RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

Rotten food, spoiled food, certain under-cooked or raw foods, etc.

Rotten food, spoiled food, certain under-cooked or raw foods, etc.

Fair enough, food that is unsafe to eat is "bad". But that's not what the conversation was about, was it?

Ok; fair enough (I just skimmed through).

That "lacquer" chicken dish that some Koreans love can kill you, it does a number on your liver, kidneys, stomach, intestines, you name it.

How about eating a peanut, if you have a deadly food allergy?

How about eating a peanut, if you have a deadly food allergy?

Some people have severe allergic reactions to antibiotics and light. Neither antibiotics nor light are 'bad.'

Boy I just love sitting here for hours at these expensive teacher dinners. I'd much rather be here listening to a loud conversation that I can't understand than be comfortable and warm  at home! 

Expensive?

Every time I see or hear the word "expensive" I am haunted by my elem. coT's pronunciation.

"ExpensivUH."

 

CT came to school sick as a dog, coughing, sneezing and constantly complaining about her headache... again. She's been sick since last week and hasn't recovered since she hasn't taken my advice to stay the f**k at home.
At about 4pm my CT and I are informed that there's a staff dinner after school. On the way to the staff room I ask her if she's actually considering going, she confirms. I ask her, why in God's name is she agreeing to go? Last week she had to go to hospital because she went on a staff outing while sick, she complains that her husband comes home at midnight, almost every night, and she has to kids waiting for her at home. "I don't want to go, but I have to, the VP said we must."
We go in the staffroom and I look the VP square in the eye and tell him, politely, that I won't be able to attend as I have things to do at home and I hope they have a good time.
The VP tries to 'persuade' me, but I'm solid.

My CT and, if I'm not mistaken, some of the other teachers in the staff room give me a look like I just discovered fire and wrecked Biggie on the mic. Though it's unfortunate, I feel no sympathy for someone too chicken to help themselves and go home to their kids. I didn't even seem like the VP was being intimidating, she just didn't want to be the odd one out.

Aristocrat,

You're sharp at navigating Korea, so you know full well that the same cultural "norms" don't apply equally to "the outsider" as they do "the insider".

Your coteacher wants to remain in good standing with her vp and principal (some principals and vps can be unbelievably petty and vindictive).

Thankfully, we have the luxury of not being held to the same "norms" with regards to these outings and the like.

As for not taking sick days, especially during this time of year, your coteacher is right.

Finding substitutes a week before the annual exam for teachers is virtually impossible, as all of those people are prepping in the hopes of passing the exam this time around, so they don't have to continue substituting.

If she stayed home, it would be a major disruption to the other teachers at your school, as they would be tasked with having to cover her classes.

All that said, I think it's great when foreigners can set a positive example, like you did when you stood up to your boss in front of other Korean staff members.

I just hope it doesn't negatively impact your plans.

My CT and, if I'm not mistaken, some of the other teachers in the staff room give me a look like I just discovered fire and wrecked Biggie on the mic. Though it's unfortunate, I feel no sympathy for someone too chicken to help themselves and go home to their kids. I didn't even seem like the VP was being intimidating, she just didn't want to be the odd one out.

Like Pecan said, your situations are entirely different. Their looks were definitely more out of jealousy/envy lol. They probably think of saying "no" all the time. However, they are in the unfortunate situation of not having much of a choice

Aristocrat,

You're sharp at navigating Korea, so you know full well that the same cultural "norms" don't apply equally to "the outsider" as they do "the insider".

Your coteacher wants to remain in good standing with her vp and principal (some principals and vps can be unbelievably petty and vindictive).

Thankfully, we have the luxury of not being held to the same "norms" with regards to these outings and the like.

As for not taking sick days, especially during this time of year, your coteacher is right.

Finding substitutes a week before the annual exam for teachers is virtually impossible, as all of those people are prepping in the hopes of passing the exam this time around, so they don't have to continue substituting.

If she stayed home, it would be a major disruption to the other teachers at your school, as they would be tasked with having to cover her classes.

All that said, I think it's great when foreigners can set a positive example, like you did when you stood up to your boss in front of other Korean staff members.

I just hope it doesn't negatively impact your plans.

Agreed, reputation is everything here. She's transferring to a new school in Feb though, so I can't see how missing a staff dinner here and there would make much of a difference.

Still, we all deal with many disruptive kids. 95% of the time, I'd say the parents are to blame and it's usually that the kids are acting up because they get little to no attention from their parents at home. That CT regularly tells me about it and then goes off to leave her own kids at home till whatever time she gets back.

Not as extreme as the last posts on here, but here's my rant of the day:

My feet are rather big, so the slippers they have already in the school are obviously too small.

So, I bought 2 pairs of slippers, one for each school.

I come to my main school today, and my ****** slippers are gone.

