We are currently on our way to Seoul where we are supposed to catch our flight to Thailand. The Director of our School, Jane, and the head of the Training Team (our boss at the company), Jo, have been trying to convince us all afternoon to not go on our vacation. Jo says we can't teach at the company if we go. What kind of place tries to control where people go on vacation? There are no cases or suspected cases of SARS in Thailand. Go to the WHO website to find out for yourself. Neither the WHO nor the CDC have issued any warnings for Thailand, other than that those people entering Thailand should be prepared to be screened for SARS. Frankly I will feel far more safe in Thailand than in unhygienic Korea.

LG has a policy that if its employees travel to certain countries, they must stay away from the company for twelve days following their return. Thailand was not on the list of countries when we booked our trip. Interestingly enough it was added yesterday! There is no SARS in Thailand, and I can't see why it would be added to the list. One of my students in my Beginner class (who has been to class twice) is apparently on the SARS taskforce and warned Jo that we were going to Thailand. How that led to Thailand being placed on the list, I cannot imagine.

Jane told Barb that we would be "breaking our contract" if we got to Thailand, which is complete bullshit. First of all, we have no contract with LG. We have a contract with Jane's Foreign Language School, which mentions nothing about being outsourced to LG and having to follow their rules. Second of all, our contract states nothing about where we can or cannot go on vacation. To imply that we can be fired for going on vacation somewhere is quite frankly insulting. I'm also a little upset that Jane is not defending us against this stupid policy and is instead taking Jo's side on this. If they do fire us our students will be quite pissed off and I hope Jo and Jane get hell for it. I also plan on disputing it, because there is no way this can be grounds for legal termination.

Luz, the other teacher at Jane's and LG, suggested that we just tell them we're not going and we're going somewhere else and then go to Thailand anyway. I really don't like the idea of having to lie about where we're going. We also don't know if immigration will tell Jane or Jo that we left (that's the kind of country this is). But after talking to Jane, it seems like it may be our only recourse. Barb did most of the Jane communicating, but this is an excerpt of my last conversation with her:

Toby: Jane, we both really need to take a vacation and get out of Korea

Jane: Ungh, but please don't go to the Thailand, because of the SARS

Toby: Jane, there is no SARS in Thailand. We've already booked our trip and our plane leaves in four hours.

Jane: Ungh, but can't you go somewhere else? Stay in Korea. Let me call my travel agent.

Toby: Jane, you're not listening. We're both really stressed out right now. We've been here over four months, and I'm having trouble with my family. I don't want to take a vacation in Korea.

Jane: Ungh, Ok. Let me call my travel agent.

Toby: No, Jane, you're not listening. We are going to Thailand. We don't want to stay in Korea. It's too late to change our plans, we won't get our money back.

Jane: Ungh, Ok. I will call my travel agent.

Toby: But Jane, we don't want to stay in Korea, we are going to Thailand!

Jane: Ungh, it is Ok, I will call my travel agent.

Toby: No, Jane Listen! Argh!


So we ended up taking Luz' advice and just telling her we'd stay in Seoul for the weekend. Even though we knew there was still a good chance that we'd be found out, it's all we could do to shut her up. She wouldn't listen, it was like talking to a brick wall (or an eight year-old Korean). So we will soon be on our way to Thailand. Will we have a job when we come back? Who knows? I don't want to sound like I don't like or appreciate my job. I love my students and my classes. I like working at the company. But I'm not about to ditch a vacation at the last minute when I so desperately need it. If we had canceled we probably wouldn't have received a refund and we would have had to stay in Korea. That would have only lead to me resenting Jane and Jo. So I'm off to Thailand. I will relax and enjoy myself and I'll let you know how it went.