Thursday 15^th March, 2018 1700

Not only was my first class today (Pat's) the one the vice dean was coming to observe but I also learnt it was to be my last with them as they will move to the main campus on Sunday. By now of course I was resigned to losing them and of my ineffective powers of persuasion to sway the upper echelons. So now poor Annie had extra work but at least hopefully it would shorten my hours if they could rearrange my timetable.

I was given the next set of news while my lunch was self-cooking when the other vice dean (Miss Liu) hunted me down shortly after noon. My powers of reasoning and persuasion were in fact far from ineffective and that indeed, loyalty costs.

I will now have the dubious distinction of probably being the only teacher working on all three campuses. The schedule is not my most preferred option though. Thursday mornings I will go to the main campus to teach Pat's class 1010-1200, then return and teach the other two classes on Peili after lunch at 1430. That means I shall finish teaching at 1830 instead of 1620. Looking on the bright side, although my day has been lengthened by two hours in the afternoon, it has been shortened by an hour in the mornings, so I can rise at seven instead of six. It would have been eight but I have to take a public bus to get there, although there is a school bus to bring me back at noon. At least thirty students are happy with the result even if I am slightly less than ecstatic.

Once the vice dean had toddled off for her own lunch, I discovered I couldn't access Gmail. I could get the background image but not my mailbox. I assumed it was down to the internet speed on campus but found it odd that if I switched from the UK to Hong Kong I could get my mail. I find now that at home I can't get my mail either. I am wondering if this is anything to do with the new Emperor, whose incessant meddling is really getting on my wick now. Perhaps normal service will resume tomorrow, it's just a pain having to switch servers when I can only access UK telly using the UK servers. For now, it will be a sporadic visit to my inbox.

Oh, and that pork cook-itself meal? Not anywhere near as spicy as the last one but definitely not for me. I would say that I would have to come up with new ideas but with the new timetable I can now actually make something at home to eat or even go to a cafe in future.

Surely though, they can't sack me now I am teaching everywhere???