1. I am not a full professor so I do not say so in my signature line. Some of the instructors, however, the ones with the M.A.s, sign like this:
Rex Prince
Professor of English
Vichy State University
This is why the students obey them more easily, and believe they supervise the assistant and associate professors. It seems petty to even be irritated at this, except that having students inform us that Professor X will surely tell us to knock off whatever we are doing makes a difference to the quality of our day.
2. The students say they want “feedback” but not corrections on syntax or usage, because that makes them feel that they lack expertise.
3. I am invited to tailgating and the Saturday football game with some family members of my (Republican) congressman, people I happen to know. I am going and taking my French exchange student, who is a sports fan and finds it incredibly exotic to attend college sporting events in the United States, because it is “like being in an American movie.” Now it turns out that at the stadium it will also be “Military Appreciation Day.”
a) Do you think I can handle Republican tailgating, Military Appreciation, and football between two Southern universities, all at once?
b) Do you see why I feel I am on study abroad myself, almost all the time?
Axé.
coldhearted scientist وداد 
Ouch. Don’t think I could stand it. And they aren’t even the majority, as we now know.
But I am being told we have to be nice, Republicans are suffering.
I SO know what you mean. 🙂 I feel like I;m on a study abroad program here in Southern Illinois, too. 🙂
And I have colleagues who keep saying, “Pero estás en tu país.” For most intents and purposes, though, I am not — and some of their países are nearer by here than mine is, and more similar to here, as well!
I perfectly understand