I've just encountered a particularly egregious example. The private student I took on just before Christmas wasn't getting on well with me, and decided to end our sessions. But he didn't tell me that.
Oh no. He told me he was "out of town on business" all week.
However, I'd split the work with him with a friend of mine who's studying Mandarin up in Wudaokou. He had his session with her on Tuesday afternoon as usual - despite being "out of town on business"!
What's more, he told my friend that he would be seeing me the next day as usual - despite having cancelled that session at the end of the preceding week, and having told me that he had no time at all to reschedule it.
WHY?? What on earth does he gain by telling these elaborate - and transparent - lies? Does he think his two tutors don't communicate with each other about what they're doing with him?
Well, as I mentioned before, I fear this chap is a complete nutjob, dangerously mentally unstable. However, in this preference for telling ridiculous lies (rather than just telling me straight out that he wants to cancel the classes with me), he is not at all untypical. This is a national vice in China. I don't think I'll ever really understand it. And it is one of the things that I most hate about the place.
No comments:
Post a Comment