Korean Job Discussion Forums

[D.D.]

It was they end of the year dinner so I decided to join the other teachers.

Soon I remembered why I had stopped going. I am basically ignored the whole time. Nobody comes to me with a toast or anything.

To add salt into the wound two teachers that were changing schools never even said bye. I had been good friends with those two teachers and they never talked to me the whole dinner or said bye when we were leaving.

They lack any skills on how to include outsiders. In China we always sat at a circular table and if anything we were the center of attention.

I don't want to be the center of attention but to be treated with some respect would be nice. I have never witnessed people who are so set in their ways as Koreans.

[soul rebels]

went to a restaurant on friday with all the staff at my school 16 teachers are leaving the school and talked to most of the leaving teachers that speak english was a goodnight ...sorry to hear about your situation put its not like that at every school

[VanIslander]

[anbrainblasta]

Maybe you smell D.D. Have you washed lately.

[D.D.]

[yingwenlaoshi]

Did you try starting conversation?

[Chamchiman]

OP, how's your Korean?

[Capo]

ever thaught of making conversation urself? maybe they ignore you because u have nothing to say.

I loved going to work dinners they were fun. us FTs got invited out to more with our boss than others, because the koreans always wanted to goto the expensive sashimi place, but we were happier with soojaebe and just wanted to enjoy ourselves rather than eat food we were too cheap to buy ourselves. sure there are some points where they speak korean, but so what its more comfortable for them, but we had plenty of english conversations too and could talk amoungst ourselves anyway.

[Perceptioncheck]

Capo - I think it's a bit different when you're the only FT. It's hard to "talk amongst yourselves" when there's only one of you. Well, it's not hard but it does lead to some funny looks.

D.D - I hear you. When I go out to dinner with one of my schools, I feel like the Smelly Girl; people trip over themselves as they frantically try to find a seat as far away from me as possible. I can kind of understand as nobody at this school speaks English but what do they think I'm going to do, give them a grammar quiz?

I usually end up sitting in the corner and get quietly sozzled with the maintenance man who doesn't mind that I can't speak Korean and he can't speak English. As long as we can keep each others shot glasses topped up, we're both happy.

[Big Mac]

At least you're still invited to dinners and stuff like that. I was invited to several of them my first few weeks and they were great...I had a really good time getting to know the other teachers and everything seemed to be good. It was difficult because most of the teachers can barely speak any English at all, but I didn't mind. Then it all stopped.

I haven't been invited to anything now in about five months. No explanation. The only thing I can think of is that the other teachers think it is too difficult to try to communicate with me so they are more comfortable without me there. It's very strange, but what do I do? I can't go to social events no one tells me about!

[nomad-ish]

i'm used to getting ignored as well at these staff/department dinner meetings, and just eating and planning out things i've got to do in my head. but i was pleasantly surprised on friday when the whole english department (save one teacher) actually had a conversation IN ENGLISH for a good 20 minutes!!!! that's never EVER happened to me before.

what's even better, my favourite co-teacher took a swipe at my handler about working me too hard