Final Day Hurrah! Yongho passing

So I finished my stint at TTI! I am happy to get out of that company. I went to Shinjae, Yongho, a school near PNU (once) and Anmin. Anmin went from the best to the definite worst.


I worked with Clare and Zed. Clare quit due to a tiff with TTI. MY wife came in and it went from being fun to immediately stressful. The head teacher Zed is to blame for this. Her battles and complaints trickled down to the foreigners: Me who is of course married to my wife and my friend Mike who goes on walks with us each night.

I called in sick twice because of 1. feeling bad 2. having to work with Zed. I got punished for that because I broke the contract. TTI doesn't give a shit about my health they don't want to talk to me nor do they want to hear about my problems. I chose to quit and the sad thing is, is that the teachers at Yongho are really sad to see me go.


I told them that they can thank TTI for that and they told me they would tell TTI how wonderful it was to work with me. I am a great teacher-I try to hard and always showed up on time. I never complained about the time, the place etc. I only care about how people treat me and the help that I am required.


So I am going to Seoul in T-10 minutes I am almost out the door headed to Gupo train station where we will go to Gumi for the night Sadly. I don't want to go there since its just a family emergency zone all the time.


when my wife learns that Family is to be enjoyed and not an excuse to run off to when things are difficult I can perhaps enjoy Gumi.


I am not sad to be leaving work and I look forward to a brand new start come August!


Happy Summer Vacation and safe travels

A Korean Funeral-GOK

This weekend marked a new passage in my tenure in Korea. Sadly, my wife's uncle past away. I had only met him once and it was under duress. He was in the hospital and under the care of the nurses around the clock. I held his hand to give him some hope.


Going to the hospital is a very hard thing for me to do. I nearly died in a hospital when I was born and it is also where I spent the first 2 weeks of my life. Each time I have been there the corridors smell like death. In Korea the patients walk around carrying a pole attached to an oxygen tank. There is a hole in one's neck which is supposedly to help them eat, breathe etc better. I don't know much about Korean medicine or healthcare but from what I have seen its not something I want to become fond of.


After working late at YBM (6pm) my wife and I left for Gumi with her brother. We went to the hospital where the memorial was being held.


I had to bow to his mantel to honor his memory. I want to speak my mind here and say that I feel so sorry for the family. Its not easy going to a funeral. I went to a few of them back in the states to pay respects. In our culture its a lot different and despite living in Korea I wish I could be given a wide platitude when it comes to cultural practices. I hate myself for doing things that are unnatural. I already have to cow toe to these people but when I have to do things that make me uncomfortable I feel there is something wrong.


At the funeral I barely talked to anyone I was lost in my own thoughts and was trying not to think to much about my surroundings. I heard Gok which is the wailing of broken hearts. I truly understand that its a funeral and I would be balling my eyes out if I had known the guy.


the funeral put things into perspective for me though. It showed me that time is limited and we should try to make better use of the time. No job, no stress nothing is worth being miserable. Life is way to short. It also told me that I should do more for my family and friends. I felt I didn't value my friends well enough in the time since I have moved to Korea. I left behind many good relationships and for all of that I have been lost and confused in this country.



So here I am now I think that I have a lot more things to think over between now and my next post. The event of the funeral makes me have a lot of questions still to answer


I really want your comments and maybe some questions...

8 days and counting

Well, here is a situation I never thought I would find myself in. I signed 3 contracts in Korea. I gave them all 100%. I stayed 2 extra months with no additional contract signed or additional money for services. I was young and naive I didn't try to get more for what I did and I didn't care. I made money.
I grew up and went to YBM i did more than my fair share of work only to be shown the door when my contract terminated. Just like that-no chance and no real way to communicate my feelings. I had to sign again with another company 3rd times a charm right? Well they turned out to be the worst agency I have ever worked for. I quit after completing half my contract. I won't receive any bonus or rewards for staying.


Today they called me up and tried to take away my vacation day next week on account that I am quitting soon. I told them in a text that this is impossible. I have earned that vacation day and they haven't treated me well enough to make me want to work more.

