Thursday 4^th July, 2019 1430

I had a call from Delia (dean of the foreign language dept) this morning. She has now been informed I will be in her charge, so to speak, and she actually asked if I would agree to do certain tasks.

Somewhat disappointingly they want Eli to teach oral English to the freshmen next term, would I consent to teaching pronunciation? Well I haven't the faintest idea of how to construct a course on that - yet. I have requested the course text book so as to prepare and with enough time, to modify it to my own standards. I will have five classes per week (ten lessons) and I thought “Well that's not so bad, I have gotten used to only four classes on east campus!”

Then she hit me with “Can you also teach two classes per week to non-English majors?” My heart sank and I replied that I had just served three years doing precisely that and had made my feelings known on the matter. It transpires that those two classes will be either sophomores or juniors studying to teach Chinese to westerners. She swore blind that their level of English is far superior to what I have been used to here and, given that they will need a competent level to teach westerners (the total immersion method certainly hasn't worked for me in reverse, I still can't string a conversation in Chinese together!), I have taken her word for it and will take them for oral classes. Whether I will be under the wing of the dean for the translation department or not I have no clue.

But that takes me up to 75% more classes than I have been accustomed to lately so it will be a wrench. I also thankfully remembered to ask that she ensured my timetable included either Tuesday or Thursday afternoon off. I am guessing I will now be back to one weekday off instead of three. As the only foreign teacher not billeted within the confines of Peili campus, where the foreign accommodation has unlimited supplies of electricity and gas, I have to physically organise my own. Gas I can buy any day of the week but Mama Electric only works those afternoons and now I have her trained to give me decent amounts I at least only have to visit her every couple of months. But it has to be Tuesday or Thursday.

So although nothing is set in stone I am guessing that's the next year sorted. After the call I did have to chuckle though. They are giving freshmen to Eli, an American who will teach them oral American and then I will spend all my time trying to undo the damage he has inflicted and convert them to English pronunciation!

And all this on the day the USA celebrates booting us out.