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Johnwayne
Joined: 28 Jun 2007
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 Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:50 pm Post subject: Help me solve my living stiutation dilemma! |
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So basically here is the deal:
I can a) live with a Korean family (who consists of a mother in her 70's and her 2 children in their 40's/50's) in an apartment in Suwon and commute to work in Seoul, which is a 30 min subway ride away according to them (at least to where I work). It would be free by and large (costs would be food and maybe a small sum for other living stuff just to be nice, commuting to work everyday) and much cheaper than living in my own place in Seoul.
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I can b) take the 10 million key money from my school and just get my own place, perhaps closer to where I work. Obviously, then I would have the typical expenses of having your own place.
Why am I facing a dilemma you ask? I should just go with the free place, right?!
Well, first I have a crappy split shift schedule, so... if I were to go back and forth after each shift that is 2 hours lost each day. Either that or I just camp out in Seoul till I am done for the day, which interferes with my ability to take naps in between shifts, among other things. Secondly, I lived by myself for the last few years and I have grown rather accustomed to it (not to say I dislike people, but... if you have lived by yourself, you know what I am talking about).
I should note that I know the mother of the family rather well (family friend you could say), so I wouldn't have to worry about typically homestay awkwardness/problems. However, their English isn't too good to my knowledge and my Korean is probably even worse, so communicating would be challenging for a little while.
If it wasn't painfully obvious already, this will be my first year in Korea. |
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the_beaver
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:55 pm Post subject: Re: Help me solve my living stiutation dilemma! |
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| Johnwayne wrote: |
| Why am I facing a dilemma you ask? I should just go with the free place, right?! |
Dilemma?
Who in their right mind would live with other people? *beep* free. |
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billybrobby
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:59 pm Post subject: |
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They got you on split shifts and they're not paying for housing? Maybe you should renegotiate.
Personally, I'd avoid the homestay like the sweet plague. Two 40 year olds living together with their mom? Sounds frightening. |
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Katchafire
Joined: 31 Mar 2006
Location: Non curo. Si metrum non habet, non est poema
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Here, take my hand and I'll escort you to option A ... once you're there and settled into your new job, you have the option of finding your own apartment closer to work if you want to. |
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spliff
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:08 pm Post subject: |
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| That 2 hour subway ride (probably more) will get old real quick. |
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Johnwayne
Joined: 28 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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| billybrobby wrote: |
They got you on split shifts and they're not paying for housing? Maybe you should renegotiate.
Personally, I'd avoid the homestay like the sweet plague. Two 40 year olds living together with their mom? Sounds frightening. |
I don't have much room to negotiate when I have no formal teaching experience and I already got them to bump up my pay a modest amount.
The children are normal ppl for the most, they still live either their mom because a) they were never married (yeah that is kind of odd I suppose) and b) their father died early on and they stayed home to help take care of mom since she doesn't work. Remember, she is in her 70's, Korea was a different place back when her husband died. Seoul was probably still mostly farmland south of the Han.
Edit: I was leaning towards option A since I don't know how the job will work out with the splits. But, I think I will really grow to hate the commute as Spliff pointed out and I hate moving, doubly so in a foreign country.
Last edited by Johnwayne on Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:16 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Kimchieluver
Joined: 02 Mar 2005
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:14 pm Post subject: |
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| I can't believe you would even consider a home stay 2 hours away. Maybe for a week or so till you find your own place, but after that you should have a pretty good place with 10 million key money. |
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Johnwayne
Joined: 28 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:18 pm Post subject: |
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| Kimchieluver wrote: |
| I can't believe you would even consider a home stay 2 hours away. Maybe for a week or so till you find your own place, but after that you should have a pretty good place with 10 million key money. |
It is 30 mins away each way. If I go home after each shift that is (30 mins there + 30 mins back) x 2 = 2 hours. |
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maeil
Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Location: Haebangchon
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Get your own place. |
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MissSeoul
Joined: 25 Oct 2006
Location: Somewhere in America
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Remember, living with someone another than your own family can be huge stress. |
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nomad-ish
Joined: 08 Oct 2007
Location: On the bottom of the food chain
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:24 pm Post subject: Re: Help me solve my living stiutation dilemma! |
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| Johnwayne wrote: |
So basically here is the deal:
I can a) live with a Korean family (who consists of a mother in her 70's and her 2 children in their 40's/50's) in an apartment |
i shudder at the thought. living with an ajumma. 
get your own place. |
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Johnwayne
Joined: 28 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:32 pm Post subject: |
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| MissSeoul wrote: |
| Remember, living with someone another than your own family can be huge stress. |
To be honest, considering my work schedule, I would only be home to sleep really. Maybe during the day every now and then, but they do their own things during the day (e.g. jobs). |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Why don't you get a different employer? |
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the_beaver
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:59 pm Post subject: |
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| MissSeoul wrote: |
| Remember, living with someone another than your own family can be huge stress. |
Actually, living with your own family can be equally stressful. |
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Johnwayne
Joined: 28 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 10:17 pm Post subject: |
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| CentralCali wrote: |
| Why don't you get a different employer? |
Because I would rather work with adults than children for various reasons and all adult jobs seem to suck equally bad and in the same ways when you have no teaching experience. So, this is just to kick things off, see how it goes and if it doesn't work out, I'll find something better once I am actually in Korea. |
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