Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Rae]

I was just gonna get this thread die but I haven't forgotten "thee talk" I got from my co-teach yesterday. She basically forced me to leave school early. Keep in mind she was very professional and never actually used physical force or anything but the message was clear. At the end of the day, after my last class she gave me a talk. I knew she was angry all day, it was very obvious without being outright mean.

She basically told me what happened is now in the past (I thought OK, so far so good), we have to work with each other for a few more months (holy shit! so it's come to that), they want me to leave Korea with only happy thoughts (OK, sounds good), but I must tell the school exactly where I am at any given moment, I'm no longer in the States and that's the rules here, that it's NOT a cultural thing - she repeated this 3 times, we are civil servants and that's the rule, oh and BTW, she thinks the reason why I don't want to go to the doctor is because I'm "prejudice against Koreans" (WTF, that came out of left field)!

OK, first of all, every time she asked about the doctor, she would always follow-up with, "it's your choice" you don't have to go. So I opt for not going. Yesterday when it was brought up again and I said no, I even made sure an hour later by inquiring if the principal requests it. She said no, that he was just wanting to make sure I'm OK.

Second, I work really friggen hard to incorporate pride in the Korean culture with my students. They're countryside kids and I don't want them to feel inferior in any way. I think that being comfortable with yourself and your culture is the only way to open-up to other cultures. I have an awesome relationship with my teacher's workshop (teachers from the surrounding schools) and I've never voiced any concerns or even commented about the one crazy teacher that always seems to give me a hard time. I invited my students at my home for Thanksgiving for goodness sake! How the hell can she just insert that statement about me being prejudice.

Perhaps she's just mad because I didn't call her back. Maybe I did worry her, she heard about the unfortunate accident with the fire. Perhaps it was worse because she felt the need to explain about knowing that detail, she told me she didn't plan on explaining it. Which I kinda feel bad about (I can't help it!)

I wish Koreans just understood that demanding every bit of detail regarding current whereabouts is how we treat 1) prisoners on parole and 2) young children. Making a an adult, an employee; a teacher! doing it is just plain insulting

[cdninkorea]

[Rae]

[Young FRANKenstein]

[Young FRANKenstein]