slagging korea (Eng/Kor)

Posted: 2003/08/08  By: bill (Views:3271)

I often wonder why people slag Korea so vehemently.  I really like it over there.  The weather
is not too bad.  There is really no street crime to speak of.  The food is not half bad.  The
people, although sometimes abrasive and annoying, are ok.  Harmless.  There's only one terrible
thing about Korea:  TEACHING.

Let's face it.  Teaching sucks.  I know for a fact that it sucks in Korea.  I know for a fact
that it sucks in America.  All the "pros" I work with also agree that it sucks.  You should
come and listen in at the teacher's lounge.  The vacation time is ok.  I have to give it that.
 But I find that all my vacation time is spent dreading the day when I have to go back and
TEACH.  I'm especially dreading it this year.  All my classes have over thirty students which
kind of sucks when I only have thirty desks.

It's ridiculous.  And my district doesn't have enough money for substitutes.  So when
teachers are sick--which is quite a bit--we go on an alternate schedule.  That means that
students from the sick teachers go to various classrooms to sleep or cause trouble.  I've had
students sitting on the floor because of lack of desks.  It's almost as stupid and worthless as
working in a hogwan.  The only difference is I get paid on time.  Also, I have to take my job
seriously, or I can get fired.  At least in Korea you don't have to worry about finding another
job if you get canned.  You can pick up another one in...5 minutes.

I hate teaching so much that I have various hairbrained schemes to get out.  For instance,
this summer I've been putting in applications to shipyards to be a yardhand.  You can laugh,
but they make more than teachers and have better insurance.  In a year or two, I figure I can
learn to weld and fit pipe.  I'm only in my early thirties.  Got a few years to try something
else. Well, I've had two interviews.  They practically laughed me out of the place.  Too much
education.

Let's face it.  If you worked for Samsung as an engineer, you wouldn't hate Korea.  If you
had your own moderately successful business, you wouldn't hate korea.  It would be paradise.
 Cheap taxis.  Pretty girls.  Chicken houses, pizza places all in walking distance.  You'd
never want to leave.  It's teaching that sours it.

This is my ultimate fantasy--which will never happen.  I walk into my high school, and the
principal wants to see me.  He then tells me to go take a flying fuck at a rolling donut.  "We
don't need you, Big Bill.  You're a real fucking asshole."  Bummer.  I then sell my house and
mini-van.  I move to Korea with my wife and baby.  I teach for 2 million won a month.  She
works as an LPN at a Chinese clinic for 1 million won.  Mother in law watches baby while we
work.  We bank my money for two years and end up with 52 million.  I spend three hours a day in
my off time brushing up on my pidgeon Korean.  We then purchase a small business for about
thirty million.  Maybe a chicken house.  I spend my nights delivering chicken on a motor
scooter in the dead of winter.

Would we make a lot of money?  Who knows.  But it sure sounds like a lot of fun.  It also
beats the fuck outta teaching--whether you're teaching in Korea, Pittsburgh, Vancouver, or
Mexico City.  That is how much of a pain in the ass teaching actually is.

Don't blame Korea for your misery.  Blame your job.  It sucks.