All we can do is laugh

Sometimes you just have to blog these things as a reminder of the shite we have to put up with as teachers in a hogwon in Korea... there has been so many of them that I havent that in the dying period I have left I probably should get as many down on the virtual paper as possible. Today, thus far, has been one of them!

We had to be at the school for 9:15 for a mystery schedule change that we hadnt been informed of until leaving on the Friday, so it put a downer on the day. We all arrive to find we now have 2 block sessions in the morning for 80 minutes before lunch with the same class which is just hell. I had Berkeley first, the UC "HELL" A, a class that in my 6 months tenure as teacher, I havent taught once. To add insult to injury, the "lesson plan" is vague at best, so as soon as we find this out we're trying to form plans of action.

But before we can even get to the photocopier, the moody bitch tells us that we have to go down to greet the children as the get off the shuttle bus. Theres 6 teachers greeting 4 buses, plus the teachers/assistants as they get off the bus. Common sense isn't a Korean strong point. Its another dogs dinner of a decision, and more of the bull shit we didnt sign up for.

In any case, Berkeley were great and UCLA were a nightmare.. that class must die in a fire. I started to make a wildlife scene with Berkeley which was fun, and spent 80 minutes beating kids with my stick in UCLA. Then lunch, then the next piece of crap, another mystery art lesson...

I have 8 kids in Cornell and I was told that each one of them had a seperate art project to do in 40 minutes. What a crock of shit.. this "art" lesson includes finger paints, craft paper, scissors etc in a random amount for each child, and I have to help each one of them do something completely different! Oh the joys!! At least I had the oldest children, poor Hayley and Michael had 11 kids each in younger classes!

It was a painfully slow 40 minutes, and now, at 1:40pm I have my first break of the day.. lunch doesnt count as I have to work through that too. Stupid Wonderland...

The Last Straw

So Im due to get on the shuttle bus this morning at 8:30 for my weekly shuttle bus duty that some "genius" here thinks will somehow promote the school and get us extra staff. We "get paid" for this hour of sitting there but as we are all still no where near our 110 hour limit to get paid extra it really makes no difference to our pay. I dont really have so much of an issue with it other than its a complete waste of my time, and means that we have one grumpy teacher thats had to be up about 90 minutes earlier than they would normally start a day but according to Kim, its only for a month (bullsh1t... )

Anyway, last week the bus was a no show for Mike. He was pissed and told them straight that it was bullshit and if theyre gonna make us do this then at least have the damn buses show up. This morning it was my turn...

Emily comes down at 8:55am and ive been waiting at least 30 minutes... were due to get picked up at 8:30am at the school and we were there at 8:20-8:25, coffee in hand, waiting. Mikes bus shows at 8:25 and he jumps on with the old man, mine this week is a complete no show.

I get upstairs to a sour faced bitch and shes trying to make out its my fault.. can you believe the cheek of some people. She tells me its "impossible" and "was I there at 8:30 on the dot". I practically feel like telling her to get f*cked right there and then... I sternly tell her that Mike got on the bus at 8:25 so yes, we were there at 8:20, a full 10 minutes prior to our supposed departure time. After a few more sour looks and squirming she calls the woman on the shuttle bus, 30 seconds later I get a broken sorry and it crawls back into its shell. I say nothing, smile crudely, turn and walk... *parents cover your eyes now* F*CK THIS F*CKING SCHOOL!

Mike got hugs and apologies and although fake as hell, its typical of the way I'm treated by her. I'm obviously too stupid to get on a bus, or even tell the time in her eyes... I mean like all foreigners out here that work, we must have fluked our degrees or something! I am done.... really I am!

On a lighter note Amy has sorted her visa extension... we just have to book something and take proof of the ticket back to the Korean Immigration Office and they will sort it for them. Praise the Lord...