I've had a mixed day at work, oddly.
After being furious enough to resign early over the school's refusal to even try and help me re-arrange my Monday schedule so I can participate fully in my brother's farewell hurrah in town, I was doubly furious when I tried to top up my electricity.
See, we buy electricity like phone credit here, and you can't buy it over the weekend. I don't have enough to last the weekend, and don't fancy being in an unairconditioned, boring box for 48 hours.
Of course, China being China, there are layers of bureaucracy to buy electricity. See one guy who takes your money and gives you a receipt, and then see a woman who puts the electricity onto your card so you can swipe it.
Of course, 75% of the time, one of these components is missing. You can make do without one (the first guy), but you can't make do without the woman. And you certainly can't make do without either.
I'm in class all day, so rush down in my 5 minute break to try my luck. No joy. Ask the foreigner liaison and she's typically useless. The last few days boil up, I tell her she's useless at a job a child can do, and slam the door in her face as she tries to follow me.
I then walk down the hall and my boss tells me she's managed to get me out of my 8am on Monday (moving it to 1.30pm).
So, good news is I can celebrate with my brother. Bad news is, I have no f**king electricity.
