Should I Stay Or Should I Go Now?

I'm seriously thinking of leaving Korea this weekend or next week. I just don't think I can take it anymore. I can't do this anymore.

And The Shit Goes On

Update to the daily drama of my pay. Now my school is denying my previous work experience (remember that from the winter?) and they will drop my pay level. So, with the drop in pay level and the bonus rural pay, I will stay the same. I'm so beyond tired of battling my school for what they owe me. I'm done. I cannot put up with anymore. I can't do it. I can't come to work everyday and worry about the new ways that the school is trying to stick it to me, or the new ways that they are going to torture me mentally all day and night. I can't do it. If I had the money I would do a dash and leave this country this weekend without giving notice at my school. Any recent lottery winners want to make this dream a reality for me? I despise my school for what they have done and are continuing to do to me. I can't fight anymore. It's literally killing me on the inside. I'm done. They win.

Resolution

I do not know what changed between last night and this morning. My school has now told me that they will pay me the back pay and that I will be albe to stay in my current apartment. I'm thinking that this may change at any minute, but as of now, this is what is going on. Why must my school stress me out like this periodically? I don't know. But I'm happy for the resolution right now without getting the province office involved and without a shouting match.

Underhanded Dealings

Well, my school has just infromed me that they do not have the budget to pay me the roughly $1700 in back pay that they owe me. I have this choice. I can either get this pay, or lose my big apartment for a smaller and cheaper apartment. I'm waiting to hear back from the province office about this issue. I'm hoping that my school cannot really do this to me. If push comes to shove, I will stay in my apartment. The school will still have to pay me the extra money from now until the end of my contract. I will definitely let the school know exactly what I think about this situation and how they're treating me. I really don't care what bridges I burn. I know that my last 7.5 months here will be difficult, so what does it matter if they're even more difficult? I hate this so much. Why must my school do this to me at every single turn?

Money Wars

When it comes to money, my school is not going to give me a single penny without some kind of battle. I was informed today that the school does not have it in it's budget to pay me the retroactive rural pay now. I was told that they would pay me next year. Now, I don't really have a problem with this. The money is just going to sit in my bank until I leave Korea. I just don't know if they are trying to pull a fast one on me. To trust or not to trust. That is the question.

A New Class

I was informed the other day that a few of the teachers want to form a teachers only English class for me to teach. So far, I know that at least 4 teachers want to take English from me. 2 of them are very good, 2 are not so good. I have to say that I'm pretty excited about this. I think that this class might be just the thing to make my last 8 months here fly by. Since my students simply do not learn no matter how much effort I put into my classes, maybe the adults will give me that kind of satisfaction that is so lacking in my teaching life. I'm hoping that once this class forms and starts, that their desire to learn English actually translates into being good students. I know some teachers at other schools that have the problem that the principal forces the teachers to take these extra classes, and the teachers are just too busy and don't want to study. I'm hoping that my class will remain completely voluntary. I think it will. Oh God, I hope the principal doesn't decide to join!

Reading is Fundamental

On friday, I had an epiphany. I realised a while ago, while playing English word bingo with my students, that the vast majority of them cannot read English. Wow. That is so dismaying. How are they supposed to learn to run when they haven't learned how to crawl? If I dwell too much on how the system here does not allow a student who has fallen behind to get some extra help... I may just lose it. I know that students in the U.S. also don't necessarily get the help that they need, but it is, in theory, available to them.

Anyway, knowing how poorly my students can read English, I devised a game that is not based on comprehension, but exclusively on reading. I printed out basic words, from things we've studied this year so far. These included the days of the week, months, clothes, and school subjects. I put the words on the blackboard with magnets, randomly. Then the class is divided into two teams. The students come up 2 at a time, one from each team. I say a word off of the board and they run up to grab the word, and win a point for their teams. It actually went over very well. The kids enjoyed themselves, and I felt like it was a game that I can use many times and it will help them with their reading abilities. It's hard to stay motivated and creative when you're surrounded by such dispair (on the part of my students that is) but I do my best. I would like to get my students to dream again and hope for something in life, but that might be a bit unrealistic. Anyway, I do my best.

