I Don't Think That Means What You Think It Does.

There are so many situations that really make me question the level of these Korean teachers. There are just too many times when a conversation seems to go so horribly wrong for no other reason than a single sentence was mistranslated. Other times, we are left sitting and waiting for promises to be fulfilled. Are they just really good pretenders? Maybe they don't really know that much at all.

Tooly was fired twice and promised a plane ticket home. He has been unemployed and loitering for the last 2 weeks and finally decided to come in and see what was up.

R: "Oh! You have students waiting for you at the other school."
T: "Ruby... I was fired two weeks ago..."
R: "Yes, but you are going to teach kindergarten at the other school? You need to have at least 4 students for us to pay you the same amount."
T: "I think I would really rather just get back home."
R: "You don't want to teach them? You are quitting?"
T: "...it's not quitting. Remember? I was fired...? I just came in to ask about when I can expect that plane ticket home that we talked about."
R: "Oh, we didn't realize that you wanted to go home. No... we can't buy you a ticket. They are very expensive."

That's not what "fire" means, lady. Granted, this is a different country, society and work environment, but firing generally involves the removal of an individual from their position in a company. It tends to mean the dismissal of said individual. That usually cuts off relations with that former employee. But it doesn't seem to mean that here.

I have long suspected that Narky doesn't really know anything, but I think he knows this. Maybe he's just playing the Dumb Korean card the way I play the Dumb Foreigner card. Sometimes he says things, fully expecting that I will have to agree instead of argue to get my way. He is the boss's brother. Is it really worth the effort?

When he comes in to inform me at 9:15 that I will be starting my wednesday at 12pm, yes. I think it's definitely worth a "no." If I didn't have to stay til 11pm every night, I might be more sympathetic. No way in H am I putting in an 11 hour work day without some kind of overtime.

N: "Erin, do you remember that you have class tomorrow at noon?"
E: "Remember? No. I definitely don't have class at noon."
N: "Oh. Remember? Your two girls cannot come at 2, so you are going to come at 12? I thought you knew?"

Can't possibly remember something that never made it that far down the grapevine. And, no, I can't make it.
N: "What? Can't...?"
E: "Can't make it, no. I have things that I do in the morning, so I can't make it."
N: "...Did you told somebody?"
E: "I didn't realize that I was teaching a class at noon, but if someone had mentioned it, then, yes, I would have told them that I can't work at noon."
N: "But... remember..."
I am convinced you don't know what that word means. You actually need to experience something to recall it. "Remember" isn't something you say to inform me that you messed up and forgot to tell me back when you were scheduling this.

I could hear the exact moment that Ruby heard Narky's version of this conversation. I could hear her little hissy fit all the way back in the Teacher's Lounge. It was unreal. In between yelling things like "We are professional!" at the top of her lungs and stamping her feet and crying and shrieking in rapid Korean, she was throwing things all around the counter and her office. It was all I could do not to go out there and call her mother. I wouldn't have been surprised to see her fling herself down on the floor, kicking and screaming while spinning in a circle and hitting the ground with balled fists.

How could I ever have been afraid of that? Professional? Just another word they obviously aren't using correctly...

I was waiting for her to come back there and confront me. Having waited 4 weeks for her to return my things and having worked 10 hour days since I got back from vacation, I was actually excited about the confrontation. I'd like to see what happens to this school without me. It's not like I think I'm the best or anything, but I actually had students still hanging around for this. I would love to hear the version they explain to their parents about why Erin Teacher is no longer a New School employee.

It never came to that. I was amazed to find out that the screaming wasn't even about me. Oh man, Erin's lost her marbles...

No, I haven't. It's true. My roommate caused this little snafu. Actually, if we're being perfectly honest, Ruby did it to herself. Or Narky did it.

Anyways, Narky interrupted Britt's class to tell her that she was going to be teaching this class at noon.

B: " Sorry, I can't. I have a Skype date with my parents so I can't come in."

Then the screaming really took off.

Narky came back a few minutes later.
N: "I really think that you should come in tomorrow at noon."
B: "Narky I can't..."
He looks back over his shoulder.

N: "I REALLY think that you should come in tomorrow."
B: "Fine. I'll do what I can. In the future, you should know that it is very difficult to schedule times to speak with my parents. They work in a gold mine. Their schedules are completely different from each other's and mine, so it is almost impossible to speak to them both at the same time. I would like more warning than 15 hours next time. I'm happy to help when I can, but I need to know in advance."

She's still in the naive phase. The place where you believe that anything you say will have a lasting impression on them. She'll get over it. We all did. They'll do it again. "No," is really the only thing that makes any lasting impression.

Did I realize that someone would be teaching this class in my place? Of course. Did I know that my roommate would be the next name on the list? I expected it, but I forgot a couple key pieces of information. My roommate doesn't have her passport and can't say no. Even with a legitimate excuse (and certainly one that trumped my ambiguous "things" remark) she still had little choice but to bend to Ruby's will and come in 2 hours early for work.

I guess I feel bad about it. But the chick only has 1 class on wednesdays. She should be the first person they approach with crazy class time requests. I'm not going back to the days when I had to both open and close the school.

I should be worried about my job, I guess. But, hey, they just fired someone. They can't really afford to toss another teacher out on their butt.

Can it really be called tossing? I think I'd be walking out willingly.

Oh man, can you imagine? An 11 hour work day. This woman MUST be off her rocker.

I do prefer the Lounge after all the other teachers have gone though. I love how Narky comes in like he's the god of air cons everywhere and turns it off before he leaves. It's not like that has any effect. Just means I have to walk back over and turn it back on the second he rounds the corner.

How foolish. As if you have any control over the air conditioner after you leave. If you stuck around til crazy late, you could have some, but since you peace out first, you get no say.

I get this strange satisfaction from turning the air conditioner back on. Am I just trying to start things?

Maybe.