if you want to help the GS and our other friends:

This is the official appeal from the Migrants' Trade Union. Scroll to the bottom to find a sample letter and people to send it to. Please be sure to mention Kajiman (president), Raju (vice-president) and Masum (General Secretary/my partner) in any letter you write. They've all been torn away from their lives here in Korea in nearly identical circumstances. Thanks to anyone who decides to send a letter.
************************************************************************************
Urgent Call for International Solidarity

Migrants' Trade Union Leadership Arrested on November 27th.
Stop the Repression against KCTU affiliate Migrants' Trade Union!
Free President Kajiman and other Imprisoned Union Officers!
Stop the Crackdown and Deportations!

1. Background

On the morning of November 27, MTU President Kajiman, Vice President Raju and General Secretary Masum were arrested, in what was clearly a targeted crackdown against the leadership of MTU. We, the KCTU and the Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants' Trade Union call on the international labor and human rights community to do whatever in their power to secure the release of the MTU leadership and end this labor repression against MTU.
At roughly 9:20am on November 27, President Kajiman was leaving his home in order to attend a plan protest in front of Seoul Immigration Office when he was confronted by more than 10 immigration officers who had been hiding in front of his house. The immigration officers restrained the Korean activist with President Kajiman and then encircled the president. After protesting strongly, President Kajiman was eventually arrested, his shoulder hurt in the process.
General Secretary Masum also left his house the morning of the 27 in order to attend the protest in front of Seoul Immigration. As he walked down the street he was passed by four 4 large men who were laughing amongst themselves. He originally did not pay attention to them; however, immediately after roughly 10 immigration officers came up from behind him. He was suddenly surrounded by nearly 20 people and despite protesting was eventually arrested.
At roughly the same time Vice President Raju was confronted by 4 immigration officers in front of the factory where he worked. Upon seeing the vice president, the immigration officers immediately attempted to handcuff him, but failed due to his forceful protest. When Vice President Raju demanded to see the officers' identification cards, they presented them along with a prepared detention order. Despite his protests the vice president was also eventually arrested.
Soon after all three men were sent to a detention center in Cheongju, Northern Choongjeong Provience, south of the capital Seoul.

2. Clear Labor Repression

The simultaneous arrest of three MTU leaders, is a clearly a targeted attack, planed in timing with an intensification of the crackdown against undocumented migrants in South Korea. Since the beginning of August of this year, the government has carried out a mass-scale crackdown in an attempt to reduce the number of undocumented migrants in the country. During this time more than 20 MTU members and officers have been arrested.
By their own admission, despite this crackdown, the numbers have not significantly decreased. Thus, Immigration Control has stepped up the crackdown in the last several weeks. At the same time a proposal is being put forth to revise South Korea's immigration law to make it completely legal to carry out the crackdown continuously without any procedures, such as requiring warrants or detention orders, to protect the human rights of the people it targets. The government has clearly stepped up its repression against MTU leadership at this moment in order to get rid of the force that has been at the forefront of the struggle against the crackdown.

3. Call for Solidarity

We, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and affiliate the Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants' Trade Union, make an urgent appeal to you to do whatever you can to support our struggle to free the arrested union leaders and end the barbaric crackdown underway in South Korea.

In particular we are calling for protest letters to the Ministry of Justice, Minister Jung Seong-Jin +82-2-503-3532 or +82-2-500-9128.

Please be sure to send a copy to KCTU by +82-2-2635-1134(fax) or e-mail at inter@kctu.org

We wish you also to know that KCTU and MTU are by no means deterred by this attack. MTU has already selected a temporary leadership and we have already planned protests for the next days. We are currently making further preparations and will mobilize every means possible to win the release of MTU's leaders.

