BAH HUMBUG
We got the following e-mail at work today:
Teachers are expected to abide by local custom and treat December 25th as a normal working day with no deviation from pacing schedules.
It is considered inappropriate to raise the following subjects, and it is expected for teachers to prevent on-going discussions should they be raised by trainees:
1. Christmas
2. Nativity
3. Carol singing (or singing Happy Birthday)
4. Wishing anyone “Merry Christmas”
5. Classes, or activities in classes, on any festive season themes
I hope this e-mail will be taken in the spirit with which it is intended - to protect teachers from causing unnecessary offense to citizens of their host country.
So that's where all my decisions in life have brought me; this is the culmination of all I have chosen: Christmas is fucking illegal.
Anyway, how am I?
Money is piling up at an astounding rate; enjoyable experiences, not so much.
I'm working in the evening now, 3:00pm - 11:00pm and it's slightly more bearable than working in the mornings, but this is still one of the worst jobs I've ever had. I'm paid enormous amounts of money to go in and stand around while the students refuse to work, for the most part. Five 40-minute classes per day now (after doing a large amount of nothing the first three months I was here) but we have to sit around the office when we're not working.
And as I said: I live in a trailer park.
So what would YOU do for $8000 a month?
Got my first two-week holiday in February; the Girlfriend and I are going to the Maldives in one last attempt to work something out with our relationship. I'll be working on Christmas and New Year's, but that's hardly anything new so I don't think I'll sit home and cry or anything.
SOME CHRISTMAS PRESENTS
You can read CHRISTMAS IN BANGKOK for FREE on Amazon this week:
Or you can just read the original story here:
CHRISTMAS IN BANGKOK 1995
And here are some other old international Christmas stories you can peruse.
So what am I going to do?
I'm going to Dubai next weekend, but on Christmas day I think I'll watch this:
or this is a reliable holiday choice:
Merry Christmas, and to all a good night!
COMING: Disgusting bar conversation with Crazy Bob RE: Three Ways.
4 comments:
Don't worry too much, X, you had more than your share of interesting experiences already.
Like the old Chinese curse -- "may you live in interesting times."
Merry Christmas you sad old bastard!
Merry Christmas X! I'm also working in the Middle East but in one of the more liberal countries. Christmas was a surprisingly big deal here this year. The locals will take any excuse to cram the malls and indulge in extra crazy holiday driving. Nice move by the management to ban singing of "Happy Bithday." I would have been tempted to make the students sing "Happy Birthday Prophet Issa."
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