Sitting Alone

Thinking back to a book my friend Eric once read, "Why do all of the Black Kids Sit alone in the lunchroon" or something like that, I feel like the title. Well kind of.

As you know, I am currently living and working in China. I teach at a private school outside of Shanghai, where I am apart of a rather large English department, although I am one of 2 full-time native speakers. Like the rest of the faculty and staff in the school, I eat lunch in the Mess Hall.... However, I usually sit alone or with the other native speaker. And when my other classmates are working with me, I sit with them. Though it always seems that the foreigners sit alone.... there are always 2 empty seats at my table.

So, Why do all of the foreigners sit alone in the lunch room?