Reflections

Here I am again... I am sitting in an airport (Incheon International) and about ready to go back home for the second time in two years. I haven't written a lot in quite awhile because way back in October my life got interesting...


Here is a summary of the year 2009
I started a new job in January. YBM ELS an Adult Academy in nampo-dong Busan. BUSAN DYNAMIC MEGACITY a home to 4.3 million Koreans is a wonderful place to live, work and travel.

Nampo-dong is one of the biggest centers in Busan. Its location is subway metro line 1 stop 111

I taught an afternoon program involving kids and hated it. I wasn't interested in returning to the glory Gumi days of yelling at the youth.


February was a good time i worked an extra weekend and earned 75 extra dollars, I learned more about YBM and felt really respected. Geoffrey left at the end of this month and after finishing this month Andrew my new boss came.



March-December
I worked at DAEYANG Company an offsite teaching position located in SAHA-GU. I was paid 350 per month while YBM was given 2.0million won. These company workers were tired, boring and often late if they didn't come at all.

I also taught screaming kids again. I worked every Saturday including a few months were I had more than the allotted 4 hours for kids. I had 6 hours or even 8 hours.

I also did some private work for a fellow teacher. I enjoyed working with her because of her easygoing nature.

In August I worked 168 hours for my company and I had close to 20 hours of additional work
In October Piff happened. Pusan International Film Festival. The biggest even in Busan--I attended 4 movies.

November 29th- I got married. I went to Gumi and married Kim Eun Ju. The biggest and most famous person from Sangju. Where is that?


She and I lived in my one room studio for a month before moving to our new apartment located in Gwangan a busy district in Busan and popular with tourists because of the beach.


December came and went...My company cut me after completing my year contract


HERE is my feelings about this....

I worked a year and agreed to 1 year. I changed my mind about my attitude of work. I agreed to teach kids, work all hours, and do anything without complaining. I wanted fair chances to improve my teaching and continue working there.

In March I had an observation and was insulted by a man who judged my character and not my teaching. I couldn't have a rational talk with him and when i asked my boss to help me I got the cold shoulder. When i had some problems no one would fix it. Its the job of the company to fix the teachers complaints but instead of helping me they made me the problem.


YBM let me down the long and the short of it. I wanted to do more for myself, for YBM and ultimately stay there longer. I need more time in this job field but going through appropriate channels didn't help.

Showing Facts didn't help
Many students complained about my teaching but my company refused to hear the positives. i taught an after-school program in the afternoons twice for a woman who loved my work and she loved all the work I did for her on Saturday (43 times) Students took me out for lunch or dinner or coffee too many times to count. i was given presents many times.


The last present I was given was from a man who later turned out to be a big baby when i asked him to keep the conversation appropriate. I lost students because of other students like him (men who won't shut up because they are older or oldest) I hate that part of Korean society the self righteous old fart who thinks he is so god damned important. Its truly backwards.


korea is a little mixed up to me. Example, I went to Centum City a very developed, modern age city with computers, departments and everything in digital form and 2 hours later I went to a district with old women pushing carts down the street carrying groceries. How can the government not develop the city equally? Sounds like bullshit to me.


Its 2pm I will be home today at this time tomorrow I can say I was already here yesterday


And the cycle continues i will be coming back to Korea again hopefully for the last time to work teaching kids and enjoy my newapartment.

my new apartment is below my brother in laws house. Its should be fun

I will write a new blog again soon i hope