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sojourner1
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Location: Where meggi swim and 2 wheeled tractors go sput put chug alugg pug pug
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 Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 6:26 am Post subject: Who has excessive housing? Is mine over the top? Strange |
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*EDIT* I've decided it's nobodies business, but mine and those I work for.
Last edited by sojourner1 on Thu Jul 03, 2008 12:13 am; edited 2 times in total |
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captain kirk
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 6:51 am Post subject: |
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Could be worse. You could be accused of touching a student's genitals like Grab the Chickens Levi. I'm sure he's not enjoying that very much (fighting, Levi!).
Look at it this way. They offered you little shitboxes. You got pissed. They then went over the top. You had no control over that.
I'd have a grand piano sent down from Seoul. |
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Whistleblower
Joined: 03 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 7:00 am Post subject: |
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| I would recommend that you apologise for getting emotional. They lost face and you need to feel humble for what they have provided. They are using the guilt trip with you, however just apologise and walk away feeling no guilt. Easy. |
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Thiuda
Joined: 14 Mar 2006
Location: Religion ist f�r Sklaven geschaffen, f�r Wesen ohne Geist.
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 7:19 am Post subject: |
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What happened to you is typical of the Korean situation; administrators do nothing until they absolutely have to and then often half-assed. In your case that worked out in your favour, but in the future it might not. I disagree with Whistleblower, I say, don't apologize. If you do, you exonerate whomever was charged with providing you with reasonable housing and provide them with an opportunity to point the finger at you. Simply be appreciative of the fact that you were, in the end, provided with great housing. Saying "Thank you" is adequate.
Good Luck on the RoK. |
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sojourner1
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Location: Where meggi swim and 2 wheeled tractors go sput put chug alugg pug pug
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 8:45 am Post subject: |
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*EDIT* I've decided it's nobodies business, but mine and those I work for.
Last edited by sojourner1 on Thu Jul 03, 2008 12:14 am; edited 4 times in total |
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A2Steve
Joined: 10 Nov 2007
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 8:52 am Post subject: |
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maybe you just want to brag.......
seriously, I just began at a school, and Im the first teacher theyve had. First they say my passport pic looks like a gangster, then I arrive in the country, and they get the date wrong! luckily I got ahold of them by phone at incheon.
since then I've gotten along really well with the teachers, and gave the principal a gift. a soundtrack from THE UNTOUCHABLES and a deck of cards with Al Capone courtesy of my visit to the consulate in Chicago. We'll see who the gangster is.......
lesson I;ve learned in life is to turn a deficit into a positive. If I was in that situation, I'd turn around and throw a big party for the teachers. and if some of them annoyed you, make sure they were invited the most. |
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sojourner1
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Location: Where meggi swim and 2 wheeled tractors go sput put chug alugg pug pug
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 9:11 am Post subject: |
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| A2Steve wrote: |
maybe you just want to brag.......
seriously, I just began at a school, and Im the first teacher theyve had. First they say my passport pic looks like a gangster, then I arrive in the country, and they get the date wrong! luckily I got ahold of them by phone at incheon.
since then I've gotten along really well with the teachers, and gave the principal a gift. a soundtrack from THE UNTOUCHABLES and a deck of cards with Al Capone courtesy of my visit to the consulate in Chicago. We'll see who the gangster is.......
lesson I;ve learned in life is to turn a deficit into a positive. If I was in that situation, I'd turn around and throw a big party for the teachers. and if some of them annoyed you, make sure they were invited the most. |
Nope, not bragging. I'd rather have a regular apartment in he same building as other foreign teachers have; not something way out of league, but I couldn't decline it as they were trying to fix the housing crisis this time. I ranting that it's a bit awkward and I know a way of softening me up. Yep, I already have a big party in mind, especially since one co-teacher said this morning really wants to try my cooking when I mentioned I enjoyed cooking in my apartment. She just wants to learn a little from me which is OK and everyone around here is invited. We used to throw parties last year in the hagwon, but never could get half of the Korean teachers and the director to show up which I expect to happen as these ladies have family life to tend to.
They don't care about your gifts, but it's the customary right thing to do in this culture. I still never understood who all I should get a gift for other than my co-teacher and principal as all these different people just keeping popping into my situation at random times that I don't know who they are and what their titles are as they don't speak English. I can't keep up with all these people and names, yet. I just know there are many levels of public officers as the English speaking one refers to them as being. Korea has an enormous public officer count as we have so many public school people and then large police stations with many officers in a tiny town. It's all over funded to my understanding which is cool that plenty of money is flowing. |
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Ramen
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 2:32 pm Post subject: |
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Congrats !
