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Published: January 15th 2008
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Just because..
...I thought I should add a picture.
And I thought you should all know that I'm still laughing at this situation! It hasn't even been a month into the new year and it's been quite the trip so far. Let's see where do I even begin. How about the ever popular, never ending topic of work and my psycho boss? After telling him that I was quitting, I wrote him an email to have something in writing and to remind him that my last day would be February 14. We didn't talk about it since then and things have been ok. I was just assuming that he cooled off and that he was looking for another teacher to replace me. So last week I went to talk to him to see if he would be cool with me leaving just four days earlier. He flipped out! He looked me dead in the eye and said that I made him angry. Somehow he misread my email and was under the impression that I was working until the end of February. After freaking out a little more and yelling at me like I was his teenage daughter, he told me that he wasn't going to pay me for the month of January and February. I asked him why and he said that if I was going to make things hard for him, he was going to make things hard for me. He once again said that I wouldn't be able to work anywhere else and would not sign a letter of release. At this point, his wife walked in and when she found out, she really lost it. She was throwing stuff and yelling saying something about how I was a bad person and that I do whatever I want. He called immigration again and gave them my passport number. I left to teach. When I walked by him again, he was yelling, screaming on the phone. I’m not sure what they told him.
Later this week I find out that my recruiter, emailed my uncle (who was CC’d to the email) to see who he was. My uncle told her that she needs to talk to me about matters that regard me.
I've been trying to figure out what to do next, and have decided that staying at my apartment might not be the best option considering the fact that he is renting the place for me. So for the past week I've been staying at my co-workers house and officially moved in yesterday. Betty said I could stay for as long as I needed. She said she enjoys having me over, since she gets bored. It’s been different, I haven't lived with anyone in over 2 years and she lives in a studio apartment. It's been ok though. She's gone most weekends visiting her boyfriend and we don't see much of each other during the week because of work. She went back to her hometown tonight and I was starting to feel like I was overstaying my welcome. But she sent me a text message saying sorry she had to go back home and wanted to hang out and be there for me (with the situation that happened today) and that we would hang out this weekend. I told her that I hope she didn’t feel like I was kicking her out and she said that was not the case. Communication is key when living with a friend.
So the situation that happened today: after talking to my boss last week and nothing getting resolved. I decided to go in early and talk to him and tell him that I was ok with working until February 15 but that I was expecting to get paid. In the middle of our conversation, he gets on the phone and calls my uncle. WTF?! Why are they bringing my family into this shit? After more yelling, I told him not to yell at me and to talk to me like an adult. I asked what would be better, me leaving now or next month. Once I finally got it through their head that I couldn’t work after the 15th I told them that if I didn’t get paid in full on time this month, I would not be returning to work on February 1st.
So why am I staying? If I don’t have any obligations to them? I contemplate this question daily, and the one and only answer is because the teachers. Not the kids and not because I want to do what’s right, but because if I leave, it’s more work for my coworkers and friends. I feel like since I’ve been there, we have all become such great friends. I’ve been telling them from day one that there is a life out there outside of GnB and that they are good enough to get a job and worth more respect than they are getting right now. Betty has come to see this and will be leaving with me. She’s already got another job! Rick, the vice director just told my boss today that he would be leaving at the end of February. So if anything, I’m staying for them. And if my being here for the past three months has helped them see that they can do better and changes their life, it’s been worth it.
I’ve been thinking so much about this icky work situation that I’m making myself sick. It just needs to be over. I’m going to work and doing nothing more than what is expected of me. (Which according to them today is not good enough anymore.)
Outside of work, I’ve been dealing with a break up. Yeah, I’m finally admitting it after it is over. That for the past month and a half I’ve been dating this guys and it officially ended. It’s been hard, but I’ve been dealing. I guess I didn’t realized how much I like him until it was gone. But it’s for the better and it just wasn’t meant to be. We are two different people, from two different worlds temporarily thrown into this world called Korea. Here we are ok, but outside of this bubble that we currently live in, it just wasn’t going to work out. And this time, it’s not good enough for me.
But you know what, things can only get better. I’ve been hanging out with my one and only girlfriend a lot the past few weeks. It’s been nice to have someone to vent to and just talk to about life in general. She has been very helpful. I’ve been meeting her friends and have been enjoying my time here on the weekends. 4 ½ weeks left and then I’m Seoul bound. I am so freaking excited!
Peace and love
Susan
PS: I'm glad that my drama and experiences are entertaining some of you at work right now.
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Cho
non-member comment
awww babygirl! I can't believe he's being such an ass. Errr actually, I can believe it since some really traditional Koreans are almost impossible to work with. Hang in there and hopefully this month will FLY by for you! I love you and so glad that you have Betty there for you. Stay warm!