Now a shopping trip to town has more plans:
Plan A - bus to and from south gate (only during the week at off-peak times)
Plan B - go to the terminus to guarantee a seat going and hope for one returning
Plan C - for weekends, go to the terminus, go shopping then when finished get another bus away from school to the commercial centre, cross the road and catch another bus going in the opposite direction to guarantee a seat back. Plan C costs an extra half an hour and 1y
Plan D - Don’t go at all
Plan C was born yesterday. I had absolutely no intention of going shopping this weekend but what with not being paid I had no option. Joan has very kindly and very trustingly helped me out but she didn’t do so until Friday night so I had two choices - actually three - don’t go, take the bus or take the bike. I took the bus both days and never stood once. And for 20p extra for the weekend.
As for not being paid, I may have been told the truth of the matter. Here they have a ludicrous system whereby to even get a penny authorised for payment, five signatures are required (presumably accompanied by official stamps using red ink). The president of the university is currently abroad on a jolly (Canada, Australia or somewhere) and so because of lack of forethought about six hundred teaching staff cannot be paid. Utterly idiotic and when I enquired as to what would happen should his flight back crash and he was killed, I was told not to be a bad omen. It wouldn’t be as bad had they at least warned everyone so they could prepare but officially there has been nothing and it was only when I sent Anthony a text mentioning breach of contract that I got the true picture. The Chinese attitude is that you should save just in case. Well I did but I spent it all having a great summer holiday and they picked the worst ever month to do this in my case! Thank God for my other interest which will see money in my account before the month’s end.
In fairness, I have to say I have never once thought I wouldn’t ultimately be paid and yes, occasionally it has been a day or two late but like the Pony Express, it always comes through in the end. Far be it from me to be a troublemaker.
On Friday the English speaking competition was held. As usual the true winner was not chosen. As a question master I have no influence over the scores but the best speech went to Carol, who again let herself down with the delivery of same. Best performance overall and the winner by far was Anna. But of course they are girls. Naturally my third placed contestant (ok, one of my students) won it because he was a boy. I really wish the university (or at least the foreign language department) would grow a pair and actually pick the best performer instead of almost always leaning towards the males just because they think the rest of China does the same. Joanna could have gone far had she not quit (and I never blamed her), Daisy could definitely have made it to the nationals, as could Rinka have done. They competed in the days you could take two to the provincials and every time there was always a boy in there. Our winner this year will not go further, of that I am certain. I feel really sorry for Anna. Elizabeth tried for her first time this year but sadly was too nervous, she should have had a bash at it for her previous three years and she would have been more seasoned. I just hope they don’t want me to go to wherever they hold the provincial heats - that was Kevin’s bag, certainly not mine.
So this weekend I had the contest on Friday and then sitting for a couple of hours both weekend days on the Lingdian society’s recruitment stand at the annual freshman “suck ’em in” weekend. They have societies for all sorts of things from Tae Kwon Do to Art to guitar playing. One of the stalls was for cosplay. What the hell happened to calling it fancy dress? Anyway, please see the two weddings I staged in the two photos. It’s the nearest I will ever get, the closest before has been as best man and father of the bride.
Embarrassingly I was the only foreign teacher to show support by going to the stall, Richard having decided spending a single night with his girlfriend took priority and Juliette I am guessing tied one on last night after dinner with friends because despite having said she would attend today, she didn’t wake up until mid-afternoon. It happens.
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