White Flag

Korea. You win. I am throwing up the white flag. And I would also like to add a FUCK YOU. Wish I could think of stronger words to curse you, but I am exhausted from fighting for what I believe is morally right and what I rightfully deserve after signing my life away. But Toto, we're not in America anymore.

For anyone who wants to work in South Korea as an English teacher, make sure you seal all the cracks so that your employer can't find loopholes to screw you over. Even when you think you've got it all covered, always keep your guard up. Teaching in Korea was definitely a wake up call.

When I worked as an English teacher at an Eikaiwa in Japan, the contract was straight forward and perfect. All i's were dotted and t's were crossed. But of course, being the paranoid person that I am, I was still very cautious and made sure that when I got sucked into an interview during my break time, I was given extra time the next day or I was able to leave work early even if it was just 10 minutes. They were straight forward about paid vacations and sick days. There were no ifs ands or buts about any of it. That is how it should be. Korea needs to get over Takeshima/Dokdo and learn a thing or two from Japan.



Well, those of you were willing to lend an ear while I worked at the hagwon in Seoul, you know that I practically got fucked in the ass. I'm sorry. That's gross, but that's pretty much what it was. Every chance that my director got, she took money from me. Not only that, but where I lived for a year was embarrassing, and she should be ashamed of herself for taking advantage of foreigners. And the nerve of her crying about where her daughter lived whiled she went to school in Canada. There was no front yard for her to play in? I'd like to be able to take a shower separated and away from my toilet, please. If this was America and she ran that business of hers, she would be accused of human trafficking. Instead of sex, she worked us as English speaking slaves.

When it came to family who came to visit, I got "Well, Korean teachers don't have family days." Well, no shit Sherlock. Their family fucking lives in Korea!!! If you say I get personal days, then give me my fucking personal days. Japan wouldn't pull shit out of their asses to coerce us to work and never get personal days.

And to top off my oh so wonderful experience there, she decides to take some of my deposit money for the typhoon day that I didn't make up for because the make up day was AFTER my contract was over. I didn't care anymore. She can scrounge up and take 100 bucks from me. As long as that bitch leaves me alone and doesn't fuck with me anymore, I just honestly didn't care what money she tried to scam from me. Kharma is a bitch. I love visiting the school just to see how shitty it has gotten since I left.



And now, the reason why I raise the white flag to Korea... I didn't want to give up just yet after the hagwon. I thought since I worked at a hagwon, it's practically centered on making money instead of educating the kids, that's why it's so corrupt and ridiculous. But then I thought, well, that's how it is for eikaiwas in Japan. The more students the more money. And in order to get more students the quality of teaching has to show improvements and has to show them quick. So, then I thought maybe it's just this lady who is money hungry and doesn't give a shit about her employees. BUT NOW, what I think is, Korea only thinks about Korea. And Korea wants to excel and be an awesome, smart, rich country. And because I am a foreigner, who gives a fuck. I am disposable. Changeable. Replaceable. Thanks Korea for making me feel this way.

Well, Korea. In order to be awesome, smart and rich, you gotta quit cutting corners. Quality over quantity. Gotta build a good foundation because if you build shit over more shit... All you're left with is a big pile of shit.



I am currently at a public school, which I love. I love my coworkers and students. I love the curriculum a lot more than the hagwon I taught at. I don't have to drill things into these kids' heads over and over again and zoom through it quickly. I just have to make English fun and entertaining, so that I can trick them into liking and registering English into their brains. There is no pressure, and I can enjoy teaching the students. I would even stay another year at this school if it weren't for personal reasons that are calling me home.

But the problem, the reason why I can't stay at this public school is the contract. I feel that because it changes so often and that it's so vague, there is so much gray area that it could confuse your employer and in the end screw you over. That's if you are lucky like me and get hired by honest hard working people who just like you can't decipher the contract after reading it the first hundred times. There are some situations where people aren't as lucky as me, and it just brings me back to Korea self-centered and all about face.

Korea, it's not okay to use the contract to your own benefit. It is a mutual agreement between two parties. And this might sound too rainbow and butterflies, I am not delusional! I just don't get what's so hard about being honest hard workers. You do your job. We do our job. Don't twist the words in order to beat us down with it. It's not nice! And I really don't think you can grow as a country if you keep this up! I believe in karma. And once upon your ancestors, y'all did, too!

The issue I am having now is pertaining to my paid leave. I get a total of 20 days, but 15 days were magically used. The school was unsure on how to process certain days, and because the system is in Korean, I trusted the school in processing it accordingly to what I thought was supposed to happen. Which is another thing I'd like to bring up to Korea... Maybe it should be in ENGLISH for the ENGLISH teachers. I wouldn't be in the predicament that I am in now if it was in English, and I could fill out the leave form myself.

Well, now, it's too late to turn back time and fix the problem. Cause that's the only way to fix it. Even though it was an honest mistake on their part, they can't fix it now. Which leaves me with two choices. Rescheduling my flight and pay a fee for it OR paying for my vacation days that were rightfully mine to begin with.

I am so thankful for my coteacher and vice-principal who tried to figure out different ways to fix the problem. And I'm sorry that I brought up the issue again and brought my GEPIK coordinator into this. I had to try everything I can.

However, I would like to say FUCK YOU to the former principal and current principal for not having a heart and fixing the mistake that the former principal made. Why would the former principal care anyways? He got the fuck out of this old fashioned school and moved on just like majority of the staff in this school. Who does he care about? Himself.



Korea is filled with too many selfish people. Too many that I can't stay here any longer because it doesn't make me feel good to be around people like that. I like the neighbor friendly Japanese or the southern hospitality in Texas. There is only a handful that I've met personally that I feel like are good-hearted folk. Men here are awful unfaithful assholes. Directors who own schools that teach little children are selfish money hungry assholes. People on the buses and trains are pushy, bitchy assholes. People trying to sell you things in markets are also pushy, bitchy assholes. Taxi cab drivers are lying cheating assholes who take you on the scenic route. I get the picture Korea. You are not welcoming at all towards foreigners. Well, then quit trying to BE foreign by wearing foreign brands, driving foreign cars, watching foreign films, learning foreign languages, vacationing in foreign countries and getting plastic surgery to look foreign with straight pointy noses and big eyes. You can TRY to look pretty and classy on the outside, but if you're not like that on the inside then what's the point?

I feel horrible for badmouthing Korea because it's home to friends I have made and have grown to really like but this is from the point of view of a foreigner who has lived in Korea for a year and eight months who has had an open mind and an open heart, and a girl can take so much.