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hojucandy
Joined: 03 Feb 2003
Location: In a better place
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 Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2004 3:17 pm Post subject: 944 |
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one of my students just gave me a xmas present... nice!
my employer is treating us all to an end-of-year dinner but on a weekday and it starts at 10pm!!! they are too cheap to close the school a little early that day.... and i have to work the next day at 7am.... i have told them i will not be going and they are not happy about this.... i said why can't yu have it on a weekend?
every other school i have worked at has treated all the teachers to dinner once a month all year. this place is cheap - they do not even provide lunch. its a pity i cannot attend the one dinner they are providing. |
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phaedrus
Joined: 13 Nov 2003
Location: I'm comin' to get ya.
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| Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2004 10:45 pm Post subject: |
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In my opinion anything requiring time spent with the boss qualifies as work, so I would appreciate a bonus, but I didn't get one. I finished at noon today, though. That's even better. Free time is priceless.
Foreigners deserve more respect. |
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Homer
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| Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2004 5:15 am Post subject: |
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Foreigners deserve more respect.
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????? and  |
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ThePoet
Joined: 15 May 2004
Location: No longer in Korea - just lurking here
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| Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2004 6:07 am Post subject: |
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| ThePoet wrote: |
| Last year, my director was really getting into the Christmas spirit. He dressed up like Santa and brought gifts to all the teachers and then went to each classroom and gave gifts to all the kids. But one of our teachers snubbed his gift, told him to go away, and locked the door to his classroom during the "teaching time". So this year, I doubt our director will do anything. |
So I was mistaken. We all got Paris Baguette cookies and our owner DID dress up like Santa Claus for all the classes. Except he couldn't be there for the first class of the day so guess who got to play Santa (point finger at the biggest fattest foreigner in the school) - it really rocked!!!!! I loved it.
They wanted to take us all to a movie tomorrow but I am going for a turkey dinner...I can see a movie anytime...but REAL turkey!!! I am drooling already.
Poet |
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just because
Joined: 01 Aug 2003
Location: Changwon - 4964
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| Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2004 10:04 am Post subject: |
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I got sweet FA for christmas but it wasn't like I expected to.
| Homer wrote: |
This changes things. We celebrate x-mas at home in Busan(wife and I and some friends).
Were we in Canada, we would celebrate chusok and the Lunar new year at home and amongst friends.
She (my wife) would not expect her Canadian employer to take her out for a Chusok dinner or to have Lunar New years off....why? |
I'm on board with most things you say Homer but i disagree with this comment.
In Korea Christmas is celebrated as a holiday and does have some importance.
In Canada(for example) Chusoek and Seollal are not celebrated as holidays and have little official public recognition or importance among the wider public.
I don't expect hagwon owners to play Santa Claus but I think a gesture on this holiday which is clebrated by all wouldn't be a bad thing. |
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fidel
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Location: North Shore NZ
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| Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2004 3:05 pm Post subject: |
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| I don't expect hagwon owners to play Santa Claus but I think a gesture on this holiday which is clebrated by all wouldn't be a bad thing |
Why did you choose to highlight 'all'. Do you seriously believe that Christmas is celebrated by all in Korea? Far from it, though the kids are caught up in the commercial side of things, i.e. presents. However, some sort of gesture by owners would be appreciated by their foreign staff. Foreigners are often portrayed as culturally insensitive towards Korea, how about some understanding from Koreans!
Anyway I have had four restaurant outings followed by copious amounts of liquor over the past two weeks. Not really Christmas related, more of an end of year thing. I was also told yesterday that I might be eligible for a winter vacation bonus given to all 120 teachers, a trip to the Phillipines, courtesy of the school owners, Samsung. Heres hoping! |
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phaedrus
Joined: 13 Nov 2003
Location: I'm comin' to get ya.
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| Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2004 3:25 pm Post subject: |
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| fidel wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I don't expect hagwon owners to play Santa Claus but I think a gesture on this holiday which is clebrated by all wouldn't be a bad thing |
Why did you choose to highlight 'all'. Do you seriously believe that Christmas is celebrated by all in Korea? Far from it, though the kids are caught up in the commercial side of things, i.e. presents. However, some sort of gesture by owners would be appreciated by their foreign staff. Foreigners are often portrayed as culturally insensitive towards Korea, how about some understanding from Koreans!
