Signs its time to move on.

Today was not a good day in South Korea.  For months I have expressed to my co-teacher my concerns of safety and discomfort in the hell hole that is my apartment, and for months, to this day, she and the administration refuse to acknowledge my concerns and refuse to do anything about them.  For the past six months my experience here at this one room apartment has been of strangers trying to enter my apartment in the middle of the night, neighbors coming home drunk at 3 a.m. yelling, laughing, talking in the hallway, and bed bugs.  All of which my school refuses to do anything about.  No offer of a double lock on the door.  No offer of extermination and cleaning of my belongings. No offer of speaking with the management, whom I pay 50,000 won a month for management fee, to clean my belongings and eliminate the bed bugs.  No offer what so ever.  And they have flat refused to move me to another apartment.

I am so angry and so ready to leave this country that so blatantly hates foreigners and has such disdain for Native English Teachers.  I was expressing this to another co-NET and she sent me this article which is an interview of a local university student.  She was asked about her opinion of foriegn English teachers working in Korea, and her view reflects that of most Korean teachers I have worked with.  All of them dislike foreigners and there have been many articles written on the racism and xenophobia here in South Korea.

Read the article, and be sure to read all the comments.  The comments are the most interesting.

Let me say for the record, I have made efforts to learn Korean.  I have traveled all over South Korea and have seen many of their historical sites and visited many pre-historical sites.  I have read many books and publications on Korean history and pre-history.  I have gone hunting for artifacts and given a presentation on the pre-history of Korea to other expats.  I have made efforts to communicate with my co-teachers and Korean members of the local community.  All of these efforts have been for not as Koreans have no interest in forming genuine relationships with foreigners.  My efforts include a local community English class focused on teaching women, however, I have allowed a few males into the group at the insistance of my female students.   This is a free class.  I make zero from this class.  I was an effort to connect and make a difference in the lives of Korean women who are not as advantaged as Korean men in business.

There.  I've beat my own drum.  But I will not be accused of being narrow focused during my time here in Korea.  I came here for the culture experience and to see the historical sites.  I sat in the lunch room at my school for six months and no one would talk to me.  I am not invited to teachers dinners or outings.  THAT is how Korea has treated me.

Incidentally, President Lee and his co-horts would do well to read Amy Chua's book, "Day of Empire".  It is the most tolerant nations that become the most economically powerful.  I don't think the world will ever fear that South Korea (or North) will ever become an economic super power based on the high level of intolerance for 'others'.