cookies

The principle (Director) of my school turns 50 today. The presents
are ridiculous. The English teachers are all pitching in 50 UAH
mostly as a cash present, though there will be cookies and champagne.
This is 5% of their monthly salary. My director is nice, efficient,
smart, but just because she's the director I don't think she deserves
more congratulations, more presents and more money than everyone else.
She already makes a salary of at least double the teachers. I love
how important personal connections are to Ukrainian people. It is
unfortunate when these connections become political, not maintained
because of sincere appreciation, but because your director has the
power to mess up your life, so it's worth going all out on chocolate,
cash and flowers to make a show.
The teachers' meeting was also a new experience. There was voting to
confirm teachers had reached a new rank, but apparently no one has
ever voted against promoting someone, so what's the point of voting?
There was a comment period before each vote, but of course people only
said positive things because making enemies here has dire
consequences. Again, personal connections have far more power the
facts of your on the job performance.