The Joys of Turkish Offices

I can sometimes only just laugh at the things I experience in this country. Yesterday I had to sign a memo saying that yes I understand I have to be at school everyday from at least 9am-3pm. Why is such a memo necessary? We are responsible, respectful adults, right? Not so much. The foreign teachers are offended that such a thing is asked, to sign this paper. Of course we understand what time we are supposed to be at work. Not roll in at 10 or 11 even though school doesn’t start for two weeks, or leave at 1 or 2 after eating lunch. I may not understand the purpose in being here and wasting time, but at least I respect it.

Then today there was another memo (let me note that the memos are in Turkish, so I am basically signing my life away if I don’t fully understand it) saying there was a meeting at 4:15pm today following school. I signed the paper of course, whatever. One of Turkish teachers then explained that the purpose of the meeting was to give instructions on a new software that will be used to measure student test results, something I have nothing to do with. I have thus been waiting all day to hear from the principal about whether or not I need to attend the meeting or not. And it will be conducted in Turkish, so I probably won’t understand any of the information I don’t even need to know.

So, combining these two instances. I am currently sitting at my desk writing a blog post because I have to sit here and pretend I am working (because we have to be here all day “getting ready for the school year”) and wait to hear whether or not I need to attend this meeting that is completely irrelevant for me. I was going to use this time right now to go use the real wireless in the elementary school, so that I could upload photos of my new house on facebook, something really pressing. What is more frustrating is that I will probably have to sit here until the meeting anyway because no one will tell me whether or not I need to go to it. And then I will miss my bus to take me home at 3:30 and I will have to wait until after the meeting to take that bus home, so who knows when I’ll get there then. UGH.

I can’t wait to have my full schedule next week just so I won’t have so much free-time in which I do nothing. I have no planning to do since I have no idea what I’m teaching.

At 3:15 I finally called my supervisor and asked if I had to attend the meeting. She texted me 5 minutes later and said nope. At least I made it on the 3:30 bus home. And that’s kinda how things are here. Eventually they work. Just not in a timely manner.