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China Elevator Stories
My Time in Tai’an Is Coming to an End
My four-month contract at a university in Tai’an is coming to an end.
23/07/2025
Ruth Silbermayr
Author
I’m checking in with a short post to explain why I haven’t been posting anything lately.
For one, a narcissist has been trying to dictate everything I do, leaving me with no headspace or time to work on my blog independently. He thinks my blog is his blog, and no amount of effort to get him to leave me, my life, or my blog alone seems to work.
The other reason is that my children are currently spending their summer holidays with me, and I’m also preparing for a move (I’ll reveal the new place once I’ve settled in and things have calmed down). My contract here in Tai’an is coming to an end, and I had to find a position at another university. I’m staying in China and will continue blogging from here.
I picked them up in Siping at the beginning of July, and we took two fast trains (we had to change in Qufu, since no direct trains were available).
I’ve been working from home while also taking care of my children, who are both very lively and still need supervision to keep them safe—so it’s been quite a challenge.
They’ve told me their dad keeps them at his place unsupervised for about eight hours on many weekends, which certainly explains why they constantly cook for themselves and act like little adults.
Their paternal grandmother died on 20 September 2024—a fact they weren’t supposed to tell me, so I wouldn’t find out there are issues with supervision and proper care. I had no idea, because they were telling me little stories about their grandmother as if she were still alive.
Asking children to keep secrets is, unfortunately, something many narcissists do to prevent the other parent from getting a glimpse of what’s really going on.
Have you ever moved within China?