Dec 11, 2006

I feel bad that I haven't blogged for such a long time and the one time I decide to blog, it's about my crappiest day ever. The epitome of Monday blues in conjunction with a dash of just pure bad luck. Plus I feel like I'm coming down with something since my throats a bit sore.

One of the biggest thing that is so hard to get used to in Korea is the last minute planning. Nothing is absolute until it has come and gone. It requires you to be so flexible and so patient. It wouldn't be such a problem except that you have to be prepared for everything and be prepared that everything is going to change.

For example. My teacher's class. 10 people signed up for each class. Even on the first day only 6 ppl showed up in each class. Only because the vice principal signed up himself so they were told they had to by the principal. Well... to date 6 people show up.. but the class has now merged into one and at times NOBODY SHOWS UP because they have some sort of excursion. Nobody thought to tell me. I've photocopied so much material and printed things that have gone to waste. such as printing out horoscopes. I don't even plan anymore. I will go online and just print whatever is out there to do but I refuse to put the extra effort on nobody showing up WITHOUT warning.

Today was one of those days where it was one change after another. Way too many for me to cope with. My day was essentially composed of a rollercoaster of emotions.
I walked into a room that was completely covered in saw dust, with wood planks all over. My coteacher was completely surprised as well. We had been told that renovation was going to happen before winter holidays. NOBODY TOLD US WHEN. We had to spend that morning running around getting all our essentials out of the room, rearranging our necessary supplies into the staff room which only has one computer that is to be shared by the two of us. I was then told that I had to have my camp plans finished by the middle of this week. I managed to defer it to the end of this week. But given that my coteacher has a lot of work as well and there is ONE computer between the two of us. It is going to be very interesting. I've decided to bring my laptop into school.

Second. I was told that I would only have to do one week children's camp. That I would not have to teach adults. I have come to the conclusion that I don't really enjoy teaching adults as much as i enjoy teaching children. Especially the adults here. They're more stoic and less daring. They've got so much more insecurities and judge so much more than the kids. They're also very uniform in terms of opinions. I tried so many times to open a discussion but each time it didn't last long since almost everybody thought the same. ugh.. My coteacher then tells me today that I would have to do a teacher's class because the headteacher insisted. I went through a slight panic moment since there were 2 choices for days and I had nothing prepared and the deadline to hand the lesson plans in was very short. That got resolved because the principal didn't really want to do any teachers class. Thank god. He said that it was more headache and if it was possible to refuse than I was to refuse.

Third. I had asked my VP about a month back about my vacation and what I would have too. I was told that I wouldn't have to come into the school on the days that I don't have camp. I thought I had struck gold and I was sooooo happy. The contract stipulates that we have to be in the school from 9-5 and teaching 22hrs a week. However no teacher wants to do this either and since my contract says I must be accompanied by a coteacher it would be interesting to see who they ask to accompany me. They don't get paid any extra for missing out on their vacation time. which is stupid if u ask me.. Today I was told that I would have to go in AND on top of that, they wanted me to try to make more classes so that I would at least be close to the 22 hrs. Plus on top of that even if I did have 22 hrs in the time that I don't have class I would still have to stay till the end of my shift... in an empty school freezing to death. I know that on one hand I really shouldn't complain because it was on the contract. but it was the fact that all the news got laid on me today, the last minute changes, the disappointment, the stupidity of everything. I could only see red... and blue of course..

However at this point I've calmed down a lot. I was really pissed off at Anne because when I was telling her what happened she was saying that I was taking it particularly hard and that it WAS in fact laid out in my contract. I just felt that I had the right to be pissed in light of everything. That I wasn't mad that I was now getting what everybody else was getting. I wasn't comparing myself to anybody else. I was just mad at how things changed so suddenly. and the fact that they were going back on what they told me. It was just very disappointing. And the fact that she was telling me this also ticked me off since this was one of the FEW times I complained since being here. I know I had it good but there were things that peeved me but I didn't complain about it. And I felt like she was judging me and telling me I shouldn't complain when in fact I had listen to her complain about how I got extra appliances that wasn't part of the contract. In any case I think she understood it more when I explained it more. I wasn't looking for sympathy.. just needed to vent.

Well that was about all for today. But I feel like I should end this on a good note. So .. despite all the bad thats happened today, I wanted to talk about my cooking. I've discovered that I have a hidden talent. I'm actually not that bad a cook. I've discovered that I actually enjoy cooking more for others than when I have to cook for myself. I've also discovered that I am starting to like cooking. I find myself from time to time thinking about what I want to make for the evenning. I'm actually very proud of myself.
Also, Belinda's here! She's coming over on Thursday evenning and we're gonna hit up Seoul for some late night partying!! Things are looking up already!

Also, Nem's visiting again soon as well and finally the best news of all.... I'M GOING TO THAILAND!! booked my plane ticket and got a pretty solid deal on it... There is a light at the end of the tunnel.