Job Discussion Forums

[dogboy]

Ok, here's my question. I am a 34 year old male that returned from Japan about 6 months ago. I spent 3 years in a small city in Japan with the JET Program. Now I am back in New York and considering heading back to Asia to teach again. I find that I am missing life in Asia tremendously.
While I was in Japan, I enjoyed my time (for the most part). The biggest problem I had was the small size of the city where I was living. I am from New York City and very much a city person. I like the fast pace, mobs of people, and choices for public transportation.
I have a degree in education, along with my 3 years experience with JET, but am not CELTA or TESOL certified.
My questionis how does Korea compare to Taiwan. More Specifically, I would be interested in going to Seoul or Taipei as when I was in Japan, I was missing big city life the most.
I'm not really interested in the debate of where I can make more money. I have read all the debates about this, and have already formed my own opinions. So, I do not need to know about the money issues. What I am looking for is some insight into culture, jobs, working environment, fun, entertainment, lifestyle, ect. I have a degree in high school education, and that is what I am most interested in. Younger kids just don't work out for me as well.
Any information that anyone can give me, would be greatly appreciated. Especially if you have lived and taught in 2 or more of the 3 locations. I'm looking for advice from people with first hand experience.
Thanks for any information that you can toss my way.
Cheers.

[Glenski]

If "younger kids" don't work out for you, why not apply to high schools? Look at the thread I started on the teacher forums about public vs. private schools to get a taste for what it's like in Japan.

Otherwise, read this for a comparison of the 3 countries you are intersted in. As you will note, many comments will have to be taken with a grain of salt.
http://seamonkey.ed.asu.edu/~jonb/

[dogboy]

Thanks Glenski. I'll checkout the threads you suggested. But my question is not about Japan or teaching there. As I said, I was teaching there for 3 years (in a high school). So I know the basic ins and outs of Japanese life (orat least as much as you can learn in 3 years).
My only questions about Japan, is how does it compare to the other 2 places. I mention high school, only because I am getting the impression that high school jobs are easier to come by in Korea (difficult in Taiwan), but I am not sure if this is true.
Also, I have traveled to both Seoul and Taipei, but only for a couple of days, so it was hard to get an assesment of what it would be like to live in either place.
Thanks again for any help.

[Big John Stud]

Most of the jobs in Taiwan are teaching little kids and the rest are teaching little kids with a few adult classes. Unless you get a job teaching at a high school.

You can make a lot of money in Korea. I taught outside of Souel and was able to save a bunch of money for a number of reasons. The price of living is a lot cheaper than in Japan. And unlike Japan, I hardly ever wanted to go out. I don't what it was in Korea, I guess I would loose the parying mood every time I heard someone say, "F$&k" the U.S!" Or "I hate the Japanese!"
But life was cheap.

Getting a job teaching in the public school system in Japan is easy, but getting a job at a school in a big city is not so easy. For example in Tokyo, many schools want to hire part-time teachers so they don't have to offer benefits.

[dogboy]

Thanks Big John.
Yeah, I know Japan is more expensive. As you may or may not know, JET takes care of people quite well, so money was not a problem. But I know the money is not as good with other programs. And, obviously big cities are much more expensive. That is why I am not returning to Japan (well for now at least).
What I am more interested in is WHY you didn't go out as much in Korea. I am would like to know more about the "@#!$% the US" comment you mentioned. Korean attitudes verses Japanese? Tell me more. I already know being a foriegner in Asia means being an outsider. But what would you say is the difference in those countries?

[Big John Stud]

dogboy wrote:

What I am more interested in is WHY you didn't go out as much in Korea. I am would like to know more about the "@#!$% the US" comment you mentioned. Korean attitudes verses Japanese? Tell me more. I already know being a foriegner in Asia means being an outsider. But what would you say is the difference in those countries?

Koreans refer to themselves as the Italians of the East because they are so emotional and like spicy food. In all fairness to them, I went to Korea at the wrong time. An American military truck or maybe tank ran over two girls playing on the side of the road. The military men were tried but the verdict was innocent.

Now logical reasoning is not most Koreans' strong point. Many had the attitude that all Americans were bad. I would be talking to an American colleague on the side of a street, and we could hear someone shouting out not so kind things about the states.
One time at a bar, a Korean woman told me how she like China more than the U.S. and how more she likes North Korea than the U.S. So in conversation, she asked me which country I liked more Japan or Korea, I said Korea. She was offended.

Shopping in Korea. I would be looking at something and someone would crash their cart into me, and just keep on walking. No apology or anything.

The head teacher hired me knowing I had lived and taught in Japan for more than 4 years. I made it clear that I like Japan but want to experience more of Asia. When she found out that I like Japan, she bought everyone lunch except for me.

A British friend had a Korean girlfriend. I had already returned to Japan, but he remained. When he visited me, he was surprised that I was walking down the street holding my Japanese girlfriend's hand, because in Korea him and his girlfriend often got harassed. One friend of his got beaten up in some bar for kissing his girlfriend on the face.

Koreans were always apologizing for messing up. But let me or one of the other westerners make a slight mistake and they would get so upset saying they can't forgive such a mistake.

