Tuesday 19^th March, 2019 2115

My experience of life has often been that when it kicks you in the teeth, very often shortly thereafter it kicks you in the nuts for good measure.

With a health scare on-going, today I was officially informed there will be no contract for me next year.

Such things happen in the Chinese foreign teacher world and I shouldn't be rancorous but I am. Basically because I had to actually ask (otherwise I doubt I would have been told until job-hunting became a panic exercise) and the spineless weasel who doesn't think students should know Hong Kong was once British didn't have the cojones to tell me himself, instead having Brenda do it. Needless to say, my hospital receipts will be submitted shortly, damned if I will even countenance paying them myself now.

The problem I face of course is age. I will be sixty-three at renewal time, a veritable fossil in Chinese years. If I am successful in securing a post it will almost inevitably be somewhere no other bugger wants to go. Mind you that's not so bad, after all I spent six years in Chizhou and even three years after they dispensed with me they have still only attracted one English teacher when they need two and he is clearly not a native speaker judging by his name.

The sticks are fine, I can adapt to anywhere (a trait essential when following this particular way of life) and indeed if I wanted to work at an “international school” or language mill as we term them, I could find umpteen jobs. But I don't want to work double the hours for double the money and a sixth of the holidays, that's a young man's game. The hunting has started now. Won't half screw my summer holiday plans though.

As for the hospital visit on Thursday it transpires we will be going to the city's finest but in all likelihood merely to make an appointment to go again. It's not possible to call them and make one so I assume it will be a waste of a couple of hours yet again.

I gather the doctor/specialist I need to see works Monday mornings and that gives me a problem. I cannot in all conscience keep asking Alice to absent herself from lessons so we need to find out if they have anyone who speaks English or there is wifi so I can take the laptop and be enabled to translate.

I really could do without my being a Wednesday's Child all coming home to roost at the same time though!