Korean Job Discussion Forums

nautilus · Joined: 26 Nov 2005 Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!

[quote="superacidjax"]

Roch · Joined: 24 Apr 2003 Location: Seoul

Adventurer · Joined: 28 Jan 2006

I don't think the foreigners are extremely different from the ones back home. I mean many people are cliquish back home. That part isn't different. Everyone finds their own crowd. I prefer a mixed one with different interests. However, there may be a larger percentage of drunks and misfits than normal because Koreans seem to tolerate that. That isn't the fault of people who don't drink so much. I mean there are people I would have had deported long ago if I had the power. I knew a guy who was drunk every single day, and he teaches kids. That is really bad news.

Hollywoodaction · Joined: 02 Jul 2004

uberscheisse · Joined: 02 Dec 2003 Location: japan is better than korea.

i've been here a few years and can say that 6 times out of 10 you're meeting someone who is either 1. cool/intelligent/worth kowing 2. entertaining yet drunk as hell all the damn time 3. sociopathic yet still interesting on an intellectual level.

the worst people are the other 40% - the ones who come here and do the following:

1. start treating korea like it's their pet project and condescend to everyone about their own personal experience here, regardless of how many weeks they've put in and how many profound, real situations have happened to them.

2. come here and act all bothered and bent-out-of-shape that the proper incense burners aren't available at the ikea that doesn't exist in yecheon.

3. talk about thailand too much

4. talk about christianity as if it's not obsolete

5. ask for advice but not listen to people as they're answering the question.

edit - and anyone who wears those hybrid hiking/running shoes - go jump into a shark's mouth. you don't belong in any country.

trubadour · Joined: 03 Nov 2006

superacidjax · Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Location: Seoul

superacidjax · Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Location: Seoul

Adventurer · Joined: 28 Jan 2006

I am actually happy about many of the teachers I meet and met in Korea. I mean I can be with people from Eire, England, America, and Canada. I like seeing people from all parts of Canada.

Since they all supposedly have degrees and many of them are in the humanities, there is a good chance that there is a large percentage of intellectual or at least educated types. Also many who are here have been to other countries and are fellow traveler types. You overlooked those. Yes, there are the people who are alcoholics and there might be a larger percentage of the washed up alcoholic types. At least, I think so.

And yes there are those who are not into foreign cultures and just want the cash, but that attitude is ever present back home and very strong, but it is just not voiced because it is not politically correct obviously. How many people say in the U.S. really try to another language and compare that to those who try to learn Korean who are Americans. Probably a higher percentage of the Americans who are here, for example, try to learn Korean than their counterparts back home.

I am not really trying to learn Korean. It is not that I don't want to. I don't plan on staying here forever and my language exchange partner got a job, and I need someone to pronounce things. And after a week at work, I want to hang out with other foreigners. We want a taste of home while in a foreign place. Many people fit what you said, but the majority are pretty good.

Grimalkin · Joined: 22 May 2005

Ditto Adventurer and...

superacidjax

superacidjax · Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Location: Seoul

bixlerscott · Joined: 27 Sep 2006 Location: Near Wonju, South Korea

The teachers I know are all good guys, like em' lots, want to hang out and talk to them more often, but that is not how it works here. I am finding other foreigners live after work doing one of these activities: 1. doing private language consultations 2. going to foreigner bars to be even more lonely in front of people 3. going to computer like we do often. 4. going home to Korean girlfriend or wife like long timers do. 5. dunno what else might be going on.

But to have friendly brothas' and sistas' to hang out with and talk in the evenings is not happening, it's a lonely life over here. (not much different than home in the line of social life unless you into nightclub or college social happenings)

As for dress code, there is no dress code, but it's well appreciated (image is valued) if you do look hansome or pretty in a professional manner. Dress is very very casual with the foreigners I know. I wanted to dress nicer (collared shirt and tie) as that is the right thing to do here and that I am more the professional type, but that alienates your super casual co-teachers so I dress down like I am going for a walk in the mountains on a Saturday knowing that the Koreans (director and teachers) look down on my for lowering my standards of image after seeing me look nice in my first few days (I feel I decieved them a little). No ties, blazers, or pin stripe stuff even though that works so well here in being liked and respected much more by Koreans in and outside of school. Yes, many teachers are hippies who love Thailand and Sri Lanka who take trips once or twice a year to these places to smoke bud and be even more casual. T-shirts, jeans, long hair, earrings, and the usual college boy thing seems to be the norm here, instead of a more professional image. I wear Dockers, button shirts, T-shirts, short hair, and a Columbia Sportwear fleece and I am still the best dressed up out of my bunch.

The teachers I have met all seem to be friendly people, but we are all individuals in it for ourselves so we do not coagulate much other than maybe one beer party a month, albeit we are very supportive and not out to sabotage one another or anything. Your on your own here in the line of an active foreigner social life (go meet professional Koreans who speak fluent English through things like Toastmasters International) as foreigners split and goes their own way. (privates?) You can go to foreigner bars, but the foreign, mostly familiar looking, bar flies do not seem all that friendly or talkative whatsoever (boring, not worth time and money). At first, in the foriegner bars, I thought I could meet highly intellegent friendly people talking about the world in many aspects. LOL. I get a whole bunch more out of my nights alone at a computer with my beer or Soju than I do sitting in the foreigner bars trying to chat with other foriegners who just blow me off or lack. So this might be why many of you also go to computer after work each night.

My 2 cents of observation reporting...