I don't regret taking a break from my career at all. I was really focused and on a good path before I left the states. But now I can't picture life without having experienced life as a foreigner in Korea. I guess I'm really lucky to have been faced with this opportunity. And despite a lot of hardships I faced in moving to Korea, I did it and I made it a year. I think over time I gained respect and acceptance for my decision. I didn't come home in a box or in worse shape than when I left. I actually came out of this a better person. One with more life experience and an even more open mind. I don't think many people will understand my stories or what I went through while trying to EVOLVE myself into another culture. But at least I have a million plus memories and no one can take them from me.
I can't wait to meet up with the friends I made in Korea and talk about all of our old stories.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Spilling the News
The next day, I went into work to meet with Tony. I was supposed to bring him a signed contract and instead, I refused to extend. I caused a huge uproar and my life was pretty miserable for my last two weeks. But after looking back at the way he handled it all, I know I did the right thing. He was completely unprofessional and I don't want to work for someone who behaves in such a poor manner. To write about all of the painstaking details would take weeks, so I'd rather sign off by saying I'm really going to miss my students. The poor kids were in complete shock. I had been with all of my classes for at least the past six months, which is actually unheard of at our campus because they like to move them around every few months. I had a great connection with them and we had really bonded over that time. Their parents were really happy with the way things were going and valued me and my skills as a teacher.
I'm especially going to miss my 2:30 pm class that I taugh every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We had the strongest relationship of any class and they just so happened to be my youngest students. They immediately all started crying and rushed over and latched onto me after I told them the news. I was not allowed to say anything to my students until my last day of class and so the shock was a little overwhelming for them. They kept asking why I didn't let them know sooner and why I was leaving. They even asked me if I could stay one more day with them so we could have more of a proper goodbye. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option. Then one of my students Julie asked if we could meet for lunch tomorrow (Saturday). I had a million things to do as it was my last weekend, but I offered to meet this class for ice cream in the afternoon to have more of a proper goodbye.
The following day, everyone but one student came and we went to Baskin Robbins and shared 3 banana splits, which they had never had before. It was probably the cutest thing ever watching them scarf down something that I consider to be American. They were so excited to be with me and I felt the same about them. We held hands the whole time and they climbed all over me like I was a jungle gym. Soobin and Julie gave me gifts and cards with their contact information as well as a picture to never forget them. They really are the sweetest and cutest Korean children on the planet. Oh am I ever going to miss them!!
After our little ice cream adventure, I carried on with the rest of my errands that day. It hit me for the first time that I won't ever be talking about homophones, past participles, future verb tenses, subjects, nouns, or articles again. I won't be lecturing science lessons and teaching Korean students about the United States government or holidays in social studies class. Its just back to the old grind working as a party planner. But I couldn't be more excited and happy to go back to "reality" and move on with my career. Teaching in Korea was a great experience but I know that is not what I want to do in life. I guess it was just one more thing to check off the list!
I'm especially going to miss my 2:30 pm class that I taugh every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We had the strongest relationship of any class and they just so happened to be my youngest students. They immediately all started crying and rushed over and latched onto me after I told them the news. I was not allowed to say anything to my students until my last day of class and so the shock was a little overwhelming for them. They kept asking why I didn't let them know sooner and why I was leaving. They even asked me if I could stay one more day with them so we could have more of a proper goodbye. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option. Then one of my students Julie asked if we could meet for lunch tomorrow (Saturday). I had a million things to do as it was my last weekend, but I offered to meet this class for ice cream in the afternoon to have more of a proper goodbye.
The following day, everyone but one student came and we went to Baskin Robbins and shared 3 banana splits, which they had never had before. It was probably the cutest thing ever watching them scarf down something that I consider to be American. They were so excited to be with me and I felt the same about them. We held hands the whole time and they climbed all over me like I was a jungle gym. Soobin and Julie gave me gifts and cards with their contact information as well as a picture to never forget them. They really are the sweetest and cutest Korean children on the planet. Oh am I ever going to miss them!!
