One Foot On the Matt, and One Foot Behind the Desk

An aspect of the job description (if there was one for my position) would be the need to have the ability to transition from teaching classes and working with the kids, to signing contracts and taking payments from parents.  This is quite challenging since teaching classes requires a very minimal amount of words that don't need to be grammatically correct, but talking to parents in the same syntactical style would not get any contracts signed, ever.
One such occurrence, not too long ago, it was a Friday, and I was alone in the busiest, most visible of the three studios.  While teaching a class full of students ranging from white belt to black belt, about 3 people came in (at separate times) wanting information and class schedules, and needing to be convinced to sign up for our special trial program.
"10 jumping jacks ready GO!" I say and I sprint off the matt to the visitors
"Hi, how are you, would you like some information?" I say hurriedly, since the time it took for me to get to them, and say this short line took already 5 of the jumping jacks.  Normally I would ask the person "how I could help them" but there is no time in this particular instance so I have to jump right to the kick punch.
"Push -up 20 ready GO!" I command from behind the desk, since the visitors answer used up the remaining five of the jumping jacks.  Push-ups take a little longer, so I relax and turn on the professional charm as I pull out schedules and guarantee that our trial program is a win-win situation for them.  Once they agree to fill out the registration for our trial program I excuse myself and sprint back to the front of the matt just as the last slow student is shakily finishing up the last 2 push-ups.
"Wow, nice push-ups!!", I say, "Everybody STAAAND UP! Now Jimmy (not a real student) line up here! (up to the front of the class where I usually stand) Who can count and stretching better than Jimmy, I'm gonna check!!!, Jimmy say, 'hold your knees' and Jimmy count first--Hannah...Dool... Set.... Good job!" Jimmy continues counting and leading the stretch, as I sprint back to the desk where my visitor stands watching the class and ready with a (hopefully not an American Express) credit card ready to have her little 5yr old son try Tae Kwon Do.  I run her card through and get her child set up with a uniform and giving new student advise to the student and parent.  All the while commanding the class when Jimmy forgets what stretching technique comes next.
"Would you like a receipt", I ask, "Ok, well then you are all set, thank you very much, and I'll see you on Tuesday at 4:20.  Don't be late!" I say as my visitor leaves with her son and nice new uniform.  The repetitive counting has stopped and Jimmy is now a frozen statue in front of the class.  I sprint back to the matt and change hats.
"Aaallll right! Nice Stretching! Everybody face Jimmy, Charyut, Kyung Nae (Attention, Bow) say 'Thank You Jimmy'"
"Thank you Jimmy" the class repeats, and I resume teaching.
"Thank you, Jimmy, back to your spot.  Now, EVERYBODY 10 Jumping Jacks READY GO!!!"

I Thought It Was a Bad Idea Then Too,

Not sure if it's all business owners, or just these ones that I work for.  It seems to take them trial after trial to finally come up with a solution system of doing things that works the best.  Sometimes, the trial methods are so ridiculously terrible that I hesitate to do it.  Of course these are the ones that they are the most stubborn about, and it's only after I do them a couple of times that they realize that it was not such a good idea.
"You shouldn't do it that way," the headmaster says once a contract technique, or a system turns out more problematic than useful.
"This is how you told me to do it," I say with a confused, but respectful, look on my face (and I thought it was a bad idea then too) I think in my head.

Often times I am left with the blame and the task of fixing an embarrassing situation that could have been avoided if the Master would take my suggestion.  I may not have as much experience in the Martial Arts School world, but I do have a Business Degree, that is applicable to all business situations.  I am absolutely sure that if you advertise that something is FREE, that something better be FREE unless there is a little asterisk somewhere saying that it's Free (with the purchase of something else).

"You didn't tell me I have to buy those in order to get this free," an annoyed parent says to me as I am finishing a contract deal, in the middle of which the co-master says they can't get the item advertised as free unless they spend $25 on something else.
      (it takes much sales skill and mediation to get out of this storm that would have been smooth sailing till now that they change the deal right in the middle of it).  I know later that the master will be unsatisfied with the way it was handled but the most important thing, I think, is that the money comes in and we enroll a student right????  

Of course, If it were up to me I would make the deal be, that you get the "Free Item" for the amount of the "$25 purchase required item" marked down from the original price of the "free item" in question.

"No, don't do it that way, that is not the way it is", the master says when I suggested the above proposal so as not to confuse and make parents, who don't want to pay anything anyway, angry about hidden charges.
"Yes, sir, I see.", I respond out loud, (even though I will be doing it my way anyway.  Because, I know, later the master will "think of it himself" later on and tell me I shouldn't be doing it the previous way that was his idea too)
Once he says, we shouldn't do it the way he said to before, I will respond with the usual, "Yes sir, what a good idea."
"How come you did it the other way?" he will ask.
And as always I'll respond"You told me to do it that way, remember?"  (I thought it was a bad idea then too.)

