Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Howard Roark]

Forget it. I give up.

I wasn't trying to offend anyone. But people are offended.

I wasn't trying to make any life-altering, eye-opening, points worthy of Solomon. But everyone can't wait to tell me I'm wrong and everything I said is not valid for this reason and that reason.

This forum is very frustrating. As soon you post anything, you get mobs of people lining up to tell you why your post is rubbish.

SOME people SOMETIMES complain about Korea. In fact, many posts on this forum are about things people dislike or find frustrating about Korea. All, I was trying to do was say 'hey, I used to complain a lot about Korea and I thought when I moved to a country like England things would be easier but it hasn't been so don't think that it's just Korea that will kick you in the teeth, it's the western world too, so give old Korea a break'.

I thought that was a positive thing.

But all I've managed to do is make people think I hate England. The anecdotes I provided were examples of how life CAN be rough here ALSO, not reasons I hate England.

I wasn't suggesting it was normal practice for bus drivers in England to drive away from people. I was trying to say stuff like that happens! Everywhere! That's all.

Anyways, I've deleted my original post because nobody understood anything I was trying to discuss and I feel like I've spent the whole afternoon defending myself for trying to share my experience.

People post so much rubbish on this website about Itaewon and Korean girls and such. I thought I'd jump in and post something I thought was both interesting and VALID. But nevermind. I'm just going to go back to being a reader, not a poster.

[Alyallen]

Um....not to be a jackass but England isn't your home either....so you are whining about a country that isn't your own. The very thing that you seem to not want us to do.

I feel sorry that things aren't peachy keen in England but if this had happened in Canada maybe just MAYBE you would have a valid point in my estimation....

Best of Luck,
Alyallen

[Scouse Mouse]

Here are a few helpful hints for the things I can offer good advice on...

SOCIAL PROBLEMS

1. Keep away from Manchester. Far away. It's a shithole!


DOCTOR

1. To see a doctor in an emergency, simply register with one and then walk in the next morning and wait in line. If you are not registered with one, you still walk in and do the same thing, but it will take a little longer and be a little more complicated. If it was not an emergency, simply sit back and wait.

2. In a real medical emergency, where you know what meds you need, simply go to a phamracist and explain your predicament. Most will be happy to provide you with a limited number of meds without prescription as long as there is a real need.

3. Never pay to see a doctor. EVER!



TAX

1. Ask your employer for a P60 form.

2. Fill in the form and hand it back to your employer. You will now be taxed at a much lesser rate. You are currently paying a basic tax rate (the highest tax band) as the employer has no confirmation that you only have 1 job. If you fill out a P60, you declare that this is your only job, and are taxed at the lower rate. You will recieve a rebate for all taxes overpaid.

3. Check if you are entitled to working tax credits. You probably are as you are on a low income. You will recieve most of your tax back as a seperate payment each month. Unfortunately this is not retro-active.

4. You are paying your taxes for free medical care and use of the roads, police, fire and ambulance services, just as you were in your homeland. You are also financing a war. America thank you!


BANKING

1. Walk into any high street bank with 1 form of ID and 1 proof of address.

2. Ask for a BASIC account with an ATM machine and nothing more. The Basic accounts are for people who have difficulty getting a bank account (bad credit history, or as in your case, no credit history), and all banks are required to provide you with one should you request it. The reason they do not offer it is because they don't want customers who they can not sell loans, insurance, and all the other profit making goodies to. They are not allowed to credit check you for the account and so can not sell you anything. They need more ID to sell you the complete account package, and that is what the sales hungry bastards are trying to do.

3. If the slippery bastards try and claim you need 2 proofs of ID, tell them to send the paperwork to your address by mail. That counts as 1 proof (though again they would never offer to do it)



DENTIST

1. Good luck. It's tough getting onto a waiting list, but again, any emergency treatment is free.


BOYFRIEND

1. Ditch him and get one who has a clue. Taxes, bank accounts and medical care are all things that any working Brit should know about (unless of course he isn't British in which case he is forgiven)


But yeah I agree. Moving to any new place is bound to be a nuisance. Complaints can be made about any country.

