Broken Promises

(Forgive my typos and format please. The format looks fine in the entry window and then goes haywire once I publish the post; I apologize)

I have titled this blog "Broken Promises". Why the word promises? Well this particular blog will be about te contract that I have with my academy. Formally, it is called a contract, but I have come to find that a contract here is really nothing more than promises, broken ones at that.

Let me list you some things that I am supposed to have here by contractual agreement:

Sick Days
Vacation - one week
Residence - within 10 minutes or less walking distance
Curriculum
Reliable Pay of 2.3 million Won
3 Days of paid training before starting class

Now, let me list for you what I don't have:

Sick Days - all days/classes missed due to illness are rescheduled at the STUDENT'S earliest
convenience, usually on the weekend.
Vacation - there is no vacation at all.
Residence - My apartment is an hours walk from my school, a thirty minute busride, or a 5000
Won cab ride. The campus I work at on Friday's is on the other side of the city; a
10000 Won cab ride. I have to pay for some of the cab rides to and from the closer
campus when I have plans. My other travel expenses are paid for, but it does take
considerable time out of my day.
Curriculum - I was given curriculum; however, with no time to learn it or get familiar. Shortly
after receiving it, I was told I couldn't use it anymore because the kids didn't like it.
I was told that I have to have conversations with kids that don't talk or behave for
90 minutes at a time. Tedious, Tedious, Tedious.
Reliable pay of 2.3 million Won - This month I am getting paid late again. I am scrapping a big
trip I had planned this weekend because I am unsure if I will
have the money, and I cannot go out this weekend and do any
thing. Also, I have not gotten paid the full amount yet. My
paychecks are usually around 2.1 million Won. Over a years
time I will have been shortchanged about 2 million Won. This
will be dealt with tomorrow!
Three Days of Paid Training - My first ten minutes at my academy on January 2nd went like
this: "This is you (not a typo) room Weeyum. Classes are 90 minutes. Bye." Before I knew it, I was in a class full of kids
ready to be taught God Knows What by me. No Training.

**All of my friends at other academies live close to work, get there pay on time and in the correct amount, had training, have curriculum that doesn't change, vacation and sick days. Also, their directors got all their alien registration, health insurance, cell phone, etc. setup for them in three weeks or less. Not me**

The bad news: I like the people I work with and in leaving I would really be screwing them over. Getting released from my contract because of their fault and going to another academy would put my academy in a dire financial situation, thus putting a strain on my coworkers, many of whom I have become close with as of late. Some might even lose their jobs, or at the very least, have troubles with their salaries.

So the moral conundrum is: Do I bite the bullet for six more months and deal with the crap? Or do I speak up knowing that I most likely won't get my way or any improvement, probably end up leaving and hurting many of the people at my academy who depend on this job and aren't just tourists of sorts who are on to bigger and better things in six months? I hope I can find a middle path, which is to say I hope my boss can as well.

KICKS ASS: Crazy co-worker got the axe at work. She is no longer around to harass me. She feigned illness and was caught and fired immediately. Awesome!

SUCKS ASS: No money and can't go on the trip. Also, my bus card ran out of points. I took it to my director, and he didn't know why I was giving it to him when he told me to bring it back to him when it ran out. He told me very blatantly, "Fill it back up with points." I had to explain to him that since I lived so far from work that that was his responsibility. After some reluctance he conceded and did the right thing. But, that with the addition of the late pay was the catalyst for this post.