After our little ice cream adventure, I carried on with the rest of my errands that day. It hit me for the first time that I won't ever be talking about homophones, past participles, future verb tenses, subjects, nouns, or articles again. I won't be lecturing science lessons and teaching Korean students about the United States government or holidays in social studies class. Its just back to the old grind working as a party planner. But I couldn't be more excited and happy to go back to "reality" and move on with my career. Teaching in Korea was a great experience but I know that is not what I want to do in life. I guess it was just one more thing to check off the list!
Tony
Tony is the new manager at my campus. He happens to be the nephew of the owner and is a complete tyrant. I think he has really good intentions to turn the school around and make it a better institution for the children. However, the Nazi-like regiment that he is trying to instill is not exactly going well with the teaching staff. Before Tony, we had Jae, the most easy-going boss on the planet. She always had a positive attitude and as long as you showed up on time and did your job, there were no problems. So compared to the laid-back atmosphere we were used to, Tony's extreme and chaotic changes didn't exactly fly. I'm sure all of the dramatic changes we were facing would not have been nearly as bad if he weren't trying to implement them during intensives, the busiest time of the year for the school. But, the fact of the matter is that he was, and it was too many changes all at once with no time to properly meet his demands.
Like I mentioned before in my previous blog, I wanted to give the new guy (Tony) a chance despite the rumors that I had heard about his managerial style. However two weeks have passed and I can't take it anymore. I really respect what he's trying to do but not the way he's trying to accomplish his goals. Anyway, its this disagreement in our personalities that has led me to make the decision fulfilling my current obligations to the company and terminating my contract early.
Tony and I met to go over my contract extension as I had intended to stay until July, but after discussing my new contract, I went home with a terrible pit in my stomach. Although I had discussed staying longer than one year with my old manager, Jae, I still had not signed any paperwork. Which in my eyes meant my current contract would end at the end of January, two weeks later.
I called my dad in a panic. "There's no way I'm staying here until July. I think I will try to come home in April." My dad responded by saying things don't sound good and that I should leave at the end of the month. All I could think was that would be an impossible task. I am completely unprepared to leave in two weeks. I have no job prospects, no place to live, and my funds aren't where I'd like them to be. All he kept saying was we'll figure it out, come home.
So I stood in my little studio apartment, pacing back and forth trying to stay calm as a wave of stress crashed over me. As overwhelmed as I was already becoming, I emailed Kristen Kraus, one of my old co-workers at TDM in Arizona. I had no intentions of asking for a job. I simply was trying to find out how the industry was doing as a whole because I was suddenly thinking of coming home earlier than planned. She responded with, "Call Colleen right away. It's important."
As soon as I made the phone call, my old position was offered back to me, but as a seasonal/independent contractor. I took it as a sign and didn't look back from there. My biggest concern was having a job upon returning to the states, and now that I had that covered, coming home was just a matter of prioritizing what I needed to wrap up in Korea and set up in the states within the next two weeks.
Like I mentioned before in my previous blog, I wanted to give the new guy (Tony) a chance despite the rumors that I had heard about his managerial style. However two weeks have passed and I can't take it anymore. I really respect what he's trying to do but not the way he's trying to accomplish his goals. Anyway, its this disagreement in our personalities that has led me to make the decision fulfilling my current obligations to the company and terminating my contract early.
Tony and I met to go over my contract extension as I had intended to stay until July, but after discussing my new contract, I went home with a terrible pit in my stomach. Although I had discussed staying longer than one year with my old manager, Jae, I still had not signed any paperwork. Which in my eyes meant my current contract would end at the end of January, two weeks later.
I called my dad in a panic. "There's no way I'm staying here until July. I think I will try to come home in April." My dad responded by saying things don't sound good and that I should leave at the end of the month. All I could think was that would be an impossible task. I am completely unprepared to leave in two weeks. I have no job prospects, no place to live, and my funds aren't where I'd like them to be. All he kept saying was we'll figure it out, come home.
So I stood in my little studio apartment, pacing back and forth trying to stay calm as a wave of stress crashed over me. As overwhelmed as I was already becoming, I emailed Kristen Kraus, one of my old co-workers at TDM in Arizona. I had no intentions of asking for a job. I simply was trying to find out how the industry was doing as a whole because I was suddenly thinking of coming home earlier than planned. She responded with, "Call Colleen right away. It's important."
