She Persisted

These last 3.5 months have been challenging (even though I'm having fun), you already know that. But something most of you don't know is that I have had to push and push and push and advocate and fight and stand my ground multiple times to the principle of the school. I am not mentioning any names or the school name so there is no harm in me posting this. This post is about the power I've found within myself and the absurdity of the situation, which I can't wait to tell you about.

Here's the back story. . .

Months before I came to Korea, when my recruiter contacted me letting me know I was offered a contract, I read it over very carefully. It was 9 pages long and detailed everything from pay, to lodging, to school rules and expectations, to flights. I remember the wording around the flight information being very difficult to understand (the contracts are in broken English). I specifically asked the recruiter if in section 5a there is a flight to and from Korea paid by the school, or is it just the return flight? She reassured me it's two flights, so I signed the contract. (It's pretty standard for a school to pay for your flight there and back.) I was told that it can take 30-60 days for flight reimbursement.

After being here for a month I asked my supervisor about the flight reimbursement since no one had even mentioned it. She said she would check with the principal and get back to me. Every few days I would ask about it and she would just say something like, "He's looking into it." I was getting close to the 60 day mark when I really started pushing. Finally the school said they would pay it on my next paycheck and I was relieved. A day later I was told they weren't paying for it because in my contract it states they will only provide a return ticket after completion of the contract. I went home and read the contract and that's what it says - which is why I specifically asked my recruiter about it.

I sent an email to my recruiter with all the information and cited the email where I specifically asked about the return ticket. Turn around takes so long because of the time difference. Nothing is ever quick, and email drags it out even longer.She replied saying that this is the first contract she's seen from this school without a two-way flight. (This recruiter sends quite a few teachers to this school.) While that's all fine and good, I reminded her that I asked about a very specific point in the contract, which she clearly didn't read and just answered yes instead of looking. She said that the rule is if a school changes their contract, they have to notify the recruiter ahead of time. So now I was caught in the middle of something that is completely not my fault and a little bit of both other party's faults. Cool.

The recruiter said she would work with the school to find a solution that works for both of us. I suggested that the recruiting agency pay for my ticket, and then if the school decides to reimburse, than the school just pays them. I just flat out said - it's your fault so you should pay for it. How does this fall on me?

I'm going to pause here to express how I was feeling at the time. I hate dealing with money. It's so uncomfortable. I hated feeling like this money hungry foreign teacher, like I was only in it for the money. But we are talking almost $1000 Canadian dollars. Plus, we all have jobs because we need money. It's just how it is. I would go through this cycle in my head every time I felt bad asking for money that was owed me. And then friends would reassure me that I'm not money hungry. Probably teaching isn't the right profession if you want to make the big bucks.

At this point I was just getting random updates from the recruiter saying she was still working on it. Then I got good news which was an email from the school to my recruiter, which she shared with me, saying that I would be reimbursed on March 28. I was excited but apprehensive. And rightfully so . . . . the day came and nothing happened. I asked the school and they said it wasn't a reimbursement to me for my flight, it was a payment to the recruiter for my recruiting fee. (Which also I'm shocked took 2 months to pay.) Back to the drawing board. I emailed my recruiter again letting her know what happened on March 28.

At the beginning of April other weird money related things started happening with the school that were making me concerned. The cleaning lady quit after not being paid for 2 months. She was the best, so diligent and caring. A couple of Korean employees quit with respectable notice and haven't been paid for their time. They have gotten lawyers involved. I could add more things to this list  but it's making me depressed just typing it.

Finally after more negotiating between the school and my recruiter I was notified that the next pay day (Mat 8) I would receive light reimbursement. I told my recruiter I wasn't holding my breath. Good thing I didn't when on payday there was nothing about my flight on the detailed payment verification we receive. This time I demanded I talk to the principal myself. He claims he doesn't speak English well, so we always go with our classroom supervisor who is Korean. He brought up the email on his computer that said May 8 and he said no, this is just approximately May 8, not definitely. I literally stared in his face in bewilderment. The email literally said, "Allison will be reimbursed for her flight on May 8." and the email is signed by him. There is not approximation in that statement. He told me he won't make the payment until I write a statement saying that if I break the contract and leave early that I will pay him back for that flight. I so desperately wanted to say he's the one breaking the contract and this is money I am owed outright, why would I sign something like that? But, he isn't breaking the contract because my recruiter is the one who gave me false information. He doesn't HAVE to pay this money, even though he should have notified the recruiter he changed the contract. Such a loophole and again, it just goes around and around. I told him I wasn't planning on leaving, but if I am continued to be treated like this, I will. There was no budging, so I wrote the statement. After writing it and signing it with two witnesses, he told me he doesn't have the money to pay me anyways. I said he has to. He said he literally has no money and can't.

