Junior Junk Mail

Tuesday 2nd July, 2013                 1600

I forgot to mention that I noticed a couple of days ago that after three years work has finally recommenced on the hotel ship in the lake. It caught my attention as there has suddenly appeared a pseudo-funnel, which I assume will be used to vent the galley. Previously I have been unable to get up close to it because the pier has always been locked but now it is open to allow delivery vehicles access. I couldn’t resist riding up there and having a peek.

Currently the interior is a bare shell but there is timber and ply everywhere and quite a few workmen, so with luck it won’t be too long before it opens for business. I would really like to eat aboard even just once for the novelty.

Earlier in the day when I was at home I could hear fireworks and the sound seemed to be coming from the main road so I looked out of my side window. There was what I can only assume to have been a funeral cortege passing, for it consisted of cars, motor and e-bikes and a pick-up loaded with a rather noisy jazz band. Sadly by the time I had grabbed my camera they had passed from view but I managed to take two pictures from the outside balcony. There are trees obscuring it a bit but from them you should be able to get an idea.

At lunchtime I hauled all my coins to the bank where Sonya counted them during the bank’s quiet period. I had containers of every coin and it took her 40 minutes even though I had kept all the values segregated. As I have said, I was hoping to have amassed 1,000y but I was disappointed. There was 928y. Still, as Tescos say, every little helps!

It’s a bit warm today at 36C (apparently feels like 41C) so I will wait at least another hour before taking the dog out.

Wednesday 3rd    1530

Before I went out after the heat had calmed a little I visited the school website. I access it every day as occasionally I find notices of scheduled power cuts and the like, and yesterday there was an entry relating to financial matters - which shouldn’t have related to me but it really is a good job I am nosy.

The site of course is all in Chinese but thanks to Chrome anything that I access in any language is automatically translated into English. Admittedly the translations are sometimes nonsense, at others amusing (for instance the school is always “hospital” and lesson schedules are always “bus timetables”) but I did get an idea of a possible problem from it. I gleaned that as of this month the school was switching from the Agricultural Bank of China to the China Construction Bank. In a developed country it would be unimportant but I had a sneaky feeling perhaps we had to move our own accounts there in order to be paid. Accordingly I sent Cinny a text regarding this and it was some time before she replied due to the fact she had to make many phone calls to get an answer. The answer was yes - we had to open accounts with CCB or we wouldn’t receive our salaries over the holidays! This is a shining example of where the FAO or the administration department ruin all the good things about this place.

By coincidence when I received the answer and sent it to Kevin (as he will be abroad for two months he is in the cart unless he can withdraw his entire July salary) he was with who he had been told by Prof Fang was the daughter of the president of the university but the girl had told him was the Dean of the history dept. He has lately spent a few hours with her advising on which UK universities to apply to and generally brushing up on her English. Well last night her father wanted to take Kevin to dinner by way of a thank you.

Now you may recall I did something similar with the niece of this chap recently? I was also told by Prof Fang he was the Chancellor but was told by the girl he was the history Dean. I never got dinner with the uncle but he did instruct the girl to take me for a few lunches and gave her the money. As people arrived at the restaurant, Kevin became increasingly confused because after being introduced to the girl’s father and some relatives, Prof Fang arrived plus some more brass from the school. Unable to contain his curiosity he asked exactly who Dad was. It transpires he is indeed the President as well as being the Dean of the history dept.

As they were eating the boss enquired as to Kevin’s opinion of the school, via interpreters. Kevin said the same things I would have, being sure first to express our happiness with the campus, students and faculty but then went on to highlight all the problems we are caused by admin and the FAO. This was apparently a bombshell to the top dog as he said he had no idea we were being treated in this manner and indeed absolutely nobody present knew of the latest screw up with the banking. Kevin is now under instructions to contact the daughter with any serious concerns for her to relate to him so just maybe we may see an improvement.

Cinny very kindly offered to accompany us this morning to help us open new accounts (all the forms are in Mandarin) and so we spent ninety minutes doing so. It became apparent to me why nobody knew about our hitch because Cinny bemoaned the fact she had left her wallet at home and she could have changed her PIN - that means the school opened accounts for all the Chinese teachers but left the foreigners out.

Of course Ollivier is in a different province and the new account can only be opened in the branch handling the school here. I sent him a text informing him and he’s not a happy teddy, particularly as his wife rather stupidly said they could wait until September for his expenses! I can only assume that unless he makes the long trip back just to do this he will be borrowing from her family.

It’s another roaster today nudging towards 100F so again I must wait for it to cool before going out. Mind you, changing the bed is easy these days - just sheet, pillowcases and the quilt cover with no quilt!