Wednesday, July 6 UB

Now that my saga has ended, I will try to fill in the story of trying to get paid by the university. I cannot give a blow-by-blow account of what happened, but I will hit all the high (and low) spots and fill in the colorful details as I proceed. The story begins approximately 1 month after I arrived. I received word from SDC (Swiss Development Cooperative), the source of my funding, that they had transferred money to the school's bank account and that I could receive part of the money due me. I went to the accountant's office with Haly and was told to sign a document. I refused, saying that I didn't understand the figures or the total that appeared there, and I wasn't going to sign anything until I understood it. This prompted a visit the next day from someone at SDC (Ganchimeg), who worked through the calculations with me. In the course of that explanation, I discovered that 1) they were trying to charge me a service fee for the bank transfer; 2) I was being charged a "project fee"; 3) I was being charged a currency exchange fee and 4) the amount that was being withheld from the first payment I was to receive was subtracted from the amount of the first payment. (In other words, the total had been split into 2 payments and the amount of the 2nd payment was subtracted from the first again, not from the total). I said that I felt as though I was being charged for the privilege of being paid. At this point, SDC agreed to pay all related charges, so I agreed to the totals we arrived at. We went back to the accountant the next day I was told I needed to have a bank card. Of course I have an American bank card, but that's not what she meant. I needed a Mongolian bank card. Haly offered to let me use her card and withdraw my money from it, but no one could tell me 1) how much I could withdraw at one time, or 2) what the ATM charge would be for each withdrawal. So I rejected that idea. I asked about receiving cash from the school, and was told there was a 300,000 T daily limit for cash. Could they increase the amount? No, there was a rule. Could I receive 300,000 T a day until I had received all my money? No, there was a rule. (Inside I'm murmuring to myself that rules were made to be broken.)

We returned the next day to find that the accountant was out because her child was ill and would be out the rest of the week. So, I wait until Monday. I can't remember what happened Monday, but when we went back Tuesday, her child was sick again. At this point, the frustration and lack of sensible rules and procedures got to me and I started to cry. Suddenly everything that I had been told was not possible became possible. Someone came over to the school from some unknown office and went with me and Haly to the bank and withdrew some money and I was paid in cash on the spot.

Fast forward to 2 weeks ago: I asked the departmental director about the end of the term, what to do about my dorm room, etc., and how I would be paid the last installment of my money. She said I needed to write a report for SDC and that I would be paid June 29 or 30th. I wrote my report and emailed it to her and on the 29th, I went to her office. I was told she was out of town. When would she be back? Oh, maybe tomorrow, maybe not. Could someone call her and find out? Her phone was turned off. So, I came back the next day - same story. July 1st, still no director. Tsegii and I went to see the accountant and she said that I had received all my money. I said that I hadn't and showed her the place on my receipt that clearly said "first installment". If there's a first, then there MUST be at least a second, right? I called Ganchimeg and reported the situation and she said she would talk to the school on Monday. Tsegii and I had retreated from the office of the accountant and were sitting in the hallway making these phonecalls when the accountant came out of her office, locked the door and left. It was 4 o'clock and the school offices were still open, but the accountant left and didn't say a word to Tsegii or me. Just left. She knew we were still trying to get this business settled and get an answer for her that was other than "you've received all your money" and she just walked out. Marta and I depart for Darkhan. When I returned to UB I emailed Ganchimeg to find out what she had accomplished and where I might find my money. At this point I'm just hoping that SHE has it and I can get it from the Swiss, but no. I have to talk to the director's secretary. So, this morning Haly and I went to the accountant's office and presented my email from Ganchimeg that assures me that SDC has made the transfer and that tells me the amount of the payment. We show it to the accountant but she has a different total in mind. I call Ganchimeg and ask for an explanation of the difference between what she said and what the accountant says. Turns out her email was wrong and the accountant was, too, and the real amount is between the two. I agree, but we are told we need to have a document signed by the director, but she is on vacation! I am flabbergasted at this news. What to do? The director will come to school at 2pm. I have 2 days until I leave and I don't want to sit around the school waiting for her to sign something that she should have taken care of weeks ago. So, they decide to send someone to the director's home with the document and get her signature. We sit and wait. Two hours later the person with the document returns and then Haly and I and the person from the first installment go to the bank where I get my money in cash. So, in spite of her having told me when she would pay me, the director went on vacation (and probably knew all along she would be on vacation) and made no provisions for me. Amazing!

The End.