Korean Job Discussion Forums

icnelly · Joined: 25 Jan 2006 Location: Bucheon

I work at a public school in Bucheon. Everyone in the school wears slippers or indoor shoes. The principal is "emphasizing" to my co-teacher that I wear slippers. First, they were going to buy them for me, but then the worker who got them found out without me ever seeing them that the slippers didn't fit. Now my co-teacher is telling me it's "more proper" to buy my own. WTF!

I come to school in a suit, with nice shoes! I don't think I should have to pay for them, and secondly it's a pain in the ass to find them (I know Itaewon, but I want be a hard head about this). It seems like everything they can't do, I have to stretch my neck out to finish (not the only instance either)!

Has anyone found a way around this? Anyone with similar situations?

jinju · Joined: 22 Jan 2006

Holy crap, man, thats how its done. How long have you been in Korea? Are you trying to put on a fashion show?

In public schools everyone wears indoor shoes or slippers instead of their dirty outdoor shoes. Its how its done.

hubba bubba · Joined: 24 Oct 2006

Seriously, you aren't special. Wear sandals like everyone else.

And for f--k's sake, buy your own clothes.

icnelly · Joined: 25 Jan 2006 Location: Bucheon

Yeah well when you got size 14 shoes with triple E width, THEY ARE A PAIN TO FIND!

So if you offer to buy something for someone, you shouldn't be held to it?

I never said a battle; I just want people to do what they say! It's not quite how you are imagining it, but I guess you can't really read into things to well. That's okay, no one will hold it against you.

JeJuJitsu · Joined: 11 Sep 2005 Location: McDonald's

icnelly · Joined: 25 Jan 2006 Location: Bucheon

So I'm not the only one! Thank-you!!

andrew · Joined: 30 Jan 2003

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Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

This is Korea. We wear slippers inside at public school. What happens to your students if they wear outdoor shoes insided? A slap upside the head or having to hold their shoes above their heads for 10 minutes? If that's the case, what do you think they feel about their teacher showing no regard for what they consider a basic courtesy?

Get with the programme and find your own pair of slippers for school.

yingwenlaoshi · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Location: ... location, location!

If I wore slippers, I'd want to sit back and watch videos all day. I'd be sending the kids to the store to get me snacks.

Get those Nike sandals. Tony the Tiger says, "Theeeeeeeeeeeeeey're Grrrrreat!"

jinks · Joined: 27 Oct 2004 Location: Formerly: Lower North Island

Can't you compromise by keeping a pair of 'indoor only' shoes at work. If no one else is trecking the muck from the school yard through the school corridors you could be setting yourself up for future battles over dirty floors - guess who will be the first person people will blame if there is any dirt on the floors,

andrew · Joined: 30 Jan 2003

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jinju · Joined: 22 Jan 2006

Bukowski · Joined: 29 Nov 2006

Too funny!

I certainly hope you guys aren't being serious, but just trolling for some responses.

Fine I'll bite.

People that have abnormal feet know to buy their shoes in their home country before coming to Korea. As a guest in Korea, it is simply rude to wear outdoor shoes indoors (talk about acting like a country bumpkin). That being the case, you have one of two choices: buy a pair of shoes to wear at school or buy a pair of slippers to wear at school.

Are we to believe that you came to Korea without a pair of flip-flops?

My situation is not unique. I have a pair of shoes for jogging outside and a pair for the gym. I have a pair of slippers at each location where I teach. Sure, I could have ordered them from abroad, but I brought them with me when I came to Korea.

Expecting your school to buy you slippers is just plain silly, whether they offered to or not. You need to be more flexible to the winds of chnage or your not going to last very long.

Check yourself.

AC

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

mrsquirrel · Joined: 13 Dec 2006

I've just had this conversation again about it.

The female teachers wear their shoes wherever they please. Male teachers don't

What's that all about?

I've looked for slippers in my size and the best I can do is my TEVA thongs (or sandles as civilized people call them) that would mean either purchasing those ninja socks that have a separate big toe section or going barefoot and showing off my hairy toes.

If I find slipper or indoor shoes big enough to wear I'll wear them. if not I won't it's simple as that. Too fucking cold to wear them in winter time. I've been having a hard time in spring with my damn toes getting cold.