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Jayray · Joined: 28 Feb 2009 Posts: 373 Location: Back East

Yeah, I know, school cafeteria food isn't the greatest, but I have no other options but to eat in the city that is 40 minutes away. The apartment is a one-room affair which has no place for me to cook for myself.

First, when I arrived, I tried to buy a meal card. I was refused a card twice, then returned with a student who spoke perfect English. The cafeteria attendant refused to sell me a card. No reason given.

Okay, I found out that the lunch counter accepted cash. Some counters ignored me even though I made it clear that I wanted a meal. I found a counter that was foreigner-friendly. I bought my meals there.

Yesterday, I went to one counter to buy a one-yuan item. I had an English speaking student with me. They could not make change for a five yuan bill and would not accept change. I went to a second counter. They refused to sell to me. I went to a third. Same treatment. The fourth window ignored me until I crawled under the window and shouted at them.

They would not sell to me.

I went to the "manager's" office and was told that only lunch cards were accepted. To prove his point, the "manager" showed me how the card system worked. Chinese teachers and students were paying for meals with cash as we stood there. I had a student with me who interpreted for me.

I went to the FAO's office. She accompanied me to the "manager's office." They gave her a bunch of malarkey about how they never accepted cash at the counter.

Later we had a meeting with the general manager who called me a liar and told me that he'd give me 5,000 yuan if I could catch someone paying with cash at the counter.

I walked out of the meeting.

This afternoon I went to the cafeteria and caught the servers accepting cash. I grabbed one bill away from a student before he could pay, and then I walked with him to the manager's office. After some discussion, he said that he had a card. I told him to go get it.

oh, no. I lost it.

He said that his friend bought his lunch the day before.

I went upstairs and caught three more cash-paying customers.

Tonight, near closing time, I returned. There was a server standing in front of the counter, apparently watching for my return. As soon as she saw me, she made a signal and a dozen students walked away from the counter very quickly. I went to the second floor and observed students being served meals but not even paying for the meals.

I found the first manager. I found two English-speaking students who told her what I saw. She would not answer their questions until I told her that I would go to the college president and complain, and I might get a lawyer involved. She then admitted that she knew of two students that were served without paying. Then she tried to bribe me with a free meal.

Question: what sort of sanctions can the school place against the workers/vendors involved?

ispeakgoodenglish

Raindrops · Joined: 18 May 2009 Posts: 142 Location: PRC

I feel for you man; you are experiencing typical Chinese abnegation, racism, and perhaps you could bring out other words to the School's President like "segregation", "sectarianism", 'anti-communist behavior" ... Wink

brsmith15 · Joined: 12 May 2003 Posts: 1142 Location: New Hampshire USA

Pull a "Bluto" a la "Animal House." Fill your tray with everything in sight and then proceed to eat it. When they complain tell them you tried your best to pay but because they wouldn't accept your money, you had to assume the food was free.

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

Won't your foreign affairs office, your supervisor(s) intervene? Something snarky is going on from your description but I can't imagine what it is. Are you the only foreign teacher at that school? If no, what do the others do? If yes, it sounds like you've been on this meal merry-go-round several times so far and you haven't taken it to a superior (outside the cafeteria) and let them help you with it? Asking a student for help and translation is all well and fine, but they have no power with the higher-ups. If they are refusing to sell you a meal card (for whatever reason, I can't possibly imagine) and are refusing to let you pay in cash . . . then there's more to this story I'm thinking. How long have you been at this school and how long have you been going hungry? Is this happening every meal, every day? Have you been yelling at the staff in the cafeteria (that's a sure way to not get served)?

JGC458 · Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 248 Location: Shanghai

Jayray, I'm amazed and have never heard anything like it (of course I'm not doubting it; this is China...).

I might have tried to video some of the cash transactions, but, on reflection, that might only result in getting some fairly innocent canteen worker fined or fired.

Maybe the (threat of the) legal route is better? According to the standard contract, the school MUST ensure the basic living conditions of the FT - which would include allowing him/her to eat at the only canteen around, especially if there is no kitchen in the FT's apartment.

I'm still curious though, why, why, why are they not letting you eat there??? Have they instructed you to eat somewhere else?

eddy-cool · Joined: 06 Jul 2008 Posts: 1008

Are you completely sure you saw this cash transactions in the very place you went to complain about to your FAO?

Or maybe the cafeteria employees remember an unpleasant incident involving a laowai,and you are suffering from amnesia?

evaforsure · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 1217

levy the info for free food...

kungfucowboy83 · Joined: 25 Jan 2006 Posts: 479

tell someone in charge to give you a card and bother them a couple of times a day until you get it.

tuvia · Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 34 Location: beijing

you are certainly going to great lengths to catch these cash-accepting workers. are u cia? i suppose u arent allowed to say. whatever the case, seems you have a lot of time on your hands.

JGC458 · Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 248 Location: Shanghai

roadwalker · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 1750 Location: Ch

JGC458 · Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 248 Location: Shanghai

Jayray, maybe eddy-cool and roadwalker have a point and you have somehow contributed to the situation - especially since you've given no explanation as to WHY the school would resort to such bizarre and unprecedented(?) behaviour.

I'd suggest finding out what is causing the school to act in this way (is it the school or just the canteen?) and then finding a solution to that cause/those causes.

If you can't find out what the causes are then eat somewhere else.

If there's nowhere else then take sandwiches.

The Ever-changing Cleric · Joined: 19 Feb 2009 Posts: 1523

The year is almost over. I'd just wait it out, pack up and find another place to work.

Mister Al · Joined: 28 Jun 2004 Posts: 840 Location: In there

OP, did you forget to put these words at the start of your story?

I had a weird dream last night...........

Sorry, it just sound a bit unreal. If not, then I still don't understand why one of your 'managers' or a someone who has the authority cannot insist that the canteen sells you a card. Did your 'managers' say you couldn't buy one?

Confused