Wyoming teacher spends two years in China

WORLAND – "Everything you eat over there is spicy," laughs Roscoe Lee Snider, 1980 Worland High School graduate and recently-returned English teacher from two years in China. "Even babies [in Chi-na] are eating things that people back home in Wyoming wouldn't touch with a 10-foot-pole."

A few years ago, Snider made friends with a woman from Sichuan Province, China. In an effort to visit her country, Snider reached out to the Enfly Corporation, who has a major contract in China to provide English teachers to students and adults.

"The Chinese government throws a lot of money at teaching English over there," noted Snider. "It's a huge industry."

While traveling to China for work was not a problem, once Snider arrived he noticed huge differences. "It's total chaos over there because the Chinese do everything at the last minute. They're not in a huge hurry, so getting around has no real schedule. You just have to learn to go with it and give up on being on time."

Settling into an apartment in Cheng du, and teaching conversational English to 40 junior high students for a 10-month period, Snider soon found time to explore China and get to know the people. "When you grow up in the United States, you're basically taught nothing about China," remarked Snider. "It's just a big red dot on the map."

Snider found out quickly the Chinese hold Americans in almost mythical esteem. "They hold Americans in high esteem, and treat us very special," said Snider. "The basic sentiment is that they wish they were a democracy, but the average Chinese is pretty much like the average American already."

"They call America 'the beautiful country' and have a great fondness for us," said Snider, "they respect our strength and freedom and see us as the strongest in the world. There's none of that competitive stuff that you would expect."

Although a socialist country, Snider noticed that the United States operates more efficiently in most areas. "Man. I'm so glad to be an American," laughed Snider. "The pollution is horrendous, and the medical system is really messed up. If you don't have the money to pay the doctor, right now, you just die on the operating table, and they also have scalpers that buy places in line at the hospital and sell them on the street. Otherwise, you can buy any medication, with the exception of opioids, right over the counter without a doctor."

In some ways, however, Snider admired the Chinese social system. "The police are actually very help-ful and there's zero crime. Since the Cultural Revolution, it's harder to get thrown in jail, where it used to be very common for artists and writers and teachers. They're basically becoming more and more free."

Snider noted that the Chinese middle class is very similar to the middle class in the U.S., with the ex-ception that they are more socially conservative. "The middle class pays no taxes, so they have more money for nice things, and tend to dress better than we do here," said Snider. "One day I was out hik-ing up to a Buddhist temple, way up on this mountain, and I was dragging my butt up there in shorts and tennis shoes, and these ladies were passing me in high heels and dresses. They have no concept of being casual."

An avid musician and well-known Big Horn Basin acoustic guitar player, Snider spent his winter breaks playing American music for Chinese audiences. "I used to play at an Irish pub in Cheng du," said Snider. "One night I made $400 for playing 'Hotel California' 10 times in a row, by request. That was pretty weird."

Having returned home and started a new job as a water quality operator in Lander, Snider hopes to bring over his Chinese friends and continue speaking Chinese, which he learned from his students. "Man, If I didn't have a cat and grandkids, I would've stayed a few more years," said Snider. "My stu-dents were super great kids and it's a beautiful country, but I'm really glad to be back in Wyoming."