22:42
It was a bit of a surreal experience watching my coworker, Chris, have such a horrible day. He’s leaving Korea Poly School after 4 years this week and the school more or less reneged on a promise to him. He had been told that yesterday would be his last day teaching classes, and tomorrow would be a day off for him and his wife to prepare to leave the country. Due to our long hours, there is no possible way to take care of certain weekday errands such as visiting the pension office, going to the bank, or sending packages home through the post office. Chris and his wife are flying out Wednesday, so there was absolutely no way for him to take care of these very necessary activities without a day off.
This morning he arrived to school and thought it would be a simple observation day, only to find out that he would be teaching instead. The would-be replacement teacher had been hauled off for his medical examination for the Alien Residency Card, and Chris was expected to jump into the classroom without any prior warning. As the day wore on and news arose that there had been an undisclosed issue with the health examination, the Director pulled Chris aside and asked him to come into work on Friday, his day off. Obviously, he felt betrayed, angered, and all-around baffled by this sudden turn of events.
This issue reverberated around the office and affected everyone. We all knew that this could, and inevitably, would, happen to us. We knew that we constituted little more than warm bodies, and that any little luxury that had been granted could and would be taken away from us at a moment’s notice. It had already happened to me with the apartment debacle. I was set to move in right up until the moment when I wasn’t.
We know we have it much better than most foreign teachers in Korea. Yes, we work long hours and a lot is demanded out of us, but we are well paid and treated relatively well. We know the opportunities for beginning or continuing our career back home are few and far between, and we are lucky to be working and saving money when so many of our friends and family members are struggling to make ends meet. All of this said, it’s disturbing to watch these events unfold and be left wondering, “What next?” Another coworker, Albert, said it best, “You just have to keep your head down, make your money, and get out.” Along this same note, the teacher I replaced, Kevin, had this nugget of wisdom (and according to everyone at the office, his only nugget of wisdom), “I left the picture of the beach on your desk. When this job gets to you, just look at it and remember why you’re here.” Between classes, I always look at this picture. For me, it’s not about the beach, it’s what the beach represents: the achievement of my own goals through hard work and long hours at Korea Poly School.
As I said last week, I actually like this job, long hours and all. I go into the classroom and I forget about why I’m here in the first place, and know that I’m working toward a better tomorrow. I keep telling myself not to take the bullshit too seriously, and enjoy the experience. In this, I take solace.
September 11, 2010
10:42
So an interesting post-script to this story. Our new teachers, a couple, were detained at the health inspection because they were told that the woman had HIV. They were left to freak out for a day until they were called back and told "a mistake" had been made. So I guess my apartment deal ain't so bad after all.
It looks like it may have stopped raining for 30 seconds or so, I'm going to run home and get my dog for a walk. Tonight is "Foreigner Night" at F.C. Seoul (Football Club...and the type of football you play with your feet, for those keeping score at home), so I'm going to hit that up. For ₩10,000 (about $8.50), I get a ticket, beer and a hotdog. Not bad.
No comments:
Post a Comment