Currently I work 4 days at Anmin. 2 of them are with the head teacher who is a nutcase and doesn't do anything constructive. The other 2 days are with a new teacher who is unfortunately going to get burned in this system. They make me teach a combined class with another Korean teacher 2 times a week when I am in her classroom. There is no extra pay and no reason to do this but they need to save money and use the good ole handy foreigner. A white puppet on strings.


I refuse to play that game anymore. I am officially walking away from this asap. I will start my next job which is looking like a business English deal for one hour each day for YBM. talk about ironies. They really needed me and even though they gave me the heave oh I am coming back to save their sorry asses so they can earn another few thousand. I just hope I can do this and make it work out in my already hectic schedule.


This is a short post as my wife is hopefully back to Busan (Gupo) by now and should be hitting the subway asap.


I am waiting for her to call. I will head out in a little bit.


Well here is tomorrow TTI the next call is on you.

When people can stop propagating ESL just for sheer profit and can treat people civilly then I will give Korea my respects.

I hate Korea and wish I never came here. I married a woman who is very bright but suffers from too much patriotism. I never once will say America is so Great. But I will say that I can understand America because I haven't seen the same type of survival behavior as I do here.


I can go to America and live a dream whatever that dream is. In Korea people have no dreams. Everywhere I go its all about Money. Its sickening.

Korean Culture, July and a month of updates

i am such a bad blogger after wanting to be similar to one of my favorite writers as a child (Ann Landers) I seem to have developed a writers cramp where I only speak thoughts in my dreams. Well lets get started.

Before this month got underway I had high tensions with my workplace. 4 hours a day, no need to prepare anything, and a great salary is almost too perfect to ask for. The truth is that Koreans expect more than what is expected. I am no longer slamming Korea like the current monsoon torrent is but rather stating the obvious. These people want solutions to the problems that they cause but when some are offered they refuse to listen.

I had one meeting with them at their base. I wanted to discuss teaching methods, and possible solutions instead I got a lets be friends spiel with my mortal enemy and the problem of the school and thus bing botta boom I quit. They didn't welcome me in any fashion and they didn't open their eyes, heart, ears, or anything else when I was present.


Work front is almost over I will be finished for good at the end of this month. Unfortunately my future is still up in the air as my University job fell through.

Its been a little longer than  a week since I last wrote...

I got sick a few days ago and took another sick day. It happened to fall on a day where I was with the bad teacher. The new teacher that replaced my wife is awesome for me. She doesn't care too much about teaching. She relaxes and takes her time, and she does some of the work. I start 10 minutes late at least, and watch a movie for another 10 minutes at the end. At most I teach 20 minutes I like it!

Homefront- My wife's family spent the night here 2 kids her sister and brother in law. We have just a one room house. In America this is so rude because I can't have any privacy. I don't care where I live I still deserve some privacy. Where I come from someone doesn't go up to someone else from another culture and just say or do something that they know is wrong. I wouldn't go up to a Japanese person and tell him that Korea is the best Asian country etc etc. Family is family but people are people too, I find it difficult to change my clothes, do the things I would normally do like sit shirtless typing etc. etc.

Nevertheless it was good to see them but its even better that I know can enjoy a few hours of solace to myself.

I have been watching a lot of online tv shows, and now I have some dvds to watch as well. Mike gave them to me. We have been talking a lot about our jobs and futures and it will be interesting to see what will pawn out tomorrow when I go down the tridden trodden path into hell.


I am looking forward to August because I can have some time to think and clear my head. I need to sit down and have a post muerte period again. Unfortunately, maybe not in Japan nor back in the States. The US is making me angry....


Frankly, I don't see any jobs really opening up, I don't hear much good news from yahoo.com or home from anyone I am mortified because I am stuck until 2012 hopefully that's it. I hate it here. I had a fight about that a few days ago. I am willing to endure and able to wait but I don't see any signs of going back not from me but from my wife. I would take the next jet out of here if I could.


