Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Robot_Teacher]

I found out this morning, I didn't get paid like I was supposed to be 2 days ago. I was at my branch school today; not main school so I called my main school, but couldn't get the accountant on the phone this morning. Didn't have my salary when I checked at 6PM tonight either. Please keep in mind, I've been nothing, but respectful, tactful, and professional in approaching this job; not a rude loud mouthed fool who doesn't think before speaking.

And then.....hold onto your seats... I go to make copies 1 hour after inquiring about my salary to find the copy machine won't power up so I notice the power strip appears off since there's no little orange light in the switch. The accountant, principal, and another person we're watching me the whole time, but didn't step in until I screwed up. So I then flick the power strip switch with no orange light and the accountant and 2 others computers go black so the accountant immediately says "ooohhh!", "You're weak and strange." I told the English speaking accountant sitting there that maybe if you didn't unplug the copier when it's always plugged in before, this would not had happened. She says, "it's my way to unplug it." and smiles with a giggle. "Well, I don't understand your way and I'm sorry I caused you to lose your work on screen. You never had it unplugged before, why now?" No reply so I walk out. Keep in mind, I'm not expressing anger nor an attitude of any sort.

I could sense it was a set up to play me on as I'd been going in there for a month twice a week doing copies and it was never off, but the office staff with the exception of the accountant are always indifferent to me. The English speaking accountant always speaks in a super respectful soft voice with a phony positive attitude, but now I know is a 2 faced personality with evil intentions; not a legitimate co-worker. I was never offered a seat nor welcomed into this teachers room office even though there's 2 open unstaffed desks with computers in there. So I always sit in the cold library by myself when not teaching.

I'll just ignore them by not going in their teachers room office to use the copier nor talking any more than necessary at lunch. I don't even have a desk at this school that I go to 2 days a week and never felt welcome since day 1. This is the small rural school where they run a huge heater in the office with the windows open in the teachers room office while the rest of the school is cold and unheated. This is the school with terrible acting cussing out of control 5th and 6th graders yet it's a small rural school with only 6 to 9 students per grade. I bet you a dollar they played them kids against me several days ago I'm referring to in my post, "Teacher, do you like f*ck you?"

Luckily it's not my main school as it's nothing like the small branch school, but everyone knows each other in the county as it's rural area so I assume my relations and experiences are all interconnected locally with everyone talking into each others business and personal matters. I seriously doubt if I stay the whole year as I get the gist many small town/rural people aren't wildly crazy about English and NT's placed by the government through EPIK. I don't see locals to be friendly, accepting, and welcoming, but I know they like to gossip, play situations on you in an indirect manner on purpose, and distance themselves with cold emotions.

[nuthatch]

Robot_Teacher:

I empathize with you and hope things work out for you.

I went through similar and sometimes worse office/school dynamics. I went to 9 district rural schools - some were great and sweet people and others played those little games as you described, including the district office/sleazy supervisor - where I had my so-called "spot"...

it is always interesting how to work with the good, bad, happy, sad sides of life there...

I gave them honest feedback if they tried to not pay me on time and also pointed to paragraphs in the contract

if the sleazy supervisor tried other tricks - I just told him "...that's NOT OK!" like I was talking to students and of course, this showed him up - in front of the whole 1950s' style office and thereafter I was considered a troublemaker for standing up to him...

yes, Korea wants to be modern

take them to the labor board if they don't pay you or honor your contract

[justaguy]

Learn how to say "If you can't afford to pay me I understand" in Korean. Be sure to say it loud to the owner in front of other Koreans. He'll lose face and I bet he pays you.

[buymybook]

[T-J]

[bundangbabo]

Robot Teacher- in a recent post you posted on a thread I made - quote:

"Are you serious? I sense that I'm being viewed and compared to movie actors; not pedophiles, bums, drug addicts, etc., but I'm in a small town and don't look like a grungy hippy. They wouldn't even know what a pot smoker is nor am I doing that here. Drinking beer is not looked down upon as even my main co-teacher admitted to staying up until 3AM drinking and wanted to sleep. I sense they have respect for me and see me as a professional, but they lack the English speaking abilities and confidence to talk to me and include me in their community so I'm given lots of time and space to myself. "

They must be comparing you to Forrest Gump then!

[harlowethrombey]

If I understand the OP correctly, you dont like this school anyway, so maybe this is a blessing in disguise. Until they pay you you get 2 free days off a week!

[D.D.]

[moosehead]

Robot Teacher - I really think you and fromtheUK should meet up - you appear to be a match made in heaven

[Robot_Teacher]

I got paid Saturday morning.

[wylies99]

[rationality]

[Robot_Teacher]

LOL.

EPIK. Just local small town public schools in Gangwon-do. I'm not involved with hagwons. Because it's really small town in rural area, I know the scene as it's small and simple. Hagwons here don't even have foreign teachers and GnB is the only chain style English hagwon around with only 1 tiny branch while a very few small independent tiny hagwons are ran by Koreans such as piano school and 1 English afternoon kindergarten taught by Koreans. Like all this stuff I read about on Daves painting the picture of Korea, even taekwondo seems absent as I ask students about that and they seem to go, "opsoyo," which means, "we don't have."