Who the **** takes a pair of slippers knowingly not theirs? Also - they look drastically different from the hundreds of other slippers available. Color, size, shape, everything. Why would you choose the one pair of slippers to just take?

Alright, I'm done with my rant.

Agreed, reputation is everything here. She's transferring to a new school in Feb though, so I can't see how missing a staff dinner here and there would make much of a difference.

Still, we all deal with many disruptive kids. 95% of the time, I'd say the parents are to blame and it's usually that the kids are acting up because they get little to no attention from their parents at home. That CT regularly tells me about it and then goes off to leave her own kids at home till whatever time she gets back.

Yeah, my first CoT had two kids and I know she would stay late cuz she didn't really want to go home. She told me a few times that she wished she hadn't gotten married and had a family. She would complain when her kids acted up and got in trouble but there is no one to check on them.

Sometimes I leave snacks on the communal table in our office. Just saw one of the teachers snatch them up and put them in her snack drawer. Uhhh, how about don't do that?

It's true, a lot of parents don't really know how to be parents and they expect their kids to raise themselves, and it can be frustrating when you have to deal with that kind of inadequacy, especially when they attack you for trying to enforce the structure and discipline that kids actually need in an environment where it's absolutely required.

My rant of the day: Classes got cut short today for whatever for, like, the 4th time in a row. I don't have a problem with that except for when they expect my classes to complete their assignments without ever rescheduling those classes some time to do them.

Them: Have your classes completed chapter 11?
Me: All but these two classes -- they're still stuck on chapter 9.
Them: Why?
Me: Because their classes keep getting canceled.
Them: But they all need to be up to chapter 11.
Me: Of course. When will you reschedule their classes so that they can catch up?
Them: Impossible, no time.
Me: Then they won't finish.
Them: But they must.
Me: Okay, then reschedule their classes.
Them: But they have school festival.
Me: Okay, I guess they won't finish.
Them: When can you catch them up?
Me: Whenever you reschedule me to have time with them.
Them: We can't.
Me: Let me know when you figure it out.

I'm not in charge of the time table and they know that, and I'm not allowed to assign homework -- even if I could, I'd need some time with them to actually assign it. Wtf do they want me to do, shit out the completed assignments for them?

I just think it's weird to say like, "XYZ food is bad." No food is bad. Food is all good, and it's just our personal preference and background that makes us feel otherwise.

I actually agree that food is just food but aren't you the poster always calling various types of food "literally poison"? 

Agreed, reputation is everything here. She's transferring to a new school in Feb though, so I can't see how missing a staff dinner here and there would make much of a difference.

Still, we all deal with many disruptive kids. 95% of the time, I'd say the parents are to blame and it's usually that the kids are acting up because they get little to no attention from their parents at home. That CT regularly tells me about it and then goes off to leave her own kids at home till whatever time she gets back.

Yeah, my first CoT had two kids and I know she would stay late cuz she didn't really want to go home. She told me a few times that she wished she hadn't gotten married and had a family. She would complain when her kids acted up and got in trouble but there is no one to check on them.

Years ago, I thought the idea of kids was alright.  Now I'm married, both me and the wife have decided not to have kids.  Having previously lived in Sweden, I saw the positive side of families spending time together in the evening, with less work and social stress and pressure.  Now having been in Korea for a while and experiencing the Korean 'family' thing, it has put me off.  I am not saying all countries are great when it comes to why people have families, the Korean way is so off-putting.  I know you might say, 'well, your family and their upbringing is up to you and your partner' but the idea just seems to have lost its sparkle.  We don't want to lose our identity, we like our time together and don't feel we need a child to make it better.  We like our holidays away.  We don't need to save money for kids.  Like your example shows Halo3, this person is trapped.  I would hate that.

Kids aren't for everybody.  They change everything.  Also, while it is completely your decision to have, or not have, kids, you should be prepared for the inevitable conversation with nosy neighbours (or family).  It goes something like this.

Nosy neighbour: When are you two going to have kids?

Dave:  Well... We decided not to have kids.

Nosy neighbour:  WHAT?  NO KIDS? Why? they're so wonderful and fun and blah blah blah

Then they continue to make it their life's mission to convince you to have kids.  It didn't happen to me (because I have a daughter) but I've seen it happen to friends of mine on many occasions.  I had a similar experience about baptism and my wife's family.  That was 'fun'.

Never really understood the types of people who think having kids is an absolute necessity of life. Some people want kids, some don't. How is that difficult to understand?

Never really understood the types of people who think having kids is an absolute necessity of life. Some people want kids, some don't. How is that difficult to understand?

Yeah, that is one of my pet peeves. I'm like... 65-70% on the not-wanting-kids spectrum. It may change, it may not, but leave me be!

Never really understood the types of people who think having kids is an absolute necessity of life. Some people want kids, some don't. How is that difficult to understand?

So much so that you're being "selfish" for not having kids.

Never understood the logic of that one.