Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Vollrath]

Austin you're a real piece of work--I'm glad you live such a fulfilled and self-actualized life. Nobody else on Earth can hope to achieve the sense of self-satisfaction I'm sure you must possess. Well, maybe Jerry Falwell might come close.

The point is, as I've told you before, and I'll say again for at least the THIRD time:


I WILL NOT PAY TAXES IF I DO NOT GET PROOF THAT I PAID TAXES.

Here's where I said it before, just in case you need reminding:

"I'm not gonna pay a lump sum of taxes at the end of the year UNLESS I get proof I paid it so I can show Revenue Canada that I was paying in Korea and not have to pay in Canada."

"MY bottom line is that if I'm paying taxes, I'm making SURE it goes to the government."

See that? Did you miss something the first time?

If I just "give" my boss money, how do I prove back in Canada that I paid taxes? What do you think happens then? If I can't prove that taxes were paid, why should I just lose the money? I'll end up losing a lot more in Canada when it comes time to declare my income overseas. And yes, I will declare it because I am "above board" as they say (you don't seem to be but that's fine with me). I now understand that she can deduct taxes ALL at the end of the year. That sucks, but whatever--I'll pay it IF AND ONLY IF (fill the blanks--do you need me to say it again?). My beef is that I need to show REVENUE CANADA that I paid taxes IN KOREA or REVENUE CANADA will TAX ME. Wake up Austin. You may love Korea so much that you're staying here forever but not all of us are in your boat.

And to attempt to enfeeble your view that all foreigners here have problems because they know nothing about Korea, well, let me just say that I like Korea just fine, and I have no problems with anyone or anything except my boss. I like working, I like the kids, I like living here and oh yes, I like it all DESPITE knowing nothing about Korea before I came. Your argument makes no sense. There is no ONE reason why--people either like something or they don't.

I have recieved advice that I should go to the taxation office and check up on the school. THAT advice is worth reams more than the shite you've been spouting off. Nuff said.
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*obscenities edited by Lemon 1:12pm*

[Austin]

As I have said before, I am fallible, as I did miss that part of your post the first time. Thank you for not giving up on me, as I am now able to understand your reasons for wanting to know that your employer is being legitimate with your taxed wages. I do not blame you for wanting to be certain that they were paid, otherwise you would have to pay them once you arrived back in Canada. Moreover, I am glad that you figured out that your employer is allowed to take all of your taxes out in the end, so you will not continue to have such a low opinion of her.

Maybe now you will raise a finger to help your employer's school?

I do love Korea, but I would never stay anywhere forever. Change is too wonderful and refreshing a thing to avoid.

By the way, I never claimed that all foreigners here have problems because they know nothing about Korea. I said that a lot of people arrive here without a clue and wonder why things do not work out and put the blame on Korea, instead of shouldering the responsibility for themselves. Moreover, I never said there was one reason why people dislike it here, as I am certain that there are as many reasons as there are people.

I take comfort in knowing that you got some helpful advice here, but know that I never said that you had to follow any of it. I was just offering some free advice, and I am well aware that not everybody is going to get the same value out of it. To some, fostering a healthy working relationship with their boss is paramount to everything else.

[Mosley]

Vollrath, et al. : Hate to be an "I told you so, but please refer back to my first post on this thread re.: Austin's "advice".

[Vollrath]

Low opinion? You bet I have a low opinion of her. She lied to immigration. She fired her last foreign teachers and then told immigration they pulled a midnite run WHILE they were in the process of suing her for lost wages (which I again must remind you that they won AND she had to pay a fine of 2.0mil won for lying). So techincally she's kind of stupid to boot.

I know that has nothing to do with me, BUT since I have been at my school, no exaggeration, she has fired almost 20 Korean teachers. If she doesn't fire them, they quit, because they're sick of dealing with her. She causes me and the other foreign teacher stress on a daily basis. Either it's "you don't work enough hours" (which I'm POWERLESS to avoid since enrollment is so low at the school--obviously word of her reputation is known by at least some people in the neighborhood--how am *I* supposed to recruit students? Go door to door?), or "you must give me your washing machine from your apartment" or "I must sell your gas range" (!?). You don't have to "side" with the foreigner but you shouldn't paint EVERY situation where there's problems between foreigners and Koreans as simply "foreigners don't know what they're getting into". Sure most of us don't know what we're getting into, but I can say this: if I owned a Korean restaurant in Canada and I wanted to import a Korean who knows no English and nothing about Canada just to drum up business for the restaurant (to give it an "authentic" feel, perhaps), I would treat him or her a lot better than I've been treated at my job in Korea, (and I speak about MY, not all, ESL jobs) especially since his or her presence ensures that the restaurant does well. You're way too quick to generalize.