They'll probably stick 2 more FTs with you so you won't feel lonely. |
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Dome Vans
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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| I agree, I'm not apologizing any more than I did today before they got me the apartment as Koreans are not apologetic under any circumstances and I expected this as it's played out many times before. These people and their culture play again and again like a broken record as they are programmed like a collective. If you try to interact with Koreans in a manner that westerners consider very decent, proper, and respectful, you'll get nowhere and just be walked on and used as you don't gain respect and patronage that way. I don't trust any lying 2 faced Korean (they all are, that's Asia) for one second anymore as they never tell the truth nor do the right things that are obviously their responsibilities and then they will be embarrassed or even mad if you let them down on holding up your end. Often, they purposely fail to communicate necessary specific info as to mislead you to ensure you will not hold up your end to their expectations that were never stated. |
Huh! Absolute rubbish. Do you live in the same country as me? |
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reimund
Joined: 01 Oct 2007
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 4:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Dome Vans wrote: |
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| I agree, I'm not apologizing any more than I did today before they got me the apartment as Koreans are not apologetic under any circumstances and I expected this as it's played out many times before. These people and their culture play again and again like a broken record as they are programmed like a collective. If you try to interact with Koreans in a manner that westerners consider very decent, proper, and respectful, you'll get nowhere and just be walked on and used as you don't gain respect and patronage that way. I don't trust any lying 2 faced Korean (they all are, that's Asia) for one second anymore as they never tell the truth nor do the right things that are obviously their responsibilities and then they will be embarrassed or even mad if you let them down on holding up your end. Often, they purposely fail to communicate necessary specific info as to mislead you to ensure you will not hold up your end to their expectations that were never stated. |
Huh! Absolute rubbish. Do you live in the same country as me? |
I've actually encountered something similar to Sojouner's experiences here in Korea. Maybe it's a matter of location, since I recall you living out in the countryside. It could also be different in Seoul, but out here in Suwon, I've ran into some teachers who are deceitful and underhanded. |
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Dome Vans
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 4:30 pm Post subject: |
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| reimund wrote: |
| Dome Vans wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I agree, I'm not apologizing any more than I did today before they got me the apartment as Koreans are not apologetic under any circumstances and I expected this as it's played out many times before. These people and their culture play again and again like a broken record as they are programmed like a collective. If you try to interact with Koreans in a manner that westerners consider very decent, proper, and respectful, you'll get nowhere and just be walked on and used as you don't gain respect and patronage that way. I don't trust any lying 2 faced Korean (they all are, that's Asia) for one second anymore as they never tell the truth nor do the right things that are obviously their responsibilities and then they will be embarrassed or even mad if you let them down on holding up your end. Often, they purposely fail to communicate necessary specific info as to mislead you to ensure you will not hold up your end to their expectations that were never stated. |
Huh! Absolute rubbish. Do you live in the same country as me? |
I've actually encountered something similar to Sojouner's experiences here in Korea. Maybe it's a matter of location, since I recall you living out in the countryside. It could also be different in Seoul, but out here in Suwon, I've ran into some teachers who are deceitful and underhanded. |
Ok, point taken Reimund. I know it can happen, as likely as it to happen anywhere. I'll highlight the language used here that I take exception to.
| Quote: |
| Koreans are not apologetic under any circumstances |
All of them?
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| I expected this as it's played out many times before. |
He is their first foreign teacher.
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| If you try to interact with Koreans in a manner that westerners consider very decent, proper, and respectful, you'll get nowhere |
Really? To my mind being respectful, decent and proper (and having a backbone) can get you everywhere.
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| I don't trust any lying 2 faced Korean *Insert any nationality here* (they all are, that's Asia) for one second anymore as they never tell the truth |
I don't trust any two-faced person from any country. They're all the same. Although this is a Korean board there doesn't seem to be any second perspective on this, tarring the nation with the same brush is what I saw with this paragraph. |
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crescent
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: yes.
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 4:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Ramen wrote: |
Congrats !
They'll probably stick 2 more FTs with you so you won't feel lonely. |
That's what i thought, too. |
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marlow
Joined: 06 Feb 2005
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 5:39 pm Post subject: |
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| crescent wrote: |
| Ramen wrote: |
Congrats !
They'll probably stick 2 more FTs with you so you won't feel lonely. |
That's what i thought, too. |
Do not accept this under any circumstances. Change your locks now.
| sojourner1 wrote: |
| I'd rather have a regular apartment in he same building as other foreign teachers have; not something way out of league, but I couldn't decline it as they were trying to fix the housing crisis this time. |
Maybe the league needs to be adjusted.
I think we should stop accepting crap apartments, even if that's what's normal. I want western living standards. People in trailer parks in NA have nicer homes than the average ESLer in Korea. |
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Real Reality
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 5:59 pm Post subject: |
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Some things are worth quoting and repeating.
| marlow wrote: |
| I think we should stop accepting crap apartments, even if that's what's normal. I want western living standards. People in trailer parks in NA have nicer homes than the average ESLer in Korea. |
How about just being offered apartments up to current (2008) Korean standards? |
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Mr. BlackCat
Joined: 30 Nov 2005
Location: Insert witty remark HERE
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 7:52 pm Post subject: |
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Real Reality wrote:
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Some things are worth quoting and repeating.
marlow wrote:
I think we should stop accepting crap apartments, even if that's what's normal. I want western living standards. People in trailer parks in NA have nicer homes than the average ESLer in Korea.
How about just being offered apartments up to current (2008) Korean standards? |
Word to that. "But Koreans live in the same building, so it's normal!" Yeah, students and unemployed people. You want me to be professional? Treat me professionally. |
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