Out of Steam

The only other time I can remember being so thoroughly exhausted as this was UPS finals/ graduation.

For me, it's not necessarily all of the things that I am doing that make me tired.  It's the thought of everything that needs to get done.  I'm a notorious list maker.  Through college I had a cafe board on which I made lists of everything that needed to be done.  Everyone always talks about wonderful it feels to cross something off the list; I get almost as much relief our of making them.

But, sometimes the lists don't help.  Since we got fired I've been having trouble sleeping.  It takes me an hour or two for my brain to stop cataloging all that needs to be done (packing, cleaning, Visa applications, itinerary finalizing, etc) and fall asleep.  Then if I wake up at any point, it starts all over again.  Last night I nearly hopped out of bed because I randomly remembered that I wanted to find a vegan whipped cream recipe for Mom.  Stress does ridiculous things to me.

It's not as if I was sleeping well before we got fired; our bed is rock hard and the mattress is starting to break down where I normally sleep because it has no give at all.  I went to bed at 11:30 last night and got up at 8:40.  I was doing a little reading during one of my breaks and I actually dozed off for a minute or two.  I should be functioning better on 9 hours of sleep.

Aside from physical energy, I don't have much either.  I'm so disconnected from this job.  The lesson plans I made today are lazy and while I feel bad for the students (the ones who aren't urchins), I honestly don't think they care.  I'm officially a warm body to fill a (legally sanctioned) position until they find a replacement.

Julia tried to greet me in the hall and I mostly ignored her.  I tried to smile a little to be polite, as I don't want any complications regarding our last paychecks.  But, I think I only managed to twist my face into a grimace.  Later, Montana popped his head into my classroom to tell me there was pizza for the staff.  I said okay and sat back down at my desk, not intending to do any interacting that wasn't obligatory.  Then Terry (Julia's son) came in with the pizza box and a cup of Coke.  I told him I didn't want any.  I wanted to tell him where he could put the pizza and coke, but I didn't.  He seemed very surprised and left.  

We have been told that our presence is required at a meeting tomorrow at noon.  I don't know what it will be about, but Ian and I have several things we need to clear up (taxes, date of our last payment), so we will take full advantage.  I'm not sure if Julia will be there.  Either way, we're going to discuss the effectiveness of such meetings.  We don't want to attend any more.  After all, our letter cites seeing no solution to our faults as a reason for letting us go, so why bother?

Good night!

Response

I know that I'm most likely preaching to the converted, here, but I'd like to take a moment to talk specifically about why the reasons listed on our letter of termination are complete and total bull.  So, beware, for below is an organized rant.  I don't blame you if you choose not to participate.

1. Abiding complaints from students and their parents as well as principals for the last 8 months

 I cannot account for the principles, but students complain about everything.  If I gave them a lot of challenging work, they complained.  If we played language games (taboo, pictionary, charades, etc.) they complained to the principals because they thought it was funny to see if we'd get in trouble.  As for the parents, they send their kids to hagwon once a week and expect them to be fluent in one term (3 months).  It's common knowledge that Korean parents will pick up their kids' text book, flip to a random page and ask their kid to translate/answer/explain.  If they cannot do it perfectly in English, the parent calls the hagwon.

     2.  Caused serious financial damage to school management as well as lowering school's reputation by losing students

 Personally, I think that opening four campuses in a small town of 140,000 people within your first year of business is financially ridiculous.  There are many established hagwons in Jecheon, it would have been smarter to open one campus, build a rapport with the city and move from there.  Oh, and as for a reputation, it's the hagwon division of Yoon's first year of business, so there was no reputation to "lower."

     3.  Poor class preperation

This is a stack of lesson plans from one month of Ian's time at the Goam campus.

This is an average lesson plan of mine for a forty minute class.  Some of them are more interesting than this, but all are at least this thorough.

