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| Are expats too obsessed with detail? |
| Yes. They should stop being so nitpicky over safety, contract details, local customs etc. |
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46% |
[ 6 ] |
| No. They should pay more attention to details (eg. local customs, class preparation, road safety etc) |
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7% |
[ 1 ] |
| Some sort of balance is needed. |
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15% |
[ 2 ] |
| Logic is all you need. |
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7% |
[ 1 ] |
| YES!!! NO!!! YES!!! NO!!! EHFIUWEQHFHIU!!! IQWDIHWDDAHAJHA!!!! HAHAHAHA!!!! |
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23% |
[ 3 ] |
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| Total Votes : 13 |
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Barking Mad Lord Snapcase
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
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 Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 8:07 pm Post subject: Are expats too obsessed with detail? |
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| I am genuinely curious as to what you think the gravest recurring 'sin' is on these forums, and whether that 'sin' is based on ignorance of detail or over-emphasis on detail. |
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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 Mar 17, 2006 8:14 pm Post subject: |
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don't sweat the small stuff
and think about the big picture
(some expats need to pick and choose their battles, realize that their cup is eighty-five percent full, and let differences slide) |
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Mashimaro
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: location, location
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| Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 9:32 pm Post subject: |
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most people (non-expats included) do get caught up details.
It's great! makes it easier for people who see the big picture to be successful. |
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Karabeara
Joined: 05 Nov 2005
Location: The right public school beats a university/unikwon job any day!
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| Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2006 12:16 am Post subject: |
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Oh, yeah. The small details.
Details like:
We can't pay you this week.
We aren't going to give you those apartment appliances we promised when we hired you.
We need you to work an extra 2 hours per week for no pay.
No, we can't give you the outside work approval we said we would. |
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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: Sat Mar 18, 2006 2:41 am Post subject: |
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| Karabeara wrote: |
We can't pay you this week.
We aren't going to give you those apartment appliances we promised when we hired you. |
uh... one of these is a big issue, the other a small detail (if you are talking toaster, microwave, oven).
| Quote: |
We need you to work an extra 2 hours per week for no pay.
No, we can't give you the outside work approval we said we would. |
ditto.
There are two issues here to be addressed. The other two are petty in comparison. Put out the big fires. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2006 2:57 am Post subject: |
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| Karabeara wrote: |
Oh, yeah. The small details.
Details like:
We can't pay you this week.
We aren't going to give you those apartment appliances we promised when we hired you.
We need you to work an extra 2 hours per week for no pay.
No, we can't give you the outside work approval we said we would. |
Then you reply with "small details"
Details like:
I can't work this week
I'm not going to attend the meetings/workshops that I promised I would when I agreed to work here
That's too bad. Find someone else.
Sure you can. Or would you rather I bought it up and complained about it every day?
Either they will fire you (which is good because I don't think too many people would want to work there anyway) or they will see the light and accede to your requests. The trick is in sticking to your guns and refusing to buckle under any and all forms of intimidation. Too many foreign teachers tug their forelock and go "Yes sir, no sir" and then come on here and whine about it. |
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Real Reality
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2006 3:18 am Post subject: |
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Don't let 'minor details' trip you up
All details are important! If entrepreneurs and their employees could remember to take care of the smallest details with care and precision most major issues would seldom occur.
My guess is that to avoid big problems, sometimes it's best to sweat the small stuff!
Gladys Edmunds, USA TODAY (09/10/2002)
http://www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/tightrope/2002/09-11-details.htm
Even the grandest project depends on the success of the smallest components.
http://www.bartleby.com/59/3/devilisinthe.html
Do sweat the small stuff - Job Hunting
USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), December 2002
http://www.looksmarteducation.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_2691_131/ai_95916139
How to Get Published
Preparing your manuscript to send to a publisher
Prepare your submission according to the publisher's requirements. Details are important, so make sure your work is professionally presented and has been carefully proof read.
http://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/howto/published/index.html
| Quote: |
Oh, yeah. The small details.
Details like:
We can't pay you this week.
We aren't going to give you those apartment appliances we promised when we hired you.
We need you to work an extra 2 hours per week for no pay.
No, we can't give you the outside work approval we said we would. |
You might add these details:
coercion,
too much deducted from wages,
fraudulent deduction of money for non-existent health insurance,
fraudulent deduction of money for non-existent pension,
intimidation,
non-payment of wages,
under-payment of wages,
passports withheld,
heat turned off at inappropriate times,
water supplies to apartments turned off at inappropriate times,
and
substandard housing.
Trafficking of English Teachers? by Chris Brockie, Korea Times (March 17, 2006)
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/opinion/200603/kt2006031716054754060.htm |
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Barking Mad Lord Snapcase
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
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| Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2006 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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The reason why I started this poll has a lot to do with a certain thread that was mysteriously deleted a few days ago, on the subject of safety in Korea. One poster (who's name just escapes me) stated that Westerners are too obsessed with safety, and Koreans have the right idea because they choose their own safety standards. I responded by pointing to the incedent with the two schoolgirls 4 years ago, stating that Koreans sure as hell worry about safety AFTER the accident, not before.
The question is; if one is going to deride the west for being overcautious regarding safety issues, does that create an excuse to slack off over every issue that is less important? If wearing your seatbelt is an "implied insult" to the manic taxi driver, then why bother giving with both hands all the time? You're not saving anyone's life.
Think about the logic of it. |
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