WELCOME TO THE WASTE OF EVERYONE’S TIME ENGLISH BROADCAST SHOW

There is a high school in the province looking for a foreign English teacher. I bit and called. However, I cannot change schools so I’m either here at Duil Middle School or going back to a hagwon (academy). The hagwon is not an option. So it’s make this work or hit the road. It’s a big world out there with many places to see. However, I’m not ready to leave Korea yet. I want to know where the future leads to and what it holds for me. Some of the answers may be in Korea.

So, I’ve caved in on the broadcast. I would have loved to have told them to go fuck themselves. Am I now a wimp or a practical person? I know when you have a job you don’t like and a wife and kids, you do what you must to put a roof over your head and food on the table. Since those days are in the past, I thought I had the freedom to do as I wanted and go where I wanted. Strictly speaking I do. However, there are choices to be made and not just “don’t like it, goodbye”. So for personal reasons I’m sticking it out, playing the game, and focusing on other aspects of my life for my happiness and contentment. This doesn’t mean school is a write-off, it just means that there are some big negatives that I can’t let bring me down.

I didn’t write the letter and have Yoon Soo translate it. Min Kyung had to give the bosses some answers yesterday about what we’re doing (we being me) for the broadcast. I told her to tell the vice-principal that the broadcast is an excellent idea and I’ve done research and the optimum time to broadcast for is 20 minutes. I told Min Kyung to tell him that if that doesn’t work then I can’t do the broadcast. She asked me if I was prepared to leave and I said yes. I then left for the doctor.

After a couple of minutes in the car and being able to think without her nervous manner hanging over me, I called her. I told her I would do the 40 minutes if they wouldn’t go for the 20 minutes. I told her that I would have the broadcast just be like a regular class being filmed with some good students. It’s a crappy idea but there are no good ideas. I’m not a professional entertainer and these morons want 5 40-minute broadcasts a week.

Min Kyung and I met this morning. The vice-principal said 40 minutes. I said okay, I’ll do it but it’s a waste of everyone’s time. Min Kyung agrees but also says there is no choice because we must do what the boss says. She wants me to teach chapters 9 to 16 of the textbook. We are on chapter 2 in class and I said that no one will understand if we skip ahead that far. She said they want the textbook finished this year. So I’ll play the game and do chapters 9 to 16 in the broadcast and chapters 1 to 8 when I teach. Makes sense, right?

We then went to the broadcast room and she was telling me how we should set it up or what the vice-principal wanted. I’m not sure really but I did put my foot down. I said that the broadcast room was my classroom and since I’m the teacher, I decide. They were looking at having a student hold a static camera but I said they can pan back and forth between the students and I. Having us sit together in a row like a panel discussion wasn’t going to work. I want a whiteboard and to run it like a class. She said the students should translate some things into Korean for the kids in the classrooms who know nothing. It’s a lousy idea that serves no purpose but I said fine.

We talked about the students I would use. She said she would pick them and I said I wanted some input into who was chosen. She is teaching an “advanced” class at the same time as the broadcast and the students I mentioned were in her advanced class. I said do I get the best students or do I get the lousy students who weren’t good enough to be in the advanced class? I think I’m getting the kids I want. I’m sure they’ll learn more English hanging with me than in an “advanced” class taught by her.

It’s a waste of my time. It’s a waste of the student’s time. It’s an idiotic idea. But I’m doing it. I’m conforming. I hate it. It offends me. Damn. I hope the Korean thing works out because I feel I’m giving up a piece of my self-respect by doing this. Or am I maturing? I don’t know but this whole thing is wrong and stupid.

I had my McDonald’s yesterday. Damn, I enjoyed it. It’s embarrassing to say that but it’s true. Tonight is Subway so that’s even better.

Yesterday when I got home I went in the elevator to go to my apartment. As the elevator is going up I hear something through the intercom. “Mr. King, Mr. King”. It takes me a moment to realize that’s me. So I said, “yes” and a voice tells me to come to the security building. I said yes. How did they know I was in the elevator? Did the security guy see me go into my building and I’m the only white guy around? Was he monitoring the elevator waiting for me?

I go to the security building and there are 2 boxes of books that had been sent to me. This guard is in his sixties and he speaks some English. It’s amazing who does and doesn’t speak English. School vice-principal? No English. Old man security guard? Speaks English. Go figure.

The guard asked me if I was from Australia. Must be my Aussie accent. At least he got the Commonwealth right. Nice man and it’s good for me to have the occasional person around who I can ask questions of.

This morning I get into my car to go to school and this woman motions for me to open my window. I do, wondering what she wanted. I then notice her daughter beside her who is a student here at the school. She wanted me to take her daughter to school so I said of course I would. This is done in pantomime. I guess the kid was running late and I’m a handy taxi service. I wonder how many of my students live in the building complex where I live. Maybe I can pick up some extra money chauffeuring them to school.

One class to go today and lots of sitting around still to do. Then it’s off to Ilsan to get a coffee and go on the Subway to Seoul for a concert of I don’t know what it is. Something classical most likely but I’m tough and I can take it. The thought of a Subway Club Sandwich will keep me going.