     4.  Using inappropriate words and behavior in the class

About two months in, Ian and I were told that we weren't to use the word "crazy" or the Korean equivalent "babo" in class.  Since then, neither of us has used it and we've implemented disciplinary measures for students who use it in class.  In fact, Ian made a list of inappropriate ("do not say") words on his board at Goam and I retained it.  Ian has been reprimanded for playing with his students.  He pokes, teases and bops them on the head, riling them up and making them laugh.  For several months, this is how Ian bonded with his students with no one telling him not to.  Last week, when Montana was sitting in on his class, Ian was playing with the students when he used the paper folder to lightly bop them on their heads.  Rebecca, a student that is all around good but routinely whines and needs attention, began to cry.  She told Montana that she had fought with her friend earlier that day, had been hit in the head and it still hurt.  Later that week, at our meeting, Montana flew off the handle at Ian and told him that he could invite lawsuits for "hitting" the students.

     5.  Not using textbook with felicity

I don't even understand this complaint.  We use the textbooks and as for "felicity," we've never complained about them unless they've explicitly asked us for criticism.

     6.  Assignment is not checked up properly

I can only assume that this is referring to homework.  I check the student's homework everyday at the beginning of each class.  Julia even once complimented my thorough grading.  They have hours of CCTV videos of my teaching to prove that.  When Ian first started working for Goam, there was a lot of confusion regarding the essays that were assigned and who (the students see their main teacher and then come for our conversation class) was supposed to assign homework to the younger students.  Every time the question was posed to Julia or any authority figure, a different answer was given.  But, for the last two months Ian has had complete control over his classes, which means that he assigns and checks homework everyday.

     7.  Teaching method is not as developed as expected

There's really no way to argue this.  Maybe we're not good teachers.  Maybe we're not what Yoon's wants.  But, the time to fire us for that was months ago.

     8.  School management can't find any possibility any of the above situation would be corrected

Right, because finding a solution would mean paying us our severance.

Our notice of dismissal is illegal on two counts.  A) It is not signed or dated by both parties.  B) It lists a time of less than 30 days.  This could mean that we're due another 30 days wages.  So, we're gathering information.  We asked for the day off tomorrow (and got it), so we'll be getting our ducks in a row.

Good night!

Worst Case Scenario

"What's the worst that could happen?"  That's the question you ask yourself each and every time you stand at a juncture, deciding whether or not to take a risk.

Ian and I were no exception when we were looking at jobs in Korea.  We were fully aware (or, at least, as aware as we could have been) of the potential problems and deceptions of taking work as a foreigner in Korea.  But, we came anyway.  With that in mind, we are trying to move forward (up and out) during this time of crisis.

This morning we arrived for our scheduled meeting at Goam.  Only Montana was here.  We talked to him casually for a few minutes and then he instructed us to wait in his office while he sent a fax.  A few minutes later he came in and told us that apparently Julia wasn't going to come.  Then, he bluntly but professionally told us that, "The company has decided to let you go."  Ian and I didn't react.  We just stared at him, so Montana repeated himself, said he was sorry, but "that's business."  We walked out of his office and he gave us our official letters (which, still unsigned and undated by anyone are not legal):

OBJECT: TERMINATION OF YOUR EMPLOYMENT

Casey Whitlatch

We regret to inform you that your employment with Yoon's English School in Jecheon is terminated effective in four(4) weeks from receipt of this letter for the following reasons:

1. Abiding complaints from students and their parents as well as principals for the last 8 months
2. Caused serious financial damage to school management as well as lowering school's reputation by losing students
3. Poor class preparation
4. Using inappropriate words and behavior in the class
5. Not using textbook with felicity
6. Assignment is not checked up properly
7. Teaching method is not effectively developed as expected
8. School management can't find any possibility any of the above situation would be corrected

Please vacate the premises with your personal possessions within four(4) weeks.  We will forward your salary to date in due course or pay at your leave only if both you and Yoon's English School agree.

Please contact the management if you need explanation for these items and the school management also will arrange with you for the return and maintenance of any company property including housing.  If school management finds any maintenance issue including cleanliness, the cost will be deducted from your last payroll.

Sincerely,

Yoon's English School

56-1 Haso-dong

Jecheon-si, Choongbuk-do, Korea

The good news is we have the day off tomorrow.  We'll be heading to the labor offices in Chunju.  Stay tuned for a post responding to our outlined deficiencies.

