Sick Work

Is Korea Wearing off on me?

Monday I got sick. It started soon after lunch with a little nausea and by the time I was on the bus home, I was wondering if I would make it without throwing up. I did make it safely to my bed and by the time Dan got home at 9pm I had the full-on flu, muscle aches, headache, throwing up, chills/fever. It sucked. Luckily Dan took good care of me, bringing me water and cider (sprite) and rubbing my back. We both knew I wouldn’t be making it to work on Tuesday. In the morning I felt a little better, but most of my symptoms persisted. I texted my co-teacher, told her what was going on, and that I wouldn’t be making it to work. I had one class that day. The whole day I lay in bed feeling crappy and GUILTY for not being at work. WTF?

In the states I’ve never had a job with paid sick leave. In Korea I get 15 days. It seems like this would be a great thing. But in the states I never felt bad about calling in sick. Here, I do. Why? Because my co-workers could have just lost their leg in a terrible chainsaw accident and still make it to school. The other teachers at my school NEVER miss days. I have literally seen women throwing up in the bathroom and then go to their class to teach. They don’t care if they could get everyone sick. They don’t care about their own personal well-being; the only thing that matters is that they are at work.

My vice-principal and my co-teachers in the English department are convinced I am on the verge of death. This is partly because last March I was in the hospital for a week with a kidney infection, and partly because twice I’ve had to go to this specialized women’s hospital in the middle of nowhere (in Gwangju), so I had to take time off to go there. The truth is, the kidney infection probably would have been treated at home in the states, and the women’s hospital appointments are just routine checkups, nothing special. But I’ve also had to take a couple of days off for just plain old sickness, once for food poisoning, another for a migraine and now the flu. After working here 18 months it’s really not a lot of days off. But they constantly tell me how worried they are about me and how I should take care of my health better. I try to tell them that I eat well, exercise, and hell I don’t even drink anymore, but to no avail, they are convinced I am terminally ill. So now when I call in, I just feel guilty all day!

I’m back at work today… I made it though the barrage of questions about my health and now I’m just hoping I can make it through three classes without getting sick. I’m not totally better yet, but god knows I can’t call in again!!

Side note: As I’m writing this, two boys (twins) are getting beat by their teacher in front of all the teachers in the teacher-room. It’s enough to make you not want to come to work right there. AND it’s snowing today! I'm hoping it keeps going and we all get to go home early!!!