Taiwan Diary: Forced Merriment

[wrote_and_writ]

This isn't a complaint as such. Every year, the school has some sort of Winter Performance and, apparently, a big raffle.

(Okay, moderate complaining -- I fucking HATE raffles. Well, not raffles, but I hate raffles that are flooded by rich people. It would be one thing if the raffle was a fundraiser for charity. More money for charity is great! But this raffle has a bunch of big-ticket prizes, like iPads and such, and as I have learned from staff who has been here in the past, the rich parents who send their kids to school here absolutely FLOOD the raffle, often spending more on tickets so their child can be a Winner than the cost of the item itself. This sort of thing stresses me out to no end.)

Anyway, I generally like supporting my students in their Endeavors, but the performance is on the last Friday before the break, and it is in the evening. Friends, I am already exhausted. I miss having a fall break. I'm not traveling home this year, but since we only get two weeks off here (unlike the three at my previous school), if I was going home, I'd be taking a red-eye on Friday night. Regardless, I'm tired, and the last thing I want to do is come back to work for a long evening (the whole thing goes til 9 or 10 PM).

This is where I'm kind of happy that communication is so terrible at this school. Nothing has been officially said about it, and I'm not going to ask. I learned the hard way that if you ask, you end up with responsibilities. I do not want extra responsibilities. Staff who have been here for a few years said that in years past if teachers didn't show up, they were docked a day's pay! I checked my contract, and there is a vaguely-worded section about having to participate in activities, but I'm going to just quietly coast on my ignorance. And if it comes down to being forced to attend (they said that one of the admin would sit outside the auditorium with a sign-in sheet) or losing pay -- fuck it. I will take the hit. I would probably go to this Winter Performance if it were not after break starts, like if it were on Wednesday or something. But once break starts, I am On Break.

That said, I will probably try to go to the Spring Musical.

Comments

[magpie_fngrl]

Oh no, activities outside school hours should be optional. And I totally agree that once you ask about things, if you want to be Proactive, you end up with more responsibilities. I fully support you in taking the time to rest and claiming ignorance.

I'm counting down the days to the hols too. 3 more weeks for us!

[wrote_and_writ]

Two more weeks here, but we only get two weeks off. This school doesn't have a fall break or three weeks off at Christmas. We do get Lunar New Year off. And I know I will be so happy when I get to go home June 1 instead of June 21 because we didn't have the fall break, but I am le tired!

[magpie_fngrl]

We also get two weeks at Christmas and no half term break, but we also close early in the summer. I know it sucks now, but you might be grateful for it come June! <3

[wrote_and_writ]

That’s what I keep telling myself. Plus, I’ll get to celebrate my nephew’s birthday in person, which is a treat!

[clevermanka]

Capitalism ruins e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g

[wrote_and_writ]

It really, really does.

[sideways]

Hm. I'd ask if you could put a limit on the number of tickets one person is allowed to buy, but I'm sure if they're determined to get around the spirit of the thing they'd still find a way 8/

[wrote_and_writ]

It might be a fundraiser as well, so limiting tickets wouldn’t fly. IDK, the whole thing stresses me out, so it’s best to just avoid it.