Then he told me could pay me on the 12th. I asked him how he was going to have the money on the 12 if he doesn't have it on the 8. It's only 4 days. He said parents will come in and pay tuition during the week and then he will have money. I asked what if no one does, what will happen? He said he has to because he signed this promise so he just will have to. (How is this new statement any different than the last two? No one knows.) I made him sign a statement saying he will pay me the exact amount of Korean won on May 12. I held on to that paper and made 3 photocopies. The best part of all of this is I just did a conversion on Google of how much the flight is equivalent and wrote it down. It is accurate, but I could have written any amount. He didn't even check it.

May 12 arrived and I was almost buzzing out of satisfaction and fear. I knew it was going to come to a head that day, because nothing is ever easy with this man. I've joked many times with friends and family that it's like working for a mini Donald Trump, and I'm not wrong. All he cares about is money, he is racist (wouldn't hire teachers from South Africa because of their accents even though all foreigners have accents if they aren't Korean!) , and he will stare at you and lie to your face and make you feel like you are giving him fake news. Here is how May 12 went down.

At lunch I asked my supervisor to have the front desk lady make the payment. She said okay, she'd talk to her. I didn't hear anything. At the end of the day I asked her what the problem was and they said that the principal wanted to speak to me about it. I had that signed paper in my hand, walked into his office and asked, "Are you going to reimburse me for my flight today like you promised?" I am not lying to you when he looked at me with a straight face and said, "I have no idea what you are talking about." It was 4 days since he signed that paper. I held the paper in front of him and said, "Remember on Monday when you signed this saying you would pay me on the 12?" He said it doesn't say the 12. I pointed to the exact words and he said ok. He stood up and walked to the front desk lady and told her to pay me.

I thought it was over.

I also though, who is this person? I think it's typical for a Korean woman to just back down and let things happen to her. In fact I know that is the case. But if you are going to hire foreigners to work for you, you'd better know they are going to hold you accountable to at the very minimum your promises.

Anyways, like I said I thought it was finished. Turns out the front desk lady doesn't actually make the payments, the principal's wife does and she was out of the office. By now it was about 5:20 and I finish my day at 5:50. I asked when she would be back but she didn't know. I said I need this to be done before I leave. At 5:50 the wife wasn't back yet. I told myself just wait until she comes back, but I couldn't sit and work I decided to go home. I said to both my supervisor and front desk lady, if the payment is not made today (school closes at 7:20) I will not be coming to Gym Day tomorrow (one of two Saturday's we have to work.) So please text me when the payment is made and I will check my bank account. Again, I won't be there tomorrow if the payment is not made. At 7:45 I received a text that it went through.

3.5 months of fighting and pushing and promises broken and lies to my face and complete idiocy. I just can't believe it. I literally was like - he thinks I'm CNN giving him fake news of his own tweets when I'm holding the paper right in front of his face that he signed. I was embarrassed for him. Have some pride. Own up to your word. Ugh. It bothers me on so many levels. This is a school - we are doing good work. Be a good person.

Throughout these months while I was going through this other teachers have gone through similar things. I've said to them: think about when this year is over, the lessons we've learned and the growing we've had to do. We have been forced to do grow courage and a voice. One day in the future we will be thankful we had to do this. It's hard now, but one day we might be thankful we had to do a hard thing so it will be easier later. In Canada, it's unlikely that I'd have to stand up to my employer like this. But I feel powerful. Standing up for yourself is hard to do. We've had thoughts that if we were men maybe this wouldn't happen. It's hard to say. I am just really proud of myself for staring that man in his face and politely calling him on his bullshit.

I want all of you readers to know that I'm still enjoying everything else including teaching the kids and my time off. Here are some pictures from this past weekend when we had the aforementioned Gym Day on Saturday and a day out in the Hongdae neighborhood of Seoul where I saw so many funny signs and t-shirts. Enjoy!

Drinking a celebratory margarita after getting that reimbursement!

Aaron got a lion face at Gym Day and is questioning his life choices.

I am the teacher of Nemo class. Although the sing said

 NEOM and we had to switch the last two letters. 

Lucy's butterfly face paint.

Clown on stilts. 

Gym Day is a good concept. The kids bring their parents and grandparents to play games in the gym. Here is an all participant game of flip board. The game is described in the title. Flip the board.

Tug of war

Going out for dinner after Gym Day

5 tired English teachers about to eat pasta

Oh hello garlic bread, how I have missed you.

Trees being held up by dead trees

Loved this red building

We walked by this photo shoot of a grown man and his cat on a 

romantic picnic. I am hoping this is for his dating app profile. 

Lego friends

candy store

Music Bar Show Talk Healing Love Drinking

Friend chicken lunch

My new mantra

False advertising - they sell more than fruit

If I open a resto in Edmonton, I am naming it Burp

I bought this for my principal to wear

Thanks for all of your love and support. These next few months will have new challenges, but I am hoping not related to money. I feel guilty about stealing the Nevertheless She Persisted phrase as it's meant for something more important than a flight reimbursement. So I just titled this She Persisted, because that is what she did.

Love,

Alli