Anyway I have had four restaurant outings followed by copious amounts of liquor over the past two weeks. Not really Christmas related, more of an end of year thing. I was also told yesterday that I might be eligible for a winter vacation bonus given to all 120 teachers, a trip to the Phillipines, courtesy of the school owners, Samsung. Heres hoping! |
Regardless of what individual Koreans actually do today, December 25th on Korean calendars is red, meaning nearly everyone has a holiday today. |
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fidel
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Location: North Shore NZ
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| Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2004 3:30 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah so?
The fact that it is a public holiday doesn't equate to school owners having to do something special for it. |
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phaedrus
Joined: 13 Nov 2003
Location: I'm comin' to get ya.
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| Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2004 4:03 pm Post subject: |
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| fidel wrote: |
Yeah so?
The fact that it is a public holiday doesn't equate to school owners having to do something special for it. |
They don't have to do anything. Neither do I for that matter.
I respect myself, and I always think I deserve the best in every situation.
At my old hagwon, which I hated for other reasons, we always had a Christmas dinner. When we had to dress up in Hanbok and make asses of ourselves for Chuseok, I didn't complain.
But, I still think staff dinners suck, because it feels like work as it is time spent with the boss. A bonus is better. Extra time off work with pay is the best. |
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Corporal
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2004 5:13 pm Post subject: |
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I got pizza (which one of the K-teachers paid for) and a journal/planner thing. I guess so I can keep track of the mountains of classes next month.  |
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schwa
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Yap
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| Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2004 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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I like christmas in Korea, its so low-key. Just a pleasant blip on the calendar without the frenzied western buildup & overkill. A few folks wished me a merry christmas & I received a nice wool scarf.
I dont understand people who would scorn a dinner invite from their boss as an imposition. Parents never taught them social graces I guess.
Xmas day today I'm taking a well-earned break in the midst of a flurry of �۳� parties, "seeing out the old year," closure & fresh starts, now thats worth celebrating! Eating & drinking with students & colleagues in a mood of good cheer.
Best keepsake this year a neatly printed note from a shy 13-year-old girl:
to schwa teacher
hello, schwa!! I'm Ki-hye.
I think you very good teacher.
English study is very funny.
Well ... today is sad.
because today is last english class.
but we will meet again.
I going to winter vacation english class.
and ... I'm happy.
I'm looking winter first snow!
It's really wonderful!
and ... Thank you for your english teaches well ...
but writting is hard ...
I want to you think good student me.
and ... merry christ mas!
from Ki-hye
P.S. I love you ~
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just because
Joined: 01 Aug 2003
Location: Changwon - 4964
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| Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2004 6:58 pm Post subject: |
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| fidel wrote: |
| Why did you choose to highlight 'all'. Do you seriously believe that Christmas is celebrated by all in Korea? |
You got me there a bit.
Let me rephrase, it is recognized by most nations as a public holiday so a bit of Christmas Spirit on both sides wouldn't hurt. However Chuseok and Seollal are not public holidays in most countires.
I know most Koreans are happy to have a day off today no matter what religion they are. |
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Homer
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| Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2004 6:33 am Post subject: |
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Good correction.
It is indeed a holiday here (day off). But it is not celebrated like back home in the family gathering sense. Koreans do not put a lot of value on it either. Hence, it is not something a boss would necessarily think of.
Corp..come on now...they did give you something...why crap all over the gift with an eye-roll?
As for me, I stand by what I said, we celebrate christmas at our home while in Korea. I do not expect my employer to do anything special for it as it is not a traditional Korean holiday. |
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Corporal
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2004 8:46 pm Post subject: |
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| Homer wrote: |
| Corp..come on now...they did give you something...why crap all over the gift with an eye-roll? |
Because on the front of the planner it said (in Korean), "We can speak English better than Americans." |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2004 4:48 am Post subject: |
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I've been eating pizza for three days.
I asked my boss if it would be okay to bring in some wine and cheese on Christmas Eve. I'm sure I didn't have to ask, as this is Korea. If you can't drink on the job, where can you drink? Friday I surprised the hell out of them. I brought in a merlot, brie, crackers, and panettone Christmas cake. I had to show them how to eat brie. That was kind of funny.
My theory is they work a heck of a lot hardered than me, get paid less, and they don't get a free apartment. But their sweat keeps the pampered foreign teacher employed. Time to give back something. |
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