Monday 14th December. 2015               2120

I am not feeling sorry for myself but the reality is that absolutely everything seems to be going to hell in a handbasket of late.

They are divesting me of my students to replace them with a new intake, I have lost my cleaner (although I have found another), I have an anonymous arsehole sending me death threats and the best the school’s attache to me can suggest is leave it to him.

And then I went to see the new Dean this afternoon to ask why my classes were being swapped but the first thing she asked was if I had seen the photos? What photos? No.

The reason for the swapping of my classes? Because I hit 60 next term. Why they had to take my classes away is beyond me but you could say that I am not very happy about being given the boot after six years just because I will be a year older.

Of course I will do my best to fight it but this being China ultimately I feel I will lose the battle. I contacted Anthony regarding the above plus the fact the electrician never came to fix one of the lights in my home. He wanted to come for a chat.

That took place at seven this evening. First on his agenda were some photos - the ones the Dean had obviously enquired about - and he asked me where they were taken. I looked and looked again and asked him to enlarge them, these photos were lifted from the internet and there I am, large as life. The more photos he showed me the more I recognised where they were taken.

My classroom here.

Score one for me on this occasion against bosses who don’t even know their own school.

Small consolation when the threat of having to relocate and throw five cats out to fend for themselves will loom large for the next seven months.

Yes I will do my best to stay but I also have to face the prospect of a very inconvenient move. I have contacts who may be able to help but I can’t say I am confident  of success. Now I must also seriously reconsider the Harbin trip. If I have to leave I must pay for shipping all my worldly goods and the prospect of staying in an hotel during the summer with the added problem of not being paid for two months. I’m not sure I can take the risk of spending a bomb on a holiday and leaving myself penniless once I am out on my ear, not to mention having to buy new gear wherever I fetch up.

They say it never rains but it pours but never in my life have I had such a deluge all at the same time.