Welcome again to this lament of training center series. Today I present you with the third weekly chapter, and I use it to clear a few points and to give some evidence courtesy of the "boss", who very "kindly" wrote me an email a few weeks ago. Whatever text you see on italics is my own writing in response to the different parts of this email.

Mao,

This is from the boss stand point.
I've done a lot of calls and meetings to figure out what to do with your situation and the problem at hand. First I want to talk about the money that we supposedly owe you.

You say that we promised you a starting salary at 5,500. As I recall the conversation, I told you that we couldn't pay you that salary at first because we didn't need to hire you at the time and you wouldn't have any hours to work. I told you the best we could do was 4,500 and eventually you could make 5,500. You agreed to that amount in the beginning. Here is a quote from your email "I was promised a salary of 5500, to be increased after 3-6 months," That right there says it all. After 3 to 6 months. You left at the end of your 6 months.

It seems this guy has a selective memory. Let me refresh a few points.

First, I did not ask for a job. He offered me to work at his school part time, and after meeting with the investor, I was told the offer changed to full time. I joined this crappy school for many reason. But my main reason was not because of my previous school, as they claim. They seem to forget that, then as now, I didnt post because I was being mistreated, but because my friends were. My own problem with my previous employer only became big because he didnt want me to work for this place. I should have listened.
This place was not the best offer I had. I stayed there because I thought there was nice people there, and the environment is important; I stayed there because I believed in the ideas I heard from the computer guy, same ideas that never happened; and I stayed there because I didn't think a friend would allow something like this to happen, but I DID NOT REQUEST to work for you, computer guy, so I took your word for granted when you said all my teachers will have an starting salary of 5500RMB, no matter if they teach the hours they are supposed to or not, because if they don't have enough hours it's the school's fault. Do you remember, computer guy?
So tell me why I would possibly accept this last minute changing in the offer? Why would someone take less than he has?

Second. Computer guy, you never said 4500. I realized that until October 10th when I got my first paycheck. Why didn't I say anything? Because that month I worked about 16 hours. So I decided to wait another month and see if I got my full salary. On November 10th I was so upset, I almost quit. One of the teachers asked me to talk to you, and only then you said that you couldn't pay me so much because I didn't have experience. You know what, when I was 20 I was already a nationally certified teacher. Teaching English in China is 10 times easier than teaching in another country. So, how come I didn't have experience? Fair enough Im not a native speaker, but I know how a second language is to be taught, because I learned it that way. And if my English was not good enough, why the heck did I get an offer from your school at the first place? Why do I still get offers to work here and there around China (for much more money than I got from you, contrary to what Dell Sr. affirms)? If my teaching is not good, then why did I teach for 6 years back home? Why did my previous employer tried to get me to stay at his school?

Anyways, this guy promised to talk to the investor and make my salary better or he would start giving me money from his own pocket if he couldn't fix it, because, he said, he was aware that he had promised that from the beginning. So I trusted him, after all he was being used as a puppet and I wanted to help him change that. During November I started covering for his classes because he went on a trip to America. December 10th came, I get 4500!! So I started looking for another place to move to. I didnt want to talk to you, computer guy, for there is no point in doing business with those who fail their promises. Again a teacher saw me looking to move away, and talked to you. Only then did I get 500 more (the money came from another teacher, not from the boss who had promised it, but I didnt know this until much later), which was still not enough, and then came another speech, we needed to test you blablabla, to see if you could do a good job as an English teacher, and since your students are happy now we can pay you 5500, starting from next month, and you have worked so hard, and I don't want you to have little money because you covered for me when I was in America and X and Y are going on vacation and we will have a heavy load. Sounds familiar?
Dear readers, I can tell you, as you suspect at this point, I did not believe this new promise, and I did not stay for the money, I stayed because if I had left, the school would have had only one foreign teacher for all of the classes, and I can't see a friend in need and walk away. On that basis I stayed while the other teachers came back.

I looked at your hours and even though you were busy when X and Y were gone and you did hit over time during those two months, I had told you, X and Y that we would not pay overtime because 1) for a few months before you all worked little or not at all 2) the school would pay for a trip to thank you all for the hard work you all did during those two months. You all agreed to these terms. I know you were unable to go to Taiwan because you did not have a visa. X, Y and I told you that you needed a visa. I know the Chinese said you didn't and that is their fault but I was told from X and Y that they told you to still take care of it because we all thought the Chinese were wrong. You didn't do the research and you didn't take care of the visa. In all honesty we all think that you didn't even want to go to Taiwan and that is why you didn't take care of the visa. You probably didn't even assume that all these problems would come from not having a visa when you arrived in Taiwan.

January came, 3 weeks pay only (I was paid on a 5000 basis, but at this point I didnt believe in the Easter bunny), because the headmistress left early and well, the owner has to ask the headmistress for money to even buy markers, because they wont give him access to his own money.
About telling us we wouldnt get overtime paid because of the reasons mentioned by the boss himself, thats not quite accurate. We were told, yes, when pay day was coming. And we were told only that instead of overtime we would get a trip. In this my roommate can confirm because we both were short of money and thought many times about exchanging the trip for the money. It seems he also forgot I was doing overtime during the winter holiday. Not only me, but the Chinese staff, who didn't get a trip, and didn't get overtime paid, and in some cases didn't even get their full salary. And they were working up to 60 hours a week. Except for the headmistress, she is too busy bossing around and playing cards... but that is part of another story.

