Open Thread: GEOS Scuttlebutt

Hi, I work for GEOS Japan also and this saturday head office called my school and told us two things that HAD to be done by the end of the day.

1. Mail all new text books back to head office by TODAY.
2. Send copies of all DTR's and attendance sheets by Today.

This request seems higly suspicious. Head office promised us we wouldn't be closing by next month, but now it seems very scary. And then 2 hours before closing time we get the e-mail for the emergency v-chat. The announcement came at the end of the day after we already mailed back all the books and paperwork. My guess is they knew about the v-chat way before, but they wanted to trick us to send all our supplies to HO before they freaked us out with the v-chat news.

Let's have everyone in Japan chime in about V-chat and book news. Which schools got the request and which didn't will make a huge difference. Usually books going back would be a mad scramble for cash, possible on advice of the liquidators or accountants, and also because they do not want disgruntled teachers who did not receive their last pay from stealing them. I would.

They've done this a couple of times before. In each case they needed the contracts to see exactly how much money each student was owed and how many classes they had left.

So if that's anything to go by it could be:

i) GEOS are going to introduce some kind of new contract system (years ago this happened when they changed from Prep and Quint classes to Sprint.... anyone else remember that? damn, I'm showing my age!).

ii) They're going to use the information to help decide what to do with students (and possibly teachers) whose schools are closing. The v-chat is just going to go over what was said in the email. The contracts will help them decide exactly when each school they've chosen to close will actually close (i.e. immediately after some of the more expensive contracts have just finished).

iii) They may have decided to close a few extra schools too based on poor performance over the last week or two.

Personally, I'd put my money on it being ii). When I was there every time H/O closed or moved a school they'd request all the paperwork for the students, decide what to do and a timeframe to do it in then tell the manager.

oh, and I forgot iv) the whole place is going up in flames so your manager is going to lock you in your school office, go round your apartment, steal your stuff and pawn it in a desperate attempt to make target this month.

Well, you deserve more than two yen for those thoughts. In my opinion, they were plausible and well thought out.

Books going back mean closing time. If your school was asked, time to say bye, bye. If you were not asked, maybe you will survive for a few more months.

GEOS NA on Tuesday too?

I'm not sure what the recalling of the books means but my school is closing and they didn't recall our books.

I also hope it's not iv. I've had wwwwaaaayyyyy tooo much porn recently. Anymore and I'll explode!!!!

Almost 24 hours and a wake up.

If someone can transcribe (in their head) everything that is said and put it up on here as quickly as possible, it would be much appreciated. If anyone had the ability to video or audio record it, and get it up on YouTube, it would be even better. I am sure what will be said will also give direction as to where the GEOS NA schools are heading, whether said directly or not.

Now if we can only get someone to screencast the damn V-chat and let the world see Mr. K's idiotic ramblings. Please, someone do it! It would be priceless. GEOS tries so hard to limit any outside knowledge of these V-chats...Time to tear the secrecy veil down!

This is going to be an interesting week...

..........I will personally roll around on the floor laughing my head off

Nope, no NA stuff from Mr K on Tuesday. It's just a gee up with some nasty surprises for redundant teachers.....hence "no mikes, boys".
GEOS NA surprises will come from that end.
By the bye, Tuesday is Adolf Hitler's birthday...now, there's a conversation piece as we await the roll of the video.

So we sit waiting again for someone to tell us what is happening at the 11th hour. What sickens me about this country is the fact that this can happen so regularly. I am quitting this shithole in May and can't wait to get back to my homeland, away from this ball-less soul-less and idiotic country. Geos have lied since the start - to everyone involved, even in the last few months after the overseas closures, students were sitting there wide eyed like dopey love struck teenage girls at the thought of starting a new contract. Shit, students of mine went to Australia 3 weeks ago still believing!!!! It seems that most of the buffoons(eikiewa students) are as thick as pigshit anyway. I informed some of my students abou the closures and the risk ahead of signing contracts but they just ummed and arred and still are considering re-signing! Even my JET teacher was scoffing at my predictions that the company would go arse over tit, telling me she "knew some people in head office and they would let her know if this will happen" which are merely the ramblings of a idiot! But what gets me most is the fact that Japanese culture when related to business seems to be pathetically optimistic or should I say ignorant - I have done my best to try and save some of my better students from losing a considerable wad of cash but it seems this is foresight most people do not want to hear or heed.
BTW, the V chat tomorrow will basically be a message to close n school after the meeting and y school to keep working harder to attain your new goal - bullshit! I'm glad I'm almost out - this industry it will be dead in a heartbeat.

