That said, each day seems to be punctuated by at least one retarded thing, and (other than fighting with people all the time) I basically have no other channel to vent than this blog.
Sometimes my belongings get misplaced. I have to shift the stuff in my bag from morning class material to afternoon class material every day, and occasionally, something gets left out of my bag. Today it was my marker--can't teach sentences and vocab without a marker. Upon realizing this, I went to the supply room.
I don't know what it is about women in authority, but whenever they are there, they inevitably result in an unreasonable, unmovable, close-minded, authoritarian jackass who believes that Rules are God. I'm a woman myself, and I feel this way! I try super-hard not to ever, ever behave in such a manner (although I'm sure I fail).
To make a long story short, the supply lady refused to let me borrow a new marker, stubbornly repeating some bullshit about her only being able to give them out at the start of the term.
Me: "But I can't teach without a marker."
Lady: "You can only get two markers, only at the start of every term."
Me: "I said, I can't teach without a marker. I can't do my job."
Lady: "You can only get two markers, only at the start of every term."
Me: "So what am I supposed to do about my students?"
Lady: "You can only get two markers, only at the start of every term."
By this time, I was starting to become rather angry and disgusted, as well as uncomfortable with the fact that I was, once again, starting to get angry and disgusted at the very people I work for. In my mind, I had two options:
- Explode
- Take a leaf out of my manager's book and frog march the little bitch to class so she could explain why the school was failing to educate them adequately.
Me: "I was already there. They won't give me a new marker."
Them: "Go to Supplies and Logistics."
Me: "THEY WON'T GIVE ME ONE."
Them: "Go to Supplies and Logistics."
Me: "THEY WON'T GIVE ME ONE."
In the end, a visiting official had to give me his dry erase marker. It was very embarrassing--for all parties involved I hope, and not just me.
But this is honestly the way things are run here. You're supposed to kow-tow to your boss, or whoever is an "authority" simply because they're an authority. Their competence doesn't matter; you exist to serve them. Maybe this is just because I'm an American, but I CAN'T ACCEPT IT. I especially can't kow-tow to incompetent Supply and Logistics people who don't have any authority over me whatsoever.
Let me put it like this: There's a reason this is a Least Developed Country despite the enormous amounts of money that the international community and South Korea pour in. To be fair, the Khmer Rouge did a fair number on this country too--which also happened for a reason. Probably didn't have anything to do with unreasonable, arrogant authority figures, though.
Looks like the right hand doesn't understand what the left hand's talking about. Maybe you can ask other teachers whether they have the same problems. And if they do, you all should boycott the school, putting up a sign like "EVERY TEACHER DESERVES MARKERS!", sorry just kidding. :D
ReplyDeleteWell, seriously, I think the school has problem with budget, esp on the little things that necessary. They overlook it or simply think it's just a small problem. But most big problems come from the small ones, so that's where the root is.
I understand your frustration, but you're not the only one in this country. When it comes to administration, Cambodia has a cancer.
LOL! I know I'm not the only one here with frustrations--as the last paragraph would imply, that's sort of why I wrote the post.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of teachers have my problems. Additionally, I've been very combative and demanding with the lady in there in the past, so she probably hates me.
I've a mind to talk to the founder of the school and ask if this is a central policy, or if they're just being unreasonable.
I will say this, though. The administration in this country is at least ten times better than ANYTHING I experienced in China. People actually keep their eye on things, and the paperwork is always meticulously managed. People try to maintain a sense of being "official" in my experience--rather than the shady, underhanded way I was always treated in the economically huge country to the north.