Today is one of those days when I want to leave, now, and never return. Well, that’s not entirely true. It did have its good moments. But the bad…oh man. I may yet become a child beater. I’m often accused of being a pedophile, but my tendency lately is toward child hatred, not love. Two months apart will probably do us good.
However, I found out today that my principal, demanding asshole that he is, wants to cut my break down further. I am so angry at him. Why does he insist on wringing all the work he can out of me? There are a million ways he could be nice to me and make my experience in Korea and with his school a pleasant one, but he just wants to use me as much as he can. First he tries to make me stay longer, then he wants me to make up the worthless English club classes, then it’s the summer camp…and no Fridays off because of him. I deeply regret not negotiating my second year here. I do want to stay here—I don’t want to go through the hassle of moving, really—but you’d think he would be more accommodating, not less. Why does he want me to regret my decision daily? Today’s story was that he suddenly decided the summer camp needed to be longer. It was supposed to be a week originally, but then the second semester start date was moved up, so now it’s only three days. Now he wants me to teach more days. Basically, he’s trying to suck another week of work out of me. There is no way in HELL I will do this. Why the misery? Why the hate? I’m hate-crazed as it is…does he REALLY want to take me on? He OBVIOUSLY doesn’t know me in fight mode and perhaps it’s time he did….
In consolation, however, he did present me with a present today: a humungous replica of Buyeo’s pride and joy and Korean National Treasure #287, an elaborately carved incense burner. I have a sneaking suspicion, though, that it will not even burn incense. It will certainly be a pain to move. Could I have gotten a more worthless gift?? Oh, I’m grateful for the though, but considering the fact that I’m essentially a nomad, it was basically the worst gift of all time. Heavy, big, AND useless. At least I got to eat a ton of cake during the boring ceremony. Additionally, some of my usually quiet or trouble-making kids went to great lengths to communicate with me while we were waiting (it was part of the monthly birthday party—yes, they were too cheap to give me my own party) and I think everyone was happy with that. It’s sad that my fourth graders, who know essentially nothing, can communicate with me at least as well as most of the teachers at my school. Emphasis on English language learning is a joke.
And later, I was visited by some of my fifth graders. Many of the girls have taken to visiting me in the afternoons. They’ll help me cut things out and just chat with me as best as we can. I have to admit I’m usually not overjoyed to see them because when I am at school, it’s because I have work to do, but I’m making an effort to drop it for them. After all, it’s my job to encourage them to use English, to learn how to communicate with foreigners. And I have to admire their courage. I never would have (and still would never) approach an adult and converse in a foreign language for fun. And it’s fun to see what we can get across to each other using the rudimentaries of each of our native tongues plus body language. I learned today my girls are looking for boyfriends. I hate to encourage 11 year olds in this pursuit, but it is a fun gossip topic!