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Alan_Partridge
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Location: in the posh part of town
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 Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 12:45 pm Post subject: feeling belligerent... |
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...'cos the korean staff from cleaners to teachers to bus drivers to receptionists all got chuseok gifts, but not one western teacher.. (there were nine of us at last count, but we seem to be dropping like flies...)
...we're feeling slapped in the face (and we were REALLY looking forward to 6 months supply of spam...)
sorry, rant over (for now...) |
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mercury
Joined: 05 Dec 2004
Location: Pusan
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| Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 1:56 pm Post subject: |
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| hey..............just bake a chocolate cake..........I supplied the recipe...........and forget about the world outside! |
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cruisemonkey
Joined: 04 Jul 2005
Location: Hopefully, the same place as my luggage.
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| Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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| "Spam Spam Spam Spam" |
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Mashimaro
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: location, location
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| Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 4:34 pm Post subject: Re: feeling belligerent... |
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| Alan_Partridge wrote: |
...'cos the korean staff from cleaners to teachers to bus drivers to receptionists all got chuseok gifts, but not one western teacher.. (there were nine of us at last count, but we seem to be dropping like flies...)
...we're feeling slapped in the face (and we were REALLY looking forward to 6 months supply of spam...)
sorry, rant over (for now...) |
They work longer hours and have much more stress for less pay.. give them a break |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 4:46 pm Post subject: |
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You aren't Korean and don't celebrate Chuseok.
It's like being offended that your Jewish co-workers aren't asking you to light the Minora!
Take mercury's advice: bake a cake (if you can find an oven!)
There are so many things more worthy of being bothered by. You have to let the little things slide off of your back like water off of a duck's otherwise you'll become a general malcontent with unrealistic expectations.
I have a very nice director who doesn't give me Chuseok gifts. It's nothing personal. |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 4:59 pm Post subject: |
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| VanIslander wrote: |
You aren't Korean and don't celebrate Chuseok.
It's like being offended that your Jewish co-workers aren't asking you to light the Minora!
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I'd say it's more like your boss gives everyone on the payroll an Xmas present except for Wang- the Chinese guy in the mail room- because he might be a Buddhist. I.E. it's a total cop-out. But if you're in a hagwon you should be neither surprised nor disappointed by this. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 5:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Bulsajo wrote: |
| I'd say it's more like your boss gives everyone on the payroll an Xmas present except for Wang- the Chinese guy in the mail room- because he might be a Buddhist. |
The Hanukkah analogy is more apt. They don't see us as one of them or as part of their nation just as Jews don't see non-Jews as being one of them. From their perspective anyways.
Trying to compare Chuseok in Korea to Christmas in the West is like attempting to put a square peg in a round hole. Jam, jam and get frustrated if you'd like, but it looks puzzling to others.
Bulsajo doesn't have that problem because he lives back in Canada now.
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| But if you're in a hagwon you should be neither surprised nor disappointed by this. |
I agree in a non-cynical sort of way. |
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djsmnc
Joined: 20 Jan 2003
Location: Dave's ESL Cafe
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| Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 5:29 pm Post subject: |
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| VanIslander wrote: |
The Hanukkah analogy is more apt. They don't see us as one of them or as part of their nation just as Jews don't see non-Jews as being one of them. From their perspective anyways.
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So I've been making rice cakes, deep frying zucchini and thanking my dead uncle for nothing?? |
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margaret
Joined: 14 Oct 2003
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| Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 5:30 pm Post subject: |
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I was relieved not to get any gifts because I don't want to have to give any. I don't think anybody in our school got them except some of the parents gave the directors some fruit. I'd rather just get my own stuff than exchange gifts.
Margaret |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 5:40 pm Post subject: |
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| djsmnc wrote: |
| VanIslander wrote: |
The Hanukkah analogy is more apt. They don't see us as one of them or as part of their nation just as Jews don't see non-Jews as being one of them. From their perspective anyways.
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So I've been making rice cakes, deep frying zucchini and thanking my dead uncle for nothing?? |
 Quote of the week! |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 6:05 pm Post subject: |
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| VanIslander wrote: |
Bulsajo doesn't have that problem because he lives back in Canada now.
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I was in Korea for 5 Chusoks. VI you can make whatever excuses you like but I will tell you this much- in my experience, and the experiences of friends, the crappy places to work found excuses to exclude you, and this includes Chusok. The decent places will give all staff Chusok presents. Where I am now doesn't change this.
We should start a poll- I'm as curious as anyone on this. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 6:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Bulsajo wrote: |
| VI you can make whatever excuses you like but I will tell you this much- the crappy places to work found excuses to exclude you, and this includes Chusok. The decent places will give all staff Chusok presents. |
Hmm. Then how come I have a great hagwon director who doesn't give me Chuseok gifts? Yet he has invited me to his wedding!!
I know of three other happy teachers at hagwons which don't give Chuseok gifts to their foreign teachers.
You could start a poll if you want. But it's not a simple good hagwons do, bad hagwons don't. |
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Rteacher
Joined: 23 May 2005
Location: Western MA, USA
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| Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 6:16 pm Post subject: |
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| At the first hogwan I worked at (about three years ago) the director gave all the teachers (four Korean, two native English) 100,000 won checks for Chuseok (I think - unless it was another holiday...) but one of the Korean teachers suggested that we all give half back to him (which we did) because it was evident that both the hogwan and director were struggling financially (he said the gifts were intended "to bring good luck"...) |
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Maserial
Joined: 31 Jul 2005
Location: The Web
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| Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 6:22 pm Post subject: Re: feeling belligerent... |
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| Mashimaro wrote: |
| Alan_Partridge wrote: |
...'cos the korean staff from cleaners to teachers to bus drivers to receptionists all got chuseok gifts, but not one western teacher.. (there were nine of us at last count, but we seem to be dropping like flies...)
...we're feeling slapped in the face (and we were REALLY looking forward to 6 months supply of spam...)
sorry, rant over (for now...) |
They work longer hours and have much more stress for less pay.. give them a break |
The post by Partridge does not, unless I am mistaken, intend to defame the Korean teachers, so please spare us the Korwigger speech. Furthermore, for how many times we all hear the "This is Korea..." speech, he (and his fellow workers) should have received a gift. |
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peppermint
Joined: 13 May 2003
Location: traversing the minefields of caddishness.
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| Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 6:30 pm Post subject: |
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| VI, your assumption would hold more water if I thought most Koreans understood that foreigners DON'T celebrate Chuseok. I got asked if I'd miss my family on the holidays at least 7 times yesterday, so that's probably not true |
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