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mnhnhyouh



Joined: 21 Nov 2006
Location: The Middle Kingdom

PostPosted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 11:41 pm    Post subject: Been here 5 days Reply with quote

I have been in Seoul for 5 days now, I arrived on Thursday morning. I was picked up at the airport by the recruiter and taken to a motel in Mokdong, as I arrived early I picked up the tab for that. The director paid me a visit that evening, and the recruiter called later in the day as well. Both seem to be looking after me.

I went to COEX mall on Friday, to the Electronics market on Saturday and into central Seoul on Sunday.

Originally I was to move into an apartment of one of the hagwon's financial partners for the first week, starting today, but that seems to have fallen through. So now I am staying in the motel until the teacher I am replacing moves out. The hagwon is now picking up the motel tab.

I am spending half days (low pay) for the first week, just observing. The school is small, with only 3 foreign teachers, and the director, who although Korean, grew up in Australia.

I am looking foward to starting and running the classes. Smile

I think the hard yards I did when looking for a school (I turned down at least 4 offers) has paid off.

I love the food, and when I went to get a pizza for a change, I was dissapointed.

Good coffee is still missing, though I had a decent cup at a Tea Purple store. However it is a little too far to walk to before work, and in the wrong direction.

I have been looking for a decent bird book in English. In fact the Korean language ones are not good either.

Does anybody know where I can get one?

h
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crazylemongirl



Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Location: almost there...

PostPosted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 11:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Starbucks is as good it gets coffee wise.

You might want to check out Kyobo books or what the book or start using amazon.

Glad to hear your having fun.
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periwinkle



Joined: 08 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 12:12 am    Post subject: Re: Been here 5 days Reply with quote

mnhnhyouh wrote:
I have been in Seoul for 5 days now, I arrived on Thursday morning. I was picked up at the airport by the recruiter and taken to a motel in Mokdong, as I arrived early I picked up the tab for that. The director paid me a visit that evening, and the recruiter called later in the day as well. Both seem to be looking after me.

I went to COEX mall on Friday, to the Electronics market on Saturday and into central Seoul on Sunday.

Originally I was to move into an apartment of one of the hagwon's financial partners for the first week, starting today, but that seems to have fallen through. So now I am staying in the motel until the teacher I am replacing moves out. The hagwon is now picking up the motel tab.

I am spending half days (low pay) for the first week, just observing. The school is small, with only 3 foreign teachers, and the director, who although Korean, grew up in Australia.

I am looking foward to starting and running the classes. Smile

I think the hard yards I did when looking for a school (I turned down at least 4 offers) has paid off.

I love the food, and when I went to get a pizza for a change, I was dissapointed.

Good coffee is still missing, though I had a decent cup at a Tea Purple store. However it is a little too far to walk to before work, and in the wrong direction.

I have been looking for a decent bird book in English. In fact the Korean language ones are not good either.

Does anybody know where I can get one?

h


I saw one at Kyobo bookstore (get off at Gwanghwamun stn.). It was called "Birds of Korea" or something, but it was wicked expensive (almost 40,000 won, I think...).
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I-am-me



Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Location: Hermit Kingdom

PostPosted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 1:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Please let us know how you are doing after 1 month!!! Laughing
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Ron Stevens



Joined: 10 Feb 2006

PostPosted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

crazylemongirl wrote:
Starbucks is as good it gets coffee wise.



this is patently wrong
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Axl Rose



Joined: 16 Feb 2006

PostPosted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't bother with the coffee joints at all. Get yourself some coffee from emart (I get maxwell house for 6,000 - it lasts me about a week), make coffee at home and stick with that. Buy a coffee maker for work too maybe? I hate coffee shops, as a die-hard coffee addict.
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mnhnhyouh



Joined: 21 Nov 2006
Location: The Middle Kingdom

PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 6:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I found one here

http://www.seoulselection.com/shopping_book_view.html?pid=95

it did cost 30,000 but as it was the first I had seen, and seems a good one, I bought it.

h
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the eye



Joined: 29 Jan 2004

PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 7:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ron Stevens wrote:
crazylemongirl wrote:
Starbucks is as good it gets coffee wise.



this is patently wrong


Yeah, i'm in on that. It's the McDonalds of the coffee industry.
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mnhnhyouh



Joined: 21 Nov 2006
Location: The Middle Kingdom

PostPosted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 4:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I-am-me wrote:
Please let us know how you are doing after 1 month!!! Laughing


Been here a month now. Still loving the place. I love the food, the people are friendly and helpful, especially given my lack of Korean.

I went for a meal today, and my friend ordered for me. The older woman who served us obviously realised i was new, and when she bought the small dish for me to let the mandu cool down, she gestured as to how I should use it.

I find this sort of helpfulness all the time.

I do wish the air was cleaner, and that the coffee shops would open in the morning and that everything was cheaper and people just handed me money for being me, but otherwise its fantastic Smile

h
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4 months left



Joined: 07 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 4:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

crazylemongirl wrote:
Starbucks is as good it gets coffee wise.

McDonalds beats Starbucks in Coffee survey

McDonald's Coffee tastes better than Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts and Burger King Coffees according to Consumer Reports Magazine.

Consumer testers in the US have declared coffee from McDonald's better than the brew at Starbucks.

The burger chain's Premium Roast was chosen as the tastiest by Consumer Reports magazine.

Consumer Reports Magazine compared coffee from various places and found McDonald's Premium Roast Coffee tastes much better than Starbucks Coffee. They also found it better than Burger King and Dunkin' Donuts.

The coffees were tasted by trained sippers found McDonald's coffee "decent and moderately strong" compared to Starbucks coffee "Strong, but burnt and bitter". Also, McDonald's Coffee is cheaper $1.35 compared to $1.55 for Starbucks.

``Although it lacked the subtle top notes needed to make it rise and shine, it had no flaws,'' the magazine said.

Burger King's coffee was considered the worst, they said it looked like coffee but tasted more like hot water. While Dunkin Donuts Coffee was inoffensive, but it had no oomph according to them.


http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/105516/McDonalds_beats_Starbucks_in_Coffee_survey
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