Nickeled and Dimed

It's no secret to anyone who has talked to me or read my blog that my school is slightly less than forthcoming when it comes to matters of money. If being stingy and shady was an olympic event, they'd at least place in the top 3. I have decided that if they wish to nickel and dime me, that is ok. But, they can expect to be nickeled and dimed right back.

One strange thing in the pay scale for foreign teachers is that if you teach in what is considered to be a "rural" area, you get paid an extra $100 per month, and you get an extra week of vacation time. When I received my very first pay, over a year ago I asked about this and was told that Juksan isn't the country. Over the last year I've asked other teachers in other schools, and the concensus is that almost everyone in Anseong gets this bonus pay. Hell, teachers living in and working in the city of Anseong get this pay, but I didn't qualify when I teach in a village?

Since I'm leaving at the end of April (YEAH) I definitely need all the money I can get. In this mindset I contacted people at the province office. They explained to me that just because my school was in the country didn't qualify it for this rural pay bonus. The bonus actually has to do with what zone the school is in within the city (I know, it makes no sense). Korean teachers that work in these "rural" schools also get bonus points so that they can go work in the better city schools... kind of like a get out of jail free card.

I asked the art teacher if she gets points for working here. She does. I knew it! So, after a short e-mail to the province liason and a quick phone call confirming it, I am going to get this extra pay. The best part is that it is retroactive. Hey, at the end of the year that extra $2600 will be very useful. I should get the retroactive $1700 in my next paycheck. I'm pretty happy. My school now knows that I'm playing hard ball. I'm not some pushover, and I'm gonna get everything that I'm entitled to get.

Corn

Here is something that I've never seen in the U.S.A. In my last class today 5 boys had little ears of corn that were black, like Indian corn. They were pulling off kernels and throwing them at eachother. I kept collecting the corn kernels and throwing them out, but they'd just keep finding more corn to throw. I have to admit, although it was so incredibly annoying, it was really funny to see. Why corn? It's such a strange thing to throw at someone. It's never a dull moment here at Juksan Comprehensive High School.

First Day Back

Well, it's the first day back to school. First day of the second semester. Man, the students don't want to be here! They were absolutely horrible today, as is to be expected. I like to make it known though that I realy like my students. They are really good kids. They are horrible students, but they are good kids. I much prefer them outside of class. I try my best to form my opinions of them based only on their behavior outside of class.

It was very nice to come back to school today. It was nice to sit at my desk and to see all of the teachers. They were happy to see me, and many of them gave me a "long time no see" kind of greeting. So, that was nice. All of the problems, and there are many, that I have with my school do not involve the other teachers. All of the teachers here are great, and they really are nice people. It's too bad that all the other things at this school have to overshadow the decency of the teachers.

I was just informed that I have to write a "report" for my summer vacation. Mr. Yoo had me sign a paper that indicated my vacation days. Well, he didn't inform me that on this form it said I was doing research on Korean culture. This is paperwork that everyone has to do inorder to receive their vacation time. What is wrong with Korea? Can't we just have vacation time? The crazy thing is that this is not a real assignment. I just need to put something together, that's it. No one will ever read it, since it's in English. There is no length requirement. It's just busy work. Koreans love beaurocracy.

Welcome Back Kotter

Here I am, back in Korea. The first indicator that I was in Korea came in the men's room in the Incheon International Airport, when I heard someone hock up some phlegm and spit. Yup, that indicated to me that I was indeed back in Korea.

When I finally got back to my apartment, the power was not on. My landlord had shut off my power while I was away. I did not ask him to do this. As a result I found a freezer full of rancid rotten food that had been fermenting for 3 weeks. This was the perfect way to be welcomed back to a country that I do not want to be in.

The one thing that I did enjoy was seeing Victoria again yesterday and hearing about her trip to Italy, which was amazing and really energized her. My vacation made me realise how little I want to be here in Korea, hers made her happy to be back home in Korea and recharged her soul. That is the difference between her and I.