Korean Job Discussion Forums

[nourozi]

I will be moving to Korea in April and am wondering whether teachers usually hang out with each other or do teachers hang out with Koreans?

From what I hear on this site, it seems teachers don't really hang out with Koreans and that they just stick together like Asians in a western country.

I was in Australia for a few months and had a group of Korean friends. They are the ones that got me interested in tutoring english in the first place. They were a nice, friendly group to get along with.

I guess its different with everyone. Would like to get your views on this.

[pidgin]

I do...quite often. But from the looks of things most of the other Westerners in my area do not. They tend to hang in herds of each other whether it's grazing, stampeding or just going from point A to point B.

Eh,..whatever. Makes me no nevermind.

[nomad-ish]

back home, most of my friends are actually asian, and although i do hang out with a couple of koreans here, i'm mostly friends with other foreigners. i think you'll find international koreans are much more open-minded than most you'll meet in korea. the korean friends that i do have are ones that spend a lot of time with foreigners in their day to day life, so they're just more used to us and aware of things (example: not asking me if i can use chopsticks every time we go out to eat, etc.).

[michaelambling]

I don't have out with Koreans, because none of them here speak English. I would LOVE some Korean friends, but I need to communicate with them beyond what my paltry Korean can do.

Here's a snippet from a recent email that the head of the English department at my university sent me: "Very sorry but President ask us to keep office at the beginnig of the new term if not urgent."

Things are rough, out in the sticks...

[itaewonguy]

went through fazes..

use to avoid itaewon like the plague and do the korean thing! all the hofs, one shot, norebangs etc... then got sick of that! so went back to Itaewon to hang out with foreigners. did that for a couple years again got sick of that!
back to koreans... now I chose to hang out with my good mates only and we usually hang out in the korean scene! when it comes to hanging out with Koreans.. I usually prefer of the company of korean women..
Korean guys do my head in! Ill only hang out with Korean guys if its work related! otherwise NO...

[Robot_Teacher]

No, the only ones that speak English are teachers with children and husbands; not single dudes wanting to hang out and go riding bikes, fishing, and hiking. No one talks to me outside of work. It's a small town. I'm sure many would if they knew how though. English speaking Koreans and those smart ones with an open mind are not small towners; they go for the city life. The English speaking Koreans in my life are from the cities and here to teach kids while they're husband is a fire man or police officer and they're raising toddlers.

Don't go small town if you're single, but it's great if you're married to a Korean and raising toddlers yourself. Methinks I want beer drinking buddies, fishing buddies, hiking buddies, and buddies to just talk with. There are a few foreigners, but they mostly stay to themselves. Those that want rural posts like being alone and want to integrate into Korean life, but the fact is, rural Koreans aren't very good at interacting with foreigners.

[toonchoon]

foreigners... would love some K-guy buddies, actually I'm cool with a dude that works at a bar in one of the coolest bars in Itaewon, but we don't hang out. just bs when i'm in there... but when I'm there, it's VIP status!!! mostly know Korean women that speak English well, but they're not buddies.

[bogey666]

would if I could.

this question is probably inapplicable outside of Seoul for the vast majority of people.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I think you'll find that people who spend their day working in public schools and hakwons where they work with kids have little opportunity to hang out with adult Koreans. People who work in adult hakwons and companies have much more opportunity to meet and hang out with adult Koreans. It makes a difference in their impression of Korea. This is the same all over the world. You mainly know people you work with, then meet people in the community depending on your out of work activities. If you don't speak Korean, you will be very, very limited in who you can meet and form friendships with. It's a limitation of the job.

What would your impression of your home country be if the only people you ever met were 13 year olds who were dealing with puberty kicking in? Is it any wonder they flee to crowds of others in similar situations after hours?

[ESL Milk "Everyday]

They keep asking me, but I keep getting creeped out by the way they go about it. Even the girls. And I haven't really met any Koreans I see eye to eye with enough to feel like we should be friends.

I always get the feeling it's like some sort of status thing, not that I'm cool or anything, but that it's somehow cool for them to have a foreign friend. I know this was the case in Japan, but here it seems kinda ambiguous here on account of how they feel about us...

[T-J]

I'm the ONLY ONE who voted Korean

WTF

I got to get me some western friends.

[kryskattan]

Hang out with Koreans, even if they don't speak English well. There are other ways to communicate. Or here's a thought - Learn some Korean, you're there. Why should they be learning English to talk to you? The ironic part is that they would be willing to learn from you, just to talk to you.

[Gillian57]

Yeah, this poll does not give a "None of the above" option. I am out in the countryside. The only other foreigner has a girlfriend and a circle of friends, and has established his routines. That's cool, he's great to work with.
I have one Korean friend who is back working at my school, but she is a homeroom teacher with a husband and kids, so we don't have the opportunity to hang out much, but if we did, she would be it. She is the most open-minded Korean I have met in my 7 years in Korea and is actually fun to talk with.
Probably a good thing I enjoy my own company. If you don't enjoy your own company, best not take a job in the countryside.

[seoulsucker]

My crew consists of mostly Koreans, with a couple of Canadians in the mix. However, most of the Koreans I kick it with have spent a lot of time overseas.

[RACETRAITOR]

I'd say generally I hang out with equal numbers of Koreans and American soldiers, with teachers in third place, although it's getting a bit more even now.