5 weeks to go!

Today is just another landmark for us when it comes to leaving South Korea. 5 weeks exactly until we get on that plane for the last time in Seoul. And it's already double-digit days in Korea...so it feels like we're getting much closer!

We had a scare and thought we wouldn't be leaving on Valentine's Day, but thankfully our meeting was quick and almost painless. We had enquired about getting paid before we leave and letting our landlord know when we are leaving. We have to do this through the provincial board of education and the email we got back was that if we leave the country before the last day of our contract we would not receive our serverence pay which is equivilant to one month's pay. Also we have to extend our visas and stay for a few days AFTER our contract end date so the paperwork would go through. The person relaying the information was new and we got unnecessarily freaked out! After our meeting, all was worked out - thankfully!

Another situation that happened that we don't want to forget:

We work for the provincial board of education - it's THE highest form of education in this province. you'd think things would be done on the up and up, but Korea still has a ways to go.

Our boss suggested to us that we'd have to work a Saturday and Sunday to do interviews for potential Korean-English teachers. Craig reminded Mr.Lee that we are NOT required to work on the weekends - EVER - since we've contracted for Monday-Friday. Our boss told us everything would be fine and that we'd be paid what was in our contract. It was left as that.

The foreigners all recieved a text message on Friday from our boss. It said - there is an information meeting at the provincial board of education on Monday at 2pm on 3rd floor. that was it. So we all showed up at this meeting expecting to be told about expectations, duties, and payment. As soon as we arrived, the Koreans were shoving an agreement contract asking us to sign. We had to fend them off letting them know we don't know anything about this job and that it was only an info meeting. They were shocked to hear that since we had already been signed up to work by our boss!! Then we asked about hours and payment and we were told the hours were 6:40 AM until 6:00 PM. We all thought we'd be getting about $300 to do such a long day of work, but they told us there was not much money and they really wished there was more money to pay us. We were being asked to work 12 hours for $70. and this is the highest form of education. After a much heated discussion involving many of the foreigners and Koreans, they agreed on a 10 hour day for $150. Since this still wasn't the minimum overtime payment in our contract and Craig is preaching, we declined.

And we will happily spend one of our last Sundays with our church family.