country is driving me crazy.

25 August 2009 | China, Teaching | Comments | Home
tags: expat life

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