I've been in a sour mood today.

Ok.  Ok.  I've kinda been in a bit of a sour mood today.  Actually, it's been several days.  Usually, I don't like to get online to bitch and whine about stuff.  I prefer to put a positive spin on things, and just roll with the punches as best as I can.  My attitude isn't any different now.  I'm not really wanting to bitch and whine so much as I just wanting to be honest and vent a bit. 

This is the first blog type type thing I've done after many years.  I mean I've had a Youtube channel since 2006, and I've posted over 1000 videos there.  But, I've not written so much nor posted pictures as I'll probably do as these blogs continue.  Once upon a time, I had a blog site full of pictures, lesson plans, instructions I used for my classes, directions for how to do things, but I got in trouble because in the midst of all my pictures, I guess I had posted over 1000, I had a few pictures of me wearing beach wear on a tropical island.  Some parents -- very dumbass, over re-acting, control freak kind of parents of some very obnoxious, dumbass (not to mention fat assed) students -- saw the pictures (about six of them in all) and flew way off the handle about it.  My posting them was definitely a mistake on my part.  What happened is that I used a super fast picture uploader that could upload an entire CD's worth of pictures without my having to click on each individual picture.  So, I uploaded all my travel pictures from the previous summer without scrutinizing them (I know!  I know!  I should have! But I'm not apologizing for anything, because they were harmless pictures.  None of my private body parts were showing.) and I knew my eighth graders were, behind my back, avidly looking for any opportunity they could find to do sneak peaks on pornographic sights and they often forgot to close windows after they forgot they had minimized them and, obviously, had forgotten to shut down their computer stations.

Oh!  BTW:  in case you haven't noticed, I tend to get long winded and wordy.  I tend to jump from one topic to another.  I tend to write like I talk.  Get used to it if you decide to read more.

Anyway, so I uploaded a CD full of vacation pictures and a parent or two began to raise some hell about six of them.  I had totally forgotten about those pictures being on that CD.  Never mind that the rest of the blog site was pretty damned good.  I mean teachers from all over the state had complemented me about it after having gotten some ideas from my pages.  Not only that but my blog site had the blessings of my administrators.  I was proud of it, and I told everyone about it.  I posted the link to it on every syllabus I used for my classes for several years.  On it, I had posted recipes, pictures of student work, travel pictures that highlighted other cultures in other countries.  Six pictures of me and friends in beachwear -- you know swim wear.  Yes my chest was showing!  No my dick was not showing!  No my ass was not showing!  Noones ass or dick or breasts were showing.  BEACHWEAR on beaches for crying out loud!  Sheesh! 

Anyway, I was told I could resign, or I could go through the full termination process.  I chose to resign, not because I felt I was wrong about anything.  I didn't, and I still don't!  I resigned because I honestly didn't want to work for what I would call a morally inept group of people.  Get this!  This same school system slapped wrists of teachers who got into literal altercations (sometimes called "fights") with one another in front of students.  This same school system had already been exposed for buying dozens of cell phones and not using them.  I had many years of perfect attendance.  I had been honored twice in "Who's Who."  I had been runner up for teacher of the year several times.  SIX LAME HARMLESS PICTURES!  Yea, I've got a bit of a chip on my shoulder about it.  Yea, I should've anticipated such damnable reactions.

Anyway, I deleted the whole thing.  Now I kinda wish I hadn't done so, but I did, so.... But that happened years ago.  So why am I in a sour mood today.

Remember, I'm venting!

First let me say I love working here.  I love living here.  Since I arrived here in 2008, I've not needed a car of my own to get anywhere.  I've been able to get anything I've needed within walking distance.  I been able to rely on taxis, buses, trains, and planes to go for longer distances.  My students have made teaching a joy.  Most of the people with whom I've interacted have been friendly and helpful. 

In October, 2008 I came to South Korea to teach English.  I had accepted a position in a small town near a military base and surrounded by farms.  The school's directors began taking good care of me from the start.

But, suddenly, after three years, things started going downhill.  Two weeks before the school closed, I was asked,

 "Didn't they tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
"We're closing the school at the end of the month." (in two weeks).
"No.  They didn't tell me."
I already knew the school was facing a crisis, but not this.  I knew that they had to be out of the building "by May" due to financial problems had by the owner of the building.  So, I had "May" in mind and had already begun to apply for documents from the USA in order to keep my visa alive.  It had been well known that getting all the documents could take several months to accomplish, and the documents must be no more than six months old when you turn them in.  Now, one of my school's directors was telling me that the school would close in TWO WEEKS.

They were kind enough to help me enlist the help of a company manager to help me find a new position, and he was kind enough to land me a position within a few days.  But, they hadn't yet finished paying me for January and it was now close to the end of February.

I know they tried their best to pay me all they could.  But, as it has turned out so far, I've receive no salary for February and no severence pay (they owed me 3 years worth).  All in all, it amounts to about 10,000,000 wons that I've not received.

Well, my diplomas arrived at my new boss's address.  That's a good thing.  But, when we took them to the local immigrations office, they told us that I needed my FBI background check within 30 days.  WHAT????

Back in January, I was told that I would not need that until September when my alien registration was due to expire. 

Well, to be on the safe side, I applied for the FBI background check anyway.  I got the fingerprints made and sent them to my sister (because I don't have a credit card, and it was cheaper to ask her to have money orders made to take care of the fees.  I would send her the cash to cover it all.).  The package she sent which had a pre-paid, self-addressed envelope, the fingerprints, the application, and the moneyorder to take care of the fee arrived at the FBI office on March 1, 2012.

Now it is March 10, 2012, and my sister has not yet received the background checks from the FBI Office.  She has to send them off to another agency to have apostiles placed on them, and she is ready to do that. 

I was told a few days ago (March 8) that I have 30 days to turn the apostiled background check to the immigrations office here.  That is gnawing on my mind.

Yes, my sister has tried to contact our US Representative to put a RUSH on this.  Yes! I have sent emails to the office of the same US Representative explaining the situation.  Yes, we will ask my mom to call this office and bug the hell out of them to get a RUSH on this order.  Why shouldn't we?  They've already had the order since March 1, 2012!

In addition to all this, I've sent text messages to my former boss to find out when they stopped paying into Korea's national pension fund held for me.   The report I have (which I knew nothing about until a couple days ago) was mailed to the address of my former school.  Why was it mailed there and not to me?  The report was dated November, 2010, and it shows monthly payments up to then.  Where is the report for 2011?  I want to know how much is in the pension fund.  So far, my former boss has not replied.

I just want my FBI background reports to arrive SOON, so I can keep working my job and simply get on with living my life.