Swine Flu

Broken 1,000 won Thermometer

Spring semester just ended and the following Monday, the Summer term will start. When I walked in that Monday, I had no desire to teach. I was exhausted from the previous term and just needed one more day...

Last week's group of new Chungdahm (CDI) trainees had a trainee from the US infected with Swine Flu. Two of the trainers (Jared & Andy) were in direct contact with the trainee with Swine Flu. Jared & Andy work at my branch, therefore could have infected us. The trainees and Jared & Andy (my co-workers) are in quarantine. This could be VERY costly to the company, so CDI has decided to be public about it rather than be shady and have a student find out and spread the news to his/her parent and cause mass chaos. In response to the Swine Flu scare, CDI has let all of its instructors off for 9 days. Monday the 26th to June 3rd. The reason is because Swine Flu does not take into effect until 7-9 days from exposure. This could be a never ending cycle if people keep getting exposure, therefore we don't work because we don't want to infect the students. CDI is estimated to lose $6million dollars! Apparently the Swine Flu news has been all over the media yet without mention of CDI. Nevertheless, the public seems to know that it is CDI with infected instructors and other academies are nervous about the monetary, student enrollment, news exposure effects of Swine Flu because they too hire foreigners to teach in Korea.

Thank goodness we are getting paid in full without working. However, they demand that we stay in our homes with limited social interaction. To get paid, we must send our manager daily temperature checks twice a day (normal is under 37 degrees Celsius).

When we received the news, most of us were already at work. There was a slight rumor of cancelled classes that day. Around 2:30pm, our FM announces that we would be off and paid for 9 days. In a frenzy, I started looking up flights to Thailand. I was not going to let this opportunity go to waste. Unfortunately, the company declared that we stay in country. That's when we decided to go to TGIFridays and celebrate spending unearned money.

Nowon Crew Enjoying Quarantine

As we celebrated no working and getting paid, we received a string of emails from Chungdahm HR concerning quarantine.

- You must buy a thermometer...CDI will reimburse you. You must take your temperature every morning and evening and email me the results.

- You may not leave the country.

In conjunction with the Korean Center for Disease Control and the Korean National Ministry of Health, CHUNGDAHM Institute will be closing down until June 2 in order to prevent a possible Swine Influenza epidemic and spread to our students. Classes will resume June 3.

l All instructors stay at their home and limit social interaction to a minimum until June 2. Classes will resume on June 3. The swine influenza virus takes 7 to 9 days until symptoms surface. Even if you do not demonstrate any flu like symptoms, it is imperative that you stay home and limit social interaction to a bare minimum. All learning centers will honor instructor contracts and provide the minimum payment according to the instructor contracts.
l All instructors purchase thermometers, measure their body temperature twice per day (once at 10am and once at 5pm), and report the results to their BM or FM ? all branch and franchises will reimburse their instructors for the thermometers, and HQ will reimburse each branch and franchise with the submission of receipts.
l All BM’s report their 10am and 5pm temperature measurements to HQ (temperature@chungdahm.com) including branch/franchise location, date, time, the names of each instructor and their temperature.
l If any teacher suspects symptoms of SI, do NOT travel to a hospital, the learning center, or the CDC. Instead, be sure to report the temperature to the BM/FM as described above. The CDC will contact you within the next 24 hours.

CHUNGDAHM thanks all instructors in advance for their cooperation in order to prevent our students from infection and a potential national epidemic.

In other words, send temperatures daily and don't leave the country.

Taking Our Temperature: Normal is 38 Degrees Celsius
Me & Dave

Hiking to Plan Our Next 9 Days of Quarantine
Lonely Planet Korea, Tuna Brushetta, Baguette, & Water

Namsan Tower
The Highest Point in Seoul

Jumping for Quarantine Joy at Namsan Tower

So, my friends and I decided to make the most of our quarantine because this long period of paid vacation will never happen again. Where should we go?