Chinese Learning: 我的中文老师

So one of my other goals in China is to improve my Chinese, especially my reading and writing abilities. Of course, one way to do that is to enroll in some kind of a language learning school or program, take classes, etc. However, given my propensity for travel, the fact that language schools for foreigners tend to be expensive, and the wide imbalance between my listening/speaking skills and reading/writing, I thought it would be better to try to find a tutor who could tailor a custom program for me.

And so I looked around online and came up with 2 Chinese Language Tutors and 5 Language Exchange Partners. A little excessive? Well perhaps, but I thought finding more would be better than less, especially if it turns out that some of them are a bad fit, have different objectives, etc. Besides, its Chinese National Holiday Week, and I don't really want to leave the house and risk being carried away by a sea of Chinese tourists, so I might as well spend all my time indoors, working on my Chinese.

Anyhow, the other day I met my one of my Chinese Language Tutors for the first time. Beforehand, she had called and we made arrangements. She added that while she did not look Chinese and had blonde hair, she was the broadcaster at Fudan Medical University and spoke very standard Mandarin. I said fine, and expected to meet some hippie Chinese girl with dyed blonde hair. However, to my surprise, she looked... totally Western:


Apparently she is from Xinjiang. I've never met anyone from Xinjiang before, but I did not expect Xinjiang people to look like this either. And she spoke very good Mandarin, with no tonal problems, nothing. I couldn't help but stare and laugh. It's just odd - I have a hard time getting my head around it - perhaps I just don't meet enough Western people who speak standard Mandarin. I know it's a skin-deep prejudice, but I just did not expect to be tutored in Mandarin by someone who looks Caucasian, not that there's anything wrong with it.

One notably interesting dynamic during the lesson that's worth sharing: whenever I focus in and interrogate her on something with regards to Chinese, she grows slightly unsure, and may even start to doubt herself. After looking it up and confirming her initial understanding, she blames me for making her doubt herself! I guess this odd prejudice cuts both ways...