Saturday, February 4, 2012

Re-Contracting (30 June)

I finally managed to have the drug test re-done on Tuesday afternoon.  Unfortunately, my interview with the Office of Education in Jeonju is this afternoon so I don’t yet have the results of my complete physical.  In fact, I don’t have any of the documentation that I’m supposed to hand in today although they’re all in the process of being finished.

Despite this, NZ2 and I head to Jeonju with one of the Japanese teachers who is also renewing her contract.  We’re scheduled to be at the Office of Education by 15:00 but we arrive shortly after 14:00.  Fortunately, several other NETs are also early and lively conversations ensue in an air-conditioned office.  In addition, the Office of Education has thoughtfully ordered patbinsu (red bean ice) as a refreshment for us on this hot summer’s day.  Unfortunately, there is a pre-decided order in which we’ll have our interviews before re-signing our contracts and the five foreign teachers from my school (2 NETs, 2 Japanese teachers and 1 Spanish teacher) are all towards the end of the nearly 30 person list. 

As the interviews drag on, the time slowly ticks by and we’re all attempting to calculate at what time we’re likely to get home at this stage.  Fortunately, the staff doing the interviews realise this too and the interviews get shorter and shorter.  By the time I’m called in for my interview, my questions as nothing more than whether or not I like my school, why I came to Korea and how I stay healthy.  I’m then excused and sent to sign the actual contract and a promise to submit my outstanding documentation within five months of today.

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