Now, picture this: you’re in a crowded bar in Chengdu, sipping a $2 beer, trying to explain your career path to a guy who’s spent the last 12 years running a vegan kombucha startup in Reykjavik. He leans in, eyes narrowing like he’s reading a mystery novel, and says, “So… you’re not a doctor, or a pilot, or a tech billionaire?” You shrug and say, “Well, I teach English, but I also write poetry, volunteer at animal shelters, and once helped a local kid land a scholarship to Oxford.” He pauses. Then whispers, “So you’re… the *backup* version of a human being?” And just like that, you’re officially LBH—no diploma required, no audition, just instant categorization like a poorly sorted playlist.
But let’s be real, the real irony isn’t that people call us losers—it’s that *most of us aren’t*. We’re the ones who packed up their lives, said “screw it” to their 9-to-5s, and flew halfway across the world to correct a student’s pronunciation of “thirteen” for the 47th time. We’re the ones who’ve survived 60-minute classes where the students were either asleep or whispering about TikTok dances. We’re the ones who’ve been mistaken for tour guides, baristas, or even a lost delivery driver. And yet—still here. Still smiling. Still handing out flashcards with “How to order coffee in English” on the back like we’re running some kind of linguistic embassy.
Now, let’s compare our lives to the *so-called* “real” expats. The ones who work in finance, tech, or are somehow “consulting” on blockchain-based agriculture in Hangzhou. While we’re grading essays about “My Dream Vacation” (which always involves a private island with a dolphin pool), they’re attending networking events where people talk about “synergy” and “disruptive innovation.” They speak in buzzwords. We speak in “Let me repeat that slowly, okay?” and “Yes, the *th* sound is hard, but you’ve got this!” It’s not that we’re less smart—no, we’re just less *loud*. We don’t shout about KPIs; we quietly cheer when a student finally says “I want to go to the supermarket” without using emoji.
And don’t even get me started on the visa drama. While the finance guy is lounging in a five-star hotel, filling out digital paperwork in three languages, we’re the ones who’ve had our work permits denied because “your degree isn’t recognized” or “your teaching experience is inconsistent.” We’ve been told we’re “overqualified” for the job we applied for—because apparently, teaching English in a chain of language schools is *too* prestigious. One time, I was told my “career trajectory” was “a bit… unpredictable.” I just wanted to teach kids how to say “I like noodles.” That’s not a career path? That’s a *mission*.
But here’s the twist—none of us are losers. Not really. We’re the ones who’ve seen the Great Wall at sunrise and still said, “I’ll be back for second period.” We’re the ones who’ve taught English in freezing classrooms with no heating, only to be told by a student, “Teacher, your smile is warm like the sun.” We’re the ones who’ve cried after a student finally pronounced “Wednesday” correctly. That moment? Priceless. And it’s not about status. It’s about connection. It’s about being the person who made someone believe they could speak English in a world where “Hello” was once a foreign concept.
So yes, we’re LBH. But we’re also the ones who’ve taught a teenager how to write an email to a college admissions officer and watched tears roll down their face when they got in. We’re the ones who’ve turned a classroom into a sanctuary, where grammar rules are sacred, and the real prize isn’t a salary—but a student’s “Thank you, Teacher, I can do it now.” So next time someone calls you a loser, just smile, say, “Actually, I’m just here for the noodles and the growth,” and walk away—confident in the fact that you’re not just surviving China, you’re making it better, one lesson at a time.
In the end, being an English teacher in China isn’t about prestige—it’s about purpose. It’s about showing up when no one else thinks you should. It’s about turning “I can’t” into “I did.” So if “LBH” is the label they gave us, fine. We’ll wear it like a badge of honor—because the truth is, we’re not losers. We’re dreamers with a degree in patience, a heart full of hope, and a PowerPoint full of pronunciation drills. And honestly? That’s a lot more powerful than any five-star LinkedIn profile ever was.
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