Cut and Run: Off to Beijing

(This is the gorgeous weather I'm leaving in two days)

Talk about last minute changes...Within the span of a few hours yesterday, I went from living in a hotel, to living in an apartment with my own room, to living in a two room apartment with four people, then living with three, and now...I have a train ticket to Beijing, leaving on the 7th. Let me back up a bit.

Yesterday Bob left, and so to fill his teaching vacancy, our old friend Jimmy came in from Shanghai. Around this time, I was told I had to move out of the hotel (for shady reasons) and move into the apartment. I was ok with that, until they said that no foreigners could stay in the hotel (because we're not officially registered here with the police, and our school refuses to do so...again shady), which meant Jim would have to live in our apartment. One small problem, it only have two rooms, and a living room, yet we were guranteed invididual rooms (with AC...I'll get there soon) as part of our contract. To make matters worse, I noticed that four, not three beds were being moved into our small apartment. When I asked, I soon learned that yet another one of our UCE comrades, Wesley, was on his way to teach here. So two bedrooms, four guys...the faint smell of bullshit wafts through the air.

Needless to say, I was pissed, and unlike Brian, I wanted to do something about it. I called UCE, who assured that there would be two apartments (two bedrooms in each), yet the number two in charge here said otherwise. One apartment for all of us. Were we entering farm country? Maybe there was a manure farm blowing in.

So I demanded a meeting with Spring, the number 2, yet right before getting such meeting, and email mysteriously showed up in my inbox. One line, no punctuation, no capitalization, simply said "you will have your own room". I went with Brian into the Spring meeting, telling him to hold fast and provide a unified front. If we refused these conditions and threatened quitting, we'd have them. But, as is common here, we soon found another, and even bigger bomb shell was to hit.

It appeared the students weren't happy with Brian's style of teaching...even though we haven't received any formal training, and had requested someone new. Brian, Spring said, would be leaving in a day or two, to a location unknown. That really took the wind out of our sails, and trying to be the nice guy and help out, I suggested that maybe he should stay, and I could leave (my ulterior motive to go to Beijing for the Olympics as I had originally planned). No, no, said Spring, I would stay here teaching. I couldn't really say more to that, and after saying that Jim and Wesley agree to double up in the larger bedroom, I was told that I'd have my own room. Sucked for Brian, but I was ok it appearred...uh uh.

I headed from that meeting to my advanced evenning class, telling my students I'd be around for 2 more weeks, and that they should give Brian (if they see him) a nice farewell. Then, after an hour of class, I took my 10 minute break, headed downstairs to console Brian. To my suprise, plans had changed, Brian had talked with Spring and now they were going to keep him here until Aug, and have me sent somewhere else. I instantly went through the motions of feeling confused, angry, incredulous and finally content. Ok I said, but tell UCE that I'm going to Beijing, and I'm not coming back. I had had enough. I was fed up with this program and their games and lies. Give me a ticket to Beijing, and I'll find my way there.

I was planning on going for the weekend to see friends, interview at a job and take in the openning ceremony hype, so why not just cut and run all-together? This time, I made my level of frustration known, albeit in a calm way, and demanded, rather than asked for such a leave. The program seemed to realize how close I was to causing mutiny here with the foreigners and miraculously provided me with a ticket to Beijing, leaving on the 7th of August, and getting in at 5 am on the 8th. The openning day! While the train ride (all 10 hours of which) will suck, the school providing on last f you by getting me a soft seater, not sleeper for the 7pm-5am trip, but beggars can't be choosy. Beijing, here I come.

I can't wait to see the city thrive during the entire Olympics and see friends. It's my stomping ground, regardless of how much it has changed. I even have tickets...too many to a variety of sporting events now. Thanks mom! So, slowly, and without any help from this program who shall go nameless, I'm finding my way to Beijing. I've become a pro at living out of my suitcases.Hopefully I'll get a chance to settle in, and stop my wanderingwaiguoren tendencies.