Talk about a bad day. Apart from a nice msn conversation this afternoon, it's been nothing but negative.

The first email I opened today told me that in spite of my repeat business to his company, my travel agent will not give me a better deal on my trip to Tokyo. I imagine that there's only so much he can do in any circumstance, but I was hoping he would break with his usual air/hotel policy, and let me use the cheaper hostel options I know to be available.

Let's not even talk about the second email I opened and responded to in the cheeriest manner possible.

Then I managed to annoy the person I least like to annoy in my life.

Then I had some self doubt. That's been happening too much lately.

Anyway, I went back to work a little early this afternoon, as I had some homework to correct, hoping that the bright shiney faces of my kids would cheer me up. Instead I found a barely legible note on my desk, demanding that I confirm the speaking abilities of my students for their placement in classes next term by 4:00 p.m. It was 4:40, and the information about the students (apart from their names, miraculously) and the classes was written in Korean. The teacher I'm supposed to use as a translator between myself and the almost entirely useless administrator responsible for the foreign teacher classes was no where to be found, and the useless administrator was in a meeting. So I ignored it and went to my first class, which was interrupted by useless at half past 5, who came to in to say "give" and thrust a stack of papers into my hands. Nest, I got to do my favourite thing - distribute papers to my students and then explain to them that they can't ask me any questions because I can't read Korean, and their parents will have to call the school instead. And they wonder why the numbers of students fluctuates so much!

The same process was repeated in my next two classes, with only the middle school one being slightly bearable. My kids keep asking who will be teaching them, and I have to tell them I don't know. Today, my favourite student in my youngest class asked me if I would be teaching any of the possible classes she would be going into. I told her I would not be, but I didn't tell her why. I'm trying to wait until Monday... but may end up coming clean tomorrow. The head teacher told me not to tell anyone until the last day, but I only have 3 more classes with one group of middle school kids, and if I wait until their last day to tell them, they won't have time to give me any messages or write down their addresses or anything. And it's just plain rude not to give them notice.

The lowliness of my day continued after my last class finished. I decided to correct a stack of homework before I went home tonight, something I think I've done only once or twice this semester. After I had been sitting at my desk for a few minutes, the head teacher came to me and told me he had something to talk to me about. Apparently, even though the director said he would two weeks ago, he has decided not to pay me before my afternoon shift starts on my last day of work. He has decided to pay me at 10 p.m. after I've taught my last classes. He doesn't care that I wanted to transfer the money home before the banks closed. And he doesn't care that I won't have time to take care of any of my personal business that requires money in advance (i.e. posting any of my personal belongings home, buying last minute souvenirs). Well then why, I asked, did he agree to it before?????? The head teacher could tell me nothing more than that the director is unable to pay me before the end of my teaching. To which I inquired as to whether or not the director was actually going to pay me on the 2nd, and asked what recourse I would have if he didn't. What if he doesn't pay me until the 10th? What if he doesn't pay me at all? There were, of course, no answers.

Now I have to make a difficult decision. I can only just barely afford to go to Japan. I can get there fine, and I can even sleep somewhere comfortable, and I can afford a sushi meal and a cheesy souvenir or two. There are lots of free things to do in Tokyo, and some of them are even in walking distance of other attractions, so I can save on the subway fare. But I can't afford to go to Japan if I'm not going to get my last paycheque from my school. And having been screwed over the last time I trusted an employer to keep his or her word in this country, I'm not sure I'm willing to risk being broke for 10 days in Ottawa and 30 days in Calgary for a weekend of fun in Japan. It would have to be pretty fun to be worth all of this worry.

Thoughts? Advice?