Something

There's a strange feeling in the air at Yoon's.  Everyone (all the teachers, that is) can feel that something is happening.  Changing.  Maybe.  No one is really sure.

The "secretary" (there's a man who works at the Goam campus fixing computers, making schedules and doing the other odds and ends- my mother would remember him as the man with the shiny suit) told Rahee today that he saw a new schedule and that her and Stephanie's names were missing from it.  In fact, they weren't just missing, there were other names in their place.  But, Julia told Stephanie today that if she wanted to work another thirty day cycle that Rahee needed to work, too.  Somehow, they're contracts are contingent on each other's.  Neither Rahee nor Stephanie have any idea why.

I talked to Rahee for about a half an hour today.  She was told that someone would be sitting in on her classes today.  She couldn't remember the girl's name, only that she was Korean-Canadian.  But, when I walked by her class, no one unusual was there, just her students.  I wonder for what position this person is being hired.  Terry (Julia's son) is also back in Korea for summer break, so they'll probably find a position for him here, too.  The amount of excess baggage at this company is unbelievable.

Rahee's mother, who is a "home teacher" for Yoon's, has been ill recently, so she has been unable to take on her normal load of students.  David, Julia's husband and the real owner of Yoon's, has been pushing her to take a larger load.  Her mom has worked for Yoon's for six years, but she's seriously considered quitting.  She told Rahee that she may even leave before Rahee is finished.

Julia and her children lived in Australia for four years.  During that time, David was running the Jecheon Yoon's franchise.  Julia and her youngest (Terry stayed for university and to get out of mandatory military service) came back to Korea and the family went to work expanding their franchise to include hagwons (the Korean word for cram school).  Julia is in charge of the hagwons and David still runs the home-study portion of the business.  It seems that her management style has poisoned that division, too, because they are losing home teachers left and right according to Rahee via her mother.

I'm very nervous about our meeting tomorrow, but I'm ready for it.  I hope that the idea of firing us or "shortening our contracts" doesn't even come up, but if it does Ian and I are armed to the teeth with information.  My guess is that they do not expect us to know the laws.  They expect us to take everything they say as gospel and, in the beginning, that's what happened.  Julia and David think we're stupid and they treat us like children.  Because Korean workers rarely act on their own volition, they will be surprised if they end up  confronted with our appeal to the Labor Board.

I'm trying to find information on the web about Wonderland Jecheon (the hagwon that Julia worked at before Yoon's), but I'm not having any luck.

Delay

Ian and I got up this morning and went to the gym as usual.  Luckily, Ian happened to check my phone when we got back because Montana had called and texted to say that the meeting was moved to Wednesday.

I'm not sure what signal to take from that.  Is she delaying the inevitable?  Julia did tell Rahee that she avoided dealing with her because she found it stressful.  Or is the meeting much less weighty than we're imagining it to be?    I don't want to wait any longer.  I just want to know so that I have a clearer picture of my future.

Rahee is seriously considering quitting.  Julia is trying to push her out.  Rahee is going to wait and see if Stephanie leaves (another teacher who told Julia she wanted to quit about a month ago, but agreed to stay for another thirty days).  If I understood her correctly, Rahee will leave if Stephanie does.

I'm fairly certain that this hagwon won't make it past the end of the year, if it makes it that far at all.  This hagwon has been shady from the beginning (if you'll remember, they didn't properly put our information through with immigration until we'd been here for three months).  I can't wait to open this blog and write about the abusive practices here.  I really don't want anyone else to come in as blindly as we did; which is why the very last post on this blog will be a guide to getting good work in Korea and making the most of your experience.

The good news is that my students have been especially wacky and energetic today.  It's tough to resist that sort of pick me up.


On a side note, Laurie at the Itty Bitty Kitty Committee has begun her fund raising for the Pierce County Humane Society's Dog-A-Thon Fundraiser.  All donations made through her group go directly to help the cats and kittens at the shelter.  Last year, she and her group raised $23,000 and helped build an entire new wing in the cat area.  This year her goal is $40, 000.  I gave last year and I will again.  If you're feeling generous, please visit her blog and follow the links to give.  To learn more about the Dog-A-Thon, go here.


