Tips for a [black] person from the USA doing a TEFL in Eastern Europe?

Minus Russia proper (Ukraine & Belarus is okay though).

I remember people saying that TEFL in Eastern Europe is saturated with people from the UK and whatnot, but I'm asking you how true is this. Is the TEFL in Eastern Europe more full of british people?

Also, how racist are eastern europeans? I have the cowardice not to go to Russia (At least the parts of Russia full of RUSSIANS as opposed to Ossetians/Tatars/etc etc) given how often they go an beat up people from Africa proper as well as Caucauses people.

I remember people in the Baltics and Poland proper are better off/nicer in that regards. How true is this? Also the question applies to eastern europe in general, especially Baltic and Slavic countries.

WHASSUP....... ....with lolis!

It isn't so much racist as there's a prevalent opinion of "Fuck people who aren't from my country." and also long-held stereotypes and feelings about neighbor countries and their people. You're essentially going to be a relatively rare element in some of these countries, probably approached with curiosity more than anything.

In a way that explains the Bulgarian girl who I talk to in Skype who doesn't like Russians and Germans and when I asked her why she couldn't explain.

edited 21st Feb '11 1:27:04 PM by BalloonFleet

WHASSUP....... ....with lolis!

As a general note, large cities are going to have more tolerant attitude, while the small communities will be fine with you if you manage to fit in. That said, that TEFL stuff is some kind of university exchange, am I right? In such case you are likely to end up in a large city. I guess you can expect random people looking at you funny and making stupid remarks — concerning the kind of people who wouldn't stop at nonphysical harassment, chances are they're going to be more-or-less regular chavs instead of racists targeting specifically you, don't know if that is a consolation. And finally, I guess it varies by place. That much for this moment, I think.

"Atheism is the religion whose followers are easiest to troll"

My ex-housemate is spending a year in Russia (he's doing a degree in Russian), and according to him he could count the number of black people he saw on one hand - and that was in Moscow. He didn't see any at all in Yaroslavl, which is the town in which he is studying.

From what he's told me, it's best for foreign students of every stripe to stick together in large groups and not to get singled out. There's a large number of British students spending time in Russia so that much seems to be true.

What's a TEFL?

With cannon shot and gun blast smash the alien. With laser beam and searing plasma scatter the alien to the stars.

Teaching English as foreign language.

In any case, good luck going to Europe! I was invited to help teach in Taiwan last summer (as a student learning opportunity), but I turned it down because I'm terrified of flying on planes (go ahead, quote the statistics on plane safety, I don't care) and I've come to regret it.

edited 21st Feb '11 4:09:39 PM by apassingthought

What's the pay like?

Haha, I lived in Russia for nine years, and never saw a single black person. Or asian person. Or any non-white people.

Ahem, if you think that Ossetians/Tatars/etc are any better, you are mistaken. If anything, they have even bigger issues about ethnicity, being more aware of their own.

Anyway, this one lives in Moscow, and it is very unusual for her to see black people. Maybe a couple of times in a months if this one is lucky. So it is true that you would be regarded as unusual, with more surprise and curiosity than it is proper.

Plus, there is some resentment towards foreigners (as been said in some post above, it is not as much as about ethnicity as about country) and towards West, and given that black people are a rare sight here, you would be identified as foreigner.

But while there are some ultra-nationalistic people here, they are not well-liked by the general populace. And certainly not among students, or in any academic environment.

Now, I wouldn't recommend walking alone after dark in less well-off parts of the city, but I would not recommend it to anyone.

If we disagree, that much, at least, we have in common

I'd listen to the native on this subject.

edited 21st Feb '11 10:07:53 PM by drunkscriblerian

If I were to write some of the strange things that come under my eyes they would not be believed. ~Cora M. Strayer~

^^

In soviet russia, you mug black people!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

No problem.

Thing is, the part of populace that is likely to be criminals is the same part that tends to be the most nationalistic and xenophobic (on both sides - ethnic russians and other ethnic groups. They have quite a lot of gang activity on their own), so it does overlap much.

If we disagree, that much, at least, we have in common

BF: That may have to do with the Cold War and WWII respectively.

One thing I can definitely say is that even the non-racist and well-meaning people are going to stare at you. I saw a black person exactly three times in my life, and I couldn't stop myself from staring and turning around to double check that I actually saw what I think I saw. If you're going to the Baltics then be prepared to be treated like a mythical creature that manifests every few thousand years.

Older people might be racist, mostly thanks to American films that tend to mostly portray blacks as criminals who all live in ghettoes. That, or people are going to ask you about the life in the jungle.

edited 21st Feb '11 11:32:55 PM by fanty

As far as I know, the latter is more likely. It is a common stereotype here. (sigh) Some people might be genuinely curious if you've ever eaten human flesh

If we disagree, that much, at least, we have in common

Man, I wish I was black so I could go to eastern europe and troll people.

OOGA BOOGA!

Hah, scared the Ushanka off her.

I'm from Serbia, and I can say that there is absolutely no racism towards black people. They are rare here, so some staring is possible, but most people simply find them interesting, especially the young.

The sin of silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.

I won't go so far as to recommend against it, but I will simply say, "watch your ass." It's not that too many people in Eastern Europe are deeply prejudiced against those with dark skin; it's that a small but nasty minority (ex: the "Russia for Russians" movement in Russia) may seek to make an example out of you. Simply staying in the larger cities may not be sufficient; although the most tolerant people are found there, the majority of nationalist-themed gangs tend to congregate there as well. You will undoubtedly want to spend serious time learning which streets (and I mean individual streets — general "area" proscriptions may not cut it) are safe at what times of the day.

Heh, I wonder if we scared the guy enough to wov never to travel to Eastern Europe.

"Atheism is the religion whose followers are easiest to troll"