Who's teaching who?

Wednesday 26th September, 2012 1240

It’s a really warm day today and I started regretting agreeing to take this morning’s class outside in the sunshine. Robin has cottoned on that we do that sometimes and in the past couple of days decided to join the class although thankfully she doesn’t interfere.

The Japan/China dispute appears to be escalating a touch, with Taiwanese vessels now having turned up at the disputed islands as well. China has commissioned its first aircraft carrier, yet the last thing I read about it would be that this wouldn’t happen for another year or so, I wonder if she will set sail there too. The thing is, Japan in my opinion are shooting themselves in the wallet because China is their biggest export market and nobody here is buying their goods any more. Their car plants here are stopping production three days early for the holiday and will be on reduced output afterwards so that has to hurt. And surely the Japanese must know there is still incredible hatred for them here because the Chinese will not forgive or forget what they did in Nanking.

I have three baguettes baking in preparation for tonight and a while ago I went to borrow Kevin’s large chopping board. He’s not a happy bunny because he thinks the chow mien he got from a campus restaurant is to blame for him having been on the throne all night. In fairness, when he was eating it he did say it tasted as if they had used old oil so maybe this will teach him not to eat it if it happens again!

2400

Ah……..

Herein follows a tale which illustrates precisely the esteem the foreign teachers are accorded by the administration staff in educational establishments. I hasten to add that the students and Chinese teaching staff are in no way included in my opinions - merely those in admin who think they are better than everybody - including the students who without which, they would not have a job.

At 1530 Kevin and Olivier received calls advising them that the university was throwing a big meal and we were invited. They always do just before the mid-autumn festival and we have been asking when it would be but without getting any answers. I received no such call but mine was supposed to be relayed to me by Kevin. Technically I am not to blame!

As I have already said, tonight I was cooking and the other two westerners had bought expensive wines and all three of us had invited favoured students to dine with us. And at three thirty we were “invited” to attend a “big” dinner two hours later with the leaders of the college. I doff my cap to Kevin for speaking for us both in telling them to piss off and doff it a little higher to Olivier who, as the new boy, would surely have been guest of honour for showing solidarity.

Time and time again we have told the Chinese that as westerners if we make arrangements we do not alter them for a better invitation and to give us notice. Apparently this huge banquet was decided on only today in the mid afternoon. Really? A restaurant catering for a table of perhaps thirty people in an enormous private room on the spur? Give us credit!

So guess what? The three foreigners entertained three students to my cooking and Kevin and Olivier’s wines instead. How dare the school think we are serfs willing to drop everything at a moments notice? I was never going to tell Petty who was really looking forward to western food (even though as it turns out she wasn’t too keen on it) that she was not coming. Neither were the other chaps. I can’t speak for them, but I am incensed because we have been trying to find out for a fortnight and this simply had to have been planned at least a week in advance.

I gather the leaders were disappointed at our non-attendance. Well, tough - we are pissed off at the treatment we received which shows no common courtesy. Professor Fang apparently was there so it will be interesting to see if anything is said - I hope it will but Kevin thinks it won’t.

Life is never always rosy wherever you may be, but common courtesy costs nothing and all we ask is a little notice.