Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sojourner1]

What do you do to get over it? Do you rest and take it easy a few days upon arrival? I know this is very bad for your health to stay up days on end, but I was not accommodated upon arrival until very late in the day after making the journey to the other side. I stayed up for over 2 days straight in making my travel and going to a big office and was not allowed to just rest upon arrival, but was rushed into a very complicated business situation due to my district not being prepared. It sure has been one unnesesarily super long long day. I arrived at 3:30 AM yesterday morning, but went to an office all day and then a hostpital for HIV testing and finally got a room at 9 last night in the town I'm assigned to. I slept 6 hours and woke up too early with a huge head ache and dizzyness and went back to sleep a couple hours more, but feel horribly zombified and half dead today. I'm to go to my new school in an hour for the 1st time. Luckily I negotiated with the school to not require an early 8:30 start as I'm beat and very frustrated about nothing being ready for me to arrive after I've been rushed over here for an EPIK position. I've lots of other problems too numerous to list. I sure hope I can get it all worked out and get back to my normal self. Hopefully it's a good job, but it's the first time my school took on a foreign teacher so they don't know what to do and how to do it. Nothing was ready except my visa while I was rushed and wisked away at break neck speed to the POE and now feel put down and frustrated that nothing is ready and it presents an unnecessarily complicated situation. I know ther're working on it, but my patience is low and anger consuming me. Time will only answer all the thousand questions I have to be answered.

Hopefully the school has good intentions, accepts me, accomodates my needs, and we can make it work out and I can get rested up and get over this severe exhauustion and jetlag. Wow, this is one big loopty-loop tail spin condition.

I'm not going on a long trip like this again if they can't allow rest upon arrival and be ready for my arrival, but that's the part we don't know until arrival. This is insane and very bad for my health to say the least... Perhaps I will change career next year and only fly around the world for exotic vacations where I'll rest the 1st day and not deal with a bunch of confusing foreign business matters. I couldn't help but to get myself into such a strange and screwed up situation as I have this facination of world travel like many of you must. Dont' tell me you only do it for money and I'm an idiot. Don't wanna hear it trolls.

[Lekker]

Take it with a grain of salt, otherwise you're off to a bad start.

[NightSky]

dude, it's not that bad. jet lag happens to everyone and you will be fine in a week. yes it sucks if you can't crash on a bed whenever you want, but, you're an adult, figure out how to deal with it. drink lots of water, take melatonin, it'll be over soon enough. it's not the job's fault you have jet lag.

[bejarano-korea]

Good to see you back mate, I'm back in the country also and with a PS with GEPIK. They are just letting me settle in and I'm not doing much at this moment in time!

[bovinerebel]

I partied the night away before I came here....didn't sleep , arrived at the airport. Took 3 flights to get here over a 24 hours period on which I drink a lot to deal with my fear of flying and had no sleep. Was taken out my first night and fed booze...could not sleep due to hyper exhaustion....and the next morning was taken in for a health exam. Needless to say the result of my health test was that I was technically dead. I went back a week later after some much needed sleep and corrected it all.

[sojourner1]

Yes, jet lag is just a fact of life when traveling around the world and really is not the real problem. It's the problems I'm having here such as my district not being ready or given it a thought on how do the money and such when it comes to having a foreign teacher. I was told I would get my settlement allowance and apartment on the first day and then I would get them today, but today told we have problems to be worked out. I didn't catch everything being said in Korean today, but I did get the gist that it's a money and communication problem and a lack of them knowing what to do and how to do it. Maybe the POE will get it straightened out and my worries and probelms will go away and I will have a good year. I'm sure hoping for the best and maintaining my composure through being respectful and not expressing my angers inside as to give them a chance to set it right.

[Ya-ta Boy]

You got more than 6 hours sleep the first night. Consider yourself lucky and stop worrying about your health. You will be jet lagged for several days--just avoid making any big decisions until you start to feel normal again. Bite your tongue and smile.

It's normal for people to be irritable when tired. Don't shoot yourself in the foot by shooting your mouth off.

You've been in Korea before. You should know what to expect.

[Kiarell]

push the fluids and make sure you start sleeping as consistently as possible. Build routines into your days (like a cup of juice and a jog every morning at the same time. Have dinner well before bedtime)

Like the others said don't worry about your health, I'd be more worried about day to day life.

[tefain]

[sojourner1]

[tefain]

[Spliff's Son]

God, waegook-ins are pu$$ies.

[bluelake]

I've been flying internationally for the past thirty years (and, boy, are my arms tired! --sorry, I couldn't resist). There are many things people do to get over jet lag, but time is the best remedy. Personally, I try to stay up the first few days until about 11 p.m. or midnight. Still, it's a few days before everything evens out.

[suadente]

Apparently, a lot of jet lag is actually dehydration, which would also explain the head ache. That's why on a long flight, you should drink a lot of water or juice. That's also why the airplane coctails or wine are actually not helpful as they add to the dehydration.

I agree with Kiarell and just get on a schedule. The grogginess lasted about a week for me.

Did you fly from the East or the West. For me, flying West (From North America) is usually an easier jet lag then flying to the East. Flying West just means that I'll naturally get up early.

[sojourner1]