If you have any questions or need more information, please contact:

Lee Changgeun
International Executive Director
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
Tel.: +82-2-2670-9234 Fax: +82-2-2635-1134
E-mail: inter@kctu.org Web-site : http://kctu.org
2nd Fl. Daeyoung Bld., 139 Youngdeungpo-2-ga, Youngdeungpo-ku, Seoul 150-032 Korea


Liem Wol-san
International Coordinator
Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants' Trade Union(MTU)-affiliated to KCTU
Tel : +82-2--2285-6068
Email: migrant@jinbo.net Website: http://mtu.or.kr

SAMPLE LETTER

Mr. Jung Seong-Jin
Minister of Justice
Seoul, South Korea

Dear Minister Jung,

On the morning of November 27 between 9:00 and 9:30, the president, vice president and general secretary of the KCTU affiliate, Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants' Trade Union, were arrested, each in front of his separate home or workplace. This event has already received international attention. It is clear from the form in which the arrests took place that this was a targeted crackdown meant to silence MTU and the opposition struggle it has lead against the anti-human rights crackdown being carried out against undocumented migrants in South Korea. That this was a meditated act of repression is also apparent from the fact that the arrests came at the same time as the South Korean Immigration Control Office is stepping up its crackdown and a proposal is being put forth the revise immigration law to make it possible to carry out the crackdown continuously with complete disregard for the most basic procedures to protect human rights.

The arrests of the MTU leadership is a gross violation of human rights and a horrendous act of labor repression which targets not only migrant workers and MTU but also the KCTU, the 15 million workers it represents and the international labor community. As such, we will not remain silent.

We therefore forcefully call on you to meet the following demands:
-Immediately release President Kajiman, Vice President Raju and General Secretary Masum!
-Stop the targeted crackdown and labor repression against MTU!
-Stop the crackdown and deportation of undocumented migrant workers!

Signed,

Yesterday was a day full of fear, terror and tears. The thing we always knew could happen in Korea finally came to be. The GS was arrested.

The General Secretary, by some miracle, left our house early yesterday so that he could get ready for the day's event-- a protest at the Immigration Office and Detention Center. We said our goodbyes and I got in the shower. About 30 minutes later, I got an urgent call from a friend asking the whereabouts of the GS. "Uh, on the bus, I think." "But you don't know?" said the friend. "No." Very pregnant pause. "Well, we know that Raju and Kajiman were arrested this morning. Raju at his workplace and Kajiman in front of his house. And, uh, the GS turned off his phone." "What do you mean he turned off his phone? He was on it just before he walked out the door." "It's off. I think he was arrested too, but no one knows for sure yet." End of conversation.

I am panicking. I haven't even left the house yet. I try to call the GS and indeed, his phone is off. I try 5 more times anyhow, all with the same result. About 10 minutes later, another phone call. "Where is the GS?" "Fuck! I don't know where the GS is. I was hoping you would tell me." "I don't know. I'll call you when I have more news." By this time I had reached the bus stop. And I'm sobbing.

Ten minutes later, another call. "Did you see the GS this morning? We don't know where he is." "Goddammit, I know that already. How come he hasn't called anyone yet? Why didn't he call me?" "I don't know. I'll call you when we know something." By this time, I'm at school.

My phone continued to ring for the next two hours. And each time, the conversation was virtually the same. Finally, after lunch, I received a call with news of his whereabouts: Cheongju. That's not in Seoul. It's not even the same province as Seoul. Fifteen officers arrested him yesterday morning outside of our front door while I was in the shower and whisked him away to a minimum security jail that is really difficult to get to.

Finally at about 3 o'clock, there was a message on my phone from the GS himself. He called to apologise for getting arrested. And to tell me where he was. And to say that maybe when we kissed each other goodbye this morning, it was our last kiss. And that he hopes he gets to see me again, but he's not sure.

Here's the creepy part: They had been following us. And watching us. For a while. No one knows where we live. No one. Most of our friends didn't even know that we moved. They brought a female translator to deal with me. The called the GS by his full Bangladeshi name. That's like 5 really long strange sounding words. The GS takes medication for his stomach and cholesterol and when he got to the jail, they already had it prepared for him. I reckon they know a lot more about both of us that they just haven't had any reason to disclose it yet. It was the same story with Kajiman and Raju, who are, by the way, the other two elected leaders of the Migrants' Trade Union.

And here's where we get to the part about how I feel. Like shit, that's how. I'm pissed off at Korea. I am so angry that this morning as I was walking to work, I stopped to berate two of the conscripted police officers on my street. I stood there shouting wildly at them, shaking my finger in their faces, swearing up and down, crying. I left only when I felt like my anger was about to turn violent. I feel nothing but contempt for this country at the moment and I feel like lashing out constantly at anyone- everyone- that has any power over me.