My wife posed a weird question: If I could make 8 thousand a month would I stay longer? I would rather be happy and living a fruitful life where people can speak my verbage and actually care what they are doing instead of going through the motions.


enough said time to drop another post on my lack of readers

Independence Day

Its been nearly 2 weeks since my last post.
The world cup is still going strong. America played really well but fell short losing to Ghana 2-1. Donovan is a new hero of mine and because of how well they played it made me wish I could be a soccer player. I actually do hope that I can return to my old form and show my city/country/maybe even the world that I can be an athlete and compete on a certain level.

I am still stuck in Korea though and for the time being I have to endure the time. It passes all too quickly in the short run and too slow in the long run. I have to be here for another year or so I am not sure yet. I wish I could just pack my bags and take the next flight home but here I am.

I quit my job last week. I will be finishing this after school program as of July 28th. I will also take a few sick days between now and then so I will have a little bit more time off. I hate the people I have become surrounded by. I don't know if I am just inviting trouble or if trouble likes to follow me.

In 3 years of Korea I have left one job after staying two extra months for my wife then girlfriend, got booted after completing my 1 year contract. I went above and beyond the called duties since I liked that company. Finally, I signed a contract with an old woman who later sold her share to the head company and after talking to me one time about some negative things they put me in an ugly spotlight eventually leading to my declaration of independence. Win some lose some I guess.

Tomorrow I am headed out the door around 10am to get a private lesson in Yeonsan dong. From there I work with the head Bitch teacher for 4 hours before going back home. I am happy now because my wife also quit her job and she had enough sense to get out before it turned nasty. Her last day was Friday. I hope that the agency pays her on time and in full.

Other than going over to Mike Anderson's house almost every night to play cards, complain about TTI (my company), drink, watch soccer, and play with his kids not a whole lot going on. I am happy to say that I am getting reconnected with some old chums from Somers, Kalispell, and days long past. I just heard from a buddy that I hadn't talked to in 12+years wow i am getting old.

Well time to hit the sack more soon!

World Cup Extravaganza

Yet again its been a long time coming... 

I seem to not be able to find much time to write a post and explain what is going on around Korea or at least in my neck of the woods. 

Its currently, 2pm on a Sunday and my wife is sound asleep with a bit of a cold I myself am not much better I have had the aches for 3 days and should have stopped working but decided to push on through. The weather is so damn humid its unbearable and there is nothing really to do since my wife just sleeps.

The world cup has hit Korea like a mad monsoon and the sight of Go Red Devils is everywhere. Sadly, I have no desire to cheer for a team whose country has done nothing good for me. I watched both their games with my friend Mike and his family and of course with my wife. I hoped for Argentina and was happy when Korea lost. 

America has no loses, and no wins. Korea has lost! 

Since the world cup is only played every 4 years I have got caught up in the spirit of things and am anxious to see how my team America will do against Algeria next week! 

Before you continue reading and are dismayed that I would so callously flaunt Korea I will tell you the recent events...

1. My wife terminated her job which will be officially over at the end of the month. She still hasn't received pay for her first month of services. She has gone above the call of duty which at times has neglected me, herself and has done more for this job than they in turn have done for us, especially her. 

2. I didn't get paid for the second time since I started work for them. I am supposed to be paid on the 18th regardless of the situation. This means I wait 50 days for a pay check for working 20-23 days depending on the month. I won't work this next week either due to being sick, not paid or because I want to quit. 

3. In Korea nobody takes care of each other, its dog eat dog world and besides that the primary motivation is money. My friend went to Thailand and was telling me about the poverty he came across. In Korea there are rich people operating their own businesses and standing next to them are people out of the 1930's looking like they live in a hooverville. I am astounded by the treatment of people here and I am shocked that drinking a vitamin C bottle and going to work is the cure when one is sick rather than taking an actual sick day. 

Work before health WTF? 

My wife and I are slowly losing our health and meanwhile my bank is on freeze, my teaching is shoddy and no one cares about my wishes so I say FUCK KOREA. 

I really hate this country I don't care what other people think about me or Korea but I really hate it here. I should up and go but I can't yet. 

