Category Archives: Work

The more things change, the more they stay the same …

Posted on August 18, 2009 | Leave a comment

I get one month’s vacation with my workplace, which is very generous by Korean standards – where many individuals still work six days a week and receive a paltry three days a year vacation on top of public holidays (which when fall on weekends, like last Saturday’s Liberation Day, are canceled out).

So, my work arrangements in terms of vacation time are very good in perspective and nothing to sneeze at, most Australian workers receive about the same, many Europeans receive more, while most North Americans receive less, all in all it’s pretty good.

I took one week off in June and traveled up north to Seoul and Gwangju to visit friends and was planning to take three weeks off round Christmas and head back to Australia. That was until yesterday’s meeting when I was informed by my co-ordinator that there’s a change in protocol in terms of vacations whereby everyone now has to take two weeks in summer, two in winter. As such, I have to take a vacation before the end of August – no much notice, but nothing I’m all that upset about. So, as of yesterday, the good news is I have a week off from 31 August until 4 September, the bad news is I don’t have extra week for the Australian summer, which isn’t all that bad as I should be able to do all I was planning to do in three weeks,in two weeks, and after two weeks the familial ties start to wear a bit anyway due to the prolonged close contact – I love my family but also love my free space.

Last Saturday, I had a meeting with my landlord whereby I extended my contract lease until March and was notified of a change in my address. I used to live in room 901 but now, for reasons unbeknown to me – not that I care to ask anyway – I live in 902. All the change involved was a lifting of my previous 901 sticker on the door outside my apartment with a replacement 902 sticker. I double-checked my contract just to see there wasn’t any funny business involved in the sudden room change which coincides with new tenants in the now 901. But, everything seems legit, my new contract has my new room number on it and as such I can’t foresee any troubles – yet.

One thing I like about Korea, the more she changes the more she stays the same. She keeps you on your toes as everything will be mellow and straight-forward until all of a sudden everything changes overnight. Luckily for me this time, these changes seem relatively minor and doable.

Now, I’ve just gotta somewhere to go and something to do for this unexpected week off in less than two week’s time!

About these ads

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Expat life, The Ben, Wild miscellany, Work

Tagged , ,

What to do, what to do?

Posted on April 29, 2009 | 1 Comment

The past few weeks I’ve been pondering my life after October. October is when I’m scheduled to finish up my current position and move on. I love Korea but have found myself increasingly tired of the place and feel the need to move. That said, I’ve mentioned the exact same thing every single year since 2003, and I’m still bloody here! Come November watch this space and see where I’m at  … :)

That said, I do feel the need to move on, to try something new, to broaden my horizons, to take a punt and take a risk as for the last few years I haven’t done that enough and nothing’s worse for me than when I’m treading water as I’m increasingly doing at the moment. Often it takes a lot of courage to move on and that’s one area where I do often settle for what’s comfortable, what’s acceptable, what’s normal, what’s decent – rather than just taking a punt and going out there. If it wasn’t for me taking a punt six years ago, I wouldn’t have ever landed here.

So, I’ve been thinking lately and a big part of me wants to try my hand at China. I’ve always been interested in the land, its people, history, cultures, languages, and traditions; and perhaps it’s time to further acquaint myself with the Middle Kingdom. I’ve started looking online as to the possibilities of teaching and studying at the same time. There are quite a few study programs over there but they are quite pricy and seem to not leave much time for work – if that is indeed possible under the required Visa.

The city I’d most like to study in is Qingdao, which just across the Yellow Sea from Korea. Qingdao’s a fairly interesting and, judging by the photos, beautiful place which came to prominence when it was firstly a German concession at the turn of the 20th century and then consequently, and very controversially, was transferred to Japan along with surrounding Shandong province following the Treaty of Versailles after World War I. This very unpopular decision played a significant part in the May Fourth Movement and subsequent birth of the Chinese Communist Party. The Germans left their mark however with beautiful German colonial architecture still intact and perhaps more importantly, China’s number one beer, Tsingtao.

Another, and more costly, option I’ve been pondering lately is returning home and returning to school to study a Masters of Asian Studies. Having been in East Asia for the last six years I’ve developed a keen interest in the languages, politics, current affairs, histories, cultures and traditions of the nations in this region. Since ANU has the best program in Australia, I’d naturally want to go there but unfortunately they don’t do distance study and as such I’d have to live in Canberra! Though, I think I could manage that, managing my finances while studying there may be more difficult. Perhaps, I should just look at community colleges and programs. Or, gasp get a real job back home!

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Australia, China, Chinese, Musings, The Ben, Work

Tagged , , , ,

You gotta love this place sometimes …

Posted on March 2, 2009 | 1 Comment

I arrive at work at 1pm – today’s my half day – to discover the door’s locked. Just as I’m pushing the door a second time to see if it will magically open,  I hear my name called out and see two of my co-workers running towards me with sheepish grins. They let me in and proceed to tell me that the library’s closed for the day as they’re re-painting. It’s just then that the paint fumes hit me …

I motion towards the door and say “Ah well, see you on Wednesday!”, to which they reply “No, no, stay .. would you like a coffee?”. I figure out at this stage than since I’m here (as everyone forgot to mention anything to ole’ round-eyes as usual), I’ll be expected to stay and bide my time at the computer like most good hard-working white-collar Koreans (Shhh! Please, nobody make any mention of efficiency!).

