Holiday Plans

I definitely got a lesson in humility on Saturday, the four-month anniversary of my arrival in Korea. It came from my amazing friend and co-teacher Bosun, and was definitely something that I needed to hear.

She texted me early in the day (Saturday). She had to be at school that morning and wanted to let me know not to go see the new movie Avatar, because the principal had decided that all the teachers and students will see it together next Monday, the 28th. Because of the swine flu, the school canceled this semester’s festival and sports days, so they decided to take a school-wide field trip downtown to see Avatar instead.

My initial reaction was to get angry. I knew it was a long shot, but I had been really hopeful for a long time that I would be able to go home for Christmas. I desperately wanted to, and I really didn’t see why I shouldn’t. The last week of school is a hodge-podge of exams, special end-of-year ceremonies, the one-day Christmas vacation, and even an overnight field trip just for the teachers. We’ve finished teaching from the textbooks and the students don’t want to listen anymore anyway.

I also felt like I should be able to go home because it seems like Christmas is so much more meaningful and ‘important’ to Americans than it is to Koreans. Bosun told me that gifts are only exchanged between couples or given to small children; I know that Christmas in general has less religious significance for Koreans than for Americans; and besides, they only get one day off from school! How important can it be?

So between all of the end-of-year shenanigans going on around this time, and the difference in attitude about Christmas, it seemed obvious (to me) that my school wouldn’t miss me at all, and it would mean a lot more to me to be able to go home than it would for them to have me there. But it was impossible because there is only one day off for Christmas, and my contract doesn’t allow vacation or personal time except during actual school vacation periods. So when I heard that yet another day of what could have been my precious Christmas time at home, had been devoted to hauling 400+ kids downtown to see a freaking movie, I was so, so upset.

So I immediately fired back a text to Bosun, basically something along the lines of ‘Seriously?!?! I can’t go home for Christmas because I have to be at school on ‘school days,’ and then we all decide to go to the movies together! This sucks!’ Not my most mature or thoughtful moment, considering that: 1. We’d already discussed this whole situation, and she knew exactly how I felt and has been very sympathetic; and 2. All the other teachers work two Saturdays a month, so she was working while I was at home, watching TV and subjecting her to my crabby texts.

Anyway, here’s the response she sent me:

This is how things go at school in Korea. 28th’s movie trip is also kinda school schedule, and 29-30th teacher trip, too. Most people who work for company and school can’t use their vacation. Especially, teachers can’t go anywhere during official school days, even though there is no class to teach. I know how much you get angry, but you have to understand it. Sorry for your Christmas.

So that definitely brought me down a peg or two, especially since she was reminding me of stuff that I already knew or should have known. I’m a teacher like all the other teachers at Jeil, and even though as a foreigner I very often get special treatment, it doesn’t and shouldn’t extend to every issue. Also, Koreans, and Korean teachers especially, are very hard workers and their attitude toward Christmas vacation is just a cultural difference. Lastly, I volunteered to work in Korea, and I knew when I made that decision that this might happen, and that signing a one-year contract might very well mean that I don’t go home for one year.

Now that a few days have passed and I’ve cooled down, I’m starting to actually get a little excited for Christmas in Daegu. I’ll be spending Christmas Eve with friends – we’re doing a Secret Santa and a potluck dinner. And Avatar should actually be pretty cool – we’ll meet at 9:20am at the movie theater downtown, so I can sleep in an hour; the movie itself is in 3D; and after the movie we’ll go back to school for lunch and then the students go home! And the teacher’s trip sounds like it’ll be fantastic – I’m still not sure exactly where we’re going, and the itinerary I was given is in Korean, but I think it’s several hours away, near the shore somewhere, and will involve a ferry ride, some really amazing decadent meals (raw fish!), and an actual budget for snacks and beer. Definitely my kind of trip.