Hope you like the new post

Read more about Jay leno, ann landers and more to follow asap

Existence

         Where have I been the last few weeks? I really wonder myself. I last posted about a trip to Iggidae which was at least 2 weekends ago. In short I have been busy-swamped with assignments ranging from YBM, Anmin, Yongho, privates, family affairs you name it I got it.


Maybe I have also grown tired of my daily bantering and diatribes of Korean affairs that leave my followers with questions and doubts about my experiences.




it is at this time 10:55pm on a Thursday night that I'd like to give my readers some revelations, news, and nuggets of factoids in Nicks' corner of the world. 


Fact one, I am not the greatest writer nor am I a great blogger. I have some sketchy views of Korea, the world, teaching etc. and sometimes I havent been able to express myself well. I really wish I had more readers so I could make this a more interesting site and make a way for real communication to take place but I guess I have to do with the hand that I have been dealt. 




As far as teaching goes I have mentioned it before and I will say it again-Frankly I hate kids. More than that I hate the mentality and thought processes behind the Korean education system. In a society that pays Koreans based on number of students and not on the amount of hours worked its no wonder that more academies don't go out of business.




Lately the approach to teaching kids has been play as many games as possible. The kids clamor game game and the teachers spoon feed them all in the hopes that they don't drop their classes. No one teaches in an earnest manner and its all about Lookism rather than professionalism, moralism, or proper etiquette. 


If I had a child I would be appalled at my son or daughter's class and I'd drop the program in a heartbeat. Well, Americans don't need to worry about that right? 


Public schools are paid by the government and all programs are followed in standard national protocol. All national holidays are same throughout the nation so if a kid in high school in Texas is going to meet his or her friend in New York they should have the smae vacation time in the summer.  Not here. 




Here is my current situation. I work at a middle school, where I work at most 4 hours. I work with my wife and another teacher. The other teacher doesn't do anything for my benefit. She doesn't assist me in class, prep the lessons, discuss anything with me whatsoever. All she does is jibber jabber on her mouthpiece about the number of students and whatever the reasons are its only about her SALARY. 


We are paid to teach, but apparently she is paid to keep the little children happy and just in the class. False praises, games, no yelling or discipline, treats, =bribery. I can't believe it. 




My wife doesn't take that kind of treatment. She has told the kids to stay home if they don't want to be there. She tries to teach really hard and as a result some of the kids don't like her. 




I flat out have given up in my teaching. I saw or witnessed rather some money exchange between the students and the teacher in order to pay for their new books. If they didn't pay then this means my wife and the other teacher can't get paid. My wife is now a debt collector besides being a teacher, housewife, and all the other roles she has. Can't the business divvy up assignments isn't that what office clerks are for? They are supposed to collect money. 




ok so here it is, a textbook costs 13,000 won($13) it had been reduced to 12,500 but parents couldn't pay on time and they still moaned about the cost. It was lowered again to 12,300. The gall of some people. Bitching about money and showing the kids what all of this is about. 




Looks like a bright and successful future. 




Nick why don't you just quit your job you hate it so much right? 
Well I am trying to find a new job, but job hunting is a little hard at the moment. I am sending resumes to some Universities and waiting for my saviour YBM. 


My real glory will come when I can leave the shit hole for something more exciting. 




Pardon my French and I know that I will be blasted for calling Korea a shit hole but its really an abomination to everything I grew up believing. 


On a different note I nearly got ran over 3 times today since people can't follow basic procedures like 1. Crosswalk. 2. Red light.   3. Walk on the right side of the road. 4. Say excuse me. 


I am complaining yet again but I am truly justified. 




Lastly, its my own fault for coming here in the first place but Koreans are trapped with their own world bubble. Korea is the best, and there just isn't anything else quite good enough. Korea is a developing country and hasn't learned the art of borrowing. Plainly and simply. 




I am not prejudiced, biased or egotistical but I yearn for a true American life where things make more sense there. I never was patriotic before now. I never once was too proud of my homeland but after seeing people here reject outsiders and other ideas  I am unhinged at what a nation Korea is becoming.