And We're Back In Business!

I finally got my contract sorted today. There is no change to the original one but I figured I kicked up enough of a fuss to make my stand. I feel better for having given my two cents worth on the situation in this country for my profession. I now have to figure out if it is illegal to work while waiting for my new visa as there is a lapse of eight days between the two visas. I am assuming its okay as they didn't specifically say I couldn't, just that I can't leave the country. I do love living life on the edge... And if I do get caught and dragged to jail, please send all correspondence to this jail in Stanley. It's by the beach and absolutely lovely!

The day before I signed my contract, Krispy Kreme filed for bankruptcy. The banker called me up to make sure I was okay so did the lawyer. My boss called me up to check on me... I was not okay as my local store had no one picking up the phone when I called five times to verify. Apparently I don't buy enough donuts to sustain them. They have the airport branch still open and I am banking on my compassionate friends buying donuts for me on their way back from trips. It doesn't take a lot to make me happy, and if you give me pretty, shiny pieces of jewellery I would be even happier. =) I really should consider moving to a Krispy Kreme secure country or find a surrogate donut.

I wonder what other cruel joke fate would throw at me? Since things come in threes, I don't want to think about it as it is too depressing. I can't go out of Hong Kong for eight days. It takes little things like this to make you realise how much freedom you have. It is a sobering thought as this is nothing compared to the oppression some people have to live with on a daily basis.

One silver lining in the clouds is the letter I received from the Custom and Excise Office today. As I have already flaunted widely, this year the government has given everyone a tax rebate of 75%. Which means yours truly is paying peanuts for tax. My eyes almost popped out of their sockets when I read the sum which included a forecast sum for 2008/2009, I am paying a grand total of....*drum roll* Three hundred and ninety Hong Kong Dollars only... And of that, HKD110 is for next year. It is a farce! Why bother collecting tax if that's all they are going to get?? It works out to less than HKD50 a month or three pounds. The paperwork costs more than the actual tax!!! However, this was only for six months of the year. I doubt I would be so smug this time next year. Still, three quid a month for tax is pretty amazing huh? I think I like this country after all...