End of the Semester (7-4)

Today was the final day of the semester, the day when staff members begin their summer break and all the shops on campus are closed. Students have been leaving all week as they finished their final exams.

Big news of the day is that, after three months of negotiations, we finally signed a contract at 5:00 for me to stay on at the university as a contracted teacher. It’s been an emotional roller coaster, especially for the several weeks. Mr. Huang is a good friend and I feel bad that he was in the middle of the process. He talked to me and reported to the Director who said “yes” or “no” and made a counter offer, and then he reported back to me. Sometimes this process took two weeks. Three times he told me that I would have a response that week; so on Friday when I didn’t have classes, I would wait at home all day and nothing would happen. Last month I was so frustrated and stressed that I left a note for him stating that if I didn’t have a response by Monday, I would assume the school was no longer interested. The improvement was that he let me know that he was leaving Monday afternoon and would talk to me Tuesday. Tuesday he had Yang let me know that he was in Chengdu all day and would talk to me another day.

Well, another day didn’t come until the next Monday. (When I told one my sweet students that they hadn’t responded on Monday, she smiled and said, “Maybe next Monday.” She was right.) By that time I had pretty much decided that we hadn’t reached an agreement, which resulted in a mini-meltdown. In that meeting I learned that he and the Director had spent a day in Chengdu trying to figure out how they can keep me here, since they had just learned that I am too old for a working visa, as the government draws the line at 60. I had learned that the week before when I looked at another volunteer agency’s website and it stated that volunteers for China must be under 60 because of the government’s regulation. (Peace Corps obviously has an exemption from this policy.) I told him it would have been helpful to know that they were working on this.

So the new plan is for me to get a tourist visa and then they will convert it to a foreign specialist visa. They had added airfare earlier but not enough for the U.S.; now the amount has been increased to be almost enough for a round trip ticket and more than enough for a one-way ticket. Insurance has been the other issue. Since I cannot have a work visa and be an employee of the university, I cannot be included in their insurance. The bottom line is that my age is a problem.

While they were working on that, we had a meeting in which everything else seemed to be settled and agreed on between us. Then I happened to mention the apartment. We had discussed that three months ago when they first asked me to stay, and I was clear that I will not live in the one dormitory room. Mr. Huang had said they would build a two-room apartment like I have now (Peace Corps apartments are two rooms together with a kitchen). So it was a surprise when I mentioned the apartment and he responded that the administration won’t build them. I informed him that I won’t live in the one room. They could build the apartment or provide extra money to help pay for renting one off campus. By this time I had recovered from the stress and was emotionally strong again. I had truly given up attachment to the outcome of the negotiations. I knew I would feel bad if they didn’t work after all the time and effort put into the process, but I knew that I would be content with either outcome. It would be sad to leave, but it would be OK. But waiting a few more days for the outcome was still difficult. The following week he informed me that I can stay in my current apartment and they will build a new one for the new PC person, which works for me. I think what happened is the department that builds apartments refused. When I said I wouldn’t live in one room, the Foreign Affairs Office decided to spend the money to build an apartment, as it will cost much less than paying me to live elsewhere. At any rate, I’m happy about that.

This left the insurance and visa fee as the only remaining issues. After searching around, this week I was told that they found a Chinese medical insurance policy that is 500 RMB ($82) a year, but after age 65 the rate goes up to 3000 RMB ($500) a year. Quite an increase but still less than the travelers’ policy one agent recommended for me. I suggested that they pay the basic cost and I’d pay the extra for my age, and this was agreed. Then on Friday (today—the last day of the semester) the news was that there is no medical insurance for people over 60. This was very puzzling since earlier in the week they had been told that there was, based on what the agent had said. I think that may have been a face-saving answer. I asked what Chinese people over 60 do and learned that they don’t have insurance unless they have worked. If they have worked, they can purchase social insurance. People who haven’t worked, such as housewives, have no insurance.

Now I was back to purchasing the travelers’ insurance at $150 a month, and I stated that I thought the school should pay part of that, since they had agreed to pay part of the other policy. That was quickly agreed. They have also purchased an accident insurance policy (200 RMB or $64 a year). Since it’s in Chinese, I have no idea what it covers, but I have it.

So, in the end, the school has done a lot to make it possible for me to stay here. It would have been nice to know some of this as it was happening to reduce the stress, but it’s good to know it now. I have felt very difficult and demanding throughout most of the process, as I had to be that way to get concessions to things like plane fare and insurance that should be in contracts for foreign teachers. I hope future negotiations with other foreign teachers go more smoothly now that this precedent has been set.

A difficult aspect of the negotiation process is that Mr. Huang is a good friend. We have liked each other since we first met. At one point when I was upset, I made a point of telling him that I was not upset with him but with the upper administration. I believe he was genuinely trying to work things out to be the best they can for me. When we finished, he told me that we are still friends and I can trust him. As I told him, I know that, but I’m not sure about the higher administrators, which is why I’ve had to be so particular and careful.

When it became 95% sure that the contract negotiations were going to work out, I talked with Dean Qiu about my teaching schedule, as one of my early concerns about staying on was which classes I would teach. I’ve been teaching mostly English majors with one or two classes of non-English majors, and I need to continue to have some English major classes, as these are what sustain me. It’s not that I don’t like non-English majors; for me the issue is that there are 60 students in the classes and I hate having to have so many. The guys do better with them because they are entertaining extroverts and can handle the large classes better than I do. In addition, about a fourth of the students don’t know enough English to be successful and have no interest in English. On the other hand, about a fourth of the students are interested and want to improve their oral English. In the past the school has had only Peace Corps Volunteers teach English majors. Recently they have added other foreign teachers to teach the non-English majors. I pointed out that they now have two qualified, experienced contracted teachers and they should consider our qualifications. Peggie called me to let me know that it looks like the two PC people and I will teach three classes of English majors and then fill our schedules with non-English majors. Another successful small change.

So it’s been a challenging process for me having to be demanding and firm. But the outcome is OK. Small steps are being made, which is good. And, as in the bargaining process anywhere—the market, tourist souvenirs vendors—once the bargaining is concluded and an agreement is reached, all is well and everyone moves on with no hard feelings—at least none that are visible.

This week I was given the end-of-service gift that Paul and Dan received two weeks ago. It’s a silk embroidered scroll picture with pandas. Silk embroidery is a traditional specialty of Chengdu. The school’s name is in Chinese; so they specially order these for the foreign teachers.

Peggie is getting married on Sunday. She had told me a while ago that she wanted to invite me to the wedding. But, in the end, that didn’t work out, which I understand. I am honored that she thought about inviting me. I took her to lunch one day, and we talked about wedding customs. They purchased a wedding package that includes everything—hotel, photographs, video, music, room, hair styling, food. Saturday she will go to a hotel room that her family has decorated for her. Sunday he will meet her there, and they and her family will go to his house (which they have been living in for a while) to meet his parents. This is a modern version of the traditional village wedding in which the groom’s family picks up the bride at her house and they walk or ride to his house. In the afternoon they will return to the hotel for the wedding.

I had several nice end-of-the-year letters from students telling me how much they like me and how much they learned. One girl wrote hers in Chinese so she could express her feelings and ideas more clearly. I thought that was sweet.

Monday I will go to the Peace Corps office to complete my Close of Service. It’s been another good one. Tuesday I’ll begin my summer travels: 5 weeks in the central part of eastern China and a few weeks visiting my good friends in Thailand. I’m ready!