"I am quitting this shithole in May and can't wait to get back to my homeland, away from this ball-less soul-less and idiotic country"

good luck to you too!!!

Good for you. You are going back to your "homeland", Australia I presume by the look of your English. You are one fewer pseudo teacher to whom Japan should never have issued a visa. Good riddance.

Yes I think we've beaten this to death. The old "bad teachers with bad attitude who aren't real teachers shouldn't be in Japan the Japanese are all wonderful and not a bad word should be spoken about Japan" bla bla bla.
Give the guy/gal a break.

It's going to be a rough couple of months for a lot of people. I wish the best to all. Alot of good people working under a psychotic dictator and his loyal henchmen/women.
As for the Tuesday meeting - to all teachers - just don't go.

it is irresponsible and ignorant

and then to say this....

You are going back to your "homeland", Australia I presume by the look of your English.

ooops!

You are one fewer pseudo teacher to whom Japan should never have issued a visa.

and to say this....

its plethora of wining, adolescent, and decidedly under-educated "teachers"

oops! Maybe there are alot of GEOS teachers who like a few sessions on the Cabernet Sauvignon and maybe you could stop whining.

It's a nice sunny day so can we all stop Pinot Grigioing and open a bottle of Shiraz or something?
Post Police - to protect, correct and serve the community. Carry on please and would you like so more swiss cheese with that whine sir?

Thank you for saying that! I was thinking exactly the same thing. GEOS =/= Japan.
No country is perfect but his/her post was taking it to the extreme. I hope he/she does get out and soon before they do more harm to foreigners' reputations in Japan.

I hope he/she does get out and soon before they do more harm to foreigners' reputations in Japan.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Sorry, must've dozed off there for a minute. Where were we? Ah yes....
BUT WE'RE GOOD PEOPLE! (Drum beat)
WE'RE GOOD! (Drum beat)
Us foreigners are good people! (Dru..... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz)

Wake me up later please.

Through my HO contacts I've managed to get a sneak peak at tomorrows lecture/rant/hate filled vitriolic spiel to be delivered by Our Master. Here's a rough guide:

You're all lazy cunts.
You don't work hard enough.
Reach the goal you gaijin mother fuckers.
You're all cunts.
Fuck you all for making me lose Private Jet.
Because you don't work now I don't get buy Russian pussy.
Sell some shitty books today you ass lickers.
In interview, you offer body for new student.
You dance in street with gay GEOS jacket.
Mother Fuckers reach goal.
Must reach target cuntfaces.
Teamwork you lazy gaijins.
Work together for good of company.
Work with manager for good of my swiss bank account.
I build company - you sink company!!
Fuck you sinking my company.
You gaijin cocksuckers!
Today you need 47 new students....before lunch.
Go to station and dance like monkey.
Throw GEOS tissue paper in stranger face.
New School system starts now you dicks!
Now go make money.
I dont care how. No lessons - fine. New School system.
Just get cash for my swiss account - and new Jetstream Private Jet I like before GEOS company go bankwupt.

And...ahem.... we'll be closing another 100 schools before the summer in addition to our North American operations going tits up.

(to be repeated on a four hour loop).

Looks like it'll be a bit of a rant - even for The Great One.

I was delighted when Nova went bankrupt. I will be equally delighted, as the next days/weeks expire, when exactly the same thing happens to GEOS. It really is quite amusing, watching the inevitable happen, while all you idiots debate back and forth, as if you are involved in something that has real substance (ha ha), and over something that is going to happen, because it is the supreme truth and absolutely right that it happens. You are all working in a DICK HEAD Industry. You are all a pack of laughable loosers, who deserve exactly what is coming your way. Fools. I used to pity you, but now, now I just shake my head, and giggle. Get a life, the lot of you.

The last rant was from a bitter ex teacher who ran out of his luck
in Japan and ran back home to the comfort of his mummy. We have all heard the low life eikaiwa teacher rant it has been done to death!!!

and things were getting quite entertaining for a while. Where did that troll of the week award go to? Excellent StenchBoy... you got a bite. [applause]

I was delighted when Nova went bankrupt. I will be equally delighted, as the next days/weeks expire, when exactly the same thing happens to GEOS...

...blah, blah, blah... etcetera, etbloodycetera...

...Fools. I used to pity you, but now, now I just shake my head, and giggle. Get a life, the lot of you.

Well, the title of the post was relevant to the topic, but as for the rest... it started badly, kind of tailed off in the middle and the less said about the end the better. Anyway. Anyone got any actual news about GEOS?

