Chapter 1: Being nakedGossiping is universial--I know this. It is just that I am too naive to believe that being low-profile and pretending to be innocent will immunize you against any gossiping fuss.
The truth is: in the realm of gossips, whether you're a gossiper or not, you will be a gossipee, sooner or later. And yes, somebody is more interested in others' lives than their own lives.
As the academic year is coming to an end, the seasonal who-is-in-and-who-is-out question is a burning issue in the office. There are ad watchers giving daily reports so as to keep track of any openings offered by our school. The intelligence (i.e. the ad watchers themselves) will then analyze piecemeal information and come up with drafts of conclusion which will be constantly under review until all the juicy details are unfolded.
So now you may ask, why am I an object of interest to them? Well, it's a long story (typical, isn't it?). It can be traced back to early February when the principal decided to offer permanent posts to a number of contract teachers. She asked the shortlisted teachers to gather in her room and announce the news. And I was not among them (I was the only experienced contract teacher absent in that occasion).
Since then, I have been a walking mystery to others. People kept asking my close friends at work (instead of me) whether I was enlisted. They couldn't coax anything out of my friends of course. Yet nobody approached me except
Colleague A (he's given a title coz he would appear later in this post). He asked me after the Lunar New Year whether the principal had granted me a permanent post. I told him right away that the principal hadn't approached me for anything. (See? I would tell you the truth as long as you ask me face-to-face. It's nothing shameful to be hidden.) Somehow he felt sorry for me--which I found disgusting at the beginning but funny later.
With such an extensive information network, information (as well as rumors) travels as fast as light. It didn't take long for the intelligence to find out my somewhat skeleton and everybody started to feel sorry for me (call me over-sensitive but I could feel it in their tone and gaze). They thought I must have done a crappy job so I couldn't seize a permanent post.
Then something happened. The principal offered me a permanent post which I turned down right away. For some office-political reasons, I was informed later than others. And, for the same office-political reasons, I didn't share that piece of information with others except my close friends at work. But still people found it out (but no one confirmed it with me).
During the annual lunch a couple of weeks ago,
Colleague A asked me
again whether I had been offered a permanent post. I was stunned as I had given him the answer already which should be treated as final. He said he heard that I'd got an offer.
It's not just about whether I've got a permanent post (which is no longer a concern to me but surprisingly to others) but also other things about me (which I haven't mentioned in this post coz it's too, you know, complicated). I feel like I am walking around naked with no privacy. People talk about you, investigate you and x-ray you at your back.
What's more scary, I am just a small potato. (Look at the attention and effort they pay!)
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Chapter 2: The dealThe principal has offered to let me stay until I have an offer from the universities. I am really grateful of her generosity.
Because of my unclear situation, my post in the coming academic year will be funded by the capacity grant but as long as it is MPS based, I'm fine with it.
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Chapter 3: The second tripIn addition to my solo trip to Japan, I'm going to Shanghai with my colleague-cum-close friend for 5 days at the end of July. My poverty plan goes on.
Ahhhh... one more thing, hopefully I can write a few posts about my solo trip to Hokkaido last year before I set off.
Hopefully.
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Chapter 4: The release of A-level exam resultsBackground information:
i. I was the F.7 class teacher-cum-English teacher last year.
ii. Even if students fail Engilsh (syllabus B) in HKCEE, they can still go to F.6 as long as they re-sit the English exam. They can stay if they pass or leave if they fail.
iii. One third of the F.6 students in my class failed the English exam in their first attempt.
iv. I haven't taught F.7 this year.
The result of the A-level exams was released last Friday. The passing rate of Use of English (UE) is the same as the overall figure. So, that means the passing rate of UE of my class last year remains the lowest in the school history.
One colleague told me I tried
too hard to help those weak F.6 students of mine to pass the HKCE and so they could go to F.7 and drag down the passing rate.
There's always a mind struggle: help the school (and your career) or help the students? I have chosen the latter and have no regrets.
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Chapter 5: The HarbourAfter the annual lunch at Royal Pacific, I took a stroll in the Harbour City.
The rain had just stopped. The air was fresh and sunlight glittered on the sea which was as blue as the sky.
What a nice day :)
Some kind of panda statues were on display at the entrance of the Harbour City.
(Snap-shots taken by Sony Ericsson K610i)
Cookies & Cream + Blueberry Cheesecake
Belgian Chocolate + Chocolate Mousse
They look a bit dull in these pics because of the lightened background.