Good night!

Loose Lips Sink Ships

Ian's a big fan of these propaganda posters and today's events reminded me of this one.

Randomly, and in passing, Danny said something very troubling to Ian.  He said, "So, I heard you might be leaving soon."  To which Ian replied, "Not that I know of.  Who said that?"  Danny just seemed confused and said he didn't know.  Since they live together, we figured that it was probably Montana who said something.  So, Ian mentioned to Montana what we'd heard and asked him if he knew anything specific.  In true Montana form, he vaguely alluded to Julia being the boss and him not knowing anything.  He said we'd all discuss it on Monday (here's to a relaxing weekend, right?).  Montana's a good guy, but he hasn't proven any help when it comes to Julia.

So, Ian and I spent the day vaguely nauseated and anxious.  Our Europe plans may be for naught.  I had gotten a little too attached to the idea of having my birthday in Paris and I'm trying really hard not to pity myself (prematurely, I hope).  Our tickets to SE Asia are nonrefundable, but if we do get fired on Monday, we'll be calling to see if we can change the end destination on our ticket from Siem Reap.

I can't wait for this ordeal to be over.  However, I'd like my effort to be worth something and I'd like to complete our contracts.

Good night.

Mala Gente

"Mala gente" is Spanish for "bad people;" but (in Spanish) those words carry a lot more weight than their childish sounding English cousins.

Today's meeting went poorly.  So poorly that my memory of it is clouded with anger and difficult to flush out.  It was nearly 90 minutes of abuse and condescension.  I lost my temper, I didn't yell, but I spoke sternly.  Julia laughed.  I remember telling her that the students should bear 50% of the responsibility in the classroom.  She laughed and set me straight.  Toward the end, she realized she wasn't getting the responses she wanted out of me so she started talking to Ian about my inability to catch the many mistakes I make in the classroom.  "Why can't you see so many mistake?" she asked me again and again.  Then they (Julia + Montana) would pose "questions" like, "Your teaching skill isn't change enough, what do you think?"  I tried to explain that it wasn't really a question, but I was met with a simple, "Yes, it is."  

Montana didn't have our (my) backs.  No one in the country can be trusted to stand up for you.  It's every man for himself and, if there's any benefit to it, feel free to throw your neighbor under the bus.  Climb upon the backs of your peers if it means success.  Korea is a reflection of the worst in any industrialized nation.  Japan's business culture may be equally rough, but at least people treat each other with real respect (as opposed to the feigned variety); and Americans may be dog eat dog, but at least it's (usually) kept on a professional level.  You don't gain anything by tearing your employees down.

I'm sorry.  I try to keep these posts reserved because I don't feel there's a need to complain to a captive audience.  But, today's been a very, very bad day.

A face to the name (from 9 months ago):

Good night!

Seminar

On Friday, Sue told us that we were to attend a "foreigner meeting" at 10:30 on Monday (today).  I had read on Facebook that it was apparently a "sex ed" class and that only hagwon teachers would be in attendance.

I expected a big meeting hall in city hall with a moderately formal atmosphere and a Korean official of some kind doing the talking.

When we got into the cab and handed the driver the note (in Korean) we were given, he had no idea where to take us.  He asked us many questions that we didn't understand and eventually Ian called Julia and had her talk to the driver.  He took us to a parking lot surrounded by three buildings.  No one else was in the lot and we had no idea which building our meeting was in.  There was a man walking into one of the buildings, so we gave him the note hoping he would help us, but he just smiled and bowed.  That building turned out to be a gym.  The next one was an empty Tae Kwon Do studio.  So, we tried the last building and found the meeting and were handed pamphlets.  They were already 30 minutes into it.  Our hagwon had misinformed us.  There were maybe 15 people there and Andrew (a foreign teacher who has been here for about six months) was in the middle of the room doing the speaking.  Unfortunately, Ian and I arrived just seconds before Andrew spoke briefly on taking one's job seriously (as in, show up on time).  Andrew's far too nice to call us out or even think to, but I apologized after the meeting.