Before Taiwan, the investors wife gave us 2000 extra each, which for 5500 was still low. In Taiwan the investor gave me 1000 more, not as part of salary or anything like that, but because he wanted me to travel to Beijing to talk to the manager of the travel Agency or that is what the Airport's manager translated. You cannot argue on this point, computer guy, you didn't come to see me off when I was refused entrance. Anyways, take it as a payment, I don't care, I spent the money, so it's OK.
About the Visa, Z and I went and took pictures for it and I gave my passport and pictures to the secretary. Besides I told you like 10 days before, X and I researched and I need a Visa and I hadn't gotten one until then. "Boss", you said you would tell the investor and the next day you said you talked to him and the travel agency told him I didn't require any visa.
Now, I didn't want to go to Taiwan, you say??? I came to China because I wanted to go to Taiwan. That's why I said yes to traveling during the spring festival, with little money and everything. When the trip was to somewhere else I had refused, but when it was changed to Taiwan, I wouldn't miss my chance. Don't talk to me like I'm an idiot, boss.

Now I want to discuss about you wanting to quit the school. Your contract was 6 months. Yes you worked 6 months but you still need to notify us 3 weeks before that you want to leave at the end of your 6 months. You can't work all 6 months and then say, my 6 months are finished so I don't work for you anymore. You have to give us a notice. You had said to me that your 6 months were finished and that you want to leave at the end of that week. I asked you nicely could you help us for a couple weeks until David the new teacher could arrive and then you could leave. You then stated that you may have an interview during that time and that you must go. I talked to the investor and the headmistress and we all agreed that you could do that because finding another job was important. Here is where the problem is. You found out about your interview. You called my phone but it wasn't working while I was in Beijing. You should have immediately contacted the headmistress to let her know. Instead the day before your interview, you contemplated on if you should wait till I get back to inform me and then talk to the headmistress or just go with out saying anything to the headmistress. The moment you got that call about that interview you should have called the headmistress when you could not get a hold of me. I know that during your meeting with the headmistress, things were said that did not go over well and she insulted your character and threatened you. I had a nice talk with the headmistress and told her about this mistake and that the way she handled the situation was unprofessional and was uncalled for. When you came back from your interview she was to apologize to you and we were going to let you finish out your time here. You would have left with no ill regrets and you would have received your final pay and ticket to Beijing. But during that time, we had some problems with the government about the whole Taiwan thing and they came here to find you. You were not here and they said you were not to leave. I'm not sure what happened in Changchun, just that you were told you can't leave China. But they told you wrong and you were to not leave Songyuan. So we were going to have to pay a fine because you had left. Which we understood, it wasn't your fault the Taiwan thing happened, so we accepted the fact that we would have to pay that fine. I know your embassy said that the government doesn't do that and blah blah blah but your embassy is wrong and please tell me which country would tell the truth when it comes to their people being treated unfairly by another country. Is it wrong? Yes. Does the Chinese government do it? Yes. You have been here long enough to know what really goes on in China. So back to my point, everything was fine, you were going to come back, we pay a fine, you finish your term and you get a good job in Beijing.

Dear and smart teachers that have gathered here at this board, I have a couple of very difficult question, math for 500 points and general knowledge for 1000 points. What is the time length of a 6 months contract? And do you have to tell your employer 3 weeks in advance that you will leave at the end of your contract?
Im sure all of you got the right answer, would you please be so kind to tell this so called school manager your answers? You should be thankful, computer guy, that I agreed to help you while you got a new teacher.

As a boss, something like my phone is not working is not a valid excuse. But thats my opinion.
As you can see, from his own very words, I was insulted and threatened by the headmistress. Where I come from, if you make such a stupid thing, you get a very nice talk in return.
I have to add that instead of an apology, next time I saw this person, I was insulted again. Did I care? No, I have better people to listen to. Actually since the first time she did it, when she first threatened to cancel my visa and kick me out of China I laughed at her, both on the phone and in her face, right when she was doing it. I cant help it. Every time I get threatened I laugh.
Also, a few sentences after blaming me for the Taiwan incident, it seems its not my fault anymore? Of course its not!!!
My embassy lies? What do you think about that Turnoi? Cunning Linguist? Shit Puppet? Lets assume it does. Well, it was not the embassy who said that. It was Chinas immigration office. I broke no law, I never left Taiwans airport. If I had truly been in trouble, then, since I was in Beijing already, a call was due, so that I could go to my lying embassy and get things sorted.
Now, why would this place have to pay the government for my illegal trip consequences? No sir. The reason they bribpaid was that the government found out that the school never processed my working documents.
How convenient it was the timing of the officers, and the trip thing happening to cover for it. Why dont you ask the mistress about why the officers searched my case, in the first place? Maybe someone gave them a call trying to blacklist me, forgetting of course that I was not officially related to this training center.
Besides maybe I see things where there is nothing, but I think this foreigner is here criticizing not only the way things are handled by the Mexican embassy, but also the ways of the Chinese government. Maybe is he is so nice to enlighten us with his great experience and authority on the subject.

Everything was fine, you were going to come back, we pay a fine, you finish your term and you get a good job in Beijing. It seems it wasnt so fine, or I wouldnt be posting, right?

Now, the names have been changed to protect the identities of the people who happened to be around. You will find them as X, Y and Z throughout the text. Many of you, as I do, might think that I shouldnt have stayed there for so long, that a real midnight runner was in order in my case. Well, I have explained briefly why I didnt leave, but I should add that I have honor, I gave my word, and even when the other part broke his, releasing me from mine automatically, I still kept it.

This is part one. There is still plenty for at least two more, but Im getting hungry, so I will continue some other time.

Have a good day gentlemen