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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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jajdude
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
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 Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2003 7:06 am Post subject: Long Time Gone.... (and being in Korea 5+ years) |
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| Who else has been in Asia every day since sometime in 1998 or even before? I'm almost at 5 years and wondering, hmm. .. is Canada still there, or have they forgotten to take it off the map? 5 years, that's a pretty long time gone I would say. I can imagine a day in the future where I will have to convince someone I was not in a prison... |
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The King of Kwangju
Joined: 10 Feb 2003
Location: New York City
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| Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2003 7:36 am Post subject: Re: Long Time Gone.... |
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| jajdude wrote: |
| I can imagine a day in the future where I will have to convince someone I was not in a prison... |
Not so far off, especially if you haven't been using a Canuck credit card. Getting a loan if you ever come back to the Land of Snows will be nearly impossible. Especially if you still have an outstanding student loan. |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2003 10:43 am Post subject: |
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| It's still here and it's still pretty much the same- don't think that you're missing out on something special because you're 'there' and not 'here'- The grass is always greener, yadda yadda yadda. |
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Mr.NiceGuy
Joined: 03 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2003 6:00 pm Post subject: |
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Came in 1998 and wondering myself. . .Will AMERICA still be there?
Well, I'll have to improvise if it isn't, like become Korean or marry one of these beauties. Really, we're at the threshhold. . .why not make the most of it while we're here?
Man, but I can't see myself living here my whole life. |
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weatherman
Joined: 14 Jan 2003
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2003 7:05 pm Post subject: |
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| I haven't been home in a long time, but then again, Korea is my home now, and when I think of where I grew up, it is the old country. I don't know how long I will stay in Korea, but I want to stay many many more years. |
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The Bobster
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2003 8:55 pm Post subject: |
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I've been here almost as long as jajdude, but I usually spend a month or more between contracts, sleeping on the family sofa and surfing the net for my next contract - I tried shopping around while in-country, but I was spending most of my time in pc bangs anyway, and it's a very good to hang with my brother for a while when I can, besides there's only so long a fella can go without putting a really good burrito inside ya, I mean a good one, not the things you sometimes find over here ...
One thing that's happened, though is that I took inventory last week and realized I have far more friends in Asia than I do back home these days, and a lot of those who are not here are former teachers who've scattered back to the four winds. California's a place I miss sometimes, and I carry it inside me, but it doesn't feel like home much anymore ... and the times I've been back there since 9/11, it seems like the whole country has changed in some wierd ways.
I might be one of those people who felt like he didn't fit in to the place where he was born - I don't think that's a bad thing, except that it was always a puzzle at time about why that should be true. Over here, not fitting in to the surroundings is perfectly normal.  But I am among the group of people who might wonder if living abroad too long might make me unfit for life back home ... well, it's big ol' world, no need to be in a hurry to get back there.
The Bobster, International Man of Mystery ... |
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peter07
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Gwangmyeong
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| Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2003 3:56 am Post subject: |
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Hmm, many wonder if they'll fit in back home without asking themselves whether they actually want to go back at all. Some expats are doing well here and not really missing life back in the West. If you can make a good living and don't hate it here, why not? There are just too many expats who go back and forth without putting any roots down and such.
After all, I never imagined that there would be so many Westerners in Korea, let alone Asia.
Food for thought. |
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narsty dog
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2003 4:36 am Post subject: |
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LOL.
why dont you netheads get a life. just cos you can manage to convince a
lot of koreans you are employable doesnt mean you ll have a chance when you go back ....unless you can tolerate being in korea for life , what will you do when you have to leave?????
Most of you Meegook / Ganada lot dont even have RSA CELTAs ..the only place that 'll let you 'teach' is korea.
When you 're tired of it there . what are you going to do ?????????? Many people i met in korea will never leave cos they know THEY ARE TRAPPED .......used to your easy life in the korean asylum, spending all day with neanderthal locals who despise you and your culture but for job reasons spend half their diposable income trying to learn your "language", buying you food and drink , and telling you about their plan to do an MBA and move to your country where they will mix with no-one except other koreans. Functional attempts at the lingo only of course, as they sit trying to block out the nasty western culture built into the language, which has books showing pople of different races , hanging out together and even GETTING MARRIED....uhhhhhh.
When you finally leave korea you ll realise that back in yellowriverknife creek , saskaturd province, they don t care you ve been in Korea (WHERE??) and they wont give you a job over younger people who are around, because they arent any jobs anyway ...so you ll consider moving to the big city , Tonto or Van Cover , and maybe 2 % of you ll make it there. Unless you save your money, or get qualifications, Korea is one long extended 'stag do'( that s a bachelor party ) with a bad hangover
It s not a question of wanting to go back , it s a question of what will you do to support yourself when you do go back. |
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jajdude
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2003 6:59 am Post subject: |
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| I don't know about anyone else but that sure cheered me up! |
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mysteriousdeltarays
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Location: Food Pyramid Bldg. 5F, 77 Sunset Strip, Alphaville
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| Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2003 10:58 am Post subject: |
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"Narsty DoG" it is amazing how these quouets defeat "higher powers." But you may be right!
I for one don't even pretend to be normal. I like the little kids which is rare. I'm actually OK with them. You try it some day.
