From: April
To: i_teach_esl@yahoo.com
Sent: Friday, June 20, 2008 4:56:15 PM
Subject: April6 at CDI
Hey. Thanks to your response to April6 on the Korean job forum on Dave's ESL.
I'm April6. You've been my hero for a while now. (I read your essay about Colin Powell. It was amazing. And you're also my hero because you're a black American not in America. My best friend in the Peace Corps was, too. Most Americans in Central, SC are black so I was surprised to grow up and discover I and most of the US wasn't. And even more surprised to discover most English speakers outside the US were rich, selfish, and living it up like they were on a two year vacation. When there's so many amazing non-white leaders in the US, those statistics didn't make sense.)
I'm April, wife and the two of us are currently living with his parents in SC while working at a summer camp for the mentally challenged. It's very nice, but very temporary. We chickened out of next year's plans to teach here. We discovered the reason for our quick offers is that many teachers couldn't get paid on time last year and quit. The pay isn't that good, but to run the chance of not getting any is scary. So we're looking elsewhere. Like Korea.
I've researched CDI/Korean hagwons for hours, but feel very uncertain. You said to email you guys, and this is it.
You didn't negotiate your contract and you're happy? That's cool. I think I read that you are hourly, right? Is it better? We like the hourly contract because we would like to pick our home and work less hours if work is hard / more hours if it's fun.
Here's what I'm worrying about:
You said the subway can get you anywhere. But with 70 branches/franchises, could transportation be a problem? I am guessing the small towns up in mountains in the snow might not have reliable public transportation, but maybe a CDI franchise or two.
Are married couples rare? Do they work in the same branch usually?
What happens when an hourly worker gets too sick to work?
Are you obliged to do weird volunteer stuff, like Science fairs or Sunday trips to the zoo?
Do you know of people who were fired? Were the reasons legitimate?
Did you mail CDI your original diploma? Did CDI mail it back?
Korea doesn't have oatmeal? Are you kidding? I thought the whole world had oatmeal. Not even the slow cooking stuff? What a bummer.
Congratulations on your awesome blog and career. I'm sure you are the hero of many. You go girl! And thanks for reading my message.
April
==========================
----- Original Message ----
From: english teacher
To: April
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 10:25:18 AM
Subject: Re: April6 at CDI
Hey. Thanks to your response to April6 on the Korean job forum on Dave's ESL.no problem.
I'm April6. You've been my hero for a while now. (I read your essay about Colin Powell. im sorry sweetheart,tht wasnt me. i didnt write anything about colin powell. can i be your secondary hero?
That's cool. I think I read that you are hourly, right? right.
Is it better? We like the hourly contract because we would like to pick our home and work less hours if work is hard / more hours if it's fun. worked for me too. but talk to the recruiter. with hourly you will not get health insurance, paid vacation, holidays, bonus, or severance, as you would with monthly or with salary at any other korea job.
Here's what I'm worrying about:
You said the subway can get you anywhere. But with 70 branches/franchises, could transportation be a problem? yes it could. i phrase things on the blog w/rose colored glasses.
I am guessing the small towns up in mountains in the snow might not have reliable public transportation, but maybe a CDI franchise or two. i dont know, b/ci work for a main branch. ask the recruiter about it. also be aware that franchises are not as good about sticking hard fast to cdi rules. their individually owned, so each franchise will be different.
Are married couples rare? Do they work in the same branch usually? no and i guess so, unless they wouldnt want to.
What happens when an hourly worker gets too sick to work? you call in, and someone has to cover your class.
http://theblackeslteacher.blogspot.com/2008/03/question-sick-days-being-vegetarian.html
Are you obliged to do weird volunteer stuff, like Science fairs or Sunday trips to the zoo? no. but there are mandatory meetings/workshops which are not compensated for. they're not too often, but you do have to go.
Do you know of people who were fired? Were the reasons legitimate? yes and i dont know. i stayed out of it.
Did you mail CDI your original diploma? Did CDI mail it back? they gave it back to me when i got here.
Korea doesn't have oatmeal? Are you kidding? I thought the whole world had oatmeal. Not even the slow cooking stuff? What a bummer. i honestly didnt try very hard to find it.
