RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

lovely Monday morning conversations

me: Can I leave 10 minutes early today to get a flu shot? (4:30 instead of 4:40, because I need to drive 15 - 20 mins away to get it)
cot: You don't need it....it's not sick leave either, so you will have to use vacation time
me: They close at 5pm so I cannot do it afterschool.
cot: Yeah, use your vacation time
me: nevermind.......


even though I see others leaving early all the time.....

In the West, a person usually gets promoted when they show some gumption, a solid work-ethic etc.
In Korea, you get promoted based on your age your relationship with your seniors and you ability to stick to the rules... essentially, "maintaining the Confucian harmony".

When you ask your CT if you can leave early, even if it's 10min, by agreeing she officially gives you permission to break the rules. Should another staff member ask where you're off to and you blab, you could jeopardize her career. Petty and ridiculous, I know, but that's how Korea works. When you ask, unless you've got a really good relationship and your CT really trusts you, she's going to give you the official spiel.

As others have said, DON'T ASK... I haven't stuck around till 4:30 in years... On Tuesdays I leave at 2pm (after my final class), it's a small school and they use the English class for afterschool activities. Everyone knows I leave early. If I have to ask if I can leave early, I'll probably be told to wait in the library or staff room till 4:30.

Of course, there are times when you work with absolute assh*les. The principal at my wife's rural school (on Tuesdays) wanted her to deskwarm, during vacation, at a school that is a 40min drive from our place. There wasn't another soul in the school. The principal was adamant that she deskwarmed at THAT school, he didn't want her to deskwarm at her main school (5min walk from our place). The education office literally had to tell him that she was allowed to deskwarm at whichever school was closest.

I'm now asked to provide my customs clearance code and other details for EVERY damn package! I've saved the code on Amazon, but still get asked for every single package. In the past, you'd do it once and your code was kept on the database.

Now, you've got to do it every damn time.

even though I see others leaving early all the time.....

Too bad you're not a DayNinja, you could sneak out.

What would a DayNinja wear?

Oh, me, me, me!!  It's a popular misconception that ninjas always wear black.  At night maybe, but their main aim is to blend in, so they wear normal clothes so as not to look conspicuous. 

So, fluo hiking clothes?

  Yes, I am at my highest state of cat-like readiness when hanging around near a 'North Face' shop.  When I was hiking last weekend the local mountaineering group got off a bus, I nearly had a heart attack.  Ninjas have also been known to drive Santa Fes or Grandeurs.  We'll never know they're here.   

I'm now asked to provide my customs clearance code and other details for EVERY damn package! I've saved the code on Amazon, but still get asked for every single package. In the past, you'd do it once and your code was kept on the database.

Now, you've got to do it every damn time.

Korea, sparkling.

even though I see others leaving early all the time.....

Too bad you're not a DayNinja, you could sneak out.

What would a DayNinja wear?

Oh, me, me, me!!  It's a popular misconception that ninjas always wear black.  At night maybe, but their main aim is to blend in, so they wear normal clothes so as not to look conspicuous.
[/quote]

Ninja also wore red. Red in battle can/has a psychological effect, which can cause hesitation in battle.
Learnt that in ninja training in Japan. I've done ninja weapons training in Japan. :D (Although. I'm not very good )

According to Wikipedia, Jesus was a ninja. His miracles included all the signs of Ninjinity:

"Ninjas figured prominently in legend and folklore, where they were associated with legendary abilities such as invisibility, walking on water and control over the natural elements."

Look at the number of vents! Five hundred-and-thirty-six pages worth! Oh there's enough material here to write a book. Or an entire Ph.d.

Look at the number of vents! Five hundred-and-thirty-six pages worth! Oh there's enough material here to write a book. Or an entire Ph.d.

Time for a new 4.0 thread?

even though I see others leaving early all the time.....

Too bad you're not a DayNinja, you could sneak out.

What would a DayNinja wear?

Oh, me, me, me!!  It's a popular misconception that ninjas always wear black.  At night maybe, but their main aim is to blend in, so they wear normal clothes so as not to look conspicuous.