[Howard Roark]

Well, while England is not my home, I don't think it was unreasonable to assume that as an English-speaking, developed, western country, it might be similar in many basic respects.

And that, since it is an English speaking country, I assumed I would be able to communicate and get things done more easily.

My point was that even in the English-speaking, western-thinking, highly-developed world, lots of things still suck, it just so happens my example today is England because I am here.

Most of us teachers are from America, Canada, the Uk, bla bla you know where we're from. As a whole, as a group from these various countries, many people complain about Korea. My point is I am now living in one of those countries from which some complainers come and it has it's share of short-comings.

I am sorry, if you think it makes my point less valid. When I go to Canada I'll be sure and post my experience.

I think it was unkind and condescending of you to use the word "whining". I was trying to share something insightful that I learned from living abroad for almost 6 years now. I kind of appreciate your point in your post but I think you missed mine.

[Howard Roark]

[IncognitoHFX]

I agree with you poster. You're my friend now.

I'm relatively new to Korea but my last memory of Canada is this: my hagwon booked me at the wrong hotel in Montreal to pick up my Visa en route to Korea. They actually booked me in Quebec City. I called them, they were apologetic and there were no hard feelings because hey--they're Korean, they've never been to Canada and they made an honest mistake (they did foot the bill later on, as well as the cab fare...)

So anyway, after driving around in a cab looking for "Hotel Miami" which actually didn't exist in Montreal, I asked my cab driver if he could take me to a cheap hotel. "Sure" he said, and said I should stay at the "Holiday Inn" because their one-room hotels were good and were cheap for the price. It was also the closest hotel (no, Holiday Inn wasn't all that cheap--but very nice).

While driving, I saw a Holiday Inn on the left and he drove by it. Okay then, must be another one. We loop around the street, and then we loop around again... my fare is over $30 by now. I'm getting a little impatient. Cab driver pulls up to another parked cab driver and starts speaking in an French, yelling loudly and pointed at me, and saying "tourist" a lot and making little twirly gestures with his finger as if to say "I'm driving him in circles trying to empty is wallet". My cab fare went up $4 during this conversation, then he drove me in circles a bit more and dropped me off at the hotel, angry look on my face.

My cab bill was $46. The only reason I didn't call him up on it was because A) He was big and angry looking and I was a tourist in a city that didn't speak my language, B) My hagwon was going to pay for it later (I did feel a little guilty) and C) I was exhausted and stopped caring.

This is my last experience in Canada before I headed to Japan the next morning, then Korea. That wasn't the only thing that happened in Montreal but it was the salient occurence (it is a nice city, don't get the wrong idea). Another funny thing is how the person at the Information Desk in the Montreal airport didn't speak a word of English and brushed me off.

If I were to accumulate all the times I've been gyped in Korea (hardly any to my knowledge), it would total less than that. Actually, a day in Korea involves a lot fewer small annoyances than a day back in Halifax. No thugs at the bus terminal, no aggressive bums, taxes that are way lower, cheap food, good food, clean(er) cities, buses that show up on time and actually stop for you, cheap taxis (no bullshit either), a better job and overall kindness to the novelty foreigner.

I agree with the OP.

[Mix1]

everywhere does not suck. it depends how you look at it.

[Alyallen]

[Nemesis]

[Nemesis]

[Marlboro]

Im from England, it is my home.I disagree on so many 'points' you make,especially how 'english is spoken more in korea...?are you taking the piss? you have lived in one city,and your making huge generalisations!

all that crap about buses driving off blah blah,the fact that you wrote a post complaining about england, and telling other forum members to not do the same in regards to korea is laughable!
All this 'we' business..man be quiet? get on with life,and boohoo about the bus not waiting for you,il have a word shall i and quit whinging,such a woman (coming from a woman haha)

[Howard Roark]

[Marlboro]

All I said was westerners in Korea should stop thinking that their country is so much better than Korea. That's all.

Im a westerner, i have never thought england was better than korea, stop referring to all westerners,as though we think the same.

[Howard Roark]

[Howard Roark]