I am a Teacher... really!
It’s true, I am a relatively young teacher. In fact, I am only a year or two older than most of the Seniors I am teaching. This coupled with the fact that I look like the majority of the people in this country is bound to make for some very interesting situations. Here is a story of one particularly fun little scenario.After a day of work in the office at the New South Campus of ANU, I prepared to board the shuttle bus back to my apartment on Central Campus. I was not dressed up since I did not teach any classes that day. As I attempted to board the bus at 5:30PM however, a young lady stopped me abruptly.
“I’m sorry, this is the teacher’s bus. The student bus will arrive at 6:30.” I am a bit embarrassed, a tad speechless. She stares at me funny, thinking maybe I didn’t understand and repeats the instructions, “the student bus comes at 6:30.”
“Um, I am a teacher,” I mumble in Chinese. She looks me up and down, maybe wondering if I’m joking. In an attempt not to lose any more face I back off and tell my caucasian teammate, Dan, to go on board first in perfect English. She notices this, and as Dan steps aboard I tell her I’m with him. She finally lets me on.

What makes this story especially interesting is that a few days later my team leader, Cassi, mentions my predicament to Dean Yu of the English Language Department. He laughs heartily at my story of mistaken identity and proceeds to write an official letter on official ANU stationary stamped with the official ANU seal to give to me. Dean Yu tells Cassi that with this document, I won’t have to worry about such issues ever again.
What’s on this letter? Well, I am now the proud owner of a document written personally by the Dean that declares my full standing as a foreign teacher. Never again will I be mistaken for a student! The exact words on the paper go something like this.
“To Whom It May Concern. The owner of this letter, Lou Jing Wu (my chinese name) is an employed foreign expert and teacher of ANU. He is a TEACHER, he is NOT a student. Please treat him with the same privileges you would any other foreign expert.”
I’d be willing to bet I’m the only person in the history of Anhui Normal University to receive and own such a privileged, unique, and slightly humorous document. Oh, the joys of being a young ABC in China.
posted by Unknown @ 10:04 PM
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