I wouldn't have bought the microwave, but after I asked for the school to replace it, the FAO's lackey told me that he didn't think that anything would satisfy me. He was still p*ssed off that I dragged all of my moldy clothing to the City FAO to complain about the disaster in the FT's apartments a few weeks before. The FAO herself wouldn't go to the City FAO (she had to take care of her baby), but the lackey did. He could make no decisions about anything, so the City FAO guy had to keep calling the school FAO to get answers. In the end, I asked the guy at the City FAO if he thought that I had a legitimate complaint. He agreed that I did. I also asked him when he thought that the air conditioning would be turned on.

He said, "Maybe never."

The FAO lackey still didn't get it. When we left the City FAO's office, he told me that I needed to learn more about Chinese culture.

--- Which part? The continual lying or total disregard for others?

When repairmen finally showed up to fix the air conditioner, they knocked on my door to let me know that they were going to the roof to fix it. They were carrying a hammer and a screw driver. I am no expert in air conditioning, but I know that you can't do much with a hammer and a screw driver. Apparently, neither had a key to the door that would allow them to access the door to the roof, so they spent the morning trying to remove the lock on the door. When 11:30 arrived, they disappeared and never came back. When a cold front moved in two weeks later, the A/C was turned on.

When the heat wasn't turned on, I went back to the City FAO. I didn't bother saying anything to the school. I met the vice-director who was very concerned. She and the guy that i spoke to a month before went to the school to talk to the FAO. Of course, by the time they arrived, the heat was turned on. Nevertheless, we walked to the FAO and they were somewhat surprised that there was a bridge across the moat, but the latch and lock was on the campus side. Then, they called the FAO and found out that the FAO was at home taking care of her baby AGAIN. They wanted me to speak with the FAO lackey. I told them that if it turned into a Chinese language meeting, I would leave. They assured me that everyone would speak English. When we got to the FAO, no English was spoken, so I left.

Those SOBs could afford to throw huge parties in their four-star hotel, but they couldn't pay for the electricity to run the heater or air conditioner for the foreign teachers.