12:25 PLEASE do not play the race card. I did not see anything overtly racist in his . More an expression of frustration and the general state of things in Japan. Of course we all know how Japanese do not like to be criticized or told maybe something they do is impolite, inefficient, or wrong, even when it is (but Japanese have no problem telling gaijin or other countries the same). We all know the long history they have of going out of their way to avoid reality sometimes. This person really was only showing how pissed they are and rightly so.

Remember, it is this Japanese school and system that promised a lot and delivered very little. The same one that has caused Toyota to be a butt of many jokes with all their vehicle and management communication problems. The effects of this old-style Japanese business system are being felt everywhere, and even by "non-foreigners" in Japan. The Japanese system of doing business used to be lauded and revered everywhere, but now is one big joke and being held as an example of what not to do. See GEOS for a great example.

The announcement is soon...

PLEASE do not play the race card. I did not see anything overtly racist in his . More an expression of frustration and the general state of things in Japan.

That person stated, "I am quitting this shithole in May and can't wait to get back to my homeland, away from this ball-less soul-less and idiotic country. "

When someone says something like this, it cannot be swept under the carpet by any person of conscience. As I stated before, those remarks were irresponsible and ignorant at best and racist at worst. You suggest that those words can be forgiven and forgotten because the perpetrator is somehow under the stress of oppression and is merely showing his "frustration"? That argument reminds me of a scene that I saw back in my military days. A drunken man was yelling at an image of himself in a full-length mirror. Angry for some reason, he screamed, "I hate you!" and put a fist through the mirror. The look on my face revealed my reaction. Just then another man said to me, "Don't worry. He is actually a good guy. He's just drunk now." Right. No, I choose to call a spade a spade.

I second 2:57. Back to GEOS rumours for all!

I am eagerly anticipating the great leader's speech comingin, oh, 7 hours. ;-)

3:19 You HAVE strayed off target. You two are talking back and forth about nothing related to what this thread is...Seriously, I am sure both sides can find smut on each other. I, too, saw lot of racism and bias in Japan, but I am not even going to begin on elaborating because THIS is not the forum.

Anyway, looks like a lot of people are going to be out of a job soon. I understand the frustration and anger expressed here. While I do not work GEOS (I saw the writing on the wall a long time ago), I do have a couple of friends working there. Sad day it will be. And when GEOS NA falls, even more sad people out there, including more ripped off students.

Eikaiwa boom is gone. This is a screening time now. Only competent teachers can survive. Otherwise, you must pack your bag, go back to your home country and do what you can to make a living. Then you will see what you really deserve.

The thing is, Japanese people nowadays can talk to foreign people anytime using Skype, free of charge.
Or one-on-one Skype lesson is available. The price is quite reasonable, ￥100 a lesson. With Japan's economic downturn, people prefer cheap lessons. This is part of the reason Geos is struggling.

No more easy jobs like English teachers.

Probably info was cut back because they are mad as hell about all that has been exposed on this site. I know for sure two managers (or VP) were on it in Canada and specifically made comments on how rectify the matter...Yuppers. So you know HO knows all about it.

They can only delay so long, but the shit will hit the fan eventually. Delaying the inevitable is not going to help them.

Not telling students to after Golden Week just smells of scamming. What a loser, deceiving company. Hope they are proud of themselves.

Jack, I have to agree. The Eikaiwa game rules have changed, and, I believe, for the better. While online(distance learning) has been around for awhile, newer web technologies like social media, lessons on the iPod and the use of Skype are coming to the forefront. Moreover, there are new programming languages like JavaFX and Silverlight that can and should be used in developing educational software.

Gone are the days that any 外人, whose only talent was making English words pour from his mouth, will be allowed into the classroom, without credentials - even in the land of eikaiwa. Frankly, it is about time.

As for online teaching, if you want to be a sucker and earn 1000 yen a day, be my guest, Japanese can't get over we need a gaijin to edutain us, to the point that it won't be a hit here for the next decade. after the Japanese get over their racist views on who speaks English. So a little while longer guys!!!!

Job ads in Oz for ESL/Literacy teachers increasingly stipulating Education or TESOL degree.....By the way, in Japan you were good girls and boys getting up early and going to unpaid video chats....well done, compliance is the name of the game! Mr K was very happy with the early attendance.

I choose to call a spade a spade.

Don't you mean you choose to call a spade Australian. Who's the racist?

And you had to start work before noon. It's a tough life.

"Shit" said Mr K, "shit" said the the Daughter, A cople of thousand arses turned towarg Tokyo, heaved and strained in the mid day sun and shat. "Feck me" said Mr K, "feck me" said the Daughter . Eighty two teachers and managers were killed in the rush, for in that company Mr K's word was law.............

