How did this come to be? Care to share more details?

Well.... I was having some problems here growing vegetables due to unfamiliar environment and my lack of experience in olericulture and field cultivation(my school was more specialized in greenhouse cultivation and urban horticulture). Because of this, I was accepting some help from students here(they are not my students, as while I am supposed to teach here, my Moroccan Arabic, let alone French, is insufficient for lecturing for now.... and I don’t exactly feel comfortable about having to teach students that are of approximately my age).
Then from one day, they started to provide me uh.... excessive helps, such as handing me some pesticides and urging me to use it on a part of field where I was planning to test effectiveness of Nicotiana glauca as pesticide(I used it, as I didn’t want to offend them by refusing their help, and sowed another row of Brassica rapa for testing). And yesterday, I was beginning to think that trying cut flower production, instead of vegetable cultivation which is not my specialty, might be a better choice, so I tried to ask one of them about their thought on that. Then, when I have just managed to explain the “vegetable cultivation which is not my specialty” part, he suddenly interrupted and asked me if I wanted him to teach me olericulture. Flabbergasted, I answered(or, tried to answer) ‘maybe, but no thanks’, but he listened only to the “maybe” part and replied OK and left.

To think of it now, it is true that I am incompetent and rather worthless here, and maybe learning from him might not be bad. Still, that student once showed me a horribly etiolated tomato seedling from a weed filled frame and told me it was very healthy seedling.... Nah, I think it is my hubris that is making me feel needlessly uncomfortable about this situation.

It is not crime to want respect from students. My employer has no understanding of my work, but commands respect anyway. Each one produces fruitage according to his own ability.

Everyone has something to offer. I would not dismiss what your students have to say. Listen to them. Ask them questions why they think the way they do. Engage them in conversation and get to know them. They may have their reasons for thinking differently than you do. Offer your own knowledge as opinion, not gospel. Tell them that this is what has worked for you - but their results may vary. Make your thoughts known and don't be afraid of asking how they do things over there. Not all knowledge comes from books - and they've been living there for a lot longer than you have.

As for the etiolated seedling: Be complimentary, say something like "that's good, but let me show you a tomato plant that was grown using x-method" - let them arrive to the conclusion that there are better ways out there and that you're not trying to impose your will upon them. Show them what you have to offer and let them make the decision to follow your methods.

As for the language barrier... That's a tough one - but perhaps you can use it to your advantage - by affording them the opportunity to become YOUR teachers when it comes to learning the language. This may placate their desire to show you off during class time.

You are right.... Morocco is different from Korea, not just the natural environment like climate and soil, but socioeconomical conditions such as preference of consumers and acceptable cost of production.... And while theories are useful, they cannot always be applied exactly as they are to practice. Considering these matters, I do have lot to learn from them. I think I have made a mistake I was repeatedly taught not to make; assuming superiority and looking down upon local people. Shame on me.

And, thank you for your advice on the seedlings. I’ll try to approach that way. Though, to do so, I’ll have to wait till I can request KOICA for materials or find a way to raise good seedlings without rain protection.

As for your advice on language.... Well, thanks for offering a solution, though I am not sure if I want such interaction with them right now. I am starting to find their request for lending money and conversion to Islam rather uncomfortable, and am afraid that their request might become more frequent if I learn Arabic from them.

What I do against cold wind is to put big cocacola bottles covering the seedlings, something like this http://bit.ly/14ZnbKl Could it be useful as rain protection? Are there big transparent plastic bottles in Morocco? hmmm.

I can't believe they ask you for money or to convert you to their religion, it's amazing haha. They want you to be their friend =P

Ah, you mean cloche. Well, If I had only few plants planted in pots, then it could have worked.... but I only have plug trays and have to raise quite a lot of seedlings. What I think I need is a plastic film row cover, but until I can request supplies or fund from KOICA in june, it would be rather difficult to buy materials for making them.

Okay. Such a long waiting.

owch. that must hurt...

Really?

I don't understand? Don't you want to know how to grow vegetables? Or.. do you already know how to grow them and those students are being jerks?

I am a volunteer sent here as a horticulturalist(though it is true that I am underqualified).

Well, on the one han I have learned a lot from my students when i taught. On the other hand, sit back and let them walk into Sea, and be prepared to fish themout when they cannot swim.

Also, have your notes arrived, yet?

You are a nice person, you shouldn't be swearing XD.

Actually, I am not teaching here, so, yes, perhaps I should suppress my arrogance and learn from them. After all, I was never really a competent horticulturalist(once my professor said that I am not really useful except when visiting botanical gardens.... I thought he was joking about me refusing to drink while having no driver’s license, but now I suspect he meant something else).

As for books, I am still waiting for them.

And I have changed the journal title. If you have been offended by it, I am sorry.

I haven't been offended. There was no offense, but I was amused at your use od implied profanity, as this does not seem like you XD. Please don't worry. Well. I suppose go talk to them. take them up on the offer (challenge) , and see what they do.

Did this start with the snails?

Well.... probably not.

Though there was an incident that happened when I decided to observe a pomology class. I never had a chance to take a pomology class back in Korea, so when I saw a teacher teaching a field class, I listened to it along with the students out of curiosity. After the teacher’s pruning demonstration, one of the students offered me to prune one of the pomegranate trees, but as I was rather afraid of making mistake, I refused. Then every student there laughed…. Maybe this has something to do with what happened?

Accept, but correct them every chance you get until they stop offering. Bitter revenge.

Considering my incompetence, I might not be in such position.... And even if I was, I would have to solve the language problem first to do that.

I think that the first thing you need to change is that low self esteem complex. You obviously have competencies, how many people can say that they speak 3 languages - AND be able to teach in a non-native language? Before you have others believe what you have to say, you need to believe in yourself first! No more talk about incompetence! You can do this. Experts were novices once.

I forgot how much the language barrier is hitting you there. I only know one language, and didn't make much progress the time I tried to learn French. (I could read it passably, but couldn't begin to understand spoken French or write it with correct grammar.) So to already have so many languages down (As brokken points out) is a great accomplishment!

Just remember that there's a reason you were sent there, and that you do know things!

It's okay to learn new things, and people shouldn't expect you to already know them when it isn't even your specific field of study.

Huh, honestly this was an interesting read as someone with no horticultural background. I'm not sure if it helps, but personally a big help with learning languages has been music. Find something in French or Arabic that you really love and get into that band. Look for translations to songs you love and just read as you listen. Over time you'll pick up phrases of the music that you like, and usually it'll have correct pronunciation and grammar. Basically it just means that in the end you get something new to listen to, some new phrases to pull from, and I've found it really helps in learning certain words. I still use thinking of music to remember things like the word for 'to know' or 'divided by two' in Norwegian and how to pronounce it. It also keeps my french accent sounding right.

Thank you a lot for the advice. I'll certainly try this.