As soon as I made the phone call, my old position was offered back to me, but as a seasonal/independent contractor. I took it as a sign and didn't look back from there. My biggest concern was having a job upon returning to the states, and now that I had that covered, coming home was just a matter of prioritizing what I needed to wrap up in Korea and set up in the states within the next two weeks.
"Seoul battles heaviest snow in more than 70 years"
Monday, January 4, 2010 at 12:56 a.m.
A South Korean man holds his bag to cover against heavy snow in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Jan. 4, 2010. Thousands of workers in the South Korean capital are battling the city's heaviest snowfall in nine years. The snow has caused massive flight cancellations and seriously snarled road traffic. (AP Photo/ Lee Jin-man)
SEOUL, South Korea — Seoul residents battled the heaviest snowfall in modern Korean history after a winter storm dumped more than 10 inches (26 centimeters) Monday, forcing airports to cancel flights and paralyzing traffic in South Korea's bustling capital.
The snowfall, which began about 1 a.m. (1600 GMT Sunday) and continue through Monday afternoon, was the worst since Korea began conducting meteorological surveys in 1937, the state weather agency said.
Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul canceled 224 flights before resuming service Monday afternoon, airport official Choi Choon-ja said.
More than 20 flights between Incheon International Airport, just west of Seoul, and cities in China also were canceled, with China also coping with a snowstorm. More than 100 flights to other regions were delayed, Incheon airport official Kang Soo-kyung said.
The Damage
You should have seen the broski and I trying to get his luggage to the bus stop in this mess. The poor kid almost missed his flight and his last day of plans in Korea was canceled as the roads were all shut down.
We had fun anyhow!
My first and last Snow Day in Korea
Not that I want to work every Saturday until eternity, but....
Devon Lee January 4 at 8:01am
Heavy Snow Nationwide, Temps to Drop
From: KBS World News | Jan. 04, 2010
Heavy snow is falling in the central regions at a pace of two-to-three centimeters an hour.
Snow alerts have been expanded to Seoul, the Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces and northern Chungcheong Province.
Fifteen centimeters of snow has fallen in Incheon and over ten in Suwon thus far.
Twelve centimeters of snow fell in Seoul on Monday morning alone, and the blizzard continues as we speak.
The central region and Jeolla provinces will see as much as ten centimeters and the mountainous Gangwon region 20 centimeters before the day is through.
Major snowfalls are also expected to hit the Gyeongsang provinces.
Temperatures will drop and as much as 15 centimeters of snow will hit western regions on Tuesday. The storm is not expected to let up until Thursday morning.
From: KBS World News | Jan. 04, 2010
Heavy snow is falling in the central regions at a pace of two-to-three centimeters an hour.
Snow alerts have been expanded to Seoul, the Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces and northern Chungcheong Province.
Fifteen centimeters of snow has fallen in Incheon and over ten in Suwon thus far.
Twelve centimeters of snow fell in Seoul on Monday morning alone, and the blizzard continues as we speak.
The central region and Jeolla provinces will see as much as ten centimeters and the mountainous Gangwon region 20 centimeters before the day is through.
Major snowfalls are also expected to hit the Gyeongsang provinces.
Temperatures will drop and as much as 15 centimeters of snow will hit western regions on Tuesday. The storm is not expected to let up until Thursday morning.
Holy Poo Pants
Dear small blog fan base,
It has been an eternity since my last blog post. This makes me sad.
Folks, if you lived a day in the life of Cass in the past six months, you would know that I've had little time and little energy. Between working a zillion hours a week or job hunting, I have missed out on some really great opportunities to write and share with you all.
But today, I've decided to start a new chapter. I have old blogs to post and new ones to invent.
Stayed tuned for the event I like to call my crazy life.
Happy reading and sorry for the delay!
Love Cass
It has been an eternity since my last blog post. This makes me sad.
Folks, if you lived a day in the life of Cass in the past six months, you would know that I've had little time and little energy. Between working a zillion hours a week or job hunting, I have missed out on some really great opportunities to write and share with you all.
But today, I've decided to start a new chapter. I have old blogs to post and new ones to invent.
Stayed tuned for the event I like to call my crazy life.
Happy reading and sorry for the delay!
Love Cass
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