Oh boy. First day back at work for a while.
Wrench? Actually no, not really. The brain clock woke me at about 0300 and only let me doze until the alarm went and then told me I should sleep more! We have all been there. Of course, with a huge break between classes I could sleep in an armchair. Right? Anyone else, yes. Me, no.
First day back and traffic was so awful it took 75 minutes so I was late before we even arrived. There was a time when I would have bounded (in my language that means actually walking upstairs to the 4th floor without stopping) up and gone into the classroom immediately.
No more. Not my fault. Nor indeed the driver’s fault. Crappy roadworks. And anyway they have this term increased class length from 45 to 50 minutes. Idiotic in my opinion, you have lost the students after 20 minutes anyway.
Nope, into the office, couple of minutes having a puff while I gathered my thoughts and my material, THEN into class. Bugger it, I was on time waiting for the school bus, why should I suffer for being late?
On first showing I must say that class isn’t too bad re English, could be good. Break time. 4.5 interminable hours. Still, I can read BBC news, Telegraph and stuff online? No. no internet and nobody to fix it. I was hardly walking on air and I only discovered at the end of the day I need to log into the system with my passport! Nothing to do with the State wanting to monitor what sites I visit of course! Talk about overkill - it’s a school network so I can only access “allowed” sites! I will get my passport back on Thursday.
I had to read a Cussler book the entire time - in between my futile attempts to actually take a nap. You would think by now I should know it simply does not happen.
Janet asked me if I would come to her class after mine had finished and introduce myself as someone they can come to for help with English. I don’t particularly want scores of people I don’t teach herding in my office on my breaks but I agreed.
I wasn’t pleased when she burst into my classroom with five minutes to go and declared “class over!”
No, it’s 50 minutes a period now. We still had five left. She argued the toss and I huckled her outside. I couldn’t care less if I was an hour over time, it’s MY class, not hers! Bloody hell, my watch had stopped! An hour before. No idea why but 6 hours later it is still keeping perfect time. Joan got me the best battery two years ago. It still does not excuse her trying to dictate when my class finishes, my classroom is MY territory unless I am fired. If there is a next time there will be fireworks.
But yes, my watch was 68 minutes slow.
I spoke to her class of freshmen for her and left for the school bus.
When I got home I had an email from Alison. She is sick. Maybe not good for our trip next Monday. How many times have I lost money because suddenly students who agree to come with me suddenly are sick and can’t??? I really never thought that of Alison or I wouldn’t have paid everything up front.
Various emails have flown back and forth tonight. If she got cold feet at least I could cancel and get a percentage refunded or change the name on the tickets for extra cost. Just tell me the truth?
What is wrong?
This elicited photos of oxygen bottles and her with an earpiece delivering same up her hooter plus an MRI scan taken today. Diagnosis? Altitude sickness! She has been teaching in Gannan. I confess to being sceptical at first until I looked it up. Average height above sea level 10,000 feet. Yep. It’s Tibet!
I called the bluff that I do not now think is one and asked if it was because she changed her mind just tell me but she said if she can’t go she will pay what I lose. Sometimes you have to retain faith in human nature and your own belief so I said as long as she wanted to come (if able) then I will keep all bookings open, I will not cancel and get a pittance back and I will stand any loss. It is a shame so many other Chinese students took the piss and cost me money by crying off at the last minute because now I label them all the same -notable exceptions being those who are members here and who have earnt my undying trust.
Anyway, she DOES look nice even on a hospital bed with an earphone up her snout!
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