Tuesdays Gone

That's right! No work this Tuesday. So instead of 2 holidays all year, I now have 3. Sadly, I only have one more after Tuesday. And its not Christmas. Not New Years Day. It is the Lunar New Year in February. Don't really know how to observe it. What exactly happens in the new lunar year? I guess I can stare at the moon for a couple minutes. Maybe say a Hail Mary? Eat some cheese?

Work at my Hagwon is cancelled Tuesday because ownership is going on strike. I guess there is an outcry from the public school system in Korea that Hagwons should be blamed for their bad reputations. Public school administrators are not getting enough productivity out of their students because they are up late going to class at or doing homework for their respective academies. Also, Hagwons cost a lot of money. Public school officials feel that this puts certain students at a disadvantage who cannot afford the extra attention and practice with English. The Korean government has taken the side of the public school. Hours must be cut and prices must be slashed.

I do feel that Hagwons are open too late. A 10:30 pm end to the day for 12 year old students is rough. But, the extra work and time is helpful. English is a very important commodity to these kids and their parents. Much of the time, Hagwons also provide a place for kids to go while their parents are working late into the evening. These institutions also need to make money..as do I. We'll see what happens. It doesn't sound too serious, but then again, I don't speak Korean.

Last time school students and government were involved in a protest: