Korean Job Discussion Forums

[antiamerican]

What did you think of Asia and Korea before you came here? It's an interesting question. I believe we all came here because we were drawn by some liking for Asia. Anyone out there tell me what there was here(in Asia,) that drew you here besides a job?
I'm interested to find out how many of us are the losers we're made out to be, especially those of us who've called the others losers. A loser, in my opinion, is someone who can't make it somewhere else, is incompetent, a misfit, etc.
As for me, I guess I was a loser in the making. I wanted to come here to live abroad, because I felt lured to Asian culture and life, and because at the last moment I needed a job that paid well. I guess we call that 'oportunity.' If this is the case, who isn't a loser these days.

[Corporal]

You said, "I believe we all came here because we were drawn by some liking for Asia."

Let me disillusion you. I personally came here because it was where I could save the most money.

P.S. you can't "be allured" to something. There is no such verb.

[Homer]

Why do people insist on branding others (and sometimes themselves) that come here as "losers". Is it so far fetched that many who are here are not necessarily losers or whiners but just regular people taking a job abroad?

[Zyzyfer]

I had an interest in China when I was in high school, and I of course went through the "anime comes from JAPAN!" phase, but I to this day don't know why I came to Korea, other than to fix my situations at home.

[captain kirk]

just got back from a visa run to japan. ran into a bunch of teachers doing the same thing and we had a whoop up in a hotel room. the excitement of being in japan for the day kept us up and into some 'campfire' conversation, the roundabout, intimate, mellow kind. everyone agreed that being away from home is interesting, especially being away from family. in korea, one is living one's own life. instead of being in your parents' face and vice versa with all the expectations and runarounds of being a 'chip off the old block' in the making at the same time resisiting it and craving to be free of it.; to 'never be like one's parents', no matter how much one loves them is a trial. everyone agreed it's a winning situation to be able to live one's own life, and have the distance to be able to sit back and consider the family dynamics and access their 'reality'.
'losers' here? depends how much of a 'joiner' one was in the first place. 'expatriot' means 'ex' member of a nation, a big club. being out of that AND being 'always a foreignor in korea' no matter how long one has been here can be a trap of perception. 'lost' your country. 'lost' , a nobody, in another? if not being a member of a group really bothers a person then that baggage is going to be lugged around, oneself pointing a finger at oneself.
if i see an older guy, older than i, 'alone in the crowd' of koreans it spooks me if the guy is not looking particularly perky or mentally occupied. then he looks like he's loosing, doesn't feel good about himself. but if he's looking engaged and comfortable with his situation and more than 'making the best of it' then the guy looks 'interesting', alive. like everything, it's all in how YOU look at it. the aspect upon which one judges others is usually based on some inner fear; am I a loser? instead, 'he' is.
if one cultivates the positive with a traveller's light attitude then 'home is where one's friends are' was the consensus in that hotel room in japan.

[Rand Al Thor]

I came to learn more about asia. My undergrad degree is Asian Studies and felt that book knowledge was not enough, I wanted experience. I chose Korea because I got a job before I left home and that was an area of my studies that had a big gaping hole in it.

been here almost 6 years and loving it.

[spanky]

Sorry Dude...allure is a verb. Look it up in a dictionary, if you have one. By the way, which censor scrapped my post? Grow up loser.

[Corporal]

Um Spanky...if the original poster had wanted to say "I felt allured BY" (as in enticed by or fascinated by) that would have been correct, although it is an awkward and unnatural construction. Do you know anyone who speaks like that? It is far more common to use "allure" as a noun or as an adjective, alluring. To "feel allured by" is jarring, "to feel allured to" is incorrect.

It is more important to have a natural affinity and ear for correct language usage, than it is to have a dictionary constantly by your side (as I'm sure you do).

[matko]

Corporal,

I asked you this question before, but you didn't answer.

Do you wear army boots?

Just curious.

[Corporal]

Matko,
I'm not in the army. I'm a housewife.

Happy now?

[matko]

Why do you call yourself corporal and come off as a drill instructor then

[The Donkey]

When I was hating my job back in DC, a good buddy of mine suggested that we be "those guys". I was curious so I inquired as to what "those guys" were. He said lets go teach english overseas, and when people ask, "where's Roy and The Donkey?" Someone will say they moved overseas and are teaching english. And the reply would be "Those guys are so crazy" So we started looking at Europe (too expensive) then China (I would have been in jail within a week of being there) then Vietnam (old man killed some people over there) then Korea came up. Hmmm, Korea, never heard anything bad about that place. Sure why the hell not.

Now I could give you a thousand reasons not to!

Oh yeah, he bailed a week before we were supposed to go...d*ck

[Corporal]

Because it is more fun than being a princess who only talks about where to get plastic surgery, how skinny she is, and how best to default on student loans.

[whiskey jack]

For those who want to experience life on their own away from family,just get a job and move out.I have been on my own for 12 years,lived and worked acrosss western Canada,went to college.
I moved to Korea,cuz I lived with Asians from the time I was in grade school. China,Japan,Korea,Nepal and other cultures lived under my roof. And my family fought and died there 50 years ago. It was a second home for me,not an escape. Korea is not a place to go if you want to escape or find your way. TO travel,explore,save money yeah Koreas a good place.

[antiamerican]

Corporal wrote: "Allured is not a verb. There's no such word. . . Let me disillusion you. . .came here just for a job. . ."

Allured is a verb, but somebody correct me if I'm wrong. Hence I wrote the infinitive "allured to." But I wrote this post haste, and could've used a better expression.
You mean you didn't come here for the allurement of the Far East? Asia wasn't alluring to you? I feel sorry for you.