It's an 'X' Thing: You'll Never Understand

The author relates experiences from teaching abroad, highlighting the challenges and rewards of adapting to other cultures and new environments. In Poland, the writer cites a dichotomy among his fellow instructors in dealing with cases of plagiarism, from those who would fail students outright and for the entire course, to those who treated his concern as overreaction, pointing to other faculty members who do not properly cite work, and cheating governmental authorities. In Cairo, the author was questioned regarding the relationship between a rapist and rape victim, and was perplexed at the assumption that a marriage proposal would be accepted de facto by the latter. Sharing successes and blunders, both in and outside the classroom, the author reiterates his conviction that international education is a positive force, and that, whether at home or abroad, everyone is an ambassador.