In this case they did. All of the Chinese staff but especially Fred and the leadership at the school gave me a wide berth when I first arrived. There were a lot of challenges for me in adjusting, as much as I don't want to admit it. The degree of patience they showed with my struggles to adjust as well as my general personality quirks was impressive.

And even after I got settled, I know they let me get away with things that wouldn't be permitted if I were a Chinese employee. I won't go into details but I definitely think that this school gives foreign teachers tons of flexibility in terms of workplace behavior. Not in terms of teaching-- in that way they have more strict expectations. But still a fair amount of patience in that regard, too.

In the final analysis, though, the onus to change and adapt is greater for the teacher. There's just no way around it. I think most teachers who have chosen this life of traveling and immersing ourselves in distant lands and cultures know and accept this.