today was TERRIBLE. My boss quit, which was actually the best part. Her English is not where it needs to be for her to communicate clearly with those of us who don't speak Korean, or even with those who do. I'm not even sure if she quit or was forced out, I'm just glad it's over. Today was her last day and she was very emotional, and rude. I knew we were going to have to have a formal goodbye, and I was not looking forward to it. Today was also the last day of term, and I always try and clean out my desk at the end, mostly clearing out all the paper I have collected over the past 13 weeks. So after the clearing (I left the drawers for tomorrow) I gathered my things and went to her desk to say goodbye. We had a Korean hug, which sort of lasts for a long time, long enough that I started to wonder if it would end anytime soon. She told me to keep in touch.
As a guest in Korea, I try to make my employer and bosses happy. I feel like she didn't understand that. All I wanted was to do my job well so that things would run smoothly, so that parents would be happy, so the administration would be happy and be able to do their jobs. The way that she reacted to her own disappointment in us will bewilder me forever. I understand the cultural difference well enough at this point to be able to gauge my own reactions and responses, but I was pushed to my limit today. I had to take a time out and go sit on a bench in the alley and do my paperwork out there.
Tomorrow is a new day! It is the first day of the new term, the first day of my next year in Korea.
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