Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mindmetoo]

Conventional wisdom here is Christian hagwons are the worst and are to be avoided at all costs. Not only will they try to rip you off, but they do it because that's what Jesus would want. They find religious suckers and guilt them into accepting less pay and longer hours.

[margaret]

Another variation on the theme: Tell them that because of them you've become dissillusioned with Christianity, in fact you no longer believe in God and are an atheist. You will be happy to keep working there but you will start teaching the students your new belief and will no longer be going to church or be using any of their Bibles.
Margaret

[Return Jones]

[fusionbarnone]

Sorry to hear about your unhappy situation. Hard sell religion sucks especially when the "gurus" are little more than a recent converts themselves. Value your time and try to keep them out of your head if you can.

Did you know there are a lot of cults in Korea? I once had the pleasure of meeting a cultist outside a bus terminal who was accompanied by a couple of middle-aged ajumas(I thought they should've known better) who preached the coming of the flying saucers. For more info. it was recommended I consult with their boss/leader on the second floor of a mangy building(I declined; starship credits don't get much on terra-firma I guess). When I heard the part about the UFO stuff I had to ask where he was from(including the ajumas). Was really disapointed when he said he was from Korea. Beware of Kool-aid, special diets(to crash your system) and musak with audible speeded-up speech inbedded in the background. Have some fun with them by making yourself clandestinely doubtful. Use the same techniques the turks used to prevent brainwashing when captured by the North Koreans. Ridicule. Your moral ground is hard to shift if you delegitimize/disempower your "employers" this way.

I remember a food service worker telling me once that working hard(proving through demonstration one's "commitment" to the organisation) got one little more than more work including chores no one else could be "enticed" into doing. He got around the loyalty ploy by being evasive or a by "doing"a really bad job. He never got lumbered with dog jobs. Why don't you be evasive/unavailable too?

The 24/7 "demonstrate" your faith biz is little more than a 24/7 English class where the org. is attempting to be your K-homestay situation. Because it's a christian org. doesn't give the Hangul speaking Grand Pubas any special powers. I've seen enough "born again" types and their religous-gimme banter where this is merely the Korean version. Your time is your own. Demonstrate your faith there.

Online, there are sites where you can become an Elder, Minister for free and within minutes(Sandra Bullock's chopper building boyfrined did that in order to legally act as Minister over his best bud's wedding). Then, tell them you have just been ordained(don't tell them how, or, where) and thus require special dispensation(pull religous rank). I did this, got out of boozing with boss' in Korea and, out of stronzo in China. The lord will understand as the west has been doing it for the lord for 1,000s of years more than the Koreans. Make yourself an authority.

Stick to what you know(attending your own church service) as that is not up for debate from white-shoe-wearing-ex-second-car-salespeople.

Have you tried bringing in your own choice of christian music for an ambiance change to your own liking.

I don't think there is any such thing as a western-style work contract without the slyly-slipped in creative alterations(as we toodle along) in Korea(this is a given). Therefore, either stand your ground or, consider a job change. The latter is a bit drastic and a last resort. Winning in this respect is done by bending the ears of the faithful in a tactful yet fervent manner. Just because your work outfit is a christo-version doesn't bestow special powers on them. See this(hogwon boss' n hogwon ways) as business as usual and get the biz. sorted pronto. It is after all just another money for lengua franca day in Korea on plain ol' planet earth.

Good luck to you.

[Grotto]

Learn to say No!

Regardless of what kind of religious wacko's they are a simple 'no' or 'no thank you' should suffice.

Make it clear to them that this is a job for you...nothing more...nothing less.

If they dont get off your back contact 5eagles for it sounds like his kind of setup....fanatic zealots pushing their crap on others.

[OiGirl]

[OiGirl]

[johnthompson37]

if you didn't read their version of the bible, you were reading a satanic book.
They didn' t want christians, they wanted sheep

[Rteacher]

Tell them you've discovered that Krishna is God, and Bhagavad-gita is the word of God, and Jesus is the son of Krishna ...

[Paji eh Wong]

Run while you still have legs, darling.

[Dawn]

First, do you want to continue living/working in Korea? Second, is this organization in any position to create problems for you back in your home country (i.e. tied to your home church or the university from which you graduated in any way)?

If the answer to both the above is a resounding "No," then you're free to get out of there. That said, if you're reluctant to renig on a contract, you may be able to reason with them.

I ended up in a similar situation at my first job -- a Christian hagwon that demanded the teachers teach five days a week, organize and participate in a weekly English Bible study on Saturday nights, attend their Korean worship services Sunday mornings and Sunday nights, host an English Bible club for the kids on Sunday afternoons, etc.

We put up with it longer than we should have, but in the end, most of us said "No more." We marched into the owner's office, contracts in one hand and letters of resignation in the other. We showed him the list of duties stipulated in the contract (teaching 30 50-minute classes per week) and told him we were more than willing to fulfill our contractual obligations, but that we were NOT willing to continue working seven days a week. We asked him whether he wanted to accept our immediate resignations or whether he would prefer to back off. We explained that if he went with option two, we would be in the classroom Monday through Friday, but weabsolutely would not be told where to go to church, what Bible version to read, what music we could/couldn't listen to, etc., what ministries we "had" to be involved in, etc. He opted to back off. The year still had its ups and downs, and there were still times when he strongly encouraged us to take part in various church events, yet he also hastened to add, "But, of course, it's your choice."

Since you're teaching employees' children, your hiring organization probably isn't making any money off you. Hence, they may be quicker to let you go and replace you with someone they deem more malleable. Whether they let you go or choose to keep you on your terms, though, you'd get some semblance of a normal life back.

[jaganath69]