What is more knackering than hiking up Tai Mo Shan?

Sat down for a meeting at 10 this morning. I had expected this to last no more than two hours as it had seemed pretty straightforward on paper. An appeal case of a staff who has been terminated. All documents show that she was grossly incompetent and had not improved despite poor appraisal comments and warnings.

2:20 and it was still going strong. I had to leave as I have a class from 2:30 - 4:30. Meeting resumed at 5pm. Finally finished at 7:20.

Now. What a waste of time. MY time, specifically. And the time spent on preparing all the documents, time that will need to be spent writing up the minutes. And the final report.

The meeting ended upholding the original decision to fire this person.

Bureaucracies. Procedures. Taxpayers' money. My time. My money, and so on.