Stressful Week

This week has been incredibly stressful. We started intensive which means we have to teach about 10 more classes a week while still making the same amount of money. I know I signed on for this when I signed a contract, but it really makes for a demanding, unrewarding time. The classes I was assigned are not so bad. In fact, I am teaching a novel class that I throughly enjoy. I get to read 3 novels and teach them over 7 class periods (the students have to read them too, obviously). We have read a story on Eleanor Roosevelt and will be reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, one of my favorite books. So some good has come of intensive. However, I am also tutoring my director's daughter and NOT being paid for it. It is kind of ridiculous, I mean this girl just talks to me to practice her speaking, but still I should be playing with kindergarteners.

I have reached a point (6 months in Korea!) where I am finding things that frustrate me about Korea or about my job. Mainly my job. For example, we get paid on the 10th of every month, but this month the 10th falls on a Saturday. One would think that we would be paid on the 9th not only because it makes sense, but because it's the nice thing to do. If the 10th were a Sunday, I could totally see why we wouldn't be paid until Monday. However, I don't get paid until the 12th now, which normally wouldn't be a big deal, but I'm broke. I got money for Christmas but I paid some bills and started taking a TEFL course. In retrospect, I could have waited to take the course and to pay my bills, so yes, I got myself into this situation. Now I'll be paid Monday, hopefully by lunch time so that I can go to the bank and transfer my money home. Otherwise I won't be able to transfer it until Tuesday at lunch which would have me on pins and needles as I have a student loan payment due the 14th. I always do this, miscalculate and end up stressing myself out. So maybe, this isn't a problem with my school, but rather a problem with myself. I suppose I could just erase my entire entry. Anyway, I'm also frustrated with the lack of communication between teachers and our principal/director. The other day I came into my classroom and there was a new teacher sitting at my desk. Not a problem if I'm told beforehand. It threw me off and I felt like I was stepping on HER toes in MY classroom. This isn't the first time that things haven't been communicated to us though and apparently I'm going to tutor another student, but I haven't been told about it except for in passing and in an "we already talked about this" kind of way. I have no problems tutoring people, but I need to know about it BEFORE it happens.

On another note...
One of my students yesterday told me that his father had died the night before. He told me he wasn't sad because he wasn't supposed to be sad.