Korean Job Discussion Forums

[humanuspneumos]

I knew a teacher who used to talk about how the Korean directors loved to spy on the teachers via. using other persons to report every move they made. This led to the teacher assuming that if Korean directors had the technology to do some high-tech spying that they would. Scoffed at was the teacher until a mini-tape player was spotted on the director's wall and a wire running to the phone and a mini-mike. Other teachers reported clicking on their phone only a few minutes after they began a phone call- suspicions rose and many labeled these teachers as "nuts."
Now we have reports (many previous ones too) of over a million cell-phone conversations on tape. Still- no "hard-evidence" to say that any foreigner/teacher is being tapped or spied on. Perhaps one will say- "Well all our phone numbers are under the owner's name and so- it's easy for him to punch down a button on his master-phone (you know- those office phones you can punch a button and intercept another call on the same line)." Still no hard evidence. Just assumption.

In most cases foreigners are left only with assumptive systems of thought since breaking the code of the language is only for those who have mastered it. And then you have the task of breaking whatever news there is to break.

Many develop a system of measuring what will "happen next" or what "will likely happen" based upon previous information/experiences- still- at the end of the day it's assumption.

Just a side-note: I have rarely found apologists to have a high success rate in forcasting an accurate outcome. Also- I find in many cases that those full of worry create a self-fulfilling-prophecy. Those who tend to analyze without shooting themselves in the foot seem to have the highest accuracy rate.

[kiwiboy_nz_99]

Clearly, don't talk about "naughty" things on your phone!

I didn't have many assumptions when I came. I justs thought, wow I'm going to a really unusual place that most people don't know much about.

The only illusion that I had, and I must admit this is majorly naive, is the illusion of the "mystic east". You know, people there are less materialistic, more spiritual, and more wise.

HA! WHAT A JOKE ! ! !

[tsgarp]

[kiwiboy_nz_99]

[humanuspneumos]

Interesting- more spiritual- less materialistic. The one that usually comes up is that the kids are going to be so "respectful." The only place I've seen the "respectful" is when somebody carries a large stick and even then naughty is still deemed as worth the beating at the end.

At home, year 2004, people still think:

* Koreans ride bikes everywhere

* peanut-butter is a rarity

* Koreans are poor (weird how people get the North and South mixed up)

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Then there are the "once in Korea" assumptions teachers make at work, in their mind, and with friends:


* Jo-Jo teacher won't last for a week! (Jo-Jo ends up in Korea for years.)

* If I'm really nice and respecful I won't get screwed. (Respectful teacher ends up looking like Swiss cheese.)

* A school full of foreigners is the safest place to be. (Teacher experiences weekly hair-pulling brawls with fellow-foreigner over the photocopier.)

[HardyandTiny]

[Tiger Beer]