Wisdom Doesnt Necessarily Come With Age

These 4 Year Olds Have More Decency Than That Old Bastard
Originally uploaded by billmcgonigle.

I don't usually discuss individuals in this blog, but there was an incident this weekend that has riled me so that I can't get it off my mind for even a moment.

Sunday afternoon, apparently angry at his pen having run out of ink, one of our teachers hucked a marker at the head of one of our Chinese TAs.

This might be bad enough, for it is certainly behavior uncalled for in any situation, but the thrower was a teacher who had already worn many of his relationships with the Chinese staff thinner than Saran Wrap. And the TA is probably the friendliest and most beloved staff member, Chiense or otherwise. And it was done in front of a class full of impressionable young children.

Seriously: what the fuck?!

I don't care how old you are, what experience you might have, where you may have been; maliciously pelting your coworker with any object over such a trivial misfortune is plain wrong.

Ever since I got here it was evident that a rift between the foreigners and the Chinese existed. Ever since I got here I did everything I could to try and teach the Chinese about foreign culture while simultaneously teaching the foreigners about Chinese culture. I had hoped to foster understanding. Now it is all going to be flushed down the drain.

God, I'm angry. If I was back in the US, I wouldn't be as angry as this, as I'd have a life outside the office. But here in China, its all we got, and this issue is going to die hard.

This incident is far from over, and I know tomorrow will bring another chapter in the drama, but for now I need to return to my couch and resume the fetal position I have adopted all day as my stomach is going haywire.