habits and Rules

The habits and manners and beliefs that one may find in the middle of KOREA.

A few questions.... Should certain concepts be held universally or should we all play the rules only in the environment? Do the values of a culture define an individual from another culture or do my own values with intrinsic value hold more weight?


Each day Korean people shave, dress up and wear formal attire under most professional settings including the classroom. Most teachers that are Korean happen to be women and thus we have a new set of rules and regulations that apply.

* I am going to talk about the dress code to begin with. According to my wife and maybe the entire nation of Korea teachers are supposed to be held to a higher standard that average citizens. This is a Confucius thought and sometimes I think its confusing even for Koreans to understand much less follow. Native instructors aren't held to the same beliefs as Korean teachers are but nevertheless they are still judged as being dirty if unshaven, unprofessional if they are wearing jeans, and always scrutinized as making too much money in contrast to their counterpart. I come from a culture who doesn't judge every nook or cranny of my appearance. While looking neat and being ready are important it doesn't make a man less professional for his facial hair. I think Koreans need to wake up and smell the coffee. They waste so much time comparing themselves to others. They can't see their own beauty and how alluring they can be. they also miss the point in what is truly important.


Today at my school I had a communication breakdown. The Agency refused to call me and deal with my new schedule so as a result I had to call them and straighten up my schedule. I believe that my bosses should always clue me in and tell me whats going on before they do it. I think that working for this agency requires more communication and if this doesn't happen I really believe in finding a new job. I am after all an ESL conversation teacher-Communication is the main emphasis of my job. It isn't much but there is something. I heard that they were afraid to deal with an English person over the phone what kind of lunatic ass bullshit is that?


I hope you are laughing your ass off because this company really hocks some lame shit. I want to take their ties and strangle them and take their fancy suit coats and shove it up their asses. I can't believe that a country thinks that a boss can escape talking to their employers. I personally was just going to take the day off since nobody seemed to think I was important enough to talk to.


This country for all of its magical wonders and things that they have overcome have a lot to learn. I really am not so negative but I hate living under these conditions I want something better. I want things the way that they were for me when I was growing up. I think that there needs to be a lot of changes soon.


I taught 4 classes today and its starting to all run together just like the Gumi days. Kids don't appreciate what effort I do. I am literally a pretender in the classroom. I teach some interesting things and show kids important ideas but like today nobody was listening. The Korean teacher wasn't doing anything. There is no sense of co-teaching at all.

I show up 30 minutes before my classes. There is no assistance waiting for me. I get a 5 minute lecture and then its go time. I can't really figure out the system. Mr. Jeong had control, and he showed communication. YBM had a system Levels 1-5 this school has nothing. There is just a long walk looking for coins while waiting for the 50 minutes to end.


MY habits are writing a blog and spouting my feelings about the bullshit that happens. Its unfortunate that there is more negative things here than positive. Sadly, I hate working here because there is nothing but whining complaining and a road to nowhere. yet again