Korean Job Discussion Forums

[poet13]

So this morning at my alternate school out in the country, a parent who farms grapes and pears comes in with two styro boxes of grapes and pears. He is delighted to meet me (the foreigner he has heard so much about) and indicates that they are to be shared by the whole staff. There are nine of us here today, though only 2 are in the office right now. So we have maybe 50 paper wrapped bunches of grapes, and 40 or so of those big pears/apples in foam mesh. The moment the parent left, the two koreans in the office, a man and a woman, produced big shopping bags and whisked all but four pears, and 6 bunches of grapes out to their cars. Yes, I counted. They generously put the remaining grapes and pears on a tray with a container of toothpicks and a knife.
Amazing how little shame they have.

[PRagic]

They did this in front of you on purpose. They monitor Dave's ESL Cafe' and are waiting to see who posts about their behaviour. You may be busted.

[laogaiguk]

[venus]

You never know what they may be doing with them. Perhaps, they have a meeting soon with education officials, in which case they would give them as a present, not uncommon to recycle gifts in such a way. Or they could be giving them to poor people; saving them for a parents and teacher's meeting; going to visit another school for an open class or something and want to present the fruit to their hosts.

Why don't you ask them before accusing them...?

[KumaraKitty]

Similar thing happened yesterday at my school. Our boss gifted us with a big box of oranges from Jeju. We have 13 Korean teachers, 4 foreign teachers. My fiance is a former teacher and well liked by everyone, so I took 2 oranges, one for myself, one for him. The other foreigners took 1 each as well. When we came back after the lunch break, the rest were GONE! We're talking a BIG box of oranges, probably there were about 100 oranges at least in this crate. GONE. Each Korean teacher had stuffed their purses so they can eat oranges for the next week or so. We felt like idiots for being polite and taking one each.

[poet13]

Venus.....somehow I doubt very much that the spirit of altriusn sudddenly washed over them. I know gifts are recylced here, but the intent of that particular gift was to be shared by the ofice, as was made clear by the man who brought it. If the vice-principal or principal had been the ones to do this, I might feel a little differently. Perhaps they would have been taking them to another school, or perhaps just because it's a confucian system, they are more entitled to take more than their share, but these were just teachers like me and you. It's a small rural school ad I doubt very much that the only two teachers in the office both had meetings to attend where a gift was necessary. And we're not talking about a few pieces of fruit. We're talking about +40 bunches of grapes, and about 35 pears. Nobody gifts that much fruit. A few bunches, and few pears, ok.... If they really wanted to take fruit to a meeting, then I think they should dig into their pocket a little instead of building their own esteem on the good nature of another.
PRagic. Well, if they do read this (though incredibly unlikely), then simply, it was greedy and selfish, and yes, I am passing judgement. I saw it done quickly and secretively, so that others wouldn't know of the windfall.
laogiaguk...For something as minor as this I couldn't imagine shaming them, regardless of the possible angry reaction. Not worth it. I have no qualms whatsoever ito shaming a young person to get out of their seat for an elderly person, or for many other things....but not that.

Anyways, it's cold this morning, I'm grumpy, and I wanted to rant a little...

[The Hierophant]

Bless them! They drive Hyundais and have lightning-fast broadband, but they're still just subsistence peasants at heart.

"Free food! Quick ma! Load up the truck!"

[Novernae]

I used to bake cookies for my last hagwon and I ended up having to divvy them out myself. There was one teacher in particular who would always reach in and take a handful and go back for more. hmmm... 35 teachers, you are about halfway down the staffroom, and you think the 12 teachers after you can split the three you have left me?

Venus, I agree with poet; given the situation it doesn't seem very altruistic.

[Newbie]

[venus]

No, been here three years. Seen the recycling gifts thing at the public school I work at.

So I actually post on Dave's and know what I'm talking about. Weird huh...?

[PRagic]

Very few people that have been here only three years know what they are talking about. They'll talk, that's for sure, but more often than not, they're off base.

[seoulsucker]

[Benicio]

Situational ethics- it's okay as long as they don't get caught.

They knew they were doing something they shouldn't- stealing. That's why the did it so fast.

Believe me, if the other members of the staff found out, they'd would be so embarrassed!

Completely selfish, childish, low class, peasant mentality!

Whenever Koreans tell me about how Westerners are more individualistic and selfish while Koreans care more about the group, I just chuckle.

Good one!

[The Hierophant]

[poet13]

So venus, let's reverse it.

What if it been ME who had scoffed the goods? What do you think the reaction would have been?

I agree that 3 years for some here has been a long time.
I agree that 3 years for some here has not been a long time.
But I think time spent here is irrelevant.
I think it's how much actual real people experience you have here that counts.
I would be much more inclined to listen to and take the advice of someone who has spent their free time immersing themselves in the culture than someone who spends their free time in the western bars of itaewon and hongdae getting bombed and practising their pickup lines.