Thursday 25th June, 2015              1800

Yesterday was the start of the final examinations for this term for me and even though I started early and worked through the break it still took until the final bell both in the morning and afternoon to get through sixteen students in two classes. Other than that the day was pretty humdrum.

Until I got home last night. There was a proof-reading to do for a thesis (it still tickles me that I don’t have a degree but am editing theses for bachelors, masters and doctorates) which was way above my head, being something to do with copolymers and all sorts of other weird and wonderful compounds. An easy enough job but made slightly slower by encountering words I have never seen before and having to check to see if they were real or not - they were.

Once I finished that I received a text from Cinny. Could I go to the foreign affairs office at 0930 this morning with my passport and foreign expert certificate in order to sign a new contract and allow for the sending off of my documents to renew my residency.

As I had arranged to go for breakfast and shopping with Ollivier I should have been miffed but of course finally having all doubt removed over my future for the next year mitigated it somewhat. In any event it only took five minutes and we could easily have made breakfast but not only wasn’t I hungry but I didn’t feel so good. I think it was because today has been really hot and humid. I feel a lot better now and am in my air-conditioned castle. I will shortly take another shower as I did get a bit damp earlier.

However I am now set fair for another year and I have probably ten months during which I can ask questions and formulate a strategy to fight the battle which in all likelihood will occur once I hit the big six-oh. Fight I will and I have no idea of the outcome but I really don’t want to go elsewhere. Next year will see me clock up six years here and there are certainly better paying jobs to be had (some with treble the salary in private schools but with far longer hours and less holidays) but I am comfortable here and rather like the light workload.

I don’t lead a jet-set lifestyle nor do I particularly want to. I am reasonably happy with being able to source western food, go out for meals occasionally and do a spot of travelling in China.

Kevin and Ollivier are having farewell parties with their students (they finished their exams before I even started) and Kevin confessed that yesterday the students touched him so much that he was a blubbering wreck. I called him a baby but I am pretty sure he knows were our roles reversed I would probably be even worse!

I have a short gig at Helen’s school testing pronunciation on Saturday (I do it once in spring festival and twice in summer for her) so Joan is coming. We are always treated to lunch afterwards.

Next Saturday is Kevin and Ollivier’s farewell meal for the staff (the buggers are setting a precedent so that if it happens to me I have to fork out for one) and although I don’t know the numbers, Prof Fang, the foreign affairs office, teaching assistants etc are coming. It looks as if Kevin will down a few as he says we will take taxis, or rather probably a bus there and a cab back.

Olivier’s parents will arrive in China soon for a holiday and to meet Penelope Pitstop’s folks and he is now trying to organise a tourist visa for after his residence permit expires on the thirtieth of next month. I spoke to Bonnie the policewoman who handles immigration and apparently she has already told his wife he can get a tourist visa when he goes to Shandong. Kevin’s is being sorted by his new employers which is handy, because if your papers expire you have to go back to your own country and start all over again - a pain.