Thanks for your posting here!

Is it just me or is the public esl sector getting worse by the day?

FAO's seem to be blind to the needs of FT's and downright troublesome in fact!

I feel your pain on the apartment, it's an uphill struggle to get acceptance of what should be clean and what isnt!

so I bought a new one myself.

Never buy anything unless it's something outside of the contract. The only things I have bought for myself here are a toaster and a coffee maker, because I like to make sandwiches and fresh coffee at breakfast. Anything else I present receipts for, if they won't repair/replace it.