I know that Xylos was demolished along with planet Zeron. Are you perhaps from Zeron? We of Xylos seek Cyrotron. Are you familliar with it? We have heard of it, but never have seen it. |
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jajdude
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2003 6:36 am Post subject: |
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Hey Mysterious,
When was the last time you were not in Asia? Nice "avatar" by the way...... |
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mysteriousdeltarays
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Location: Food Pyramid Bldg. 5F, 77 Sunset Strip, Alphaville
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| Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2003 7:04 am Post subject: |
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Good point I'm obviously such a loser I can't possibly make it elsewhere. You know that as well as I do! And you know I mean that.
But yes. What would I know? Maybe it is paradise back there. I wouldn't know. I'll bet that the supermarkets are better!
I want to go back and deal with the Bush types? Even better, and you remember this anacdote: the guy I laughingly called Dickey Boy, at the embassy reception, is now vice president. Never did get another invitation.
Yeah I have a great future back there. |
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denz
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: soapland. alternatively - the school of rock!
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| Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2003 7:55 am Post subject: yesh well |
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cool, we're trapped.
denz |
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jajdude
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2003 11:48 am Post subject: |
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Hey mysterious,
Now I remeber and laughing,, "Dic. boy Cheney ... was it .. really? You know you have too many good stories for such a youngster. You are aliar a pathologigical one... BY THE WAY.. when you gonna send me a few bucks? I can give you the bank info.. Soon I gotta skip town. may need fund,,, |
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gang ah jee
Joined: 14 Jan 2003
Location: city of paper
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| Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2003 1:38 pm Post subject: |
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| narsty dog wrote: |
LOL.
why dont you netheads get a life. just cos you can manage to convince a
lot of koreans you are employable doesnt mean you ll have a chance when you go back ....unless you can tolerate being in korea for life , what will you do when you have to leave?????
Most of you Meegook / Ganada lot dont even have RSA CELTAs ..the only place that 'll let you 'teach' is korea.
When you 're tired of it there . what are you going to do ?????????? Many people i met in korea will never leave cos they know THEY ARE TRAPPED .......used to your easy life in the korean asylum, spending all day with neanderthal locals who despise you and your culture but for job reasons spend half their diposable income trying to learn your "language", buying you food and drink , and telling you about their plan to do an MBA and move to your country where they will mix with no-one except other koreans. Functional attempts at the lingo only of course, as they sit trying to block out the nasty western culture built into the language, which has books showing pople of different races , hanging out together and even GETTING MARRIED....uhhhhhh.
When you finally leave korea you ll realise that back in yellowriverknife creek , saskaturd province, they don t care you ve been in Korea (WHERE??) and they wont give you a job over younger people who are around, because they arent any jobs anyway ...so you ll consider moving to the big city , Tonto or Van Cover , and maybe 2 % of you ll make it there. Unless you save your money, or get qualifications, Korea is one long extended 'stag do'( that s a bachelor party ) with a bad hangover
It s not a question of wanting to go back , it s a question of what will you do to support yourself when you do go back. |
back on form! I'd been thinking you'd been a bit too nice recently.. I see you've not forgotten your nasty roots.
One of the things I dislike most about the new forum is the lack of all the variations on your name. Like when you spelled it in french and stuff.
Anyway, I'm pretty young and not knowing better, I kind of think that you're projecting (ugh I feel like oprah or doctor phil) a whole lot of stuff into the whole mix.
You talk about the worst of korea like it's everyday. You have a lot of anger about the entire english teaching thing. I've always had the feeling that you resent ESL and especially Korea for where you are now, a professional Engliah teacher with a Korean wife.
I'm pretty sure not many people think it's going to make them rich, but at least it gets the bills paid. I don't know a single person who believes that working here will sort them out for good, but compared to what's back home, well that won't work either. We know we're not all that, despite the millions we get paid in.
We know we're losers who, for whatever reason, when we were 17 or 18, decided to study history or English or (in my case) philosophy and religious studies. That happens. My professors always said more people should be studying useless things. It was supposed to be important for society or something. probably just because enrollements and funding are dropping for liberal arts right now.
anyway... the life you describe here, well, it seems empty and pointless, but I know a lot of people who have empty and pointless live back home, with real jobs and real houses. My smart (ie not doing BAs) friends from NZ are bored as hell and are looking to get married to break the monotony. I have a few friends here who have had the real jobs you're talking about, hated them, or got laid off, and had to leave. And ended up here.
I'm sure you're amazingly talented and able, and that if you had not fallen in love with a korean woman, or, god forbid, not come to korea in the first place, your life would be perfect. Or maybe not. IMO if you were doing anything else you'd still be posting on the insuarance sales personnel board (or whatever), warning them not to get into it because that's what wrecked YOUR life. It seems like you're the one who's trapped.
Whhoooa. That's the most i've typed since that essay about time travel that won me my degree. Most of the time I really listen to what you have to say here, you're a board champion, but sometimes you just seem so bitter. It just seems so obvious why. But what would've you been happy doing? I'm seriously interested... I have to make this decision in the next year or two.
My stepfather always said, god knows why, "don't give me problems, give me solutions." if we are from yellowknifecreek in saskaturd, what should we do? I don't think a month of celta or an MA tesoll will solve anything. It'll still be ESL
does any of this make sense? it's the free guinness and mashed potatoes talking right now, I'm possessed where is my tinfoil helmet blah.....
oh in three years here i've met lots of people who missed out on the stag do hangover
edit: I'm going for the 'most edits in one post' award |
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