Korean Job Discussion Forums

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

I�m currently doing the winter vacation classes from 9-12:30 and then go home. I go in at 8:30 so I can turn on the heater so the room is at least moderately warm by the time the students arrive. I did that and was standing around the office waiting for class time. The co-teacher comes up and says, �Excuse me. What are you doing this afternoon? Today the Chinese students are arriving. The principal will be introducing all the teachers at the welcoming ceremony at 2:00. I�m sorry.�

Yes, I can hang around for an extra hour and a half for that since I�ll be teaching these students one class next week.

12:30 comes around and I head up to the office and start wasting time waiting for 2:00. (I have nothing particular to do. I'm leaving this job in less than 2 weeks. No lessons to plan.) Right on the dot of 2 the co-teacher comes over and says, �Excuse me. I�m sorry. The students are late. Please wait a little longer.�

OK. They are coming from Incheon Airport. Being a little late is not a surprise.

2:30. �Excuse me. I�m sorry. The bus is late. It will arrive at 3:30. Can you wait?�

I�m starving. I didn't eat breakfast. I�ll run home and get something to eat and come back.

I drive back onto campus at 3:25 and am followed by the bus with the 29 Chinese students and 4 teachers. I park the car and go to the classroom. No one there. I wait in the freezing hall.

3:40 the Korean teachers start arriving. We stand around and wait. We go outside and stand around and smoke and wait. We go back inside where it�s warm and wait some more.

4:30. Finally the Chinese students come down from the dormitory and the ceremony starts. The principal rattles on in Korean; some woman then translates into Chinese. A Chinese woman rattles on in Chinese and then we hear the translation into Korean.

4:45 I�m introduced then excused while the rest of them have to stay and watch a videotape introduction to our high school.

The entire afternoon is shot for a 3 second introduction. I never actually get to meet the students and have no idea of their English level. What info I have: "We think they are rich kids in China. They probably speak English. Teach them for 45 minutes next Monday."

rothkowitz · Joined: 27 Apr 2006

Your job is to be weiguksaram,not necessarily to teach.

Milwaukiedave · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Location: Goseong

It's called "white face syndrome" and it could be deadly.

khyber · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Compunction Junction

I've had something similar (threaten) to happen but, knowing what the deal is, I gave them the ol' "my dog has diarrhea and I have to go home as soon as possible". Nobody asks questions after that.

manlyboy · Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 7:41 pm Post subject:

I used to carry a little first aid kit with me everywhere I went. It has since migrated to the kitchen drawer to make room in my pack for something else. No matter where I go. No matter what the time. No matter what I'm doing. As long as I'm somewhere in the ROK, I always keep a good book handy.

PimpofKorea · Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 9:33 pm Post subject:

How about this one... "How to waste one year unproductively in Korea.....work at a place for 2mil and save less than $10000"

Grimalkin · Joined: 22 May 2005

lawyertood · Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 3:37 am Post subject:

Bah! One measly afternoon? Many have wasted entire weekends posting on ths forum. Laughing