Feeling Useless

Part of my experience here- a large part- that is so difficult to get used to or accept, is the fact that I am essentially useless much of the time. When there is something to be done, I usually don’t know about it because no one thinks to translate for me. It’s only after watching for a while that I figure out what’s happening and realize I could be helping. By then the project is usually done.

I can’t answer the phone, because even if I did answer it correctly, I would have no idea what the person wanted.

I usually only review the lessons taught by the Korean teachers, which is fine once or twice, but after a month everyone involved is bored. I can’t teach new lessons to the lower level students because if they don’t understand (or ask questions only in Korean), we can’t communicate.

I can’t even have a discussion with my director directly, because he speaks no English. So every time we have to talk he is uncomfortable, annoyed, or hostile because I don’t speak or understand Korean. And depending on who translates, it feels more or less like a bad game of telephone. I don’t know what he actually says, only what his wife (usually) can translate to English and pass on to me.