It’s been a while I know but yes I have had things to occupy me, not least of all completing one new form for every student’s examination. I was rather hoist by my own petard here. Some weeks ago I was asked to list the criteria I used when awarding final marks. Knowing no better I offered ten areas I judge, only to find that I now have to split the total percentage between ten categories! It is absolute nonsense of course because there is no way I can remember three hundred student names let alone allocate accurate marks in ten sections. I have simply awarded the final score and then fiddled the sections to add up to the correct number. I love bureaucracy.
Payday was supposed to be Sunday and what with having been busy using my reserves to buy things for the new flat plus supplies for the holidays I was left pretty short by then. Of course we weren’t paid. Not just the foreigners but all the teachers. Tomorrow, tomorrow was the answer and I ended up regretting paying Ollivier my share of the money for putting linoleum down in the common stairwells and alleyways in our section of the building.
What made the situation desperate was not the fact I would starve or the animals would go hungry - I have food in the freezer - but the fact that I had promised all those who helped me move home a meal last night. And yesterday by noon we still had not been paid. Cinny asked me if I wanted to borrow some money from other teachers but I refused saying I shouldn’t have to, I should have what is owed me instead. I was on the verge of cancelling the dinner and telling the students why but I decided to go all the way to town and see if my UK debit card would work at the Bank of China. It got spat out by the ATM so I went into the branch where they tried to help, to no avail.
Really hacked off as cancellation was definitely on the cards now and having wasted 90 minutes for nothing, I returned home. I called my bank in the UK with just three hours to go until I was supposed to meet my kids. The girl promised to get it sorted within an hour and a half. With an hour left I discovered an on-campus ATM that said it took Visa. I tried it for a balance enquiry but no joy. Resigned to disappointing my flock, I went back to the beer I had bought. Once finished I walked to my bike in a foul mood but on the spur I decided to give the cash point one final try but for a withdrawal. It worked! The meal went ahead as planned and the students are none the wiser although I have taken money from an account I have no way of putting back in from here. No thanks to the school of course, with whom I am utterly disgusted for we finally got paid today with no explanation nor apology. I am almost certain they were upgrading their accounting software but what sort of organisation starts such a major task three days before the entire staff are due their salaries? Oh yes I forgot, this is China.
Anyway, fourteen or fifteen of us went to the restaurant I had chosen only to find that they had no private room available - Amy the monitor had forgotten to book. Their loss, I simply told them all to go to the sweet pork place where we had a lovely meal and I got a pleasant surprise when the bill only came to 400y - where else can fifteen people sit down to a slap up meal and drinks for forty quid??
Anyway, at lunchtime today I found that I had finally been paid so decided to go back to town this afternoon. I didn’t want my cigar stall to think I’d let them down - 600 cigars that are not exactly top sellers is a lot of stock for a small kiosk to hold - and duly took the bus. Now that the exodus is under way in order to get a seat I had to let the first bus go and take the second but I did get a seat. Got my smokes and went to RT Mart for butter (yes, they sell THAT now!) and a new plate to replace the one Pooh broke otherwise when Qing comes one of us will be using a bowl and then had to decide on where to eat.
On the way to town I had - being nouveau riche - asked Cinny to organise me a spare gas cylinder so I don’t run out during the holidays. The deal is we pay for the gas and at the end of the year produce receipts for the school to reimburse. Of course a spare bottle is considerably more expensive than a simple refill, I need to fork our 258y. Far better that than have a day or two unable to cook. The guy is coming at 0900, not a time I am used to receiving visitors this week. Early night needed for that. However, the FAO wants the keys to my old flat at the same time so I have had to say no, I still have a few things to retrieve and will let them have access at the weekend. It also means the end of easy bike charging so now I need to figure out a way of doing it from here where the cats can’t open the window which will need to be ajar for the cable to go through. Always problems.
And get this! The school want me to send Cinny a text every day of the holiday so they know I am still alive!!!! My answer, almost verbatim, was that I am neither a child nor a criminal and I report daily to nobody, not even my mother. I also asked if Kevin, Ollivier and the Korean teacher were being asked to do it or am I the only one expected to die tomorrow! It is tempting to croak it now just out of spite! All I can say is it’s a good job I’m not a hypochondriac.
Anyway, for dinner I made the mistake of just going for a couple of quick McDonalds burgers with expediency in mind. I should have gone elsewhere because that far down the bus line by the time the number 29 arrived they were like sardines and vacant taxis were like rocking horse droppings. I did eventually get a cab but only by virtue of someone being dropped off near the bus stop. A few more days and the buses will be deserted. It can only get better……
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