What a day!
My alarm never went off at 0700 so Alice ended up waking me. A hasty shower ensued and then this lazy git decided to take the off-road option. It might have been fine on my own but with a passenger it ended up in disaster.
I dropped the bike (and Alice) in the mud and for the life of me I couldn’t get up until she helped me. Bloody trousers all muddy, ok so into the toilets to rinse it off and then out for two graduation photos.
Except that once we got there I felt most unwell. It was the closest I have come in my life to fainting. I had to sit down until the photographer was actually ready to proceed and then when I stood up to take my place I had to use two girls to steady myself. Embarrassing and a little frightening, the students wanted me to go to hospital - I really need that of course.
I rode home alone and managed half an hour’s kip before my first class. I am now convinced that for the first time in my life I am suffering from exhaustion. I truly thought I would crack my skull on the ground.
I recovered sufficiently to take my first class and would dearly have loved to get 90 minutes between the sheets at lunch break but of course I had my interview. The woman called bang on 1230. The interview lasted half an hour during which time she noted I smoked (you can’t smoke in class - I don’t, just outside in the break) and then she said I have to ask if you like alcohol. Lie or truth? Truth. I told her she had my CV and she could see I had been a sailor so there would be something seriously wrong with me if I never touched a drop. Oh yes, I have a cousin and he was a sailor and he drinks. Well better for them to know than find out later and I am not going to be furtive about what I do. I smoke, I drink but nobody in six years except Joan has seen me drunk and those were exceptional circumstances. I am not going to hide behind the bike sheds at my age. If they want a teacher who makes his students come alive then they hire me, if they want someone who goes by the book and bores them to death, fine, employ another one.
I sent the interviewer the link for my video about my life here, not knowing if it would be a good or bad move.
Anyway by the end of the interview I got the impression that if I pass the medical exam I have the job, this was later confirmed by the agency so unless I suddenly contracted cancer, HIV or AIDS then my future is assured at least for the 30 day probation period. I can sleep easy now because I have to say as time went on it was playing on my mind. This agency has been marvellous, which is more than can be said for the other, more “reputable” ones who have been worth less than a farthing.
So then I had the afternoon class. Absolutely knackered but got through it, went to the office for an hour waiting to learn what time everyone was leaving for the graduation dinner. No news, so went home to bed, texted Alice to say I was going to bed and to come to my home and wake me at the appropriate time. Oh no, she was going with her classmate. Fine. I had absolutely no idea where it was so I said ok go, I will stay home and sleep. Have a good night.
The most I was going to get was half an hour’s sleep but I never even nodded off due to a flurry of texts and calls I never answered. Eventually I relented - and honestly all I really wanted was to sleep - and Alice said for me to meet her by number 2 canteen. I did.
It turned out that three of my old classes were having their graduation parties in the same place, not 2km from the school. Ok different rooms for some reason (when all three could have been accommodated in one large one) but at least I got to go to three dinners on the same night. Sadly Yvonne’s class held theirs elsewhere. I really, really wanted to go to hers.
And yes, I shed a tear or twenty at each of the three bashes. I have known them all for four years and of course I should be happy they are spreading their wings but I am sorry, something inside me wants to keep them close, so yes I cried and what amazed me was that they WANTED me to! They were videoing my speeches on their phones to capture it! The Chinese teachers show no emotion whatsoever. Well they weren’t disappointed and I am not in the slightest ashamed. Those kids meant a lot to me. Doubtless tonight I am all over QQ and WeChat but honestly I don’t care. Years ago I could maintain a stony face at funerals but all that has changed with the love these kids shower on me. They don’t just tug on my heartstrings, they play the bloody banjo with them.
They will all either go on to take Masters degrees, start work as teachers, marry and a have kids or whatever and I wish them well in whatever they do. All I ask is that they remember the fat, loud foreign oral teacher they had as being the most interesting one during their education. If half of them do then I can have no finer accolade.
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