The topic was not sexual education, at least, not really.  The first half hour (which we missed, but I read in the pamphlet) seemed to be about cultural and workplace differences and how to deal with them.  Basically, foreigners are to kowtow (a word which, by the way, literally means to bow and touch one's forehead to the ground- a bow practiced in Korea under special circumstances and on holidays) to everything their employers  ask.  Supervisors do not expect to be questioned, so it should not be done unless one's reasons are very strong.  The second half of the meeting covered appropriate behavior between foreign teachers and students. Basically, they have parents at home to cuddle them and Korean teachers to discipline them, so do not touch them.  It is too easy for children to embellish stories and too difficult for foreigners to defend themselves.  No touch is good touch, completely contrary to what Julia has been demanding of us.  She has told me on several occasions to touch and cuddle my students so that on the street they may run up to me and hug me.  Ian actually told one of the Korean teachers at the meeting about our hagwon's request and she told us we were better off not touching students at all.  At the end of the meeting they reminded us not to private tutor.

Andrew later told us that it wasn't until Friday that he was told he'd be speaking at this meeting.  And even then, he was told he'd say a few words (in reality, he was handed a pamphlet and told to go for it).  Apparently, these meetings will be held twice a year.  Luckily, we'll be gone before the next one.

This meeting was just a further reminder of the bum deal we got with our hagwon.  Granted, they pay us well and on time, but they treat us pretty terribly.  As far as I could tell, all the other teachers came in groups, escorted by at least one Korean teacher.  Many of the schools provided transportation and lunch or coffee afterward.  Ian and I were left to catch taxis with no information as to where we'd be going (not too mention the start time miscommunication).  We left feeling alone and abused, not a good start to a week.

Last I heard, we still have a mandatory meeting with Julia tomorrow, so the good times will keep coming.

The Blame Game

Ian and I had a meeting with Julia this morning.  She was in great form this morning, laying the full weight of her company's financial problems on us.

As we sat down she brought out a sheet with the enrollment numbers for all three campuses.  She told us that, for Haso and Goam, the numbers were down 40 students from the beginning of the year (September).  She said that the "students don't want to come" because our classes are "not interesting or beneficial."  I talked to a student last week who told me he wasn't coming back next term.  When I asked him why, he told me that his mom didn't want him in classes at night, so they were going to find somewhere he could take a class an appropriate level class during the day.  It had nothing to with Yoon's itself.

Then she scribbled some math regarding our severance, airfare and remaining three months.  She asked us (and not hypothetically) how she should find the money to pay for that.

At one point, while Julia was chiding us for the seven months that we lazily "wasted time" ("Your teaching skill is fine now, but you wasted so much times," then she drew a time line from September to April, in case we didn't understand) Ian swallowed hard and told her that it was difficult to know how she felt about our performance during those months because Gene rarely spoke of it and when he did, he told us we were doing well.  Julia said, "But, Mr. Gene said he told you all these things, but you didn't listen.  That's why he choose to leave the company.  He felt he had no work to do here."  While I doubt that Gene actually felt that way, I do believe he may have said it to her, as he proved pretty spineless when it came to Julia.

This went on for nearly an hour.  Ian and I twisted uncomfortably in our seats wondering if she was just going to out and fire us.  Then her phone rang and she ran (quite literally) out of the room to take the phone call.  When she came back, she picked up one of the new books and started going over potential lesson plans with us.  We went through two books and then she dismissed us.  Just before we went to lunch, Ian tried to tactfully clarify that we were going to finish our contracts with the company.  She answered with, "Oh, just continue to do your best."  So, my guess is that we will be on our toes until August 31.

I was pretty tired after that meeting, but my classes went well.  The first day of a new term is always a little stressful.  The books make it easier to keep the students engaged and the time flew by.  I didn't have time to finish my lesson plans for tomorrow, but I should have ample time before tomorrow's begin.  I'm hoping things settle down enough for me to work on my article.

