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Ramen
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
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 Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 7:44 pm Post subject: |
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...and I can tell my folks back home that I have 7 figure salary.  |
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Scotticus
Joined: 18 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 7:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Who the hell is working 40 hours a week? Most haggies are 6 hours a day, or so. If you're getting paid 2.1-2.3 you should NOT be putting in more than 6 hours a day, tops. |
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partialtone
Joined: 27 Nov 2007
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| Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 7:55 pm Post subject: |
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People can't mention costs of living without bringing up the difference between housing costs back home.
The studio apartment I live in now across the street from the ocean would EASILY run $1500 USD/month, and that's a lowball. Here I pay 350k. The way I look at it, if I stayed home I'd be paying at least $18,000 for only housing.
-$18,000 for housing
-$19,000 in straight salary (not including flights and bonuses)
-22 hours of teaching a week, which is so laughably easy it's nothing compare to teaching back home.
-2-3 months vacation, usually spent in southeast asia
-the experience of living in another country
Really, when I break it down it's no decision at all. |
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MUOhio82
Joined: 25 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 7:56 pm Post subject: |
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My biggest qualm with the "lifestyle" here has got to be the plain disgusting and dirty state of things. I'm not sure about where everyone else lives, but in my city, it's like everyone throws their trash in the street instead of in the trash.
I've been sick going on 5 weeks now, and my favorite part of the morning is opening the morning and seeing the yellowish haze in the sky.
I grew up in Europe and in the States, so I could just be really spoiled by nice clean surroundings. I've never lived something so dirty and disgusting, EVER.
To each his own opinion, to some people this is heaven, some days I think it's the pit of hell.... but whatever.
OP if you don't have bills, some on over, it's not bad unless you're sending money home each month (that would be me). PM me and I'll buy you a shite Korean beer 
Bogey, we should start an Amazonian club for Korea. It could be fun! |
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bogey666
Joined: 17 Mar 2008
Location: Korea, the ass free zone
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| Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 8:19 pm Post subject: |
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| MUOhio82 wrote: |
My biggest qualm with the "lifestyle" here has got to be the plain disgusting and dirty state of things. I'm not sure about where everyone else lives, but in my city, it's like everyone throws their trash in the street instead of in the trash.
I've been sick going on 5 weeks now, and my favorite part of the morning is opening the morning and seeing the yellowish haze in the sky.
I grew up in Europe and in the States, so I could just be really spoiled by nice clean surroundings. I've never lived something so dirty and disgusting, EVER.
To each his own opinion, to some people this is heaven, some days I think it's the pit of hell.... but whatever.
OP if you don't have bills, some on over, it's not bad unless you're sending money home each month (that would be me). PM me and I'll buy you a shite Korean beer
Bogey, we should start an Amazonian club for Korea. It could be fun! |
I have the trash problem to a certain extent where I live, but not to the point of overwhelming.... or being affected by it.
by the same token, the pollution doesn't seem to bother me either. Have yet to have a sniffle here, much less get sick.
make sure you eat right, get your rest and do other things that keep you happy and healthy at home.
and re Amazonian club, I am SO in 
these shapeless Korean waifs can get a man depressed  |
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nomad-ish
Joined: 08 Oct 2007
Location: On the bottom of the food chain
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| Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 8:20 pm Post subject: |
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| MUOhio82 wrote: |
My biggest qualm with the "lifestyle" here has got to be the plain disgusting and dirty state of things. I'm not sure about where everyone else lives, but in my city, it's like everyone throws their trash in the street instead of in the trash.
I've been sick going on 5 weeks now, and my favorite part of the morning is opening the morning and seeing the yellowish haze in the sky.
I grew up in Europe and in the States, so I could just be really spoiled by nice clean surroundings. I've never lived something so dirty and disgusting, EVER.
To each his own opinion, to some people this is heaven, some days I think it's the pit of hell.... but whatever.
OP if you don't have bills, some on over, it's not bad unless you're sending money home each month (that would be me). PM me and I'll buy you a shite Korean beer
Bogey, we should start an Amazonian club for Korea. It could be fun! |
yeah, i find the korean cities to be really dirty compared to back home, but i've gotten pretty used to it. i think for me the hardest time is during yellow dust month. 
overall, i'm glad i came here since korea has given me some of the best stories ever, but then again, i'm sure living in china/thailand/japan would give great memories as well. |
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Mr-Dokdo
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 8:21 pm Post subject: |
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| partialtone wrote: |
People can't mention costs of living without bringing up the difference between housing costs back home.
The studio apartment I live in now across the street from the ocean would EASILY run $1500 USD/month, and that's a lowball. Here I pay 350k. The way I look at it, if I stayed home I'd be paying at least $18,000 for only housing.
-$18,000 for housing
-$19,000 in straight salary (not including flights and bonuses)
-22 hours of teaching a week, which is so laughably easy it's nothing compare to teaching back home.
