Newbie or Old Timer?

[Hypiereon]

The DIFFERENCE

You know you're an Old Timer and you’ve been “in-country” a little too long when . . .

1. The locals start looking like “so and so” back home.
2. You and all your closest friends have QQ numbers.
3. You know the location of the nearest underground DVD/CD/software “dealer” and think paying $1 American Dollar is too expensive.
4. Your “emergency travel kit” is composed of a copy of your passport, enough money to get you a meal & get you home, and enough toilet paper for the journey.
5. You think foreigners act strange/funny.
6. You pretend you don’t understand what the locals are saying so you don’t have to deal with whatever problem has just come up.
7. You actually understand every word the locals are saying when they try to speak in that very awful broken English.
8. You’re afraid to be seen with other foreigners for fear of getting ripped off.
9. You refuse to try to travel anywhere during Spring Festival.
10. You can make a list like this one without much trouble.


How to Spot a Newbie (Just Arrived & Less than a Year in-country)

1. JA - They can’t wait to show you a “probably priceless antique / piece of jewelry / rare coin” they recently bought at the souvenir market.
2. JA - They ask for a knife and fork when they go to local restaurants.
3. JA - They say they’d like to try something new to eat, and after they actually do they head straight for the local McDonald’s or KFC.
4. JA - They walk out of the public restroom with a confused look on their face.
5. JA - They talk slower and louder in English to get the locals to understand them.
6. JA & LY - They buy up every DVD, CD, and other software disc they recognize.
7. LY - They still carry their passport with them like a security blanket and can show it to you within 2 seconds if you ask to see it.
8. LY - They still have both local and foreign currency with them at all times.
9. LY - They carry little cards or business cards with place names of everywhere they have been or want to go written in the local language.
10. LY - They have the phone numbers of two or more people who can translate for them over the phone when they get in a jam.


Sorry that this mostly applies to those of us working in Asia, but please, if you have your own list or have anything else to add - feel free!!

[cdevine]

Well we don't have such cheap CD's here in Germany. I would consider myself an old-timer. Will I ever move back home? Definitely, but when I do not know.

A big difference between and Old Timer and Just Arrived or Less than 1 Year, is that us Old Timers have way too much shit that we have collected over the years. The thought of moving back home is scary. Where to get rid of all that stuff, and exchanging a life of teaching, money and comfort to something very different back home. The thought of working 40+ hours a week back home and living with mum and dad??? Arghh.......

[Hypiereon]

Good point about the extra baggage. I could just see me huffing my way through the lines all red-faced and sweaty up to the customs officer, "Of course I paid less than $400 for this piano! It was made in China!!!"

Another good point about the hours - can't beat working for yourself and setting your own hours based on contracts and schools.

[harold h]

You're definitely an old timer if you are immune to all the strange stares you get in public. I remember my first few weeks - I was very aware of everyone looking at me.

[Hypiereon]

I was walking in public with my daughter and suddenly noticed everyone staring. I had been so used to the idea of being in China by now and everyone staring at OTHER things that I just naturally turned to see what they were all staring at only to see another row of faces staring at us. I did get a bit of a kick outta that. (Something akin to not looking where you're going and bumping into "someone" only to apologize to a street post or some similar object.)

[gfell]

You know you're an old timer when you talk to your western friends in part English and part Japanese / Chinese or whatever country you are in.

After spending years in 1 country teaching, you start to pickup phrases and expressions which sum up the situation perfectly. It's frightening when you start using these phrases to your western friends.

[harold h]

You definitely would have to be an old timer when you start dreaming in the country's language. No word of a lie! This does happen.

[kkbaby]

You sure are an ol' timer if you start dreaming in another language. Don't laugh! This happens.