I hear Taiwan is a much better place. I have been doing research on where to go next. Taiwan sounds like a great place. But in reality no place is better than Japan. You pay for what you get!

[PAULH]

Here is a good web log (blog) on Teaching in Taiwan

Cheers to Scott

http://scottsommers.blogs.com/

[JezzaYouBeauty!!]

Yes..Big John Stud...I think we can tell that we are pretty like-minded. I'm getting a bit fed up with all that stuff here in Korea. Kids in my classes, Koreans I know...always going on with the 'I hate japan' thing. Guys walking up to me and my mum in the market, and spitting at us and telling us to #$$#$# off!!
All those things....all of them.....day in...day out....they're just adding up.

And right now, the Korean media over here is going berzerk, about 'Dok-do'/''Takeshima'...and some other stuff.

Some Koreans cut their fingers off today in Seoul in front of the Japanese embassy, because of the Dok-do question (Dok-do..actually a couple of rocks, which both countries claim, in case people don't know).

I've had enough. I'm going to Japan in May to finally settle in with my girlfriend...and I can't wait!

[AndyH]

X2 what Jezzayoubeauty and Big John Stud said. I taught in Korea and got sick of being trated like crap for being an American. After 6 months of BS, I basically told the owner of my school to kiss my A*S and headed to Japan. I've been here for over two years, and love it.

[ohahakehte]

bigjohnstud,

i lived in seoul for a year and despite some of korea's good points i found it leaves much to be desired. i have few good things to say about korean culture although i love the food and i find korean history fascinating. but i echo many of the remarks of other posters on the craziness of koreans. i was treated decently during my time there but their double standards towards waygookin (foreigners) are annoying and weird. if you and a korean agree that a certain korean dictator or politician was/is bad, its okay for them to say that but not you because you're a foreigner.
korean women can be very attractive but i would rather read a book alone in my apartment than talk to most of them.
i rarely "went out" in seoul simply because there were few cool things to do. the music in the bars and clubs stinks and they're full of foreigners getting insanely drunk. most of the "going out" i did consisted of biking around town, which was really fun cuz seoul has some cool bike trails and odd and interesting parks.
but on the upside, korea's transportation system is excellent, the food is incredible and theres piles of money to be made as an english teacher. most schools pay your return airfare and your rent.

[Big John Stud]

JezzaYouBeauty!! wrote:

Yes..Big John Stud...I think we can tell that we are pretty like-minded. I'm getting a bit fed up with all that stuff here in Korea. Kids in my classes, Koreans I know...always going on with the 'I hate japan' thing. Guys walking up to me and my mum in the market, and spitting at us and telling us to #$$#$# off!! All those things....all of them.....day in...day out....they're just adding up. And right now, the Korean media over here is going berzerk, about 'Dok-do'/''Takeshima'...and some other stuff. Some Koreans cut their fingers off today in Seoul in front of the Japanese embassy, because of the Dok-do question (Dok-do..actually a couple of rocks, which both countries claim, in case people don't know). I've had enough. I'm going to Japan in May to finally settle in with my girlfriend...and I can't wait!

The good thing for me about teaching in Korea is that when I returned to Japan I was so happy. Students in Japan are a billion times more polite and kind. Actually I found Korean kids were not polite at all and had no manners. Unlike Japanese students.
No matter how hard my day was I would think of Korea and be happy to be back in Japan.

I think the problem with Korea is that so few has traveled abroad and so they have a culture that creates closed minded people. I know a few Koreans in Japan, and they are okay!

[Big John Stud]

ohahakehte wrote:

although i love the food and i find korean history fascinating. but on the upside, korea's transportation system is excellent, the food is incredible and theres piles of money to be made as an english teacher. most schools pay your return airfare and your rent.

Did you eat dog meat? I couldn't do eat dog meat. One because I like dogs and two because animals that eat meat are not good to eat. I have had raw horse meat in Japan and found that meat to be tasty as well as give me energy.
But over all the food was good. At times though I did get tired of spicy food.

I also found Korean history to be interesting. Funny how Koreans never point out that the main reason why Japan occupied Korea in 1910 was to stop them from having their civil war. And just 8 years after Korea got their independence from Japan they had their civil war. I know most Koreans blame the U.S. for that war. Got to blame someone I guess.

You are right about making money in Korea. Most schools will pay the round trip airfare upon completion of the contract.

[ohahakehte]

[Big John Stud]

ohahakehte wrote:

the US didnt start the korean war but they inflamed tensions to an extreme degree and bombed the *beep* out of korea. koreans are right in blaming them for that.

I agree with you on why one nation occupies another. Japan did invade Korea to stop them having fighting each other because they wanted to protect their interest in Korea.

But I beg to differ about Koreans being right on blaming the U.S. for this war. Since ancient times the south and north have been at each other. If you did study Korean history way back in ancient times, Korea had created a beautiful city but fighting with each other they had destroyed what they created. The Korean war started because the north invaded the south. Unfortunately for 36,000 American soldiers the U.S. decided to defend the south.
Don't get me wrong the U.S. Government probably encouraged the war, but still it was the Korean greed and hatred that started the war.

[ohahakehte]