Nemesis watch: Final word

One of my best mates here and a co-worker, Mark, left this morning - the office will be very different over the coming months. Everyone at work wishes him the best for his future and he certainly has an exciting one lined up. Whilst departures like this are an unfortunate consequence of my job, some exits are welcomed more easily. A couple of weeks ago my nemesis left. Well not really my nemesis but a co-worker who was 'different' from other teachers.

A co-worker who spoke to the English teachers at work a handful of times over the course of two years. Indeed she only seemed to speak to her partner teachers when they spoke to her in Korean. Maybe if I was Korean then the working relationship would have been better. A favourite with our manager, at her leaving party everyone was requested to say some words on her leaving. This was bizarre and uncomfortable for me. How can you talk about someone who simply does not talk to you and is on the surface, a cold person. I managed to say something but was my insincerity noticed?

It always felt strange to me that someone who seemed to dislike interaction in English would actually choose to be an English teacher. And then go to Australia, where she would have to speak English. Some Korean teachers grasp the opportunity to get to know co-workers, learn about other cultures and improve their English but not her. Perhaps she is destined to join the ranks of Koreans tourists who venture abroad on vacation only to hang around fellow Korean travellers and eat only ramien and ignore the whole point of travelling.

Her replacement has spoken more English in the staff room in two weeks than she did in two years.

Nemesis update

Work remains the same but something is starting to grate. Little by little, day by day one offender has been gnawing away at my patience and sanity. There is someone at work who cannot walk properly. I will point out here that some of my co-workers wear something resembling slippers whilst at work. Presumably for comfort reasons. But what difference could these slippers make to being able to walk correctly? Rather than lifting one leg up then going forward (repeating with the other leg etc etc), this person is making no attempt to walk, only shuffle their slippers ever forward. The noise is not loud but relentless. Like a butcher sharpening a knife but worse. The laziness of this person beggars belief.

Nemesis Watch: Part 1

Princess disease struck in the office yesterday as my nemesis once again showed her true colours.

There is one person that I do not like much at work. I don't speak to her and won't until she gets my name right. Yesterday I had a rare break during teaching time, alas I had to share the office with her. As soon as everyone left the room she leapt at the air conditioning and turned it off without asking how I felt about this. It was as if I didn't exist or perhaps more likely she just didn't care. If I was Korean, would she have asked? At the time of the deed she moaned "I'm cold" in Korean, when it clearly wasn't. But what left me speechless was seventy minutes later in the office with everyone in, she opened her window - this was at around 7:30 pm so it was cold outside. Are you hot or are you cold? Make up your mind and don't complain about it. I don't understand and don't want to.

As well as getting my name wrong she rarely smiles which I find odd. Her demeanour is not that of a likable person. It would seem that nobody else in the office shares my reservations about her. Am I imagining this, or is she really as bad as I think? I am convinced that she hasn't talked to the person who sits next to her yet (2 months and counting!)

Also, this must be said, she has made the ugly office place even uglier. As evidenced in this picture. Is there any need to cover the windows with paper AND paper that has pictures on it that we can all see - of assorted vegetables! I have worked at my academy for nearly a year now and nobody has complained about the sun in their eyes but her.


Many Korean people openly express their emotions to people around them. Such as "I'm cold, I'm hot, I'm hungry, I'm full". This is fine but after a while you start to think, "so what". I somehow doubt people in Africa or Alaska complain about the temperature. To some people it's always too hot or always too cold and life is never what they want it to be. Perhaps this is why so many Korean women don't have boyfriends and there are so many quick, seemingly loveless marriages of convenience.

Of course I am exaggerating this a little and it's a bit tongue-in-cheek. Tensions can rise in the workplace. People don't always get on and you can rarely choose who you work with. There is both the language and the cultural differences too which I should try to bear in mind. She's probably a very nice person who just hasn't shown her true personality yet. Some people are just shy aren't they. We'll see.