"Give him 'Weekend'!!!!!" Huh??

A confident child, tries his best and, usually, stays out of trouble.  Some parents use sports and other activities as another way of instilling this self confidence, discipline, and respect in their children.  Sometimes children come into our studio with discipline problems at home or at school that their parents don't know how to handle and they bring them to us in hopes that we can "straighten their kid out".
The Headmaster believes that the best way to teach a child discipline is to force them to try their best and to extensively reward them when they do so.  Therefore we have many occasions in which we reward a child for doing his/her best in front of their parents and classmates.
"Give him 'weekend'!!!", says the headmaster at which time those of us who have heard this clever phrase before start clapping and the others follow suit.
"Give him a Big Hand", is a new English phrase that the headmaster is noticeably proud of because his face lights up like a lactose intolerant first introduced to almond milk whenever he says it.  I'm not sure how he learned this phrase or from whom, but, in this case, some really did get 'lost in translation'.  Good thing there are those of us who are able to understand the situational cues and commonalities of the way the head master speaks to his students.  I must say, however, that I miss his old phrase "Give him Clapping", because this one made much more sense and did not cause new-comers of the Korean-English to fall into complete confusion and give up all together.
I wish I could give a "weekend" to someone every time they tried their best!!! Why doesn't someone give me a "weekend" when I try my best???  Wait! Is it even possible to give someone a "weekend" just by clapping.
Oh, I do hope one day I can understand the Headmaster's true, calendar-worthy, wisdom.  :)

All the Master's notes to me... (in KOREAN)

So today I arrive at work and both master's are there speaking in Korean with each other. I greet them, they return the gesture, and immediately return to their conversation.
--[Just a heads up.. I recently changed my schedule so that I only work the first couple of days a week and the rest I don't go in at all; a big change since in the several months prior I worked full time 6 days a week including special classes and unpaid overtime.  (I was there so much that I thought about bringing a blanket and pillow so I wouldn't have to waste my gas driving home)]--
Anyway, so I come in and on my desk, in it, and all around it are little sticky notes with my name written at the top (I have learned to recognize my name in Korean letters).
"Check it out", the Co-Master says, as she gestures to the sticky notes that are all written in Korean.
"Yes ma'am", I say and begin to stare at the Korean symbols.
Since I haven't been in the studio for, 5 days, I really do need to know what is going on, too bad I don't read Korean.  Basically, as the Co-master finally realized that I didn't know what the notes meant, she attempted to explain it.  The Head master, realizing then that his wife was having an extremely hard time communicating with me, interjected and explained.  However, something he said to me didn't sit too well with the Co-master and then I got to stand there while they rediscussed their entire business mission statement in Korean.
At least they ended their argument within 30 minutes this time and I was able to get work done before I was sent to the outcast studio where I go to sit there and wait for a call to go to another studio where an angry parent wants to know why they have to pay for their child to learn Tae Kwon Do.
Ha ha, well At least the parent's speak and write in English.

Yes, I can use chopsticks...

It must be a culture pride thing; I have seen traces of it in other cultures.  Perhaps because Korean culture is so vastly different from American "culture" it is more noticeable.
Korean dining habits for example, from what I have observed, are quite different than those of the American counterpart.  Koreans eat with either chopsticks or a long spoon, they use scissors to cut their food into bite size pieces before it has been served, and they are completely comfortable with eating and drinking out of the same plate or cup as other people. Table-side manners are notably different as well, picking food off another's plate, serving others with the same chopsticks you are eating with, and chewing and talking with your mouth wide open are perfectly acceptable.  Eating with Koreans certainly brings a new meaning to the word "bite size"; if it fits it is okay to be put in your mouth all at once.
The masters like to have a "he-shig" (which is a special lunch meeting with all the instructors) where we all meet and eat together once a month.  We eat at a Korean restaurant, of course, and since Korean food is always served family style, the master's order for everybody.  (Lucky for me since nobody within 3 miles of this restaurant speaks any English).  Usually this meal consists of about 3 different cuts of beef, rice paper squares, some type of green salad, and a whole bunch of other strange looking items that I eat, with my chopsticks of course) at least one of each no matter how weird it looks.
Sometimes, depending on the nature of the item, the Masters both expect me to know something clearly after being shown only once, and are shocked when I do.  It is usually in this eating situation where I notice it most.  They always comment on how well I can use chopsticks, or ask how come I know what to do with the rice paper squares, or tell me to try this gross looking thing and laugh out loud when I eat it and say that I like it.
It is during times like these when I almost feel like they bring me along for entertainment. I wonder if thoughts such as: "Lets watch the American fumble with her chopsticks",  "Lets watch her face when they bring the [insert gross looking/sounding Korean food item here]", "Lets see how she handles it when things are put on her plate without her consent" go through their heads as we eat together.  I may be wrong, but who knows, I may also be right.
Just another time for me to be both lonely, and proudly the only American at the table.