Today was a strange day at work. The school was divided into two groups: the manically happy group and the bad mood gang. I was part of the latter. I actually yelled at 3 out of my 5 classes today. And it wasn't nice. I was actually insulting them... the worst was one of my English classes... It's my largest class and of all the classes I teach, it is my least favourite. There are a few bright, funny boys but the girls are all quite annoying, giggly and whispery and NEVER shut up! So I lost it on them today when I heard them speaking something that wasn't English. I told them if they can't handle speaking English for 50 minutes then maybe they should quit Diploma, leave the school and either go to a local school or better yet, get a job at Hypermart (you have to live here to know how insulting that is) and just give up hope for a bright future. That sort of thing...
It's funny though... when I moved here everyone told me that living in this culture it's all about "saving face" and being polite and you can't expect results if you yell and swear and throw your weight around. Well after 18 months here.. I have to disagree....
I will use the story of my absent Internet connection as an illustration. So I come back from holidays in beautiful Canada to find that I do not have my beautiful wireless Internet connection anymore. I am no longer able to watch YouTube videos in bed... Anyway I figure it's because I haven't paid my bill and so first thing Monday morning I go to the bank and pay it. (The bank is another extremely frustrating experience.. if you live in North America... kiss your local banker.. or the pamphlet that offers you online banking)
Anyway I get home from school and what do you know? No Internet. So I call the number and get put through to some guy who says: "Sorry Miss Jessica. We have no record of your bill payment". I inform him that I paid that day at lunch time and so I should have access. He says his computer shows no record. Then he tells me that I need to fax my bank statement to him to verify. I say that would be lovely if I had my own 1990s fax machine in my house.. but that isn't the case. And so eventually I decide to go back to the bank and make sure the payment went through.
Well this little drama continues on ALL week! Everyday I go to the bank and then go home and call the Internet people. My payment apparently left the one bank, got transferred to the other bank but then the guy at the Internet place lost it. Even though they know that they had it.
So by Friday afternoon I have had it! I call and they say they will try and fix it and will call me back in an hour. I wait an hour and no call. So I call them.. it goes like this:
ME: Hello?
INTERNET GUY: Oh hello Miss Jessica
ME: I still don't have Internet
IG: Let me check your file. (at which point horrid foreign choir music plays loudly into the receiver) Sorry Miss Jessica but your bill has not been processed.
ME: No! That is not true. I paid it on Monday. That is 5 days ago!
IG: Maybe if you send a fax....
ME: NO! I did that on Tuesday
IG: I'm sorry Miss Jessica...
ME: You'd better be sorry! This is unacceptable. I received another bill today and I refuse to pay it because I have not had Internet all month and it is your fault.
IG: Miss Jessica I will look into your account.
ME: You said that last time and you did nothing! I talked to one of you people one hour ago. Have you been sitting there doing nothing for the last hour? I don't think anyone is doing anything to help me! Are you just sitting there lying to me?
IG: Miss Jessica...
ME: Don't "Miss Jessica" me! Fix my Internet! All you have to do is flick a switch. The other guy said that. So do it! Do your job and fix it!
IG: Miss Jessica I can't...
ME: I know you can't! Find someone who can! This is ridiculous! Your motto is that you are committed to me as a customer and you pull this on me?! It's unacceptable!
IG: Sorry Miss Jessica...
ME: I don't care if you are sorry or not. I want my Internet back in one hour! Do you understand?
IG: Yes Miss Jessica but...
ME: Don't "but" me! You have one hour to get my connection back! I have waited a long time for something that is YOUR mistake. Not mine! So get it back!
IG: Ok Miss Jessica, I will try
ME: You will try or you will?
IG: I will
ME: I will have Internet in one hour?
IG: Yes Miss Jessica. You will have Internet in one hour!
ME: Ok I will wait one hour!
And exactly two hours later... I had Internet!
I'm not overly proud of this little episode but I think I have realized that if I freak out.. I'll get service. Odd. My brother says its the same in Shanghai. If he needs something he freaks out in English and will get his way. Otherwise he doesn't stand a chance.
I going to try and be nice and calm and serene for the rest of the week though. All of that took a toll on me! But I have my Internet back! And fortunately the kids still like me... its good to instill fear once in a while anyway...
Ok now I'm going to eat pizza and watch Ally McBeal....
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