I'm afraid. I don't know what will happen to the GS. How long will he stay in jail? What will happen to him when he goes back to Bangladesh? Will I ever see him without a 6 inch glass barrier between us again? What will happen to us?

I'm heartbroken. Maybe more than heartbroken.I don't even know how to describe it. I have been choking on my tears for the last two days. I cried myself to sleep and then starting crying again as soon as woke up and noticed his absence. I burst into tears in the middle of a class or when I'm sitting on the bus. I can't control it. I just can't even begin to express how unfair this all feels. It makes me crazy. I just want to beat the shit out of someone. I want to make them feel as much physical pain as I feel emotional pain. I want take their loved ones and lock them away in jail. I want to ruin their lives. Whoever the hell they are. Bunch of fucking faceless cowards who never have to look us in the eye as they're fucking us over.

Everyone keeps saying that we are lucky that the GS wasn't beaten up by the police. We're lucky that they are taking every precaution to protect his rights. We're lucky that he's not in Hwaseong where the facilities are really bad, the guards are pricks and the rooms are freezing. We're lucky because he has access to phone twice a day. Well, pardon if me if I cynically add that you are right, the gods are really smiling on us now. We are lucky.

I'll be going to Cheongju on Friday night so I can make visiting hours Saturday morning. I guess I'm also lucky that I'll get to see my partner through 6 inch glass one last time before he gets deported.

Halloween

I made about half of the kids cry on Halloween because I was so darn scary. They don't really have Halloween in Korea and most people think it's for looking pretty. So all of the little girls came in dressed like a princess, Belle or Beauty and most of the little boys came in dressed like spiderman. That's alright I guess, but we only had about 3 kids who actually tried to be scary- a werewolf, a devil, and a... well, there were a lot of cute witches I guess. It was an awful lot of work so such an unimportant holiday. We had an all day party. I never want to do Halloween again! Check it out:

in which i prove that i am still inept in korean

Yesterday, I got up early and was out at the bus stop by eight o'clock. I was on my way to visit a good Nepalese friend at the immigration detention center in Hwaseong. Hwaseong is a really small city more than two hours from Seoul, and home to a rather large holding facility for undocumented workers, perhaps owing to the fact that the city and surrounding areas are also a magnet for industries that employ undocumented folks. I had to reach Hwaseong by 11 in order to make visiting hours, and I thought that leaving at 8 would get me there with time to spare.

So, bus stop, 8 am. No bus. At least not the one I need to get me to line number one. I waited 20 minutes and then hailed a taxi.

Seoul Station 8:45 am. I get down to the platform and wait for the express train. For 15 minutes. It doesn't come and no longer makes sense for me to take it. I get on the slow train.

Suwon Station 9:45. I still have plenty of time. I used to live in this city and know where all of the bus stops are. I just have to figure out which one I need. I ask for help (in Korean). But here's the rub. In Suwon, there is an old fortress by the same name of the city I want to go to, so every time I ask for directions, people think I'm a confused tourist and try to send me to the local buses, which I know are wrong. I get to what I think is the right bus stop, find the bus which goes to Hwaseong and before swiping my bus card ask the driver if I'm going in the right direction. He says no, go to the other side of the street. I think he's wrong, but I go anyway, wait another 10 minutes for the next 999 and then ask the bus driver on that side. He, again, tells me I'm wrong and sends me to the other side. By this time, I've visited 4 of 6 bus stops and it is 10:25. The General Secretary isn't answering his phone and I can't find anyone who can actually give me useful information about where to go. So I am, predictably, angry. Really angry. Angry at my shitty Korean. Angry at all of the idiot Koreans who think I'm just a stupid tourist and don't bother to listen to what I am actually saying. Angry with the bus drivers who should know their damn bus routes and who shouldn't dismiss me just because I have funny accent when I speak Korean. Angry at the GS for not answering the phone to help me. Just angry.

10:30 am. Still in Suwon. There was no way I could get there in time. The bus, if I could ever get on one, was going to take another 40 minutes. I gave up. I was tired. And hungry. And on the verge of tears. I got a coffee and got back on the train to Seoul. On the train, the GS called me and told me that, actually, he was wrong, I had until 12 to get there. But by this time it was too late. I was already leaving.

