jrkorea's Diaryland Diary
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hagwon smogwan.
Jon got fired today from his hogwan.
Wow, it really sucks, he's been working his ass off, has a real dedication and commitment to stay here and sort his life and finances out. It's so unfair.
Hogwans suck! I mean really, the conditions and situations they make people work within are nuts. Jon's boss is some psycho nut who fires a different guy every month. Of 60 teachers that have ever worked there, less than 10 have completed their contracts.
Anyone seriously thinking of coming to Korea to teach should do BIG research before they come. Do an internet search on hagwons and see what shit you come up with. I mean, I know how lucky I am where I am and even then not everything's cruisey... whatever, I'm not complaining. And I would never disuade anyone from coming to Korea, just really look into it before you come.
The stories Jon used to bring home every day from work are hilarious - if they were happening to someone else that is - we're talking A.grade top quality slapstick here.
There's so much potential in this country to have the time of your life, it's fairly cheap, you earn good money, meet nice people but everyone I know's jobs are getting them down.
Maybe I should write a comedy about this,but right now I just feel so disappointed for Jon.
People out there in the world who don't appreciate their jobs, just remember, and take heart, at least you're not working for a Korean hagwon, you lucky suckers.
1:47 p.m. - Thursday, Oct. 16, 2003
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I saved 950 won
Hmm, remember the entry on 'service'? Koreans love to include a free gift with purchases. There is a flipside. Nearly every place will charge you if you want a bag.
So today, I spend a lot on vitamins and as usual the pharmacy lady throws in a free health drink (like 1000 won or something, about $1) however when I asked for a small bag, she charges me 50 for it. So funny. She was very apologetic and said if I bring the bag back another day I can get the 50 won back. That's what? 5 cents, maybe.
The Korean thing is if I went back tomorrow to return the bag, she'd probably give me back my money and then throw in another health drink as service.
UPDATE (Thurs) ah, just learnt that this is due to Government environment policy. Places are obligated to charge you 50 won, which is refundable. Same with returning cups to Starbucks or Subway and they give you 50 won back.
2:45 p.m. - Wednesdsay, Oct. 15, 2003
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sijo
Jon and I have been writing Haikus so I decided to find out a little bit more about traditional Korean verse. It is called Sijo, and works more on a 14-16 syllable basis but is more phrasal than sylllabic; they also seem to allow more open use of metaphor and figuritive language than their Japanese cousins.
Either narrative or thematic, this lyric verse introduces a situation or problem in line 1, development (called a turn) in line 2, and a strong conclusion beginning with a surprise (a twist) in line 3, which resolves tensions or questions raised by the other lines and provides a memorable ending.
A few examples...
The old teacher never saw me; he lived long before my time.
Though I may never meet him, I can see the road he traveled.
With his wise path before me, what reason for me to stray?
See, mirror, here's my face again, soft as a rose's petal.
Should I surprise him tonight, show up like a painted lady?
How can he make it through the day, not seeing me as you do?.
The spring breeze melted snow on the hills then quickly disappeared.
I wish I could borrow it briefly to blow over my hair
And melt away the aging frost forming now about my ears.
Let me ask you, butterfly, do you remember your cocoon?
Perhaps you recall spinning thread, a caterpillar's ungainly crawl?
If we can jog your memory, maybe there is hope for me.
Korea is struggling to be recognised as a modern country and wants desperately to become a flagship for Asia. Sadly, they are losing so much of their cultural identity and their traditions.
11:47 a.m. - Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2003
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kris
it's so surreal babe. like a bad hollywood movie where the plot turns and twists spiral so far beyond 'bad' you have to laugh and ask for a refund. life is truly queerer than folk. all i can really take out of it right now is to question why people ever smoke. it's so fucking bad for you for fuck's sake, you morons.
1:03 p.m. - Monday, Oct. 13, 2003
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serenity
how much i needed a good weekend like this.
had a great phone chat with jon on thurs night, it's turned my head around completely and i think i'm going to be ok with life from now on.
fri nite, too much lemon soju, i headed home early and got a surprise call from donna which lasted till nearly 5am or something, intense conversations but wow i really love her. saturday, groggy morning, nothing went as planned, finally went into seoul, jon called me while on the bus so i decided to stop in BRIEFLY to see him. its one of the situations where 5 mins becomes 15 hours or something.
we went to a terrific little bar which is called 'shit' in korean. the poo bar, what a name. loved it. hooked up in hongdae with some amazingly intelligent, creative, goodlooking, witty, blah blah people... haha they read this, so i have to say that (cough, cough)... the whole day and night was going so differently from planned, but it was all good really.
what can i say? i have made peace with myself and with the forces causing conflict in my life. life is good. i'm happy. i have found a new best friend in jon that i could never have forseen happening. the world is becoming amazing again.
God and i have this mutual agreement not to interfere too much in each other's lives, but i've always loved the Serenity Prayer, and have been thinking about it all day, it's become my new motto over the last 3-4 days and i hadn't even noticed.
...grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference...
it's been granted but not being taken forgranted
3:52 p.m. - Sunday, Oct. 12, 2003
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pay day
i have nothing more to say about this really, but it's a nice feeling.
1:32 a.m. - Friday, Oct. 10, 2003
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vegged out
There's a regular occurance in the neighbourhood.
It chooses it's moments well and waits until you are watching the end of a gripping film, listening to your favourite song or speaking with a long lost friend on the phone.
It is... the Vegetable Truck.
Just when you really need to listen to something important, it materialises from thin air, blasting it's sonic Korean message to even the most hearing-impaired of ears. The Vegetable Truck drives slowly through the streets with it's pre-recorded megaphone message proudly and loudly proclaiming it's wares. It can be heard from several cities away, like the tremors of an earthquake in a farway land.
No sleep for the wicked when the Veggie Truck is on the prowl.
Yet despite its unwelcome protrudence, it's non-appearance would perhaps serve to cause unease. It is one with the street. It is part of life here and serves as a reminder of a strange kind of normality. Life can be really screwed up sometimes but the Veggie Truck keeps rolling on.
1:31 a.m. - Thurs, Oct. 09, 2003
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