My laziness knows no bounds lately. Shopping has been left until later today and dinner last night was chow mien at the noodle place nearby. I had thought of making a chicken stew but to be honest when a plate of noodles costs 10y and DIY stew/casserole three times that much (plus effort) sometimes it makes sense to let others take the strain.
I couldn’t help but notice a thread on a teachers’ site about Chizhou university. Someone (a black lady) has been offered my old job and was asking others for advice. I nearly choked when I saw that the salary being offered for a new starter is 50% higher than I got and 36% more than it was when I left. Looks as though they are getting desperate. They should have thought that one through before they got rid of Kevin and me. Now if Daniel decides he’s not staying another year (and I wouldn’t blame him as he has been the only English teacher since I left) that will leave them right in the lurch and serve them right.
I think the lady concerned is now looking at another offer in Chongqing and to be honest she would be better off going there. Being a very provincial city, Chizhou has few foreigners and they are subject to the stares and the “Hellos!!!” constantly. Even by idiotic students where you teach. I would imagine that would be amplified for someone with darker skin.
Now I have had time to reflect, Chizhou university is not a good place to work. Certainly I liked the city because I knew my way around and had my e-bike. I was comfortable on campus because I knew the score and became inured to the fiasco that was the administration department. The overriding reason for my melancholy upon being given the order of the boot was a combination I am sure of leaving behind the friends I made there and of course my students, many of whom I came to love so dearly.
Speaking of which, Joan sent me some photos to cheer me up after she told me she couldn’t accompany me this summer. What they actually did was make me miss her more! I will see her again next term probably even if it means I have to return to Chizhou although I would prefer she came here so she could see the place.
The last time I was teaching I happened to mention Peili Square and the old men that congregate there. This area is definitely God’s Waiting Room, that’s for sure. However, there will at any given time be several small tables out in the open where four men will be sat playing Lord only knows what - could be do di jou, mahjong, Chinese chess etc but you can’t SEE what they are playing. The reason for this is that there are four playing and up to ten people standing hunched over them offering advice! Were I playing I know I would be pretty annoyed but it seems the norm. It was notable though that when I was remarking on this, many of the students gave knowing smiles and nods. Oh, and if the old folk aren’t doing that they are using the fitness apparatus that’s bolted to the concrete, much like a children’s playground. Seriously, who wants to chuck their leg over a massage bar and rub it back and forth in public??
I heard Lottemart in Chizhou is closing down. I’m not sure whether that is the long term effect of RT Mart being there as well or a backlash from the THAADS that South Korea allowed the USA to instal in preparation for “terrible retribution” from Kim Jong Fatty III up in the north. To be honest, RT was much better for western produce and Lotte never followed suit. Yet another example of poor business acumen seen on a daily basis here in China.
On a different subject, I decided next term I should buy a new laptop. Something smaller and lighter but it makes me angry when the choice of WHEN is not my decision. Ok so my machine is 10 years old now but it has given good service. Bit of a pig to carry around as when I bought it I went for the biggest screen but it’s an old friend. Microsoft have stopped support for my operating system (Chrome and Vista) and although I can live with that, I find Gmail has become intolerable with countless reboots required. Today I switched to opening Gmail with Firefox instead but then Kevin told me that sometime this month support will be withdrawn for that as well!
Computer firms should be prevented from withdrawing support . There are some people who either can’t afford to or don’t want to buy a new computer every two years.
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