Orientation

Well Daegu's yearly "orientation" for hagwon teachers is upon us and I have been unable to dodge the bullet this time.

It is basically an introduction to Korea with helpful tips such as how to get up a bank account and how to be polite in Korea. Now if I had been here for thirty days or so this might be very useful, but I am going on five years here and going with people who have been here as long, or longer, than me.

Some folks are already complaining about the 930am start as most of us work evenings, but I think they are kids whining. I was up at 8am today, get your fat, lazy asses out of bed! But seriously it isn't the time so much as the fact that it will be utterly useless to 90% of the people there.

Now an orientation for new people might be a good idea, in fact it would be. A booklet on "how to_______" would help newbies out immensely I am sure. But at this point it is rather ridiculous for me. I am on my Korean back nine for sure and whether I leave to do my dissertation (Feb 2015) or after my dissertation (Oct 2015) I will be gone by one of those dates, if I haven't figured out Daegu by now I never will now will I?

Finally, the last half is an "introduction to Korean culture" lecture and, I believe, a Tae Kwon do show. Now I get that my fictional handbook should have a few do's and don't's for Korean society, but we are not cultural ambassadors. I have been hired to do a job, that is all. Now I can CHOOSE to get out and explore a bit, but if some guy wants to come here and spend two years getting drunk at pajama parties and scavenger hunts at MF Bar and Thursday Party that is his choice/loss. If you choose to be adventurous great, if you choose to learn a few things about Korean great, but it is not a responsibility nor the governments job to enforce you doing that.

Anyway, I'll be up at the usual time tomorrow :D to be off to learn how to open a Korean bank and that kimchi is very famous in Korea.