Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ThreeDogNight]

What would you think makes a veteran English teacher here in Korea? Learning the language fluently, getting to know the people and what it is that makes them tick? Living here five years or more?

I just wonder what really separates a novice here from a true expat, and what gems of knowledge and understanding about life here vets may have to offer, say, in comparison to those under a year.

That is, if there's such a thing as a veteran English teacher.

[ThreeDogNight]

Okay, I'll start.

A vet is someone who's capable of expressing himself in a Korean way without being seen as just a Westerner.

I think too many novice ESL teachers are afraid to express what they think or feel is right or wrong about any given situation, whereas a veteran can learn to differentiate between silence and protest, or when to act and when not to act, and that hopefully in a Korean way.

[Tiberious aka Sparkles]

- You can see the ddongchim coming before it hits, and counter with one of your own.

- Foreigners look funny to you.

- You take kimcheeking-like pride in your work.

- You post fewer than 100 times in a year on Dave's; because, really, who with any sort of dedication and pride in their work would spend so much time posting utter, meaningless drivel on an internet message board?

- You love teaching so much that you quit and look for other work. Real work.

- You despise newbies, because they remind you of yourself and how damned naive you used to be/still are.

- You get offended when Koreans in the service industry speak to you in English.

- You're 1/4 finished your manuscript.

- You drink less saeng mek-ju, more yang-ju.

- You've seen that Issac dude from TV and punched him square in the kisser (although you regrettably lament the cancelling of 'Happy Station').

Dare I go on?

Sparkles*_*

[Lawrence]

You're are a veteran when you have a f#ggy handle like "Sparkles."

[kangnamdragon]

[magpie]

Tiberious aka Sparkles sounds like a dancer to me... but hey, that's besides the point. Thanks for making me laugh!.---As I sit here, Budweiser in hand on a 30 day downtime, I think about the absurdity of it all. I mean, have I gone crazy? After 3 years, I've just finished having a conversation in Korean with the woman at the neighborhood "Mom 'n Pop"
store, returned home to listen to a mixture of Thai(Ann), BoA with a sprinkle of Dylan and injest some Ramen (have you had it?)---:>It's soon to be the Monkey Year---and it's time for another ...well ya know the drill.
Back to the point...it's getting better all the time- no regrets is what makes a veteran. My advice to anyone new is just to focus on the good things and not the bad because-if you do-you've trapped yourself in a no-win situation. Thou shall not be anything but happy while crying at the same time---I think that's like the 11th or 12th right? Second point--always "has Smokey says" put out that campfire and pickup the trash". That is to say, leave this place (Korea) better than you found it. Always, remember that you are representing the countries you're from. Which means, show natural emotion--i.e. I wrestled the Taxicab driver, who tried to cheat me (once every 20 times Grey Cabbies try to do this) to the ground and a korean Store owner (who knows I'm A-Ok) took care of the situation/
Boycott GREY CABS--go in style go Black--Which reminds me I have to meet my Rwandan friend and now a green card holder to discuss stratego
strategy---but I digress. It's a new year "he who walks with a closed fist cannot accept love" said the 'lil Indian Boy---And remember if you're not PC that's okay because neither is the world. Peace! SUPPORT DEAN!
Now Imssssssssssssss gonna gitz me some more WISER and resume my conversation down at "Mom 'Pops"--

[Tiberious aka Sparkles]