Unclear Expectations

Neither the laptop dude nor I understand exactly what Mr. Kim wants. On Friday night after finishing all of the speaking tests I was working on grading things when the laptop guy (I guess I should try to remember his name!) asked me if I could do something for a book that Mr. Kim is making. How typical. It seems Mr. Kim is always "making a book," yet his employees are the ones who actually do all of the work. His idea is to make a schedule book for businessmen, including an example of an English calendar. (My job is to TEACH English to children, not to WRITE a book that I will get neither recognition nor pay for!!) They wanted something on EVERY DAY of the calendar, even though I pointed out that most people don't have something on EVERY DAY because their schedule tends to repeat the same things over and over. But OK, they really wanted something on EVERY DAY.

He printed out a month's calendar and I spent perhaps 30 minutes on it. I included business-type things (staff meetings, call a client, meet with a client, prospectus due) and personal things (lunch with parents, fishing with uncle, several dates with girlfriend, shopping for friend's birthday gift, dentist appointment, barbecue with friends, typing class). Basically anything that I had ever done before in my life I included. But now it sounds like Mr. Kim wants NUMEROUS things on EVERY DAY. (On my schedule about half the days had two things.)

Today the laptop guy very carefully and diplomatically told me that Mr. Kim wanted more, but couldn't explain what more he wanted. He asked me several times if I was offended. Because of the way he told me, I was only slightly offended (I didn't tell him that, though). After all, it's not his fault that Mr. Kim is the way he is, although it is his fault that he asked me to do it before he was clear on what was needed. I told him that I didn't know what else I could include and didn't understand what they wanted. What more does a business man do? I've never been a businessman! Plus, is there a difference between an American and a Korean businessman? For now, they haven't asked me to do anything else.

The day was fine but tiring, as I have my seven 50-minute classes to teach plus 150 evaluations to write. By the end of the day soreness was setting in. I'll have to skip the push-ups tomorrow to give my arms time to recover.

In adult class Grace brought up the earthquake. While lots of people didn't feel it, Grace "got outside quickly" because she was scared. Possibly those on the upper floors felt it more, or possibly she was just over-reacting. She lives on the 13th floor, while another student lives on the 17th. Compared to my 2nd floor apartment, perhaps they did feel a stronger tremor.