Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jlb]

So I'm in Taiwan right now on vacation. And the question I have is why am I not teaching here? It's cool for the following reasons (although I in the honeymoon state so who knows how accurate this really is):

1. Everyone rides scooters. So traffic isn't that bad and buses/subways are not packed even at rush-hour.

2. They have real breakfast. Bacon/eggs/waffles at every coffee shop on the corner.

3. All the tourist attractions are free.

4. The beach is closer to everywhere. Plus there's surfable waves here.

5. The mountains are bigger.

6. The PEOPLE! Relaxed, not zombies. No confucian stress ruling their lives. Plus, a lot of people actually speak English. Like way more than Korea.

Anyway...just some thoughts.

[Tiger Beer]

Yes, very laid-back feel. I'd agree from a short visit.

[stumptown]

Cool. Maybe I'll check it out during Chuseok. Doesn't seem like a place many Koreans would travel to.

[Doogie]

Real breakast.........God, how I've missed real breakfast. Actually, considering I can find a good deal, my next gig is going to be in Taiwan. The friends I know who taught there all had good experiences. I haven't heard many complaints.

[Yaya]

Going to Taiwan from Korea seems really easy, because of Eva and China Airlines. From what I've heard, it's worth ONE visit but no more, but since I've never been there, perhaps I need to make that one visit.

[The Great Toad]

Wow you are way off topic here I object... However since we are off topic let us talk about something important to everyone here excluding Korea- ME.


Also before any of you non-teaching license holders jump ship remember only Elementary school teachers don't pay taxes the rest of you all will get taxed your first year like a stuck English Piglet...

As u can see I R00lz Formosa by mine Power and Might- until of course I got hit by a Lexus Sedan. (Don't worry I'm just abit scrapped)You know one could argue I should tarry in Formosa seeing as how much I have to hold on to even at a wayward gas station...




And it was a nice 3000 + ascent up the center in my Island ride...







( http://formosaprince.blogspot.com/ )

However the thing is I got stuck at some elementary schools which really were not quite ready for a Western teacher and did not know what to do with me... mmm full time pay teaching 15 hours a week ... can you say inane?

So it is that in August, I will land like a shock trooper viking again and bring death err I mean English (DEUS VOLT) once again to my most beloved Asian Country: COREA. FEAR ME AND GIVE ME SAL GOP SUM AND BIMI BOP AT ONCE. YOU MUST BOW DOWN TO MY ALMIGHTY ENGLISH COMMANDS!

[ajgeddes]

I am just happy to see you have more than one shirt.

[bonaducci]

[The_Conservative]

[The Great Toad]

It rains a lot - they grow pineapples, coconuts and all those lush needing tropic fruit, and it is humid so you sweat like a pig- but winter is cooler and if you want/can find a job in the mountains it snows in the winter. I may go again to Kenting and would seriously consider staying on if I could get a High school English position in a public school there- it is like San Diego albeit it is a tourist town and not a city but they have some relatively good snorkeling with warm water- way warmer than Cali or Florida, so it is sweet to snorkel... and they do surf too, but I think the big cities like Taipei and Kosung (Khoshung?) are too polluted to live in thus I choose the country area and turned down a Girls' High School JOb in Taipei (who says I do not have my ego under control?) But, it is sweet cause you can ride year round- and if you pulled a Kenting Job - good luck on that - probably non-existent- you could surf/snorkel year round. Also, to keep this on topic- you can get bags of Kim Chee from Korea but it costs 120 NT or around 4 bucks for a pound or two... But soon all rotten cabbage will be at risk of disposal when the walking food compactor reenters the Han Nation.

[VirginIslander]

[pest2]

I've never been there, so I dont know what its like, but I will say that not all jobs there are teaching kindy kids and without textbooks. I had a job offer to teach adults and another to work at a place that teaches exclusively TOEFL to high school kids. I do have a TESL degree and experience. I didnt take the offer because, as much as I dont like Korea, I do like the severance pay and other monetary benefits Korea staying with my job here bring... plus its not cool to up and quit on only 3 weeks notice. However, ... next time...

I know from investigating the owork situation that your visa doesnt limit you to one employer. You can have 2 or 3 jobs that pay hourly... alot more freedom.

On the other hand, I've heard that there's alot more corruption and whatnot in the ESL market unless you work for public school (and as Toad said, you need a teaching cert for that).

[ajgeddes]

I have a good friend here, from the same hometown, that started off in Taiwan. He likes Taiwan more and wants to go back. He doesn't go back because his job here is cash, and he really enjoys it. The only thing he says is better about Korea is nightlife and social life. He goes to visit his Taiwanese friends and they come here to visit him. He has no Korean friends aside from his GF. All of that and right now there is the darkest, meanest looking black cloud coming towards my apartment right now.

[Zark]

[pest2]