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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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 Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2004 1:23 am Post subject: |
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| I came to Japan with 17 very large boxes and none of it was furniture. Our apt was also furnished here too. I couldn't believe it either. $4000 to ship between Japan and Korea, that will be a lot of stuff. I'd be guessing 30-40 large boxes. |
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shmooj
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Posts: 1758
Location: Seoul, ROK
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| Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2004 9:06 am Post subject: |
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Gordon - we don't need even half that amount I don't think. We probably will when we leave Korea though and move to our next posting!  |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2004 11:08 am Post subject: |
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| We shipped mostly food and baby stuff (including 1150 diapers!) with us to Japan. We had a 300,000 yen shipping allowance and our boxes all came by air. |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2004 12:20 pm Post subject: |
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| So how are you feeling as this is your last week at work? How are your students and friends taking it? What do you think you'll miss? |
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shmooj
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Posts: 1758
Location: Seoul, ROK
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2004 3:24 pm Post subject: |
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| unchi pants wrote: |
| I guarrante you in one month's time you will be completely forgotten. You will be easily replaced. So don't worry about it too much. |
Thought some of you, and Mr. Poo Pants in particular, would like to read an unsolicited email I got from a student I've taught for about four years now. I saw her this morning for the last time. This makes teaching EFL so worthwhile IMO and certainly goes some way into answering Gordon's query about how this last week at work is going for both me and my students:
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I'd like you to say thank you very much for everything.
A tear rolled down my cheeks while I was on my way home today.
You were the only English teacher from abroad.
I went to the university but I majored in English literature, so I studied
English literature, not English itself. You know there is a book that is
translated into Japanese. If it is a famous novel, there usually is. So I
often read novels in Japanese, and I even said I could understand the deepmeaning in Japanese. I didn't study English very much. After graduating
University, I became a teacher. I was employed as an elementary school
teacher. I didn't study English at all then. But after marriage I began to
teach English, so I started studying English. I went to take ECC freetime
lessons, but it was not so good, and I was looking for a good lesson. Then
one of my friends recommended [the school where you worked]. So I decided to take English lessons at
[there]. That's the reason why you are the real first English teacher for me.
My purpose to take lessons is to maintain my ability and to improve it if I
can. But I have a lot of things to do, and I can't spend much time to study
English, so I'm very sorry that I was not a good student as you expected.
But I'm very satisfied that I was a student of you. To be honest I wanted to
be good friends with you like [another student who became very friendly with me and my wife]. But I couldn't find much time with
you as [she] did. I spend weekends with my husband and my children. So the
relationship between you and me was only the relationship between a student
and a teacher. I was a little sorry for that. I wanted to talk with you more
except during lessons. It's too late now to say that.
I' m afraid that I was sometimes misunterstood in the lessons because I
didn't talk much. I can't express myself very well in English. At home I'm
very cheerful, but outside I'm sometimes nervous and I'm not friendly. I
guess you were sometimes worried because I'm quiet. I' sorry.
I was very happy to be taught by you. I was taught everything. I was able to
learn a lot of English words, collocations, useful expressions, the
differences between two words and the way of thinking. I'd like to keep
studying English. I'd like to say thank you again.
To [Shmooj's wife]
I love your smile and friendliness. Thank you very much.
I hope I can keep in touch with you.
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unchi pants
Joined: 20 Dec 2003
Posts: 64
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| Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2004 3:15 am Post subject: |
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That was sooooo touching ... It made me cry
Nevertheless, you will still be very quickly forgotten.
Give us an update in a few months time. |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2004 3:57 am Post subject: I'll never forget what's his name. |
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"Nevertheless, you will still be very quickly forgotten."
Ah, unchi - you really have to stop projecting. Not everyone else will be forgotten as quickly as you always are.
Regards,
John |
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shmooj
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Posts: 1758
Location: Seoul, ROK
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| Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2004 6:55 am Post subject: |
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I'm legal. Visited the Korean consulate in town yesterday and picked up my work visa today.
Last day of work today. I have two classes this evening and it will be all over bar the shouting in about 3 hours.
Blisssssss
Then I'm off out with the wife to a Thai restaurant for a commemorative meal - just the two of us.
One week left until we fly which will consist of last packing, sorting out official stuff like closing my bank account etc.
We decided to send our stuff via the post office. We can pack boxes up to 20kgs. Yesterday, they came and got 15 of the ones we'd already packed. They come and get them for you, weigh them and take payment at your home for free.
Now, that's service 
They'll be back for the rest next week. |
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shmooj
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Posts: 1758
Location: Seoul, ROK
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| Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2004 1:31 am Post subject: |
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THat's it done, left, gone, byebye, sayonara.
Had our farewell meal/karaoke night out with the school staff last night and have taught our last classes.
I am now officially in limbo. Great feeling.
Now I have to learn to refer to that job in the past tense.  |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2004 10:42 am Post subject: |
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| Strai shimasu Shmooj. I hope you continue this thread next week from Seoul. This is better than a soap opera. Tune in next time "As the kimchi turns". |
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JM
Joined: 11 Feb 2003
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 8:18 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| " I'm sooo glad I'm working for such a professional organisation, (at last). " |
Everyone thinks that about the BC...at first. You'll learn! Good luck to you both  |
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shmooj
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Posts: 1758
Location: Seoul, ROK
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| Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 2:14 pm Post subject: |
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| JM wrote: |
| Quote: |
| " I'm sooo glad I'm working for such a professional organisation, (at last). " |
Everyone thinks that about the BC...at first. You'll learn! Good luck to you both |
Point taken JM, but you don't know where I've been working. AFter that, anywhere else is professional.
And what, if us minions may dain to ask, are we going to learn? |
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Lanza-Armonia
Joined: 04 Jan 2004
Posts: 525
Location: London, UK. Soon to be in Hamburg, Germany
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| Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2004 1:16 pm Post subject: |
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Bye schmooj! I haven't been cyber-stalking you (yes it is a technical-legal term now), but you have made daves extremely interesting over the last coupla months.
 Wish you all the best 
Good luck
LA
PS Why are you going from Japan (the Nirvada of TEFL) to Korea (a what-seems-to-be-a-cr-ap-hole TEFLer nightmare)? It's a question, not a deconstructive comment! |
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JM
Joined: 11 Feb 2003
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2004 7:24 pm Post subject: |
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You'll learn that the BC is just like any other big organisation, riddled with incompetence and moronic management. Having said that, you may be lucky, I'm working with a great bunch of people right now.
I also worked in Japan, for Nova as a matter of fact. I know incompetence when I see it  |
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shmooj
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Posts: 1758
Location: Seoul, ROK
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| Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 2:10 pm Post subject: |
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LA,
thanks for the support. As for your question, forget countries, I am moving from being able to bring home the bacon to being able to bring home the whole pig for the wife. I am also moving somewhere where I can spread my wings and actually use what I worked hard to learn on my MA. And I am going from zero career/professional development prospects to a whole host of opportunities.
It's not where I work but who I work for that makes a place like Korea worthwhile for me.
JM,
you don't say? Well, I wasn't born yesterday and I've worked with humans before once or twice. I've spent the last six years in a tiny establishment where I was running the show. I will go from being the moronic management to being under moronic management. I am very very much looking forward to it - particularly outside work hours where I can now claim back my life.
Are you actually implying you are working for the BC now? If so, I'll take all you say very tongue in cheek.
"Whaddya think this is? Miami Beach? Not hardly..."
forgive the obscure reference. |
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