Tuesday 8th March, 2016              1800

Yesterday was a glorious day and one where had I not been having to ride home after sunset, would have been fine for simply wearing shirtsleeves. It was also “girls day”. As I sat at my desk in class shortly before commencement I started organising my materials and was somewhat taken aback when shortly thereafter there was a ripple of applause from the class. I looked up nonplussed to see one of the boys approaching me and he then proceeded to put some sucky sweets on my desk and offer me a red rose.

Thinking this all rather odd, I waited as he gave a short speech. I knew today was Womens Day but knew nothing of yesterday. Quite why I as a GOM merited a gift on girls day is beyond me but the gesture was much appreciated nonetheless. There is however no boys day or bachelors day which I find most unfair! This is the class who all switched majors over the holiday. I can see them developing into my best class as it happens.

I had my salmon fillet for dinner last night. Well, a bit of it, the cats had the rest. I poached it in milk but I think my poaching skills are best left to eggs. After I had eaten the thin parts of the fish and started on the fleshier portion it tasted strange. It wasn’t cooked enough and was slimy in the middle. Rather than let everything else go cold while I rectified it I simply continued to eat the vegetables and salad, hoping I hadn’t poisoned myself. I hadn’t and the cats were grateful for an unexpected bonus once I had finished.

Today in contrast has been a mixed bag.

We are currently in the middle of a partial solar eclipse (allegedly 40% obscured) but in comparison to yesterday being gorgeously warm, today has been overcast, gloomier due to the eclipse and with constant rain. And bloody freezing.

Having gotten nowhere with the foreign affairs dept regarding my imminent sacking, I took the bull by the horns before going downtown and went to take the matter up with the new Dean. To my surprise she was in an unusually good mood and listened to what I had to say politely. Before informing me it was not her decision.

So the foreign affairs dept say it’s not theirs it is the Dean‘s decision, the Dean says it’s not hers, so whose is it? I asked if I should speak to the President but of course he is on a 3 month course in Beijing. The Chinese have a happy knack of never actually having the cojones to simply say “No, that’s the way it is so stop asking”.  They think it is more polite to fob you off. I assume it works for them but as a westerner I really would prefer the brutal truth.

So I have more or less accepted my lot and the fact that I shall be leaving in a few months. I did my shopping (one advantage of the bad weather was that the buses all had plenty of seats) and never had to take a double ride home. In fact the return bus had the same driver who had taken me to town. There were quite a few people waiting and as the bus approached they moved out into the road way before the stop but the driver spotted me, skirted the eager beavers and halted with the door right in front of me so I could be the first! I will certainly miss the preferential treatment I get from most of them simply down to the fact I always say hello when I board and thank them when I alight. People here treat bus drivers as simply part of the bus instead of human beings. As I got on he smiled at me, I said ni hao and winked at him and thanked him just so he knew his actions had not gone unnoticed. They have all at times seen me sit back down in the stop to wait for a less crowded bus when theirs has been full. Little things such as this do warm the cockles of my heart.

When I got back I went to the office at about 1630. For some insane reason they have taken the plastic strip blinds off the two doors and the cold wind was blowing through unhindered so it was a case of keeping my down jacket zipped firmly up.

Then I had a phone call.

It was the agency I had registered with late last week. Helen is my case operative. She told me I had a job offer (I never caught the location but it was a university with very low hours - 13 classes a week) which would pay 1,000y more than I receive at present. We never got as far as the fringe benefits because they want me to start work there next month.

A fool I may be but I declined the offer on the basis that I have signed a contract here which doesn’t expire until July. Quite possibly I could request to be released early  but that would leave the students bereft of a native oral teacher until a replacement could be found. They after all are the customers, without whom there would be no teachers and no jobs. Not only that but I don’t wish to cultivate a reputation for being a butterfly.

It does however tell me two very important things. One that my age will not be a barrier and two that my fears regarding not actually having a university degree are completely unfounded. The latter I have to admit did worry me, especially after reading online about a supposed tightening up on qualifications. Certainly I know 6 years teaching experience carries some clout but then again this is China.

So I will end this day safe in the knowledge that I will find employment to see out my working life and who knows, maybe I will have an even better time at wherever I drop anchor next?    

I will just be so sad when the day comes and I watch as my home recedes in the distance as I gaze from the bus window.