Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cruisemonkey]

November 2... they installed my air con... just in time for winter... now the windows and doors to my 'balcony'/outside don't shut. In Korea, be careful what you wish for, you might get it.

I'd be upset if I hadn't expected it - prior experience with satellite TV installation - "Why don't you just run the coax through the door channel?... it'll come within 2.5 millimeters of closing... that's close enough."

The 'workmanship' so pathetic it's actually funny.

[bejarano-korea]

[sojourner1]

Darn, I was looking for a serious and sincere, "I love Korea." I am looking for other foreigners positive perspectives on living in Korea. It's not that bad, albeit an unusual thing to be doing, as long as you are being paid and you are over the newbie hardships of being inexperienced. It was very difficult for me when I started Korea 10 months ago with so many learning curves and fears to overcome; alone.

Very funny post though. LOL

Usually with wires and air conditioning hose, they just run that through a corner of the window instead of boring a hole in the wall which would be more feasible. A little fresh air is good which is why Koreans are not so concerned about making houses airtight by running things through the window. It is hastily and crudely done, but it works for me as I usually have a window cracked all Winter anyhow.

What do I love about living in Korea? The opportunity to do a job that pays and allows me to get to know an Asian culture firsthand and better understand other Asian cultures and become familiar with Asia style natural environments such as Buddhist temples on mountain sides that are very different from North America. While Korea is isolated, it does give you a real taste and experience of Asia. This really is a good opportunity, but the key is joining a fair playing employer as in any other type of career. I determined that I got lucky in finding a good hagwon with a decent director with the only drawback being high teaching hours load.

[mindmetoo]

[LateBloomer]

A tile in my entry-way broke. It took the apartment "handyman" three times to fix it--he didn't have all the right tools and who knows what else. It was painful to watch. I could tell that he wasn't doing a good job ensuring that the foundation was even.

Sure enough, it broke again last week--lasted a whole month. It only took two trips to fix it this time. He got glue everywhere and the caulking is already flaking off. Five attempts to fix one tile and I predict it isn't over yet.

[littlelisa]

[Hyeon Een]

When I moved into my apartment at the end of February last year I noticed that there was plastic-sheeting held up with E-Mart tape covering the outside of my living room window -- I thought I'd moved into an E-Mart brand apartment -- I figured there was an inside window broken and this was a cheap fix; I was wrong.

The main 'problem' was that there was a perfectly rectangular hole through my main window for the air conditioner hose. It's very convenient in the summer. However in the winter it is less than ideal.

The plastic disappeared sometime in the summer. I'm not sure whether it was due to a tropical depression or the landlord trying to give me a real view, but the plastic disappeared.

Now I have a nice, beautiful, square hole in my window. And throught it a round tube for my air conditioning outlet FIRMLY attached to the exterior unit of this piece of apparatus. This is not just a draught, it's a windtunnel; I forsee not just tissues but also leftover stockings and panties filling this gap. It's going to be a draughty winter.

Live hard or live draughty.

[jeffkim1972]

Me thinks the problem in this society is that the people that don't go to college have to find a 'trade', but they're never taught this "trade" formally. Although they carry the title, they're in no ways trained, learned, or self-taught in any of these crafts.

Korea is mostly smoke and mirrors.

[jaderedux2]

[yingwenlaoshi]

[yingwenlaoshi]

I really like how my apartment has screens, but a quarter inch gap between the screens and the opposite sliding window. Yeah, really keeps the bugs out. I have top tape all around one window on either side of my apartment (2 balconies) and keep it open all summer. Or Just lock the inner balcony doors and keep the air con on 24/7 (or while I'm here). Good work, Korea!

And it's a new apartment.

Or...

I really like how you can get scorching hot water out of the tap, but as soon as you use the shower, you only get warm water, so you have to start playing around with it to maybe get hot enough water. Not a pain in the arse at all.

[lucas_p]

While we are on the crappy buildings here, I have a question.

Everywhere I have lived in America, the 모기(Mosquitoes) have always stayed outside, and I never experienced having to kill one indoors unless I just left the door open for an hour or something.

Here, I am having to kill them by the dozens STILL TODAY. I hypothesized to my in-laws that maybe the Korean buildings are not sealed quite so well, so the mogi gets inside easily (there are mogi in even the BEST apartments here). My in-laws said it was because...of the kimchi and other HOT peppers that attract the mogi...

Discuss.

[Roch]

[babtangee]

[jeffkim1972]

Concerning the mosquitos, i also wondered about this problem. You would figure that the population of mosquitos and other insects in Korea are more than average because of all the agriculture being grown. I have a small plot of land right outside of my officetel. So knowing these peculiar characteristics of Korea, you would figure they could make windows to combat the increased bug population. Or put a freakin bug zapper right in the middle of your garden or something. I'm sorry, bug zappers don't exist in Korea yet.

But no, they can't even think of making a better mousetrap.

Mosquitoes i believe like warmness, that's why they come indoors during this time.

Seriously i have my doubts about Korea everyday. Somehow every Korean has got to put Kimchi in all of their theories.