Ninja also wore red. Red in battle can/has a psychological effect, which can cause hesitation in battle.
Learnt that in ninja training in Japan. I've done ninja weapons training in Japan. :D (Although. I'm not very good )

A New Zealand Ninja?  Get out of here!

even though I see others leaving early all the time.....

Too bad you're not a DayNinja, you could sneak out.

What would a DayNinja wear?

Oh, me, me, me!!  It's a popular misconception that ninjas always wear black.  At night maybe, but their main aim is to blend in, so they wear normal clothes so as not to look conspicuous.

Ninja also wore red. Red in battle can/has a psychological effect, which can cause hesitation in battle.
Learnt that in ninja training in Japan. I've done ninja weapons training in Japan. :D (Although. I'm not very good )

A New Zealand Ninja?  Get out of here!

Dressed as a sheep, I bet!

2018: Asked to run a class in local workshop, goes down a treat. Everyone happy.

2019: Asked to run same workshop as participants loved it. Discover 3 participants attended last year. They ask to switch to 'B' class (same topic). I say no problem.

Me: Hello workshop operator, these 3 participants would like to move to 'B' class to learn new perspective on the subject.
Operator: Sorry, thats not possible.
Me: They would just be moving to the next classroom along the hallway, 302 instead of 303. I can take 3 from that class no problem.
Operator: Again, thats not possible.
Me: Why?
Operator: Thats not possible.
Me: It is possible, they just sit in the other class instead of mine.
Operator: Not possible.

9 1/2 months then I'm out.

I've never experienced so much "No, it can't be done" as I have in Korea. I don't get this much anymore, but I used to often ask for a smaller cup when I ordered an Americano because I like it short and strong (i.e., a long black). The conversation would often go like this:

Me: Can I have a small cup?
Server: *Silence*
Me: *Pointing at smaller cappuccino cup* Like this? This cup?
Server: *Lifts giant mug* This is Americano cup.
Me: Yes, can I have a smaller one?
Server: No.
Me: Really? I want a smaller coffee.
Server: No.

I should point out that some places would do it for me without complaint, so I'm not sure that I was asking for anything egregious.

I've never experienced so much "No, it can't be done" as I have in Korea. I don't get this much anymore, but I used to often ask for a smaller cup when I ordered an Americano because I like it short and strong (i.e., a long black). The conversation would often go like this:

Me: Can I have a small cup?
Server: *Silence*
Me: *Pointing at smaller cappuccino cup* Like this? This cup?
Server: *Lifts giant mug* This is Americano cup.
Me: Yes, can I have a smaller one?
Server: No.
Me: Really? I want a smaller coffee.
Server: No.

I should point out that some places would do it for me without complaint, so I'm not sure that I was asking for anything egregious.

It really is ridiculous how much that happens....it's like logic and reasoning or  critical/creative thinking are scary things

2018: Asked to run a class in local workshop, goes down a treat. Everyone happy.

2019: Asked to run same workshop as participants loved it. Discover 3 participants attended last year. They ask to switch to 'B' class (same topic). I say no problem.

Me: Hello workshop operator, these 3 participants would like to move to 'B' class to learn new perspective on the subject.
Operator: Sorry, thats not possible.
Me: They would just be moving to the next classroom along the hallway, 302 instead of 303. I can take 3 from that class no problem.
Operator: Again, thats not possible.
Me: Why?
Operator: Thats not possible.
Me: It is possible, they just sit in the other class instead of mine.
Operator: Not possible.

9 1/2 months then I'm out.

Not too long ago, I went to Baskin Robbins to treat myself to a 3 flavour ice-cream cup. Recently, they've started stacking the ice-cream sideways, I don't like that. I'd tell them to stack it bottom up and they'd happily oblige, not today. While ordering, I asked to have them stacked bottom to top. The new server completely ignored me and stacked them sideways, I repeated what I said and she shook her head, telling me it was "impossible". She kept at it and I told her I wasn't paying for the tub. Her co-workers (3 of them), spent a good 2min discussing the intricacies of such a complex issue before getting me a new ice-cream, stacked bottom up. 