Good night!

(Probably) Not Fired

Ian and I have been on a probation of sorts this last month.  Julia told us that our employment after this month would depend on enrollment.  That made us pretty nervous, since we only have a very small amount of control over whether or not kids (or, more realistically, their parents) decide to come to Yoon's next term.

We didn't have a meeting this week.  Of course, that made Ian even more nervous.  He's a chronic worrier.  We have a meeting on Monday, and, since next week begins the new term, we expect Julia to fill us in on her thoughts regarding our performance (and what she thinks it meant for enrollment) this last month.

But, Rahee (the Korean teacher here who lived abroad in Spain and Dublin for awhile and is returning to Europe in August) gave me my schedule for the next term today.  Since it's an official Yoon's document apropos the future with Ian and my names on it, I'm assuming we're not fired.  The head honchos have decided to keep us for our whole contracts.  That's probably smart, since I doubt they can afford to fly someone in right now.  I heard the company is officially having financial trouble.  I just need them to hold on through August.  Then this ship can sink.

My schedule looks pretty close to what it was this term, with one major difference.  Ian will be joining me at Goam on Fridays.  Has Yoon's finally decided to use it's resources wisely?  Of course not.  On Fridays, I will teach a class and then, directly after, Ian will teach the same class.  As to how our materials will relate to each other (exactly the same, building on the same topic, different topics entirely, etc.), I have no idea.  It will be nice to teach at the same campus, even if it is a little ridiculous.

So, that puts Ian at Haso on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, Sinback on Tuesdays and Goam on Fridays.  Sinback is in walking distance, so the switch won't save us any cab fare.  Darn.

New Guy

We didn't have a meeting yesterday morning.  Julia (via a text message from Terry) cancelled it at the last minute.  This is our last probationary week, so next Monday we'll find out (again) whether we're still employed.

There is a new foreigner at Yoon's.  His name is Daniel.  He is Korean-American and he's from the L.A. area.  He introduced himself to me and said that he "might" be starting here soon.  I'm not sure what he meant by that, but I feel bad for him, as it seems that his job prospects here are as based on Julia's whims as ours are, but he's not getting paid.  He's been running from class to class and that, and my classes, has prevented me from talking to him much.  I'm not even sure if he lives in Jecheon.  I will hunt him down tomorrow for more details.

I think he's relatively new to Korea because when we met he mentioned that it was nice to see a "familiar" face.  He seems like a nice guy.  He speaks in a kind and gentle tone that will attract Julia's attention and he'll have her on his back about his "lack of zeal" in no time.

I've hardly heard from Julia or Sue in the past couple of days.  I think they've been busy with the new kid.  Sue did tell me yesterday that a student reported to Julia that my class was boring.  I am so ready for a career that doesn't involve putting on a show.  My classes are not boring.  My students are made to work, but we're moving and changing too often for them to be bored.  I've had enough of everything I do being held against Ian's classes.  I want to be praised/corrected/trained according to my own skills and potential.  Not Ian's.  Not the South African teachers from Wonderland that Julia thinks invented the game "telephone."  Not the country of Korea's imaginings regarding who Americans are and what they're good for.  98 days and counting.

Rhythm

Today went very smoothly.  I wasn't as nervous or frazzled as yesterday.  My only major problem is adjusting the classes so that they fully conclude in forty minutes.  I'm not leaving the kids enough time to finish their worksheets and tape them in their notebooks.  When these two weeks (and term 3) are finished, Goam students will have books for my classes.  I'm looking forward to that.  It's not difficult to teach the lessons without them, but as the system runs now, it's damn near impossible for me to stay organized.

I'm not as tired today, which is a major plus.  My classroom here is much bigger, so I'm up on my feet and running around more.  I had a hard time getting out of bed this morning and my run suffered.  Ian and I are still trying to get fully back in weight loss mode.  While it's frustrating not to be on track, it's nice to know that our "off" still includes healthy eating choices and exercise everyday.  I remember times in college where I probably consumed twice the calories I do now and just sat around studying or watching t.v.  Then Ian and I would top it off with movie snacks and lots of meals out when he visited on the weekend.  So, though I'm frustrated that I'm not making the progress I'd hoped for, I'm glad that the lifestyle change has stuck.

