Friday 6^th December, 2019 1250

On Wednesday I emailed various people to enquire about when I needed to complete my end of term exams. After initial responses telling me “ Week 18” which to me could have meant next pancake Tuesday because not only do I not have a school calendar but in any event it is in Chinese so I would be none the wiser. I pressed for a date. Good job I asked. 28^th December. It takes me two weeks per class so it only gives me next week to ensure the monitors provide me with official class lists for the results. I don't think this school is used to someone like me who doesn't speak or read Chinese! The Peace Corps people all take lessons and are young enough to learn, I often learn a single word one day and by the next morning I've forgotten it already!

Yesterday was hideous and one I have been dreading. Not only did I have solid classes from 0800-1620 but last night was the international foreign language translation college's freshmen welcome concert. Seemed a bit off with the timing seeing as they have been here over three months now and in a month the term ends.

The foreigners who went to Dean Liu's home for dinner the other week were all asked if we were willing to perform and we all, albeit reluctantly, agreed to do so. I was going to repeat the egg game and accordingly bought eggs and about 150¥ of prizes to give away. I then had to haul three bags to work on the bus at 0700.

The concert wasn't starting until 1930 so I was in for a long, long day. On arrival in the theatre I smelt a rat as neither Eli nor I appeared on the programme, only Khloe. Whilst I was hurriedly trying to get a Chinese teacher to agree to be my victim/hero nobody said a word.

You have probably guessed that the reason we weren't listed was because we weren't going to appear.

I am not best pleased. Not because I wasn't wanted on stage, far from it, but because nobody thought to let us know, thus preventing me from shelling out on materials and prizes and subsequently lugging an extra, quite heavy, bag around all day. Should I remain at this school and that particular college ask for my participation again, they will receive a flat refusal, along with being told why.