Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Alexander]

Epik orientation is to be held at the Yousung Hotel.

So far, everything we've been told/given evidences this. What it doesn't say, however, is whether or not we will be staying at the hotel. Somehow, I doubt it, as it seems they normally place people in university dorms.

Does anyone have a firm answer on this? Nice hotel digs, or dodgy dorm rooms?

[Rae]

It looks like we're staying at the hotel for orientation. Well, that's the assumption I got anyway. We'll probably have to share a room. A girl posted a some pictures of the EPIK orientation a few years back and the place looked really nice as well. I'm sure they get some government cut-backs ... but it would suck if that place is just where we meet.

I would ask who's gonna throw the room party, but I haven't gotten my contract yet!

[suneater]

Oh..I hope we're staying in the hotel!...an email from my recruiter linked to its site...looks pretty decent...a nice gym, too (but for 7000 won per visit)...hopefully my hopes won't be dashed upon arrival

[agentX]

Ut oh, another EPIK orientation.
*puts on hard hat
*Hides behind boulder

Good luck with that...hope you all survive. The last one was "epic" in and of itself.

[lookingforworkinasia]

Care to clarify your post a little agentx?

[chris_J2]

I attended the EPIK orientation/reunion, in Daejeon, in December, at the Hotel Riviera, & had no complaints. The food & facilities were good.

[agentX]

Use the search feature here on Dave's; look for the posts relating to EPIK Orientation in August or September of 2007. Not the December one.

[lookingforworkinasia]

agentx, I did that and I didn't find anything that sounded particularly bad. It just sounds like people get drunk and listen to lectures about Korea all day. It maybe a waste of time, but not exactly a horrible thing to experience.

Can you maybe elaborate on why it's so terrible, or just post a link to a thread?

[yeremy]

I heard that we are going to stay at the Yousung Hotel, two to a room, for the EPIK orientation. Here is the website address. At the top of the page, maybe slightly left of top-center, there is a link for the English version: www.yousung.com.

And with how Korea's English policies and programs have been highly politicized by the GNP, I would hope that any room parties one may throw were a bit more descrete than the infamous Room 903 party, whose video was posted on Youtube. Korean conservatives are lambasting our qualifications and fitness (see Korea Times for 2/1/08 KST) to be English teachers in Korea these days, so I would hope that you have a good time, learn a lot, but please do not publicly embarass the rest of us unnecessarily.

[passport220]

They say it is mandatory to attend, but I told my recruiter I had a previous commitment. I got permission to show up with only one day left. The people who had been there the whole time told me I did not miss much. They said (and it seemed evident) that they were going stir crazy with boredom.

[mastap]

for these organizations, are u allowed to choose the location u want to work in? what is the likelihood of working at a ps in seoul?

when do u find out where u will be working?

[Rae]

For the record, I meant a room party where we discuss our lectures and exchange our lesson plan ideas! Teacher's don't have real parties ... we play scrabble and monopoly! What's this about 903? I heard they weren't really teachers but a sham made-up to make them look like teachers to feed Korean media!

[yeremy]

I should have known better.

BTW, youtube room 903, or GEPIK orientation, if you want to know what room 903 is all about.

I looked at the room 903 video when I was surfing Youtube once. It didn't look like it was staged but just another video of people partying and having fun in their own way.

It's paranoiac to think that a Korean TV station, or videographers, would actually pay money to make an embarassing piece of video to fan anti-foreignerism feelings in Korea. They don't have to. Plenty of people go out to party and have fun and, if they were followed, or spotted by a video team, would provide more than enough entertaining or embarasing action for such a video to be made.

[Alexander]

[agentX]