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| If you have lived/worked in Korea for more than 5 years, please indicate your gender & length of time here. |
| Male: 5-8 years in Korea |
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46% |
[ 47 ] |
| Male: Over 8 years in Korea |
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29% |
[ 30 ] |
| Female: 5-8 years in Korea |
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11% |
[ 12 ] |
| Female: Over 8 years in Korea |
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11% |
[ 12 ] |
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| Total Votes : 101 |
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PRagic

Joined: 24 Feb 2006
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Just for the record, you can't be 'scientific' by drawing conclusions from generalizations. You are giving an opinion, and backing up your opinion with examples. Cheers. |
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gdnchg
Joined: 20 Mar 2007
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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| It's scientific to draw general conclusions from observing common occurrences. It's scientific to ascertain that there is a reason for common occurrences on the basis that when certain events occur at higher than rate than normal, there is a reason for it. |
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venus
Joined: 25 Oct 2006 Location: Near Seoul
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 8:20 pm Post subject: |
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| gdnchg wrote: |
Dude, I'm generalizing and not all my generalizations apply to everyone. But I think that there is truth in my generalizations. I'm not saying it's wrong, or bad..I'm just being scientific about things and trying to draw conclusions based what people tell me and through my own personal opinions and thought processes.
Although I'll take it with a grain of salt, maybe automatice unemployment don't apply in the UK, but it sure applies in Canada and the US.
Dude, I'm not defending koreans at all, Koreans are far from perfect. I can cite may reasons why other Koreans piss me off, especially the young girls these days....I think alot of them deserve a good slap. But the comparison here is not about Koreans being a certain way to why foreign esl teachers go to korea, you're comparing two different things. |
Why you don't want to accept it I don't know. I hope it's not the chip on the shoulder of wanting secretly for things to be harder for UK citizen and see other countries problems worse than they are because Koreans have it tough. Hey, I'm not saying that's the case, but I've come accross it so often...
Anyway, trust me. There is no grain of salt needed. I've even been told this by employers myself. They see us esl returnees as brave, able to to take intiative and independant and adaptable amongst other things. I did find it hard to obtain permanent employment in my first six moinths back though (well I had offers and accepted one offer for high paying graduate sales jobs - tons of these in London - but got fired as I really wasn't suited to the cutthroat atmosphere and hated the job.) My agent told me this was because some employers would be wary that I was the backpacking type and would ge tbored and want to go travelling again. But once I'd been back six months doing temp work (not too badly paid and at Westminster City Hall actually) the permanent offers started rolling in. They just wanted to see that I hadn't flitted off on some adventure again.
I think attitudes in the UK are less conservative than in the US regarding business these days.... people don't look for people with specific expertise so much as they look for well rounded, articulate individuals with adaptable skills. |
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PRagic

Joined: 24 Feb 2006
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 9:01 pm Post subject: |
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gdnchg,
You are correct if you are discussing the benefits of deductive -vs- inductive research and the 'scientific process'. For communicative purposes, however, your efforts are still 'opinions' defended by observations, albeit limited. Drive on. |
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xingyiman
Joined: 12 Jan 2006
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 9:25 pm Post subject: |
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I will have to admit that relationship opportunities(or lack thereof) was a big reason why I chose to relocate here. But trust me there are many Asian nations where it is far easier for westerners to score in that category than in Korea (ie. Thailand, Philippines). I have dated lots of Korean women but nothing has ever went anywhere serious. I am now engaged to a Filipina (that I metin Korea). I have to agree that the main reaon for people staying here is the money but that coupled with the other "benefits" makes it a far more attractive package for most. I think anyone who heads back home will eventually find work and begin climbing the coprporate ladder. But at what cost? Am I going to live in view, or at least driving distance(under a day) from the ocean or the mountains? How long will it take to re-establish myself 2 years...4 years....6 years? What kinds of relationship opportunities will be available to me in my socioeconoic and age situation...middle aged women who've feasted on Big Mac's and fries for the past 35 years or a nicely shapedwoman who's had healthier lifestyle habits? How many times a year can I take a vacation....and to where?
For me living in Asia is a much better choice than living back in America. |
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kalbi
Joined: 27 May 2003
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:59 pm Post subject: Push or Pull factors??? |
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Ok.... so we can all agree that Korea offers tons of opportunities as far as money, standard of living, culture and more. Why then are twice as many males than female (refering to the current poll results) are availing themselves of those options????
Are women less interested in money and the ability to travel or are the trade-offs/opportunity costs just too great?
Isn't it just as hard for females to start over again once they return home?
Isn't their ESL work experience counted against or to them in the same way?
Or are women on the other hand more willing to bite the bullet and start again in their home countries?
Why do fewer women stay?
Are there factors pushing women away from Korea, or are there factors pulling them 'home', factors which do not have as strong an influence on the male long-termers?
Last edited by kalbi on Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:23 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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JZer
Joined: 13 Jan 2005 Location: South Korea
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:19 pm Post subject: |
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| I highly doubt that anyone comes to Korea for the express purpose of landing dates with Korean girls. It happens, yes, but that's a byproduct of a move motivated by other things. |
Also one might add that while it is easy to meet Korean girls for a few dates, actually dating them long term may be more difficult than dating girls back home. There are things that get in the way that would not be a problem back home. |
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xingyiman
Joined: 12 Jan 2006
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 12:37 am Post subject: Re: Push or Pull factors??? |
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| kalbi wrote: |
Ok.... so we can all agree that Korea offers tons of opportunities as far as money, standard of living, culture and more. Why then are twice as many males than female (refering to the current poll results) are availing themselves of those options????
Are women less interested in money and the ability to travel or are the trade-offs/opportunity costs just too great?
Isn't it just as hard for females to start over again once they return home?
Isn't their ESL work experience counted against or to them in the same way?
Or are women on the other hand more willing to bite the bullet and start again in their home countries?
Why do fewer women stay?
Are there factors pushing women away from Korea, or are there factors pulling them 'home', factors which do not have as strong an influence on the male long-termers? |
Basically it boils down to this. Women have a tremendous amount of control over their lives back home. In this patriarchal society they do not. They are not "appreciated" as they are back home and when they hit the social scene guys they would normally not touch with a ten foot pole back home are ignoring them in leiu of all the thinner and prettier local gals. |
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kalbi
Joined: 27 May 2003
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 1:00 am Post subject: hmmm |
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Xingyiman... do you really think that the intelligent, adventurous women who end up here in the first case would sarifice opportunities because "guys they would normally not touch with a ten foot pole back home are ignoring them in leiu of all the thinner and prettier local gals".
I personally find that kinda hard to believe????? Maybe just maybe your theory gives too much credit to those 'guys'. |
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nautilus