For summer camp this year, I suggested that my CT and I repeat the scavenger hunt day we did last year; last year's students had an absolute blast and actually spoke a lot of English on the day, and since they were all 6 grade, none of the students signed up for camp would've done the activity. My CT refused on the grounds that the principal would think we're not "working hard" if we repeated last year's activity.

Yesterday, my wife's CT was busy arranging "Halloween Week" not day, but week, for the students. She'd planned to re-use some of the Halloween hats the school bought last year... notice, I said "bought", the idea that part of the fun was that kids should make their own Halloween costumes was apparently too plebeian. 
The pulled the hats out from storage and noticed they were a bit dirty after being in storage for so long. My wife suggested they pop over to the laundromat, next to the school, and get everything washed and tumble dried for like 3 bucks.
"Impossible", everything had to be billed on the school's credit card. The CT goes to the dry-cleaners and pays 120 000 won to dry clean a bunch of crappy Halloween hats! The dry cleaning bill was probably triple the price of all the hats, she might as well just buy new ones! My wife told her to cancel and even offered to take the hats to our apartment and wash them out for free.
"Impossible" The CT couldn't comprehend such a reckless waste of money... and people think NETs in public schools are a waste of money.


What you and I have been the victim of is by far the thing I'll be glad to be rid of once I leave Korea, KLOGIC.
I'll miss things about Korea and I'm grateful for the opportunities it's provided me, but KLOGIC can piss right off.

Got told off for walking over to vacant teachers desk and flipping her iphone to silent.

Apparently KAKAO KAKAO KAKAO is the good guy here. 

Got told off for walking over to vacant teachers desk and flipping her iphone to silent.

Apparently KAKAO KAKAO KAKAO is the good guy here. 

Ding Ding DING

KAKAO T

Got told off for walking over to vacant teachers desk and flipping her iphone to silent.

Apparently KAKAO KAKAO KAKAO is the good guy here. 

I mean, that's annoying, but that doesn't give you the right to touch other people's stuff. If someone came and touched anything on my desk, I'd tell them off, too.
Especially my phone.

even though I see others leaving early all the time.....

Too bad you're not a DayNinja, you could sneak out.

What would a DayNinja wear?

Oh, me, me, me!!  It's a popular misconception that ninjas always wear black.  At night maybe, but their main aim is to blend in, so they wear normal clothes so as not to look conspicuous.

Ninja also wore red. Red in battle can/has a psychological effect, which can cause hesitation in battle.
Learnt that in ninja training in Japan. I've done ninja weapons training in Japan. :D (Although. I'm not very good )

A New Zealand Ninja?  Get out of here!

Dressed as a sheep, I bet!

Yeap! NZ Sheep ninja. It's a thing NO ONE would see coming.

even though I see others leaving early all the time.....

Too bad you're not a DayNinja, you could sneak out.

What would a DayNinja wear?

Oh, me, me, me!!  It's a popular misconception that ninjas always wear black.  At night maybe, but their main aim is to blend in, so they wear normal clothes so as not to look conspicuous.

Ninja also wore red. Red in battle can/has a psychological effect, which can cause hesitation in battle.
Learnt that in ninja training in Japan. I've done ninja weapons training in Japan. :D (Although. I'm not very good )

A New Zealand Ninja?  Get out of here!

Dressed as a sheep, I bet!

Yeap! NZ Sheep ninja. It's a thing NO ONE would see coming.

To the untrained eye, there is no danger.  But I can count at least 5 New Zealand ninjas there.



Fraught with danger.

Got told off for walking over to vacant teachers desk and flipping her iphone to silent.

Apparently KAKAO KAKAO KAKAO is the good guy here. 

I mean, that's annoying, but that doesn't give you the right to touch other people's stuff. If someone came and touched anything on my desk, I'd tell them off, too.
Especially my phone.

He didn't go through her personal photos, just flipped it over. I always feel it's not okay to call others out in this country. For example, some dickhead kept checking his phone in the cinema, so I told him to stop it. Everyone looked at me like i was the one in the wrong and my wife called me rude after the film ended. Same with escalators, etc. If someone blocks the walking side, no one ever says anything