Korean Job Discussion Forums

Grab the Chickens Levi · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Location: Ilsan

We have a hiking trip this afternoon once classes are finished, just the teachers. They asked me at the beginning of the week if I wanted to go and I said maybe... Thought it was entriely optional, just as non work related / non training realated activites should be imo. Anyway I'd forgotten all about it and didn't think it would be a big deal whether I went or not....

Of course this is Korea where your personal time isn't your own and you can be treated like children at work....

So I bought a lovely pair of new shoes yesterday and wore them to work, having forgotten about the hiking as given impression it was optional. My coworker and Vice Principal asked me during lunch, whilst eating if I was excited about the hiking today. I said that I wasn't planning to go as I have brand new shoes on that I don't want to ruin and they're still very tight and are hurting my feet just wearing them, let alone walking up a mountain... Not only that but I have an overdue electricity bill that I have to go to the bank to pay before they close as my electricity was cut off this morning....

Anyway, the VP had a temper tantrum and kept insisting that I go and my coworker raised her voice as though she was talking to a child...

I said 'look what big deal does it make to anyone whether I walk up and down a mountain or not....?'

My coworker said the vice principal had insisted and was asking me to go once more... I said, 'look you're embarrassing me in front of an audience of coworkers which is bad enough, the lunch room is not the time or place, lets talk in your office after work, besides I'm trying to enjoy my lunch....'

Jesus as if it is going to have any impact on anyones day whatsoever if I walk up and down a mountain or not....! I said 'my job is to design lesson plans and to teach English, not to climb mountains, why do I have to go? and surely having electricity in my house and not having blisters all over my feet is more important....' VP sulked out of the room and everyone gave me funny looks for rest of lunchtime.....

Christ why the culture of guilt all the time...?

Why can't I just do what's in my contract to the standards required, get paid for it and that be enough....?

Crying or Very sad

Quack Addict · Joined: 31 Mar 2008 Location: Seoul

Wise up...your not in Kansas anymore. People get fired for skipping 'optional' outings with the co-workers. Insane...yes. This is just one of those things you have ZERO control over.

I get to enjoy sitting on the floor for 2 hours tonight listening to hangul babble while eating my 20 course meal of bite size food. Do I want to go? Of course not. Will I? sigh.....yes.

NightSky · Joined: 19 Apr 2005

these posts keep cropping up but people still claim that public school is so much better than any other type of job...

sojourner1 · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 8:10 pm Post subject:

Sounds like you're in a pinch this afternoon with your new shoes going on a hiking trip to break them in. Yes, these work trips mean a lot in Korean work culture as you are expected to attend these events. Remember the thread last week of someone getting fired over missing a party? These activities also allow you to get to know people such as your co-teachers and VP and have a working relationship (hopefully) with them at work.

Luckily, last year in my hagwon, I only had to go to work dinners once a month as it's a big eating and drinking event and then our field trips were during the work day.

Grab the Chickens Levi · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Location: Ilsan

Cornfed · Joined: 14 Mar 2008

Surely you'd want to make a point of going on these types of trips as they are preferable to teaching and make you seem like an important part of the school community despite the fact that ESL teaching is largely a joke.

BS.Dos. · Joined: 29 Mar 2007

You should know how things work over here really. I assume you spent time researching etc on daves before you flew out? Maybe you didn't, which is too bad for you as had you done so, then you may have had an appreciation of the mechanics of working over here. Yeah, it's a bummer having to do stuff occassionally that you don't want to, but your refusal, for however legitimate a reason, has, from the sounds of it, just cost you brownie points big time.

There will probably come a time in the not to distant future when you'll need a favour etc. Don't be surprised if they don't allow you to do whatever it is you want. It sucks and I don't really want to come across as sounding patronising or condescending, but you've got to understand the 'give and take' thing. The smooveness of your PS experience is largely determined by your ability to get on with your CTs and your VP. For them, you stating that you have other plans represents a middle finger to them. Once again, it sucks, but you're on their patch working (ultimately) on their terms. They can make things either nice and fluffy for you over the duration of your contract or difficult and awkward. I'm guessing most people want the former.

Thankfully, you can influence which route things take and I'd start by trying to build some bridges in respect of this and also start accepting that your refusal to take part on co-worker excursions etc will be noted and that doing so can result in dissproportionate responses on their part.

Grab the Chickens Levi · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Location: Ilsan

ED209 · Joined: 17 Oct 2006

OMG!! What have you done? Don't you know they'll never invite you to one of their shitty trips again? You'll never have to sit in room full of people getting drunk and not talking to you! Listen to people sing out of tune while the Geography teacher cops a feel of the History teacher(differences in gender not being an issue).

There are other ways to build repour with your co-workers. Buy fruit, give it to them and walk out the door. Same benefits.

Enjoy your 'free' time.

spliff · Joined: 19 Jan 2004 Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand

Good luck for the rest of the year and don't expect any request outside of what's written in black and white on your contract to be affirmed. Embarassed

BS.Dos. · Joined: 29 Mar 2007

Okay, but from your initial post I assumed you were relatively new as I'd have thought that someone with 4-years experience over here would have understood how easily wound up CTs and VPs etc can get when FTs do no shows etc.

All I can say then is, is that with 4-years experience under your belt you really should know the score out here by now. 'Thought it was optional?' You should know that if these trips are mentioned then you're probably expected to go.

Grab the Chickens Levi · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Location: Ilsan

DRAMA OVERKILL · Joined: 12 Apr 2005

Grab the Chickens Levi · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Location: Ilsan

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

I still don't know why people take PS jobs when they don't want to be part of a PS staff. Do some of my younger, out-of-shape co-workers really want to get dragged up a mountain by a bunch of middle-aged people who'll make them look like pussies? No. Do they think about objecting? No - because they want to be a public school teacher and that means being part of a PS staff. Whether you want to consider that being a team player or being a sheep is up to you, but the fact of the matter is that's how it works over here. You'll look just as objectionable to them as a Korean who gets a job in Canada and wonders why everyone hates him for spitting everywhere.