Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jumgimbo]

Hey, I've noticed a few critical comments about EWHA ALS in Seongso, Daegu, recently and it reminded me of MY experience at the same school in 2003. I was only there for 2 months but had a miserable time. I took the job really because I had no choice; I'd already been in country for a couple of months and the only positions I could secure were part-time. Despite my two degrees, my age and lack of teaching experience conspired against me and I was getting a bit desperate by September.

Anyway, the academic director, a Korean guy named Scott, was a total butthead and he repeatedly argued with me...or I with him. Yelling matches were not uncommon and he had no idea how to speak respectfully to a foreigner. And I am not at all good about being subservient, so there's the rub. Hillary, the owner, had me taking a bus once a week all the way to her apartment out in Siji to tutor her son, who was also a student at the school in a class I had to deal with. The kids mostly sat there uninterested while I peppered them with questions about American History, the text for which they were supposed to read but rarely did. Getting out to Siji, at night, meant taking a bus trip that lasted 45 minutes each way. She also had me tutoring a store manager at Home Plus and this required yet another bus trip, though, to be honest, I liked the guy and it was an easy conversational gig. I guess I'm lucky they paid for my bus fare, eh?

Anyway, they kept shucking and jiving about my schedule, demanded I continue to work Saturdays, made us come in for a mandatory teachers' meeting every week even though it was utterly pointless, changed the schedules all the time at the last minute, and wanted us to work doing grading, phone calls, and planning on our own time away from the school. I refused and this caused yet another argument with Scott, not to mention he griped about me actually leaving promptly at the end of my last class. I guess I was supposed to stick around and hang out with the other teachers late at night? Yeah, right.

They also insisted on deducting 600,000 Won as a deposit from my paychecks up front, which I later learned was illegal. They paid only 1/2 of my costs to do the visa run to Fukuoka. I talked them into deducting less just before the first paycheck came in (but I was not informed I would receive only 10 days pay the first time, and the second time I had to ask for yet another deferral of the paycheck deduction), and after the second check I ducked out and flew home.

The housing was fine and very close to the school; I never had a problem with Hillary or her family or anybody at the school using my place, but I wasn't there for very long. They required me to sort of "test teach" for a month or so before my contract began, so I suppose I was working illegally. I did get paid cash each day I worked but it was awkward, to say the least.

There was not much solidarity among the teachers and I, as the oldest person there, didn't see eye-to-eye with most of them. Generally they were nice people. The classes were scheduled very heavy most days and we got, at most, 5 minutes between all but one class a day. This was exhausting and the kids, marvelously, often rose above the material and the obvious pressures of having to sit in a hogwan after school all day. I have to say the books and materials were pretty good and the standards for attendance and grading and performance were high, at least on the surface, though I often felt it was just the kids parroting English phrases and not really learning anything.

I have more charming anecdotes to share but these are the basics. Glad I got out of there when I did. My midnight run was pretty wild, too...had to go to Pusan to buy tickets from an English speaking travel agent, then returned to work. A couple of weeks later, after work, went out for drinks and dinner, got home late and full of too much soju and beer, woke up late, scrambled to throw things in my suitcase and ran for a cab. Barely made it to Daegu Airport on time and very hungover and tired. Was supposed to start work at 3:45 p.m. that day and the flight left Incheon at 3:00 p.m., so I was free. Bumpy flight to Seoul, hung around there a few hours, boarded plane and stuck all the way in back in economy seat squashed up against window. I am terrified of flying and for some reason they didn't have any alcohol on offer; the Korean guy next to me took pity on me and kept offering me pours from his little bottle of soju, but it wasn't enough.

I endured the interminable flight, arrived at SFO grubby, smelly, tired, hungry, and cranky. Still had to face a couple of hours of driving but BOY was I glad to be home. Felt oddly out of place and the first week or two were very surreal.

I do apologize to all those teachers who may have been affected by my abrupt departure, but for the sake of my sanity I had little choice. Oddly enough, I am now contemplating a return to Korea and may even end up in Daegu again. I will not be working in Seongso, that's for sure, and I'm taking my time lining up a good job with decent working conditions.

[Babayaga]

Doing a midnight run on Hilary was the best revenge that woman deserved! Good for you!


I find that more people could have complained about her,but just didn't have the guts,including my room-mate whose apt Hilary used for her own purposes after I left.


For a more detailed description of my experience see my post about EWHA way down on this forum.

[Ilsanman]

I just wonder why you bring up an event that happened 2 years ago.