Friday 9^th July, 2021 1630

Well what an end to the week! Remember I questioned and questioned again about my finishing date? And it remained, in my opinion, much later than expected?

Well this week was the first of two weeks of exams – I couldn't complain, I was paid for July yesterday. So having polished off my Wednesday class and agreeing with my third Friday class that I would test them in one hit starting at lunchtime, Wednesday was done (giving me a day off next week) and I was expecting to finish at noon next Friday instead of 1620.

And this morning came the debacle. At eight I was confronted by thirty students awaiting their tests. I said no, I told you last week I wanted 16 this week and 14 next week! So 14 of you can go back to your dormitories. As they were leaving and I sat preparing my paperwork, the monitor approached me to say that they couldn't come next week because they had another exam during MY lesson!

To say I was angry would not be an understatement and I started to berate the monitor for not telling me last week – I could have started then. Apparently they were only told themselves two days ago! I really want to use the F word here.

So we recalled all those who had left and I did quick-fire exams on 30 students. Not fair on them and not fair on me. And you will never guess what happened with the next class! I would say “unbelievable” but this being China everything that can be thrown at you will be thrown at you. So I ended my day wiped out. Admittedly I finished at two but I had speed-tested 78 students in six hours with no breaks. Great, now I don't have to work next Friday but that's not the point – I knew something was wrong but kept being assured they were right when they were wrong and I knew it. Well guess what? Whatever dates they give me next year I will finish two weeks earlier and to hell with them. Three classes out of my eight suddenly lumbered with having to take two exams at once just isn't on. I could of course have simply left half of each class with a blank mark but the school would probably ask me to test them next term anyway, and of course the students shouldn't suffer because of utter incompetence by the planners in the faculty.

Really not happy tonight.

Seething,

Surbiton