Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mssinmymind]

Do any of you work in the same school ?

Have you made very many friends outside of work (from your work, Korean or foreign) ?

Have you made friends with other "foreign teachers" that don't teach at the same school ?

I hope I'm not asking too many questions. I am trying to gather as much info about "teaching abroad" which I feel should include a social life.

[Kimbop]

It's very difficult to make friends in Korea. The scarcity of alcohol coupled with Koreans' uninviting attitudes make for some very lonely nights. There are also very few places to party and meet people, and since most English teachers in Korea are 40+ years old with children, it's difficult to meet adventurous, youthful, spontaneous people. Korea is also a very 'indoors' culture, hence Koreans spend little time outdoors socializing.

[mssinmymind]

Kimbop "Koreans' uninviting attitudes"

So are you saying that it's possible the majority of Koreans don't like having the 'westerners' there teaching ? Or do you mean more like, they're more stand off-ish about getting to know westerners ?

[umpittse]

Kimbop is being sarcastic. There is plenty of booze and Koreans are very friendly. Bars are every where in Korea, or at least in cities of a decent size. So, it is easy to meet people. Most ESL teachers are young and adventurous and Korea is very much an 'outdoors' environment.

[mssinmymind]

Thanx umpittse, I couldn' tell by the look on his FACE haha

I should've paid more attention considering that many posts are about soju or hiking.

[Draz]

[You_are_a_seed_foot_nom]

[ciccone_youth]

I met the best people through Dave's ESL. Weird but true.

And I met three amazing Korean friends through the gym, and through other friends.

It takes some time, but eventually you'll find people you can relate to.

[espoir]

Do any of you work in the same school ?
From what I have understood in most public schools there is normally only 1 foreign teacher, but most hagwons have several foreign teachers (depending on size of course)

Have you made very many friends outside of work (from your work, Korean or foreign) ?
Have you made friends with other "foreign teachers" that don't teach at the same school ?

It is very easy to meet other people. I work in a public school, but i missed the big orientation, so I didn't really get to meet anyone at first. But on my first weekend here I went out to one of the main foreigner bars that was mentioned here on these forums and met a ton of other foreigners. Other people were very nice and polite. I am normally a very shy person especially when meeting new people, but I just went up to a table of a few foreigners on the pretext of bumming a smoke (dont smoke btw) and then asked if I could join them. Two months later they are my core group of friends and we always go out together.

[IncognitoHFX]

Do any of you work in the same school?

No, the drawback to being a public school teacher is that you never work with other foreigners. That can be both good and bad. Sometimes I wish I had more foreigners around, other times I'm grateful that I don't.

Have you made very many friends outside of work (from your work, Korean or foreign)?

No, I have been here for more than a year and I have yet to "make friends". I had a supply of friends when I arrived here, but I haven't added any new people to that list. I hang out with the same people I hung out with in my first few months in Korea. They're all from my home province too.

I'm not complaining, though. I've been happy with my "clique" from day one.

I'm also in the recruiting business these days. With the help of my Korean friend who is a recruiter, I just brought over some friends from back home and stuck them in public schools near me. That helps a lot.

Have you made friends with other "foreign teachers" that don't teach at the same school ?

Refer to the last question. When I bump into foreigners downtown or wherever, usually the only thing I have in common with them is a big nose.

Not being a party animal doesn't help either. I've met quite a few foreigners here and I hate to say, but most of them drink a whole lot more than I could ever comprehend. I mean, the average foreigner in Korea seems to drink three or four nights a weeks whereas I drink three or four times a month.

I don't have much in common with people who live to party. I'm not really a social person, though.

[EzeWong]

Making friends with Expats is easy,
But I'm more into making friends with the locals.

Part of my personal philosophy is "I can do American things in America, I came to Korea to do Korean things".

So I've tried to immerse myself in everything Korean: Food, lifestyle, people, culture, etc.

What I find is, you're pretty much getting a categorized crowd of expats. A lot of dirty leecherous guys who are out to bang anything in a skirt... (Well I'm probably slightly guilty of this lol) A lot of people who are out seeking adventure and new things. A lot of people who had no idea what they were doing at home had finacial troubles, or wanted to make a new life. Don't get me wrong I really LOVE the time I spend with my expats friends, we laugh and drink like crazy.

However, Korean friends are just as great. Even though there's difficulty in speaking, that in itself can be cause for laughter. This maybe the only chance to get to have a meaningful relationship with someone of another country. That really means something, I think.

[IlIlNine]

[RACETRAITOR]

I've made a ton of friends in Hongdae at concerts, both with Koreans, foreign teachers, and soldiers.

[i4NI]

[mssinmymind]