-2-3 months vacation, usually spent in southeast asia
-the experience of living in another country
Really, when I break it down it's no decision at all. |
People here whine endlessly about all sorts of things, but they are here because they have a much better deal than they could get back home. Ingrates! |
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wayfarer
Joined: 05 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 8:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Scotticus wrote: |
| Who the hell is working 40 hours a week? Most haggies are 6 hours a day, or so. If you're getting paid 2.1-2.3 you should NOT be putting in more than 6 hours a day, tops. |
Those are teaching hours not working hours, all public school employers are at school 8 hours a day as are 99% of hagwon slaves even if they teach 6 hours. Some teach even fewer, and I know there are a few cushy jobs out there but not in the typical newbie experience. It's eight hours a day being around Koreans, teaching uncontrollable children, sometimes having a little fun, but basically putting in a full day's work. And now that means $9 / hour not before housing but including housing.
I don't mean to be negative, and I'd work for less in some places, but if I was a newbie I'd be thinking about some of those places. |
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marlow
Joined: 06 Feb 2005
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| Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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| wayfarer wrote: |
| I don't mean to be negative, and I'd work for less in some places, but if I was a newbie I'd be thinking about some of those places. |
Exactly. Korea was a better deal a year ago than it is now. Newbies should think twice about coming here. There are other places to go. Personally I'd stay away for a year just to test the won. Maybe it will recover, maybe it won't. If it does, come here after teaching for a year somewhere fun. I'm already here, so I'm forced to take the gamble of "I hope it recovers." |
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Gimpokid
Joined: 09 Nov 2008
Location: Best Gimpo
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| Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 8:32 pm Post subject: |
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Wayfarer, no offense but were you some rich, spoiled Nancy boy back home? I've worked way harder for less money than I do here. Yeah it's 40 hours a week but 15 of those are spent surfing the internet and if don't feel like teaching me and the kids watch a movie or play scrabble and snakes and ladders all day.
You must have had some super cushy high paying jobs before you came and lived in a place with unbelievable low rent.
It's really simple: I feel like I do better here than back home and that's why I stay. |
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jkelly80
Joined: 13 Jun 2007
Location: you boys like mexico?
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| Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 8:34 pm Post subject: |
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| If I were getting into the game, I agree with Marlow. I'd do China. Marginally less money, but a more useful language, a better culture and a lower cost of living. |
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Mr-Dokdo
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 8:37 pm Post subject: Re: Newcomers: why do you want to work in Korea for $9 / hou |
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| xingyiman wrote: |
| Uh....Mr Dokdo you're forgetting that all the Dave's trolls have 6 figure jobs waiting for them in their home countries. |
Oh, I know that. Korea is just a vacation---some money for entertaining kids, free housing, and plenty of partying. |
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wayfarer
Joined: 05 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Gimpokid wrote: |
Wayfarer, no offense but were you some rich, spoiled Nancy boy back home? I've worked way harder for less money than I do here. Yeah it's 40 hours a week but 15 of those are spent surfing the internet and if don't feel like teaching me and the kids watch a movie or play scrabble and snakes and ladders all day.
You must have had some super cushy high paying jobs before you came and lived in a place with unbelievable low rent.
It's really simple: I feel like I do better here than back home and that's why I stay. |
First the answer to your question is no I wasn't, and come on, if you graduated from a real university then $10/hour doing something better than digging ditches isn't that hard to find.
The real point is that you're not factoring in the unwritten costs, such as the fact that you have to live in Korea to get paid here. |
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JongnoGuru
Joined: 25 May 2004
Location: peeing on your doorstep
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| Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 8:50 pm Post subject: |
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"Back Home" = The Beautiful West
"Here" = emerging Asian backwater at US$9/hour
And you're all picking Here?
Since when and why did Back Home ever get to be this bad?
I'm not being rhetorical, nor looking to flame anyone. Just answer the GD question:
Since when and Why?
Last edited by JongnoGuru on Thu Nov 27, 2008 8:52 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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partialtone
Joined: 27 Nov 2007
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| Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 8:51 pm Post subject: |
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| wayfarer wrote: |
| Gimpokid wrote: |
Wayfarer, no offense but were you some rich, spoiled Nancy boy back home? I've worked way harder for less money than I do here. Yeah it's 40 hours a week but 15 of those are spent surfing the internet and if don't feel like teaching me and the kids watch a movie or play scrabble and snakes and ladders all day.
You must have had some super cushy high paying jobs before you came and lived in a place with unbelievable low rent.
It's really simple: I feel like I do better here than back home and that's why I stay. |
First the answer to your question is no I wasn't, and come on, if you graduated from a real university then $10/hour doing something better than digging ditches isn't that hard to find.
The real point is that you're not factoring in the unwritten costs, such as the fact that you have to live in Korea to get paid here. |
1. if you break it down it's MUCH more than $10/hour (see my post above)
2. teaching here is closer to relaxing on a beach than it is "digging ditches"
3. you "have" to live in Korea to get paid? most people come here because that's a benefit and not a minus.
ps. I'm still mad that I'm losing 9K on the exchange... |
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