I heard from Chun wha yesterday that Eun wha was fired.  She had been out sick and spending time with her family during a crisis.  I'm not sure what happened, but my guess is that Julia asked her to come in before she was ready and Eun wha simply couldn't.  I can't help but remember that Chun wha showed up to work in hospital pajamas after her car wreck.

Julia sat in a couple of my classes today.  She didn't say much to me, but she looks happy and Sue says that things are looking up for Yoon's at the moment.  Though she didn't say anything to me, she still managed to disrupt one of my classes.  Three boys sat in a cluster to my left.  I could tell right away that they had attitude problems.  Julia sat next to the alpha.  He spoke out of turn, in both Korean and English.  Teasing the other students and just generally being disrespectful to me and the whole class.  But, instead of helping me discipline him, she seemed to egg him on.  She would hit him and look at him with that "Oh, you..." attitude that is so commonly applied to boys here.  I finally kicked him out of class when he continuously abused the ball game to chuck the ball at girls' heads.  But, Julia was no longer around at that point.

A Korean-American teacher I've never met will be taking over my last class tomorrow; but, I am still responsible for the lesson plan.  I have everything but that particular lesson ready for tomorrow.  I need to talk to Angela about what her students are doing in that class.

I've survived another day in Julia's kingdom.

Good night!

Well-being

You'll find that term everywhere in Korea.  Mostly, it's used to refer to things that are holistic in nature, like healthy eating and clean, active living.  But, it's also splashed everywhere as a marketing tool.  More fuel for Korea's image obsession.  Here's a well written article on the ubiquitous use of the word.  It closes by discussing the new trend of young people wishing to leave Korea to find their well-being.

Most every internet source will tell you that two things are crucial for emotional and mental stability (well-being) while living away from your home culture:  learn the language and exercise.  And while I agree completely with those two ideas, I think (from my limited experience in Korea, anyway) it goes a lot deeper than that.  Korean workers have very little (read: none at all) control over their work environment and situation.  There also seems to be very little social mobility here.  And, without getting political, these things are very troubling for me.  I can't speak for any other foreigner working here, but the lack of autonomy and effectiveness I feel leaves me with a feeling similar to what one might experience if they were forced to live with a wet rag draped over their head.

So, to combat these feelings, Ian and I take certain holistic steps.  First of all, we run six days a week.  It's absolutely crucial.  It makes me feel powerful and the endorphins help, too.  We combine that with a super healthy diet.  If your body is getting what it needs then you're more likely to be mentally balanced as well.  Plus, Ian and I both have weight loss goals.  We weigh once a week and watching the pounds come off gives us a secondary focus.  I also take Vitamin D (thanks Mom), which is supposed to be a mood elevator.

As for the language, I've probably learned about as much as I'm going to.  I've got a decent vocabulary for food, getting places, numbers and the classroom.  I understand far more than I speak, which is usually just frustrating for everyone.

Under normal circumstances, I'd like to think (following the experts' advice, as we do) that we'd be happy as clams here for our year.  I find myself thinking of how life would be different if we had been employed by GnB, Wonderland or any of the numerous academies in the country.  But we weren't.

So, in a country that trains workers to choose following orders and submission over self reliability and self starting, we have Julia's reign of terror to sit atop it all.

During our Monday meeting Julia talked about how worried the principles of Haso and Sinback are; she said they thought that switching me out for Ian was probably the best solution.  Several times she said, "They want Ian to teach at their schools very much."  So, I felt like I was being sent down the river by my principles.  Again, Julia made me question the one person with whom Ian and I have a real relationship with, Chun wha.

I didn't bother to say anything about the switch to my principles (the truth is that I found it difficult to talk about, so I could hardly tell my students) because Julia convinced me that they were not only in on the plan, but that they were the instigators.

