::A Geek in Korea::

The same coworker that sparked this incident finally exploded at me in the office. Sort of. She had been treating me with low grade hostility since the last incident. She was throwing off all sorts of passive aggressive behavior for the past few months whenever I would walk in the room.

I had borrowed a book from “the other side” of the office out of necessity again today. This was the only “Teachers Edition” of the book, which had Korean and English. At the time, it was the only book I saw in the office that had both languages in it. When I walked out of class, the woman mentioned she’d need the book the next hour. I told her I’d have it on her desk as soon as the class was finished, with no problems.

There is no “rule” about this except in this particular coworker’s mind. I needed the book before class, I got it. I didn’t take it out of her hands, or even touch her desk. It was on a shelf all teachers use to share books. This shelf happens to be behind her desk. Our side of the office has a shelf we share books on, but we don’t have duplicate books for all classes.

I have to take books from all the different teachers because I share my materials. I wish I would have my own materials to avoid this sort of incident, but it’s not the case.

Anyway, when I returned the book, she gave me a very nasty look. She then grabbed a student’s edition book and started writing my name in red ink and underlining it over and over, as if she was going to stab the pen through the cover. She was pretty close to the point of snapping then.

She handed me the student book and told me to use it from now on. I thanked her, then mentioned that using the Teacher’s book was nice, because I could check the student’s Korean when they were talking about the stories.

She then spat out, “You don’t know Korean! You can’t READ Korean! YOU CAN’T SPEAK  KOREAN!”

“Uh, yes, actually, I can read and speak Korean in class, and I do if it helps students understand the lesson. That’s why I liked the Teacher’s book. It can help me a little in class. I thought it was a nice book.”

The bell rang, and I went to class. I thought that was going to be the end of it. I thought it was a weird little tic or something, and she had confused me for someone else. She knows I speak and read Korean at least a little bit. That’s how I overheard her cursing about me last time she snapped.

Anyway, when I returned from class the next hour, I went to get the ONLY COPY OF THE BOOK I NEEDED IN THE ENTIRE OFFICE. This happens to be a book that the other foreigner and I share between our classes. There is a single, I repeat, SINGLE copy in the entire office for ALL teachers. When I went over to get this book from the foreigner’s shelf, she SNAPPED. Went completely nuts.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING! DON’T TAKE OTHER PEOPLE’S BOOKS! THESE ARE FOR US! THOSE ARE YOURS!” she screamed, pointing at our shelves.

 ”Listen, I’ve got to share books with everyone. There is only one….”

“BE QUIET!”

“If you’d just listen, I can explain why I need this…please, let me talk…”

“I don’t have to LISTEN TO ANYTHING YOU SAY! BE QUIET!” She ran out of the office.

The most annoying thing was that she thought that telling me off then running away like a kindergarten student was “winning” her argument. She must have been seething for a long, long time, because everyone else in the office acted like this was a long time in coming. No one said anything to her while she was yelling at me. My director just shrank down in her chair and tried to be invisible. Other coworkers were avoiding me. She had done her work. They must think I’m a thief or something.

That’s the thing that annoys me most. No one told her, “Settle down and listen to what he has to say. You are acting too hysterically about a simple book.” The fact that my director witnessed what was going on then chose not to get involved almost makes me want to quit. I’m getting attacked for doing my job! The job she asked me to do! Why isn’t she defending me?!

I’ve never once made anyone late, or failed to replace any book I’ve ever borrowed. If there are multiple copies of books, I almost always use them if I can find them. If the teacher I am sharing with is using the book at the same time, or there is only one copy, that’s the ONLY time I go over to her “side” of the office to look for a book for me to do my work. She would rather I go into a class without a book than use a book that was used by another teacher.

 The office tension is downright icy when I walk in now. I’m a part-timer, which fuels her resentment towards me. She’s working a lot longer each day, and she has to deal with this American guy coming over and borrowing a book she sometimes uses once a week. God. How can she live in such an environment? No wonder she screams all the time!

I’m basically counting down the days until my vacation/last days of work because of this incident. 3 months to go! Woo!