Joined: 26 Nov 2005 Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 1:08 am Post subject: |
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| males are genetically predispositioned to wander and find new territory. Females are programmed to stay at home where its all secure. |
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tareze

Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Location: north or south of a river
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 1:18 am Post subject: |
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how do you delete posts?[/list]
Last edited by tareze on Tue Apr 03, 2007 1:26 am; edited 1 time in total |
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tareze

Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Location: north or south of a river
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 1:20 am Post subject: |
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i dunno.
the going out scene is very college.
the apartments can kinda blow even when they're nice, there's no, um, feng shui...? no, ah, architecture... things a girl values in her home.
it's creepy watching your female vice principal serve the male principal like he's a, uh, prince. heh. (what? are his arms broken?)
getting tired of throwing down just to walk a gangnam sidewalk.
it's pretty rare you meet an attractive western male who's not 22 or irrelevant. unless ya just wanna hook up, but then you wonder why if he wants you to enjoy sex (like want to have more of it) he uses it to denigrate you, or maybe all women, with his friends.
you travel a little and then start thinking about all the gorgeous sunny places with a sense of style.
then you probably end up going to one of them. even if it's California. |
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gdnchg
Joined: 20 Mar 2007
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 9:38 am Post subject: |
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I have nothing against the UK...and maybe I'm wrong in that the prevailing attitudes towards accepting esl teachers back into the corporate scene is more flexible than North America...so I apologize if I offended.
I would actually would like to go visit Europe one day....
My observations about western males esl teachers coming to korea because of relationship issues and not going back home due to career issues are based on broad based observations that seem to apply to many....not all. But you seem to argue that just because these scenarios may not apply to single individuals that it doesn't apply at all, and I beg to differ. Subsequent responses seem to indicate that my hypothesis is correct.
i think my scientific analysis is now complete. |
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Travelous Maximus

Joined: 15 Jan 2007 Location: Nueva Anglia
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 11:33 am Post subject: |
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| gdnchg wrote: |
My point exactly.....7 bucks an hour is a drop in bucket when compared against the millions of Won that an ESL teacher can potentially rake in. Sheesh, 7 bucks an hour woundn't even cover my monthly gas bills for my car. I think I'm fortunate that I live in a city that's considered the economic engine of the country I live in......jobs are plentiful.
But many are not as fortunate as I, and must face with the realities of living in Small town USA or barren rocks such as PEI, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan......where good paying jobs are hard to come by.
It comes down to money, and that is why all of you are in Korea....cuz money talks. And I think that given a choice, most of you would rather not be in Korea and be back home if you had the same earning power...and were able to get girlfriends from your home countries. |
lol |
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xingyiman
Joined: 12 Jan 2006
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 9:21 pm Post subject: Re: hmmm |
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| kalbi wrote: |
Xingyiman... do you really think that the intelligent, adventurous women who end up here in the first case would sarifice opportunities because "guys they would normally not touch with a ten foot pole back home are ignoring them in leiu of all the thinner and prettier local gals".
I personally find that kinda hard to believe????? Maybe just maybe your theory gives too much credit to those 'guys'. |
Basically what I am saying is what many have said previously. All else combined the fact that they can't "throw their weight around" like they did back home factors into it. And they find out that it's tough for them in the relationship category because they simply don't hold the cards like they used to. Trust me when you are surrounded by a bunch of men who you wouldn't give them time of day to back in the West, men who normally fawn all over you if you are even half average, are totally snubbing you don't think that doesn't do a numjber on your self esteem. Also all Western women are preocupied with weight and attractiveness and the comtetition with the thinner Koreans is not even competition at all from the Western perspective looking from the Korean frame of reference. |
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