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jajdude
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
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 Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 1:50 pm Post subject: Putting up with crap.... |
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Why do so many of us put up with crap? I'm in a bad mood, and I realize I cannot tolerate things much anymore. Many of us accept a lot of crap. I don't know why. If something appears unacceptable, say no. Say no, and be prepared to walk. Walk out the damn door. Why should we tolerate crap?
I'm not specific here, I know, just general. I think a lot of us foreigners here lose our balls. But you know, we have power. Without us, a lot of these craphole businesses sink. So for god's sake stand up and don't take crap!@ |
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FUBAR
Joined: 21 Oct 2003
Location: The Y.C.
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| Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 2:58 pm Post subject: |
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| don't forget to follow your own advice. |
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babtangee
Joined: 18 Dec 2004
Location: OMG! Charlie has me surrounded!
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| Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 4:03 pm Post subject: |
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| FUBAR wrote: |
| don't forget to follow your own advice. |
Ya. Practice what you preach... blah, blah, blah... |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 4:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| If something appears unacceptable, say no. Say no, and be prepared to walk. Walk out the damn door. |
You know perfectly well why we take crap. We are not as free as many pretend. You sign a contract for a year and make plans for that year...save $X. Now the boss changes the schedule. Do you give up your plan to save money over something like that? Do you want to risk working illegally? Do you pack up and go to another country and spend the start-up costs again? Do you go back home? No, you cross your fingers and hope it doesn't get worse. |
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Corporal
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 6:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Not if you have an F2. Melllllllong. |
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Leslie Cheswyck
Joined: 31 May 2003
Location: University of Western Chile
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| Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Just play the game. Make Korea work for you. It is a means to an end. Your stepping stone. Put up with the crap if it means furthering your progress. If not then move on. I've put up with the crap. But for the money, kid. For the money. [Leslie lights cigar.] |
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djsmnc
Joined: 20 Jan 2003
Location: Dave's ESL Cafe
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| Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 7:08 pm Post subject: |
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| I don't put up with any crap. People put up with mine. It's unfortunate to me that some people here allow themselves to be driven to unconditional obedience, especially in a place where it is quite easy just to fly off the handle and scare everyone away from you anyway (if necessary). I think it's a lot easier for a native English teacher to drive a director crazy and screw over the business than it is for a hagwon to screw a teacher. |
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The Kung Fu Hustle
Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Location: Incheon
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| Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 7:27 pm Post subject: |
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| djsmnc wrote: |
| I don't put up with any crap. People put up with mine. It's unfortunate to me that some people here allow themselves to be driven to unconditional obedience, especially in a place where it is quite easy just to fly off the handle and scare everyone away from you anyway (if necessary). I think it's a lot easier for a native English teacher to drive a director crazy and screw over the business than it is for a hagwon to screw a teacher. |
Tactics, please. |
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djsmnc
Joined: 20 Jan 2003
Location: Dave's ESL Cafe
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| Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 9:23 pm Post subject: |
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Well, for example, in my first job here a few years ago, my boss tried to give me the run around a couple times. She held onto my passport for one, which I was naive enough to give her in the first place. When she told the Japanese teacher that she wasn't planning on returning them to us until the end of our contract, I went straight home during my break and had a friendly chat with my embassy. Later, when she was irked that I had broken her trust (what trust??) she asked what I would do if she still didn't give it back? I showed her the number to the local police department on quckdial and told her I would call.
When I finished that first job, she told me she didn't feel obligated to pay me severeance, because it doesn't seem necessary. I told her I felt like staying in Korea and waiting until she gave me the cash.
The job I've had for the past 2 years is perfect, and I don't get any crap from anybody. I did a lot of reasearch from back home before taking this job. My coworkers and I are very assertive in making sure that we run the classroom rather than our bosses or students. We have our way of doing things and if students really don't like it, they can go somewhere else. Of course we listen to them and try to tailor our classes to their needs, but there's no need to bow our heads, apologize, or suck up to anyone.
I wouldn't put up with anything unreasonable back home, so why should I here? If I put in my 120% of work, I expect at least 90% in return, minus 10% for the cultural nuances. |
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captain kirk
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 4:38 am Post subject: |
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I think it's crap that the hagwon pay has stayed the same for some time now, three or five years? Inflation has lifted the price of food, gasoline. But the pay stays the same.
I also think that SBS tv show really made working teaching English laughable, and foreigners objects of ridicule. I don't appreciate that nonsense either.
Both these things really bother me. Shopping and getting hosed, and the snorting from Koreans when I say I work at a hagwon.
What are you going to do, work 'illegally' to gain extra income? This is supposed to be bad? Who's watching to make sure our wages rise to offset inflation? Who is watching to make sure we aren't misrepresented on national tv?
