We had a little drama with our school last year, but I felt like we ended well as far as relationships with colleagues goes. As a final farewel, some of the staff at our school took us out for dinner and gave us going away presents. We stayed out late and took pictures. Good times.

I communicated with a few of them via yahoo messenger this summer and several of them met us at the airport this year to greet us. I was honestly happy to see their familiar faces and they even invited us to a big dinner the first month to celebrate the first month after the birth of our administrator's daughter. I was feeling optimistic about the year with hopes that it might be even better than the last.

I'm still optimistic, but I'm trying to have more realisitc expectations now. After our salary fiasco, I knew things had been going too well without a snag and it was time for a new problem (ok, maybe I've never been an optimist). And since I'm not allowed, nor should I, badmouth my school on my blog, I shall just tell you the story how it happened from where I'm sitting.

It started about two weeks ago when the school asked if we wanted to go on a trip with the staff. My first reaction was, Wow, they didn't ask any other teachers! But, uh, no. That doesn't sound like fun; no thanks. But Jenni and I talked about it and we agreed that it might be a good way to build on our relationships with some of the staff. I asked how much and they told me that it would be free for me to go since I've worked there for over a year. Jenni would pay 30 % of the cost. No problem. We'll go (they had me at 'free').

And sometime last week I was told that we would both have to pay 100% of the fee, coming in at over 1 million 300 thousand vnd. That's a lot for ONE night. Jenni and I had another huddle and decided that we could spend New Years another way. So, we won't go.

The very next day Jenni called me from the office with the new update. We backed out too late (literally 5 minutes after we were told how much it would cost) so now we must pay the entire fee whether we go or not.

You must be kidding me.

I put on some nice clothes and came to the school. I got red in the face as I tried to explain to the woman in our office that they can't do that. All the while, knowing, the payers of my salary in fact can do that. The woman to whom I was pleading has excellent English. However her pronunciation and listening skills are horrific-- this combination, shockingly, leads to much frustration.

We've had multiple conversations about this, always the same, never getting anywhere. I've expressed how I feel. I've used the words unethical, sneaky, wrong, and "not ok." (I have also promised Jenni that I would try my darndest to not to get us fired over this)

Jenni had something with a friend that she strongly wanted to do, so we have decided not to go. And I'm finished making a stink about it. I even feel completely non-bitter about it at this moment, though I was afraid that if I went, I wouldn't be able to keep my mouth closed.

Our trust has been abused once again, and we will continue to pr@y for love for them, and somehow for our friendships to be separate from work, or business, whatever it is that they're running over there (totally not bitter though).