12:20 pm. I arrive at City Hall in Seoul. From here, it's only a short bus ride to my new home. But I just moved and I've never take the bus from there before, so even though I'm pretty confident that it's the right bus in the right direction, I double check with the bus driver, who does exactly the same thing that the jerks in Suwon did. He tells me I'm on the wrong bus (which, once again, I wasn't, but not wanting to go 20 minutes in the wrong directions decided to take his word for it because, well that would suck). I get off and now I start crying. I've been here for 2 and half years and people still can't understand me when I ask if he's going to Hong yeon e gyo? I mean, I have an accent, but it that bad?

12:30 crying in a taxi, who managed to understand where I wanted to go through my tears. After five minutes in the taxi, we passed the bus that I was supposed to be on. Just more evidence that he was a jerk and I was right.

12:45 home. exhausted. frustrated.

So my friend in the detention center didn't get his medicine. And I didn't get to say goodbye to him. And by the time I got home, I was wishing that I was the one being deported because this country just totally kicks my ass sometimes.

I watched Wolf Blitzer (?) on CNN this weekend, and that made me think about two things: War with Iran (and how I am suddenly totally and completely convinced that we are going to invade them like any day now) and Nancy Pelosi (Gosh, I want to like her, but she doesn't really have anything going for her. I just couldn't understand her when she was talking about how the Democrats are changing/defying/opposing Bush policies. I mean, Stop making excuses and give people a reason to believe you have ideas and can actually change something).

And those two thoughts lead me to this conclusion: Never get your news from CNN. And definitely don't watch the hostile questioning of Democrats, especially when you are already ye of little faith.

Oh Dear Democrats, Grow a backbone!

And I also want to add this: If any more of you assholes add me to another candidate's email/contribution list I will never speak to you again. I am not joking. I will not EVER give any Democratic candidate money and no amount of goading will change that. I can barely even stand voting, thank you for much. And no, I don't like Hillary. Seriously. I don't care if she is a woman.

Spitting Part 3

Did you miss me? I've been a busy, busy girl.

*Let's start with an update of "Susie," now ex-but still preggie-coworker. So Susie took her case to the Labor Board. Susie had to meet our psycho boss at the LB board office for what is turning into the showdown of the century. And, as expected, they claimed that she quit and was most definitely not fired, despite the damning email from the designated bitch supervisor stating that they would give her a 30 day notice. The boss also said that Susie had been organizing us and manipulating us, and all that resulted in a one-day strike the day after Susie had been terminated. Well believe me, I wish that was true, but what actually happened was that they called a mandatory teachers' meeting at the exact time our classes were supposed to start. A mandatory meeting where they lied out of their asses for two hours, which resulted in a big fight involving the foreign teachers and pretty much all of management. Additionally, the boss' "case" involved this interesting little tidbit: she said that she knows that Susie is a manipulator and a liar because SHE LISTENS TO EVERY CONVERSATION WE HAVE IN OUR MIKED TEACHERS' ROOM. Now, this is totally illegal in Korea and it is somewhat galling that she would admit this before a government body that was about to fully investigate her, but I never said the woman is smart. She is so used to lying and changing the facts that I'm sure she didn't know exactly what she said and would change her story yet again if the issue was pressed. Not only that, but I'm not sure what it actually has to do with the facts of the case...

Now, before the LB does a full investigation and reveals their findings, they give the employer and employee a chance to negotiate a settlement. Susie's case was pretty rock-solid and I think our psycho bitch boss had at least figured that out. So after an onslaught of name-calling and verbal abuse, she agreed to pay Susie about $3000 plus her last paycheck. The deal was signed at the LB with a promise of full payment the next day.

Well, of course the drama continued. The next day a different supervisor called Susie to tell her that they wouldn't be paying her April pay because they had to negotiate how much Susie owed her... "HUH?" you say... Yeah. Susie consulted the LB once again and they told her that if psycho boss wanted the money, she would have to sue Susie for it. So today, Susie went yet again back to the office where she was met once again with an onslaught of insults and verbal abuse and then only given $1000 of the $1750 she was owed. And the boss told her, no threatened her, that if she went to the LB again, she would sue Susie for everything and leave her a broken, penniless woman. Well, I'm not sure that she could actually do that, but she is so vengeful that I don't doubt that she'd try it.