And thanks for reading my message. youre welcome. this will be your first korea job? watch lots of korean movies. try to learn the korean alphabet (i'll try to find a link... you can do a google search), and eat at korean restaraunts and try to learn how to pronounce the foods. try to email donselma on eslcafe, he's a real pro-cdi-er.
================================
----- Original Message ----
From: April
To: english teacher
Sent: Friday, June 27, 2008 1:40:06 PM
Subject: Re: April6 at CDI
Thank you for writing back.
You're right. My hero is actually "The Seoul Train" instead http://theseoultrain.blogspot.com/2007/03/cdi.html
I got u 2 confused. Yes, you're my secondary hero. No doubt. Anyone who would work a whole year without taking days off has enough grit for me to pay homage.
I appreciate all your answers. The part about you getting your diploma back immediately was particularly comforting. And the info on sick time was very insightful, too.
We are hoping this will work out for us, but haven't decided to sign yet. Our CDI contact says he's trying hard to place us, but may not before we arrive in Korea. He just asked me today to send him a second picture of myself. I feel like I'm being considered for a date on eHarmony instead of a job. And never any reference requirements?! Ugh. Different world.
You may be relieved to know I have no more questions. A nice married couple handled another slew so now we have a pretty clear picture of what mud we're diving into.
(I can't send donselma a note until I post 23 more messages, but I'll look for those Korean movies. Korean restaurant, in SC? If only. Atlanta has Thai and Chapel Hill has Vietnamese. You lucky unsouthern girl. But we can go to the China Buffet and pretend.)
Wish us luck
April
=========================
----- Original Message ----
From: english teacher
To: April
Sent: Wednesday, July 2, 2008 3:04:39 PM
Subject: Re: April6 at CDI
Thank you for writing back. no problem.
you're my secondary hero. No doubt. Anyone who would work a whole year without taking days off has enough grit for me to pay homage.well to be fair, i dont really work very hard.
Our CDI contact says he's trying hard to place us, but may not before we arrive in Korea. He just asked me today to send him a second picture of myself. I feel like I'm being considered for a date on eHarmony instead of a job. And never any reference requirements?! Ugh. Different world. send a second photo? hmmm... that's interesting, i was under the impression that cdi wasnt so focused on looks. waht did the first photo look like? passport type photo? how weird. but yes, yorue right, different world.
You may be relieved to know I have no more questions. A nice married couple handled another slew so now we have a pretty clear picture of what mud we're diving into.coo, im glad it's working out.
(I can't send donselma a note until I post 23 more messages, ah, yeah. well, keep posting. it's still helpful, reading, learning things, etc.
Korean restaurant, in SC? If only. Atlanta has Thai and Chapel Hill has Vietnamese. You lucky unsouthern girl. But we can go to the China Buffet and pretend.)
Wish us luck good luck! keep me posted as to when you get here! :)
=================================
I'm glad you wrote back. I haven't sent CDI a second photo yet, but I assume they noticed either something is wrong with my eyes or it's a bad picture with my eyes not open all the way. My husband and I plan on sending a candid shot of us at home or at a park or something. is the photo you sent me the same photo you sent to cdi? i dont know what they use they use the photos for, theyre not on the cdi website or anything as far as i know. did they ask for a specific type of photo? i wouldnt send a candid shot unless they ask for it.
This was concerning because something is wrong with my eyelids - I have a version of ptosis, a genetic condition that runs in my family. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptosis_(eyelid) It has nothing to do with my brain, nose, speech, figure, etc., but I think sometimes people assume the worse. perhaps you should tell your recruiter, maybe it would help them to understand. i dont think it would affect your being hired. one of the guys i went through training with had really "off" eyes, they were very big and each eye stared in different directions. cdi was his 3rd korea job, he'd been here for several years, working at different schools.
I assume I will have to discuss this before I am offered a contract from a school. I have worked under Chinese and Taiwanese here in America who have treated me like one of their own and when working in Tonga with the Peace Corps I was treated like the other foreigners, even asked out a lot. But I here in Korea people are very picky and occasionally cruel with those that stick out. What do you think? this is what ive heard too, however, ive never experienced anything truly awful in my personal experience. im black and overweight (around 250 lbs).my girlfriends are all black, all with very different hair textures, different skin tones and have all (like me) been stared at, commented on (in korean, so dont know what was said), pointed at, even had people try to touch us. but it was all out of curiousity, therefore forgivable.
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