So, when Chun wha approached me tonight and asked me why I hadn't told her about the switch, I was very confused.  You see, a student of mine and mentioned to Chun wha that it was sad that today was my last class with them.  I told Chun wha about Julia (Pack Eun-hee), the switch two weeks ago and how Julia had decided that this was for the best.  Then she asked me why.  I told her I didn't know.  She was visibly upset.  In fact, she teared up and then she hugged me.  I almost cried.  Chun wha wasn't in on it, and she heard it from a student, not from Julia and not from me.  She grabbed the other teacher (I've never known her name, so Ian will make sure to learn it on Monday) when I was leaving and explained the situation to her.  My limited Korean allowed me to pull out "Pack Eun-hee" (Julia's real name), "aigoo" (an all around expression for things going badly, like Norwegian's "Uff da"), and the grammatical phrase "moruget" (referring to understanding or knowing something, or -in this case- not).  So, it seems that Julia has failed to communicate again.

I am so angry that this hateful, ridiculous woman is effectively ruining my experience here.  There is so much to like and we've met some truly wonderful people.  But, the way Julia runs our lives has tainted everything.  We've soured on Korea.  I never wanted to be people who generalized a country the way we do here.  I try to fight it, but for every good thing there are five to ten terrible things waiting around the corner.

I told Chun wha that we should all have a picnic.  I have her phone number and her email address.  I won't let the few Korean friends we've made slip away.  I hate that Julia made me question the few connections we have.  Again.  She is very good at manipulating us into feeling even more alienated and powerless than we actually are.

That's enough anger for one night.  Thank you for your patience.

Good night!

It's Official

Since taking the blog "private,"  I've gotten a little lazy.  I don't have to "leave out the details" or try to "be professional in case someone from work reads it" anymore.  So, I don't.  And I expect my new found laziness (read: apathy) will continue.  I hope you don't mind.

With that in mind, here is an email I received from Julia this morning copy and pasted form my inbox:

"It'll be good to change your schools from next week Monday.
I hope during the weekends, Cathy can fully prepare the lessons for the following week.
For Ian, it will become much easier, but for Cathy, having so many classes will struggle before the books are set in the next term.  Number of students re-enrolling for next term will be depended on your two weeks of lessons.  You have to make students happy and enjoy their classes during this time.
For Cathy, I could give more points on the quality of lesson, but the lessons are not energetic and weak in speed wich makes students loose.  Your personality is quiet so it won't be easily fixed, but I think showing interest in them such as hugging, shaking hands, eye contacts will help.  If you make your relationship close to them as they will run and hug you if you meet them on the street, that'll probably help a lot for your lessons.  It'll be very important two weeks.  I hope you two and we can sort things out for good till the end."

I don't know who Cathy is, but she's screwed.

For the record, I've never hugged a student and I don't foresee it happening.  My American upbringing makes that idea far too uncomfortable.  But, I do give some physical affection to my students.  I pat their back or touch their arm.  I like to tussle the boys' hair.  It makes them giggle like girls.  We play.  And I definitely don't have an eye contact issue.  Sheesh.

I'll be sure to instantly bond with Ian's students and stare them in the eyes.  It's all for you, Julia.  You know best.

I wanted to share a picture of the idol card that Daniel gave me yesterday.  Keep in mind, it's normal for boys and girls to carry these around well into their late teens.

To be "handsome" in Korea is to be pretty like a girl.

There was a flyer on our door when I got home for Samsung English.

The parrot is a Samsing English student and the turtle... isn't.  The parrot is supposed to be completely showing up the turtle.

You're supposed to think that the parrot is running English language circles around the turtle because the turtle has to think too long when it speaks.  But, what I see it a conversation taking place where the turtle can't get a word in edgewise.  The parrot is an excellent example of what's wrong with Korean ESL.  Everything is taught as a pattern.  Students don't learn the slight differences between greetings or what's needed from the other speaker before continuing (notice the "Nice to meet you.  How are you?  I'm fine.  And you?")  It gets a bit obnoxious.

My last week of sanity continues tomorrow at Haso.  I've got some more favorite students to wish farwell.

Good night!