Movin' on ... up?
So, here's the deal. Yes, week three and I quit my job. I really enjoy working with kids, but there's too many of them. To borrow from Mitch Hedberg, it's like pancakes. They're all fun and exciting at first, but by the end you're just fucking sick of 'em. But, that's not even true. I actually enjoy the kid aspect, and I'm decent at getting them to do what I want them to do already. Also, 6-year-old problems no longer freak me out. My hours were totally misrepresented on my contract. MWF, for example, I teach eleven classes straight from 10-6:45 with absolutely no breaks. While I get to enjoy a deliciously underspiced kindy lunch every day, it's not a break for me as I'm the only adult in the room then. And, finally, I'm working over 50% more than the minimum on my contract, and almost 30% more than the maximum stated on my contract. And anyway, during these aforesaid "breaks" that only appear on Tuesday and Thursday, and doing stuff like writing overly polite notes to the kindergarten parents - not planning the classes. Education is secondary here, and making students happy is what matters the most.
I tried to work out a compromise with my supervisor to get my hours down to something that I agreed to when I signed my contract. Wait two weeks and they can get me one break on MWF. Wait until December and they can move me from 10-7 to 3-10. She agreed that I was busting my ass, so she seemed willing to work with me. And so I very generously agreed to that compromise.
Tuesday morning, I asked another supervisor to please let me cover one of my classes. I have two breaks in a row on Tuesday afternoon, and if she would only cover the class before my breaks, I would have enough time to go to the hospital. I've been more than a touch ill for the last 10 days maybe. She refused, saying I could wait until Thursday, when I have a 2.5 hour window. Later, I asked the school owner if I could take off half a day Wednesday to go to the hospital. He wait he'd send me to the doctor during my 1.5 hour break on Tuesday. In the waiting room, the owner was totally trying to psyche me out. Eventually, he stopped beating around the bush: "You complain too much. Do you just want to get on a plane and go back to your home country?" "Actually, sir, I imagine that you won't be paying for a ticket back. So, you can't tell me where to go. And, actually, I plan on staying right here in Seoul." Then he said, "Well, if you aren't happy here then maybe you should..." "- yeah." "What are you trying to say?" "I guess that I didn't come this far away to be overworked and disrespected."
Then I spent 20 minutes hooked up to an IV. I'm taking 8 pills three times a day. I don't exactly know what they are, but I feel a lot better. I'd imagine that the yellow one is for compliance, but it ain't workin'. I agreed to my hours on the contract. Anyway, 10 minutes after jumping off the IV drip, the boss fully expected me to teach again. My break was over. At the end of the day, it was cheaper for him to pump me full of meds than it would be for me to miss a couple classes.
So that's that. Hopefully, my recruiter will help me smooth the transition. Hopefully I won't have to stay here any longer than a couple weeks, because things were a touch icy yesterday.
I tried to work out a compromise with my supervisor to get my hours down to something that I agreed to when I signed my contract. Wait two weeks and they can get me one break on MWF. Wait until December and they can move me from 10-7 to 3-10. She agreed that I was busting my ass, so she seemed willing to work with me. And so I very generously agreed to that compromise.
Tuesday morning, I asked another supervisor to please let me cover one of my classes. I have two breaks in a row on Tuesday afternoon, and if she would only cover the class before my breaks, I would have enough time to go to the hospital. I've been more than a touch ill for the last 10 days maybe. She refused, saying I could wait until Thursday, when I have a 2.5 hour window. Later, I asked the school owner if I could take off half a day Wednesday to go to the hospital. He wait he'd send me to the doctor during my 1.5 hour break on Tuesday. In the waiting room, the owner was totally trying to psyche me out. Eventually, he stopped beating around the bush: "You complain too much. Do you just want to get on a plane and go back to your home country?" "Actually, sir, I imagine that you won't be paying for a ticket back. So, you can't tell me where to go. And, actually, I plan on staying right here in Seoul." Then he said, "Well, if you aren't happy here then maybe you should..." "- yeah." "What are you trying to say?" "I guess that I didn't come this far away to be overworked and disrespected."
Then I spent 20 minutes hooked up to an IV. I'm taking 8 pills three times a day. I don't exactly know what they are, but I feel a lot better. I'd imagine that the yellow one is for compliance, but it ain't workin'. I agreed to my hours on the contract. Anyway, 10 minutes after jumping off the IV drip, the boss fully expected me to teach again. My break was over. At the end of the day, it was cheaper for him to pump me full of meds than it would be for me to miss a couple classes.
So that's that. Hopefully, my recruiter will help me smooth the transition. Hopefully I won't have to stay here any longer than a couple weeks, because things were a touch icy yesterday.
posted by Mark Hernandef at 7:24 AM
5 Comments:
Wait I don't get it...did you leave your job or no?
Yeah, sorry. I've been posting frantically, since I've been staying up late hunting for other jobs. Once threatened, I expressed that I could no longer work there. So, I'll no longer be working here within the month. I'm bargaining for release papers, which enable me to work in Korea again. Worst case scenario, I'll be able to work in Taiwan. But, I'm too stubborn to leave. This situation sucks, but the first week of October is a vacation (Korean Thanksgiving). I should be able to stick it out with a week to relax within a rather icy month. Blah blah blah.
MH
Well as long as you don't cross that line between perserverance and retardation! Don't become George W. in your quest to stay the course!! But try not to leave before I have the chance to come visit. Ok? Ok.
By the way, if that last comment sounded unsupportive (which it was, sorry :( ), what I really meant to say was "You can do it, Mark, it is rough going at first but you can make it happen! Don't give up, it will be ok"
A pill for compliance? Sign me up. And while you don't strike me as the meds-loving type, I just wanted to say that your drug cocktail sounds f'ing fabulous to me. Take care.
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