The Anti-China

My new boss, “Will,” is the anti-China. I don’t mean his dislikes our host country, but he takes responsibility in a land where no one knows anything about that and no one knows when someone who does know will be in the office, which puts him at odds with the rest of the PRC. It’s always rare and always good to have an effective boss, but even more so when you live in Dante’s DMV, full of employees who have simoultaneously never heard of a license and just sold the last license.

Will’s also extremely well-informed about the school, which is probably because he has this uncanny ability to ask about how classes are going in a chatty way that’s totally-not-checking-up way. Plus we all plan lessons in a small office so we ALL know exactly what’s going on in each other’s lives. And Will

— I have to interrupt my discussions about how freakishly-well informed Will is because he just came in (I’m at the KFC drinking the ambrosial ice cream coffee to which I am addicted), said hi, and asked if I were writing another movie review.

“Huh? Writing a what?” was my chracteristically witty response. Will showed up before I could tell you he’s also pretty good-looking, but you already know my inability to form sentences when handsome guys are around. I fully expect to greet Stick at the airport with a string of vowel sounds and some pointing.

“What was it, Amityville Horror?” he asked.

I accused him of google-stalking, but I was secretly glad that he’s bothered to check up on me. That puts this school lightyears ahead of the usual system that requires English teachers to be both white and breathing.

Like I said, he’s the anti-China.

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0 Responses to The Anti-China

  1. Anonymous says:

    What means “Dante’s DMV”?

  2. Jay Adan says:

    DMV – Department of Motor Vehicles.
    Dante – Reference to the Divine Comedy

    Essentially saying that it is like a DMV in Hell, which comes straight out of the Department of Redundancy Department because, as any American can tell you, the DMV IS Hell.

  3. Meg says:

    It was meant to be beaurocratic hell, but i guess it wasn’t one of my best analogies. (Thanks Jay!)

  4. Anonymous says:

    Oh no! Although I had to puzzle over it for a sec. or two. I thought it was great. Love the alliteration! And it is such a useful turn of phrase. I can imagine that at some point when I return to Iran (where everything is soooo Dante’s DMV) that will pop into my head and make me grin; and that alone can help get you through one of those bad China/Iran days.

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