Korean Job Discussion Forums

[SOOHWA101]

The one where you feel as though your counterparts are purposely ignoring you and throw sideways glances at you. Perhaps it's just paranoia, or perhaps it's one of those situations where something bad is going to happen. This inability to fully communicate with those around me is starting to waer on me, a lot!

I'm usually good at keeping the pulse of my surrounding and reading people, but here it seems like a crapshoot. Maybe if I could fully communicate with those around me, had another foreign teacher to bounce things off of, or even, God-forbid, got a little feedback and constructive critisism from my superiors...then I would feel a bit more comfortable with my footing.

Dunno, just feels like I am going to have one of those ridiculous conversations with the boss here pretty soon; the one where we run circles around the "real" issues at hand.

[oldtactics]

Welcome to the daily life of an immigrant.

[John_ESL_White]

culture shock. just be friendly and don't let the lack of communication get to you. Keep your mind focused on doing the job, being friendly (unless you are being mistreated) and making sure you are getting paid correctly. Anything else is not worth worrying about.

I have a K teacher who refuses to acknowledge me, at all. Good for me. One less person to miscommunicate with.

Make lots of friends OUTSIDE of work. It'll get better.

[SOOHWA101]

Thanks. I think the winter schedule is what's doing me in. Thirteen hours a day is not what I signed on for, but yes, I am being paid overtime. Guess I will just keep my head down and count my money when it's over.

I woke up the other morning and had this moment of clarity..."WTF am I doing here?" I think the signs are getting stronger, but damned if I don't have another 7 months to go on this contract.

[Jammer113]

I had this feeling a number of months ago. Half-speaking Korean made it worse. I always thought I heard people talking about me. I found as I became better in Korean that they usually weren't talking about me, and usually weren't even saying the words I thought they were, such as "waygukin" or "wonomin".

That said, they might be staring at you sideways. They might be really nervous sitting next to someone they should be able to talk to, but can't. They'd be blaming themselves in that situation.

Or they could just hate you

"WTF am I doing here?" is a good question to answer throughout all stages of your life. Make it both focused as well as broad. WTF are you sitting at a computer when you could be out meeting awesome people?

[jinks]

Maybe they're all planning a huge surprise birthday party for you, or something.

[SOOHWA101]

[jkelly80]

[PigeonFart]

That's kind of crap that they didn't give you a bonus. They deserve a little kick in the ass for that, something subtle like placing a little Japanese imperial flag on your desk.

If they ask you about it, tell them you love Japan and everyone in the world is upset with Korea for stealing Japan's island called "Takeshima" (or what the koreans call "Dokdo").

So when they reject you for that, then you'll finally be able to relax for the rest of the year with no more uncertainties or ambiguities. Just keep your head down and time will fly by. Go easy on them, they're not bad...they've just never been beyond their own back gardens. [If they do have a passport, they'd only use it to go to Guam or the "Pillipeens" or wherever Koreans tend to go on vacation. ]

Keep your chin up and try to keep your mind occupied at work.

[sobriquet]

[Morning_Star]

Well hope that experience will make you treat immigrants nicer once you get home. As they say, what goes around comes around.

[sobriquet]

[Ramen]

[sobriquet]

[jkelly80]