That's the thing about this boss. You can't have a rational conversation because everything turns into victimization. Her victimization. But she is out in cold blood for this teacher who only wants the money she is owed so that she can get on with her life.

And now what, you may ask? Well, I don't know. I'm not sure that even if Susie pursues further legal action that she'll be able to get the rest of that money. I think unfortunately, the best she can do is report it and have it go on file what a sleazy f'n boss we have. Where's the justice, man?

And as a side, it turns out that every single foreign teacher has worked illegally for this employer at one time or another and if it didn't mean that we'd all get fined and deported (even though we haven't actually had much choice), it would be a great way to get this woman shut down for good. She is has no business being a business owner.

And oh, in case y'all are wondering over whether or not she'll get deported... Well, they tried, but can't do it because she is too darn pregnant. So she was issued a special 6 month visa, which should be enough time to get herself sorted. And she found a new apartment not so far from where I live now....

It'll make you want to spit part 2

So a couple of months ago, I wrote this post about a girl I called Susie. Susie, as you might recall, was 6~7 months pregnant at the time. Susie was in great danger of getting fired for said pregnancy, but by some miracle, managed to negotiate a 3 month maternity leave that would start sometime in the middle of May. This maternity leave would not be paid and she agreed to give up many of the other contractual benefits that most foreign teachers here get (free plane tickets, a pension that you can claim when you leave Korea) for being allowed to keep her house and her visa during her maternity leave.

Fast forward to this Thursday. As you may also recall, Susie is an extremely overweight girl. So overweight, that you could not actually tell she was pregnant until the eighth month. Her obesity coupled with the pregnancy, of course, has made her pregnancy a little more complicated. So after a check up on Thursday, she came to work with a doctor's note saying that she has severe chronic hypertension and that she should spend the rest of her pregnancy laying in bed.

When the manager saw the doctor's note, Susie was met with skepticism and incredulity. Not only did the manager say that the notarized document was a lie and that any doctor would write it if a patient asked, but also insisted that Susie open her medical records for the school's inspection so that they could judge for themselves if Susie was well enough to come to work. Susie objected. When she objected they decided for themselves that it must be a lie and demanded that a 8.5 month pregnant woman with severe chronic hypertension work for another week and half, because that was what they had verbally agreed to.

Susie, in a brave and rare moment of standing up of herself, could not be persuaded to work against the doctors orders. Management then accused her of not caring about the school or her students. Why is that she was only caring about herself? Here is Susie, leaving us all to hang out to dry.

Well, please pardon me for a moment while I do a little bit of editorializing: But DUH! What the fuck? Of course a women who is 8.5 months pregnant is going to put the health of herself and her child ahead of some crappy school that doesn't give a shit for her. And use your damn brains people: it's a liability to have her working there. If something happened to her while she was working, who do you think would be responsible? I know that I would sue the pants off of you. And win. And furthermore, did you not know that you've had to hire a teacher for 2 months? Is it really her fault that you've had your thumbs up your asses for all this time?

So after a day of stressful meetings, Susie was basically told to pack up her stuff and move out of her apartment. And then later in the evening, it was followed up with a call saying that the school would be reporting her to immigration for breaking her contract and that she would basically have to leave the country within 2 weeks. (How she could actually do these things being 8.5 months pregnant and on bedrest is beyond me..)

The next morning, we had an emergency meeting at school where management decided that it was really important to tell their side of the story. Of course they hadn't fired Susie. She quit. And of course she didn't have to leave the country within in two weeks. That was all a big misunderstanding, but we should all know that Susie is a liar and has been manipulating us all this whole time. The meeting went on for 2 hours and turned into a huge argument between the foreign staff and the management and ended with everyone being dismissed except me and another foreign teacher. We were sat down with the big boss and explained to one more time.

When she failed to convince us, it ended in her trying with all of her might to make herself cry. She was shaking and making sobbing noises, but just couldn't make the tears come. Pardon me for being so cynical about this, but she has pulled this act on me before. And I know that she stabs every single one of us in the back to make herself look good whenever there is anything slightly controversial at school. I have already been blamed for the low morale amongst the teachers at school. And I'm sure I'm seen as the ringer leader in the Susie revolt.

