A long day

I did consider wearing a black tie today to match the mood of depression I feel waiting to hear how much money will be taken out of my wages this June.  No one has any idea how much this is going to be and no one, apart from my good self, seems to have considered just what sum of money is going to be regarded by the rapacious government as the target from which the expropriation will be made. 

The devil, as they say is in the detail and few around me have even tiptoed towards wondering just what the “detail” might actually be.  They seem to be waiting for our paternalistic management to let us know what is going to happen as if we have no say in the matter. 

The fatalism that informs the lack of action in this place is truly depressing and there is a sort of decorum that precludes uncomfortable questioning.  It reminds me of the sort of mindless stiff-upper-lipism of the stereotypical stalwart English solider refusing to stoop behind cover to avoid flying bullets, the “Just not done, old chap!” approach that achieves nothing but picturesque, and messy, deaths. 

You can see the up-beat sort of mood that I am in approaching this meeting!  Which is, of course, after school so that we learn about how much we are not earning in our own time, or think of it as unpaid overtime to learn how much worse off your are.  I must stop this because this can only lead to mindless violence!

It now appears that somebody is absent.  Chaos!  As always.  And my day (which is “only” 4 periods long for the first time this week) is now under threat.  And we have to go up to Terrassa this evening for one of the nephew’s Name Day.  I only hope that we do not have to stay to watch Real Madrid as I will be totally exhausted by the time I get home bearing in mind that I will have an 8.15 am start to my teaching the following day.

The failure of Barça to reach the final of the Champions Cup has cast a further pall over the day and it even seems to have percolated into the consciousness of Real Madrid fans who are less than optimistic about their chances of success this evening.  All in all this will be a good week to look back on as having happened in the past rather than something to live through in the present.  As the old dependable assembly topic has it, “This too will pass!”

There is of course one thing guaranteed to make me feel more positive and that is the reading of books.  Unfortunately the books that I inveigled out of the bookseller who was here for Sant Jordi are in the other building.  But perhaps it is worth a journey just to do something reasonable and not connected with money and Barça!

The absent teacher did result in my being directed towards a class in my free period but the “other” teacher of the subject decided to take the two small groups together and thus let me preserve my free!  At last something positive in this most depressing of days.

Just off to bed after toasting Real Madrid’s lost fortune being beaten on penalties at the end of their semi-final battle in the Champions Cup.  I will not describe the scenes on jollity in one particular Catalan household as the final goal was slammed home and Madrid were out!  Sad.

Tomorrow I must write out the questions that I do not think were answered in the meeting about the reduction in our wages after school today.

Always something to do!