What kind of business do you run here?
If there’s one thing I can’t stand here in Korea is the really shitty business attitudes people have. It seems alike all business are run at a level of professionalism that makes your eyebrow go up. If you want a straight answer, the best you’ll get is a yes or a no, with a maybe attached. You never walk away feeling like your questions have been fully answered, and in many cases you have some additional questions you never thought of before, making you only more confused.
For example I’m still waiting to find out about the university gig. The director of English assured me that she would give me an answer by the middle of January, which has more or less come and gone now. I wasn’t too bothered because I was told she was currently in Uzbekistan (or some other ’stan country) recruiting students for the university. Both my academy teacher and I have been anxiously awaiting her phone call (from early rumours it doesn’t look like I’ll be offered a full time job) from when she gets back.
Today my girlfriend has gone skiing with a few of the new students at the university as a sort of introduction to Korea ("Welcome to Korea, here’s an activity where you can break your leg and witness our fine health system!") . She sent me a nice picture of the snow fields from her phone (I wish I was on holidays) and told me she was having a fun time with, *gasp*, the director of English of the university. The same person who should have replied to my email and text message over 2 weeks ago! Grr!
This is why I hate Korean business. If you get a fucking email, at least have the common courtesy to reply to it, even if you don’t have the answer. Acknowledgement is at least better then nothing and tells me that you’ve, at very least, not forgotten about my situation.
*sigh*
I don’t see things changing that quickly. At least not during my stint in Korea. But hey, I am in a small town, what do you expect?
Anyway, time for lunch.
25/1/2007 - Thursday 11:50 am 
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