Nice little stepping stone all right. |
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shakuhachi
Joined: 08 Feb 2003
Location: Sydney
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| Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 4:54 am Post subject: |
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| Learning to speak Korean can help you with the negative aspects of dealing with Koreans. Its a fact that the people that are doing well in Korea can speak Korean. |
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buddy bradley
Joined: 24 Aug 2003
Location: The Beyond
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| Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 9:43 am Post subject: |
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| shakuhachi wrote: |
| Learning to speak Korean can help you with the negative aspects of dealing with Koreans. Its a fact that the people that are doing well in Korea can speak Korean. |
The nail on the head. Well said. |
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Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Location: the crib
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| Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 10:29 am Post subject: Re: Putting up with crap.... |
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| jajdude wrote: |
Why do so many of us put up with crap? I'm in a bad mood, and I realize I cannot tolerate things much anymore. Many of us accept a lot of crap. I don't know why. If something appears unacceptable, say no. Say no, and be prepared to walk. Walk out the damn door. Why should we tolerate crap?
I'm not specific here, I know, just general. I think a lot of us foreigners here lose our balls. But you know, we have power. Without us, a lot of these craphole businesses sink. So for god's sake stand up and don't take crap!@ |
Speak for yourself, man! My boss was late paying me, so I let him know in writing I expect pay exactly on the 21st every month. Every time something needs to be arranged that involves me, I'm part of the decision process. And it isn't because he invited me to sit at the table - I took a seat. |
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billybrobby
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 2:44 pm Post subject: |
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| djsmnc wrote: |
| I don't put up with any crap. |
i never fart or mast urbate either. |
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Real Reality
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 3:11 pm Post subject: |
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| buddy bradley wrote: |
| shakuhachi wrote: |
| Learning to speak Korean can help you with the negative aspects of dealing with Koreans. Its a fact that the people that are doing well in Korea can speak Korean. |
The nail on the head. Well said. |
| keithinkorea wrote: |
| rapier wrote: |
Yes..they cannot understand the simplest direction, even if you have rehearsed and practised the correct pronunciation for years. They will ask you to repeat it..without fail! Why is this?
a) They are not used to hearing foreigners speak their language.
b) They are too shocked to have a foreigner sit in their cab to pay attention to what you're saying.
c) They want to assert themselves over any passengers in their cab.
d) They automatically respond with a touch of beligerence to any invading foreigner in their country.
e) There are always several places nearby with identical or near identical place names.
f) ALL OF THE ABOVE. |
Hammer hits nail. I get told all the time by taxi drivers that my Korean is amazing! My Korean is terrible and they soon realise that as soon as they try and have a conversation with me. My Seoul accent is pretty accurate but my grammar, vocan and other stuff is truly shocking. So much so that I lie about how long I've been in Korea when they ask me!
I can give them directions, tell them to take a left at the noext intersection, explain why going my way is better than theirs because it's quicker. In broken Korean of course.
Koreans freak out when foreigners speak Korean to them. Had an amazing night out with friends last night and an Indian mate of mine who speaks almost perfect Korean was freaking all the Koreans out.. He has a gift for languages.
My trick to taxi things is to be confident and pronounce things carefully. The Korean language is tricky but if you can give them a few major landmarks near your destination it'll help.
Just being a non Korean person freaks a lot of Korean taxi drivers out. Confidence in yourself helps a lot. If you seem unsure you are an easy mark and some taxi drivers are complete bastards when it comes to the old rip off the foreigner game. To be fair most taxi drivers love this game!
Be assertive and memorise where you live, local landmarks. If you're a newb then carry one of those subway maps (if in Seoul) that has English and Korean on it. Some taxi drivers are complete aresholes and others are wonderful. Many Koreans are rude-embarrased-pisstaking-OTTpolite when it comes to dealing with foriegn customers.
A lot of taxi drivers are not professional drivers and it is a part time-illegal job for them. That;s why they don't know how to get around. Talk to coworkers, learn about your neghbourhood and you'll be OK. |
Foreigners Experience Difficulties in Living in Korea
An official in the International Cooperation Division of Seoul City admitted, "The same complaints regarding visas, transportation, education, and environment are raised every year without being solved, due to the lack of cooperation from government agencies involved and their passive attitudes."
by Jae-Dong Yu and Soo-Jung Shin, Donga.com (July 4, 2004)
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2004070522448
"No chair for foreigner" GM Daewoo head told
The "no-foreigners" rule was first made in 2001 when then-Samsung Motor was being sold to Renault.
by Kim Tae-jin and Lee Ho-jeong, JoongAng Daily (January 18, 2005)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200501/17/200501172228551609900090509051.html
Ex-pats Describe Korea's Culture of Corruption
by Kim Hong-jin, Chosun Ilbo (December 16, 2004)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200412/200412160027.html
78 Percent of Koreans Consider Corruption Level Serious
Donga.com (June 17, 2005)
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2005061709768 |
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