Um...Fired?

It's been almost two months since I've posted last. Lots happened but I just couldn't be bothered to write any of it down. This week though gave me lots to write about, and the extra time in which to do it.

Monday was pretty shitty. The Padres lost the division series, North Korea started blowing shit up and I got fired. I had just gotten back from my week long vacation in Vietnam and Cambodia (See blog below) and I went to work on Monday and was promptly told that I was fired. Yeah. Six weeks ago I told my boss I was not going to be here the Monday of Chusok (think Korean Thanksgiving, where tues-fri are days off). Having taken no days off in 8 months of working here and giving written notice 6 weeks before the day off I figured that I would be shown some consideration. I got none and was given back the notice without even being spoken to by Mrs Lee. Having already made flight and hotel reservations I was not about to miss our trip so I left, fully knowing that Mrs Lee would be pissed and that I may get fired. But weighed against a whole week of vacation with my girlfriend and friends I didn't care. I have hated the ever increasing schedule, watching other teachers come and go and being constantly ignored by my director when I come to address problems.

So I went on vacation and had a wonderful time. Monday morning I was asked to meet with our new head teacher Una (who's been here all of two weeks) and it was her, and not Mrs. Lee, that told me that I was being fired and that I was expected to be out of my apartment by the end of the day. She berated me for missing a single day of work calling me irresponsible and childish for my handling of the situation. She was also dismissive when I claimed (rightly, I've been researching all day) that it is illegal to dismiss me without 30 days notice. She said that I should just do as the director says and leave immediately. I told her that I was finished talking to her about it and would talk to Mrs Lee in person.

I did and explained that I was happy to be fired and no longer wished to work for LCI. I asked for one week to move out (I'm going to be living at Sarah's apartment) and asked for a formal letter of release that proves that I was fired without notice. I got both and I took the letter to the labor office to make a formal complaint. They called my director and told her flat out that she was breaking the law and that she owed me 30 days pay. The next day I went to speak to Mrs. Lee and I explained that if I am given my back pay and the 30 days wages I'll withdraw my complaint and quietly walk away. She asked for 24 hours to consider it and it seemed like she was willing to pay. We'll see.

Meanwhile, the other four teachers at my school are scared shitless that this will happen to them, and two of them who just started say they are going to quit since the director seems deceitful/batshit-crazy. Adam and Michelle are two months from completing their contract and if they are not given their return airfare home by the end of the week they'll walk too. So firing me could cost the school it's entire foreign staff.

So that's how my tenure in Korea ends. Sarah is here till November 20th and I will be staying here with her until then. There are still a few things I want to see in Korea and I have two weddings to go to in the next month so I'll be busy (though I won't be teaching 9 classes a day anymore). I'll try to be better about posting. Talk to you later.