Sorry you're hurting, Gud. hoping for a happy casa Gudanov one day...I'd offer more if I had it, but this board is my longest committment. You could tell her the lurkers support you in e-mail.

((((Gud))))

So sorry, love. Wish I could offer practical advice, but it's all very much outside my own sphere - I can only offer my love and best wishes.

((vw))

Fuck 'em. Evidently you wouldn't have been happy with them anyway.

Speaking of whacky employment situations - the latest installment of Fay's Adventures In Teaching is a doozy.

Remember how I went and told my employer that I wouldn't be returning next year? And was honest about the fact that I was considering accepting another post here in Cairo? And that he claimed that my contract prevented me from doing that, and I assured him that the contract I signed did not contain any such clause?

Well, apparently (I've had unofficially from Senior Management) he has now found my contract, and realised that I'm right. But you know what? He never signed it. It has my signature, but he never ratified it. So his response was to send me a memo telling me that he doesn't have any signed contract with me.

ie I don't actually legally work for him.

ie there's nothing legally binding him to provide me with my salary in 2 weeks' time. And certainly nothing legally binding him to provide me with the Summer pay I'm owed, or the return ticket I've not yet been paid for.

The memo stated that he was happy to offer me a standard contract for this year, which would contain a clause preventing me from going to another school in this city next year. And that he would be happy to renew said putative contract.

Obviously I have absolutely no intention whatsoever of signing such a contract. No fucking way. Not going to happen. Which means that I kiss my Summer pay goodbye and lose out on my return flight.

But you know what? I feel really exhilerated. I'm free. I have in writing, with his signature, the assurance that there is nothing legally obliging me to do anything for the school. AND the offer of a contract. ie he can't turn around and claim that I was a terrible teacher because he's offering me a 3rd year's employment.

I've got Meara coming to town in 2 weeks, I've got my friend from Uni arriving a few days earlier - right now I'm pretty fucking tempted to just leave school at the end of May and let him just deal with writing reports, taking parents' meetings etc etc himself. I'd make DAMN sure to send copies of his memo to the parents, along with a very carefully worded letter explaining my situation to said parents.

I'm really looking forward to it all, actually. I'm going to wait until payday and see whether he gives me this month's salary. If he does - well, then I guess I'll maybe hand in the kids' reports. If he tries to pull any shit, then I am gone.

Flatmate and I received the memos yesterday. Last night we were at the British Embassy, where flatmate was playing a darts match, and we showed our mates at the Embassy the memo and the contract. They suggested we sought legal advice and told us which person at the Embassy we needed to approach. Our other mates have supplied the name of a good lawyer.

This stupid, stupid man. He is so going to regret this. Just because I've been consistently courteous and honourable in my dealings with him, and have not been aggressive and confrontational - that really, really doesn't mean that I'm intimidated by him, or loath to stand up for myself. Fuck that shit.

It's going to be fun.

I've got enough sterling in hand to be able to cover my rent over the summer, more or less. I've got the offer of another job come September. I've got the offer of paid work from them during the Summer, while they organise stuff for next year. I've got the offer of a £450 settling-in allowance, which we'll try to get up front if we can.

If the new school falls through, I'm on the next plane home. Over my cold dead fucking body am I doing ANYTHING that this man tries to pressure me into. He can suck my fucking dick.

I'm still reeling at the stupidity of him sending us this memo. It would never have crossed my mind to fuck off and (continued...)

( continues...) leave the school in the lurch. But he's made it clear how he's going to play it, and the prospect of leaving without writing the reports, without attending the parents' meeting, with the parents having had copies of his memo and a civilised, un-actionable letter from me explaining why I find myself no longer able to teach their darling child?

REALLY fucking tempting. Hell yes.

Hello holiday. Goodbye stress.

We got the memo yesterday. Last night we were at the British Embassy, where my flatmate had a darts match. We know people at the Embassy. We took copies of the memo and got the name of the best person at the embassy to approach. We have friends who are lawyers. We have friends who have nothing to do with the school. We don't live in school property.

He has nothing on us, beyond the fact that we'll lose money. And that will hurt, but we can manage it.

Fuck him.

Holy fuck, Fay. That's completely insane.

Go you, Fay. Kill him a LOT.

Plei, Jilli, Juliana, Bitches:

I found those tiaras on Buy It Now for $17.00.

[link] Check also this one:

[link]

He is barking.

I can only suppose that he has misjudged my character completely, and believes that because I prefer to treat people the way that I would want them to treat me, even when they're arseholes, that this means that I can be easily intimidated.

How he can possibly be so stupid boggles my mind. I mean, if I think I've hurt someone? If I think I've been unprofessional, or if someone I like and/or respect is mad at me? Yes, then I'll bend over backwards and assume that it's my bad, and I suck.

But trying to bully me?

SO not going to work.

I honestly can't wait to hear future updates on your situation. I feel like rubbing my hands together and cackling. UNLEASH THE FAY!

Congratulations, P-C!

Fay, your boss is such an ass!

Damn, Fay, what a rat-bastard! And I was ready to think he was an okay human being after the racism thing.

And reading about you are going to destroy him is wonderful.

Ooh, pretties.

Indiana Jones and the Wrath of Fay!

Well, it's set in Egypt, Indiana Jones has to be involved somehow.