Kiddos...it's only a job and you'll have a lot more of those in your lives....get outta there!

Surely not...

If you took from my post that I am not enjoying my time here you couldnt be more wrong, you probably also think that the comment is a racist slur against Japanese again you are wrong. If you could read and comprehend that my comment was about
the reality of all Eikaiwa Teachers having to pack their bags and go home because of ￥100 per hour lessons run by Philipinos or Indians, (who will be the future English Teachers in demand due to the Native English speaking countries being too expensive and qualifications lacking) Japanese want a blue eyed American/Canadian etc standing in front of them speaking what they believe to be perfect English, Oh and did I mention acting like a dancing bear to Edutain them. It isnt racist, It is a fact and that is why I made my comment. It is too easy to chant racist racist, but you need to back up your argument a little more than 16 words in a sentence or better still brush up on your reading comprehension or knowledge on the topic before you shoot off with A worthless comment.

This from the morons running the company:-

全社員・全スタッフ・全講師各位
（English follows）

お疲れ様です。
昨日、本日と今後の新旧に関するⅤチャットを営業本部より実施したばかりかとは
思いますが下記、日程にて緊急Ⅴチャットを実施します。
全スタッフ内容確認の上、必ずご参加願います。

急な連絡また早出出勤大変申し訳ないですが、何卒ご理解の上、ご参加願います。

尚、ルーミングは原則本日の講師のⅤチャットと
同じですが、時間が異なるため、全員9:30には着席
願います。

日時：4月21日（水）午前09:30～11:00にかけて
　

また、すでに帰宅している講師においてはＭＧで責任もって連絡願います。
尚、関連部署、グループ会社は各々の事務所に同時間にご集合ください。

V-Chats

Otsukaresamadesu.

There will be all staff ( Managers and Teachers ) V-chats held tomorrow on April 21st　at 9:30am

The rooms are attached to this email. Be sure to confirm the time and room for your school.

Please note that the attached files are 30 minutes different.

If the file says 10:00 am the V-chat will start at 9:30.

11:00 will start at 10:00 am.

12:00 will start at 10:30 am.

Please be ontime for this V-chat as it is very important for all staff.

株式会社ジオス
執行役員
田渕／青木／千葉

Did anyone notice that the Japanese is completely different from the English?

ahahahaha...

I for one am glad to see the ol' ship Geos is pretty much fucked. I used to work there, now I'm working for a new company. Shorter hours and the co-workers are awesome. Working 1pm to 10pm on a shady 29.5 hours contract with no health insurance? Fuck that. I'm one of the lucky ones working 20 hours a week with health insurance and pension included. It doesn't even compare.

And what the fuck is the deal with 10am V-chats? Seems like they're scheduling them as early as possible to squeeze a few extra hours work out of everyone before the standard 1pm start... which no one will get paid for. V-chat lasts for 10 minutes, you get 10 minutes overtime. That's what, 400 yen? Shit for those whose last class ends at 10pm!

Fuck Gayos. Fuck Shittos. And fuck that greasy fat little 5ft 4" kusunoki and his gaijin inferiority complex.

I didn't go in early today and I won't go in early tomorrow either. Come on, how stupid do you have to be to fall for this crap two days in row? The managers even realize this company is disorganized and acting crazy.

Things the Vchat will NOT address tomorrow:

Everyone is getting a bonus.
The company is expanding
Your vacation will be doubled
We will pay you this month.

Things it will most likely be about:

This company needs cash like a whore needs dick
The company will probably pay late this month (in other words, trust us to pay you ASAP....but we probably will go bankrupt first)
If you don't get paid before GW it's either a banking error or we have no cash
We're really sorry we can't pay you on time...it's the whole economic crisis and stuff
MUST FOCUS CS SM or we are fucked and you won't get paid
TEACHER MUST TEACH LESSON AND GET STUDENT TO PAY MUCH MONEY or we won't pay you
WE NEED CASH SO BAD THAT THE COMPANY PRESIDENT WILL SUCK YOUR COCK for 200Yen

"All international schools are closing." Somebody said.

And who is that somebody?

Right. Who said that? How do you know that? I hope that you did not just hear that in a bar somewhere.

If you attend the V Chat sessions you are wimply, little, punk, stooge-bitch. GEOS is at the point of no return, it will tank in the near future. You have no job security there, so might as well make the most out of your remaining time and do whatever you want whenever you want.

Your Idol,

Jonny Jiggler

For more initimate dialogue, I may be reached at:

6:34 True, to a point. But there are other, um, managers at international schools that are mad as hell. Stay tuned. ;-)