I am sick to death of the owner of this school. I am sick to death about the way "Susie" has been treated. And the rest of the management is no better as far as I am concerned. I think they would take everyone of us down if they could.

I am seriously thinking of packing up and leaving in June. I just don't know how much more of this I can take.

These are the kinds of things that can really make a girl hate living in Korea.

Some Days, I'm Really Cranky

Like today. And yesterday. And well, pretty much everyday this week.

Ever regret a decision almost as soon as you made it? Ever wonder if you REALLY have to live with the consequences of that decision? I mean, isn't there some way of undoing it?

In case you haven't figured out what I'm talking about, it's work. Again. As usual. I'm so bored with this complaint that I don't even want to write about it, except for the fact that I can't stop obsessing about it.

So you remember the drama about the pregnant girl right? Well, she decided to just drop the whole matter and take whatever the boss gives her, which is fine. I mean, I could have a lot to say about that, but it's her decision and not mine, so whatever. I can't spend the energy being all fired up and pissed off about it if she can't even be bothered. But the drama with the pregnant girl hasn't been the only drama at work. There have been the annoying little issues. There is a know it all boss who criticizes absolutely. everything. we. do. The director hasn't fulfilled all of her contractual obligations to the new teachers. One of the new foreign teachers (a Canadian) is whiny beyond whiny, argumentative for the sake of argument, and a racist, why doesn't everyone like me? kind of guy. Oh, and did I mention exceptionally lazy? Yeah, he's that, too. So you can imagine how I must have felt this week when the director pulled me out of class to have an hour long meeting with me to tell me that I am the leader of the unhappiness at our hagwon; And that everyone is having a hard time with the job because of the things that I say. And that no one trusts her because I told them about how I was fired. Well, excuse Madam Director, but wasn't I fired? And didn't you screw me? And haven't I been working for you illegally for the last 2 months? And isn't one of the teachers working illegally for you now? And don't you listen to everything we say because the whole damn school is miked and on camera and then play it off like one of the other teachers told you those things (which I know for a fact not to be true)?

Okay. I can take some responsibility for telling my story to my coworkers. But it was my experience, was it not? And if she was really worried about it getting out, why would she have hired me again? But isn't she an agent in this situation? She seriously blamed everything on me... Why oh Why do I have to be the scapegoat. Again?

I am sooooooooooo regreting taking this job. I am sooooooooooooo pissed at myself for saying yes. I am soooooooooooooo over working in Korea. And I am sooooooooo not sure if I'm going to be able to finish a year at this school....

And in conclusion, I am soooooooo fucked and confused about what to do.

This One Will Make You Want to Spit

In this new, "I'm scratching my eyes out" work environment that is all brag with no substance, a new and more serious issue has arisen than my normal rants about nice but racist coworkers and the lack of crayons in the classroom. Brace yourself, people: We now have a serious case of the blatant, disgusting and egregious violation of the rights of women. Specifically the right to have a baby, the right to have maternity leave, and the right to be a working mom.

Now before there is panic on the family front, let me start off by saying that this is not my story. I am not pregnant. But it is quite personal because it is my workplace and the woman is a good teacher, an honest person and well, 7 months pregnant. AND this is the employer who fired me 6 months ago for requesting part time work, and who has since re-hired me at the new school she owns (oh, it's all so complicated). So you can see where this is going right?

So my preggie coworker, let's call her Susie, informed our director last week that she is 7 months pregnant. Well, I know that most people would have already noticed pregnancy at 7 months, but Susie is a heavy girl and and there is no noticing a baby underneath her big hoodie sweatshirts and her ample body. The first reaction from the boss was a positive one: she didn't see any problem; there would be maternity leave, the timing wasn't actually so bad....

The second meeting re: Susie's pregnancy was slightly more scary: the supervisor thought the parents of our kindergartners would be angry because she had promised them the same teacher for the whole year. So her solution? Lie. Tell everyone that Susie needs EMERGENCY HEART SURGERY. And then miraculously, Susie will recover and return to work in August... Uh weird, right? It gets better.

Third meeting: Director and supervisor inform Susie that they had not been deducting the proper amount from her paycheck for pension and health insurance so starting in April, they would be taking out a lot more. Now I'm not sure what this is all about. But I'm sure that it means that at some point, they have been/are in some pretty major violations of basic Korean laws... And so quite unexpectedly, her paycheck is going to be smaller by some $200 every month.