So, I sit down at my desk and proceed to stream porn finish off my lesson plans for the week. Forty minutes later, it’s time to surf the net and take in some of the industrial strength paint fumes invading the office. I look up at the second-in-charge (and alpha male) of the office at a couple of occasions  to see if it’s alright if I can join the patrons and 80% of staff who ere given the opportunity to take the day off. He doesn’t seem to be budging. I can’t say I blame him though, if I was in his shoes I’d be the same – you not leaving until I’m leaving sucker! The irony is, just last Wednesday when I had dinner with the big boss of my program my only real gripe was the lack of communication on matters that might actually concern us!

Three hours later, several emails, Facebook comments, and thorough browsing of my daily non-NSFW websites, number two leaves and shortly after one of my co-workers says I can go home.

This sort of scenario would probably piss the bejesus out of most expats here and probably would me most times, but today I was feeling really worn out and lethargic from a festive weekend, and resting on my arse surfing the net for three and a half hours was the best tonic I could have asked for. Besides, yesterday was a public holiday here in Korea to honour the March 1st Movement,  but seeing as it fell on a Sunday it was stiff shit in terms of a day off – I’m just happy to see that today was my own little half-holiday.

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Wild miscellany, Work

Tagged ,

Cock n’ Bull story to get me to stay that was …

Posted on February 17, 2009 | 2 Comments

Yesterday, I mentioned the possibility of having to stay on till October or possibly next year if I wish to extend my current contract with Immigration restrictions being cited as the reasoning. Thanks to a kind commentator here, some helpful posters on Dave’s ESL and a phone call to Immigration; my suspicions, or shall I say others’ suspicions – I fell for it hook, line and sinker! – have proved justified as there’s no restrictions at all on how long or short you wish to extend your current contract provided your have the required documentation and fee to do so.

What I experienced yesterday was a cock n’ bull story to get me railroaded into signing another year of my life doing something I’d possibly not want to do! I may not be China, but yesterday I was damn near Shanghai-ed, I tells ya!

Needless to say I’m not incredibly impressed about the lies, manipulation and deceit to get me to do something I ultimately don’t want to do. If the individual in question had been truthful and told that I cannot get an extension for less than one year with this employer, I would have respected them and their decision much more than being fed a healthy of bullshit.

I’m going to play it cool until our next meeting whereby I’ll them know that their story is a crock of shit. This will buy me time to make a firm decision on what to do, where to go next. A big part of me now doesn’t want to extend at all given the lies and deceit that was replaced for truth and integrity in what should be a mature business negotiation. But, hey in Korea, the ends often justify the means!

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Rant, Suncheon, The Ben, Work

Looks like I’m here for another 6 to 12 months …

Posted on February 16, 2009 | 3 Comments

Had a meeting with work today and it looks like I’ll be here in sunny Suncheon for another 6 to 12 months …

My current contract is up this April and I was hoping to extend just for another couple of months until June to buy some more time and save some more money before plotting just what I want to do next.

But, it seems with the new Visa regulations you’re not allowed to extend your contract for such a small amount of time and may not be able to extend for 6 months either. I was able to do so in the past so this is either the result of the new more stringent Visa restrictions, or just a convenient excuse from work. Either way, I’m not too concerned as I had expected as much and am fairly comfortable with this as I was considering staying another 6 months anyway as I haven’t saved much money and with the current economic situation, I’m comfortable with my job and working as it may be difficult to find good work back home.

Work said they’d talk to Immigration about the possibility of me being able to extend for six months but said they were not certain whether Immigration would approve of this. If that is the case, I’d have to sign a new 12 month contract for Immigration’s sake, whereby I was guaranteed that I’d be able to finish up after six months. I’d definitely have to get some confirmation of such in writing as no doubt there’ll be some pressure come October for me just to complete the full contract. Though, I’ll play it by ear, maybe by then I might actually want to stay on, otherwise I’ll be firm with my decision to cut out in October.

The other option was finishing up my current contract as it is in April. But, for me, it wasn’t an attractive option as I haven’t got much savings at the moment and am reluctant to go home to the potential of months of job seeking with shitty part-time work in between, or getting into the whole rigmarole and bs that’s now involved in getting a new work Visa in Korea. Most of the Visa amendments I approve, I just wish we didn’t have to go through the whole rigmarole after each contract, that the Visa was more flexible and that Immigration would keep our records on file, which I’m dubious as to whether they do!

My boss is perplexed as to why she’s finding it so difficult to find new teachers despite worsening economic conditions in the West, one not so small factor involved in this is the Korean Government’s, and society in general’s, restrictions and xenophobia when it comes to anything remotely foreign. The weakening Korean won against the Euro, US and Canadian dollars hasn’t helped the situation either ..

Nevertheless, this is quite good for me as although I complain as much as the next dude, it is pretty comfortable here, I’ve got good friends here and a steady source of income with the ability to save. With the global economy going the way it is at the moment, it seems this will be a rarer commodity for many folks in the next couple of years. I’ve just got to count my blessings that I have the options I have available as most people don’t.

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Suncheon, The Ben, Work

Tagged , ,