And I bet you are wondering about the supervisor's personal opinion about the pregnancy? Well, she has been editorializing against working moms privately while grinning at us publicly. But let the record show that she told Susie how "worried" she is about Susie finding child care; about Susie's income; about whether or not Susie could be a good mommy and a good teacher (for freakin babies). Yes, the supervisor has expressed many concerns about the well-being of Susie and soon to be son.

The fourth meeting, Susie didn't attend. It was between the supervisor and Korean teaching staff. What made it's way back to us is that actually, Susie would be leaving at the end of April and would not be returning. EVER. And so the Korean teachers were informed about how to lie to the parents and when. And were given plenty of time to think about how to do it well.

Well, needless to say that Susie was more than stressed out when she heard that today. It was certainly news to her that she wouldn't be returning after April. It was definitely a shock to discover that actually, there is no maternity leave in our job...

So Susie, in her 7th month of pregnancy, is gearing up to fight the sexist powers that be in Korea. Because unfortunately, this is not an isolated problem. And unfortunately, there aren't tons of Korean women fighting the man on this issue. And unfortunately, the sad fact remains that just because you have laws, doesn't mean you have justice. And just because you have democracy, doesn't mean you have fairness. And just because everyone else in the world does it, doesn't mean we have to....

Oh Korea, some days, you really make me want to spit.

Justified Weekend Ranting

Over the weekend, there was a fire at the immigration detention center in Yeosu (way south of here) and 9 migrant workers died, while about 24 more have been hospitalized and are not expected to survive. The workers who died were Chinese and Sri Lankans who were slated for deportation. It seems a cruel fate to die in a detention center after they've spent their youths indentured to ruthless bosses. Is there NO justice in this world? I mean, at least if they actually got deported, they would've been able to see friends and family.

You know what I say? Borders + Visas= Bullshit. Those guys should have never been in a detention center in the first place. Why is that corporations, and the people who run them, can run rampant across the globe with virtual impunity, while the people who are actually doing the work that makes the world go (like make food, clothes, buildings, etc) are being criminalized for trying to eke out a meager living? It just doesn't make a damn bit of sense, people. I mean, if a CEO can move his factory to another country to make more money, why can't a worker move his/her body and family to another country to make more money... Doesn't that just seem hypocritical?

Furthermore, it's the corporations who are the real law breakers in this new globe trotting economy. Take environmental laws for example . Or how about labor laws. Tax laws. I mean, if the government wants to crackdown on some international wrong-doers, maybe they should start with GE or LG or any of the hundreds of apparel companies that operate here. I guess it's just that the workers are easier to catch and harder to piss off so it's easier to show you have rule and order.

And anyway, when was the last time that a CEO got a debilitating workplace injury? Died in a factory fire? Got beheaded on the job? (That actually happened about a year ago in a factory not far from Seoul). When's the last time a CEO was forced to leave his family for decades so that they could survive? We all know that these things don't happen to CEOs. And I'm not saying that they should. But in a time of enormous wealth and incredible technology, why should they happen to anybody?

Hey you guys up there! Stop being so goddamn selfish and share with the rest of the world. Or else we're gonna get you and you're not going to like it.

In Other News:

Chicken is off the menu here in Korea. Avian InFluenza, a.k.a. Bird Flu is back...

AND:

Beef is also off the menu. Korea just lifted the ban on importing American beef (yeah for prices, boo for health, apparently), but no one wants to eat it because they are worried about mad cow disease. (Are Americans worried? seriously, no one in Asia wants American beef). AND it is political to not eat American beef because Koreans are viewing it as part and parcel of the free trade agreement (fta) that is being negotiated with the US, which something like 70% of Koreans are against. They see the beef as a symbol of American imperialism... which I guess it is? I mean, everyone thinks it's a public health risk and they think the government lifted the ban, against the wishes of the majority, so negotiations would go more smoothly. Is this just a preview of what will happen if the FTA is approved? Most people think so...

Which is really too bad because I've really been craving a cheese burger this week. Should I risk it?

So:
That leaves pork.

gross.

Let's all be vegetarians again. Or pescatarians. What's life in Korea without dried squid, after all?