Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Stalin84]

I did my 2.5ish year stint in Korea and moved over to Japan a month ago.

I had a good time in Korea and have a lot of friends there but towards the end of my time there I had built up a lot of resentment to the negative aspects of Korea. I left in a hurry because I didn't want to be one of those angry expats who lingered way past due. I wanted to leave with good memories of the place.

So I'm here and I find myself missing certain things about Korea everyday. It's weird, I'll be talking to FOB's and they always ask me how Korea was. To some people I complain and to others I endorse it. It's like I can't make up my mind about it and haven't really decided whether I loved it or hated it.

It could be because Japan is still very foreign to me. Everyone in Korea kept telling me, even Koreans, that Japan isn't very different from Korea and that if I were looking for greener pastures that it wasn't such a good idea. So far I hardly see the similarities anywhere. I never thought two geographical and cultural neighbours could be so different from one another. There are very few comparisons I can make between the two places other than Japanese and Korean sounding a bit similar.

I miss Korean food, I haven't had a good meal of it since I've been here. I've been to five or six Korean restaurants and they never get it right. They don't use Gochujang.

I miss how warm Koreans were. I haven't met enough Japanese to compare but I also haven't had any random, passerby conversation with anyone like I did all the time in Korea. I never thought I'd miss that but here we are.

I miss how easy Korea was. I never had a hard time finding anything or getting around. Everything was so cheap and I rarely found myself counting my cash just to make sure. Everything here is so much more expensive and I find the littlest things are much more difficult.

I even miss the expats. In Korea if you see enough foreigners, odds are you can approach them and start a conversation, maybe even make some friends. In Japan, foreigners are more diversified therefore you can't presume they speak English. Most of the foreigners I see in Tokyo are wearing suits and look to be on business of some sort. There is a huge lack of visible English teachers around even the busiest areas. I see very few foreigners here, period.

Anyway, that's it, really. I'm not trying to say I liked Korea more than I like Japan or anything, it's too early to tell and I can see tonnes of reasons why I will eventually grow to like Japan. I guess it's just the first month here, with no friends close by and feeling isolated everyday. Going into Tokyo is fun but often makes me feel even more isolated. In Korea I used to be able to see people I cared about every week and never felt alone. This should change once I start working, though.

Anyone else felt this way? Why is Korea like that ex-girlfriend who you storm off from then want to go running back to?

[ChilgokBlackHole]

I just work here.

[Solarian]

I love Korea, I hate my job.
Well, not entirely true, I'm pretty fond of my students, but I despise the location, hours and complete and utter lack of vacation. I wish I had been less impulsive and done some research, I never would've ended up in a hagwon.

As for Japan, I went there for 5 days, the place was neat, but I got the impression that the Japanese are fake beyond all measure. I don't know how well you can judge a place and the people that live there in 5 days, but I am not fond of the Japanese at all.

[Stalin84]

[Solarian]

Yea, that's the thing, I can't read them at all. It's like being in a country where everyone is always nice, but lying through their nose. The reason why I caught some of this, is because I know a lot more Japanese than I let on. A few of them thought they could talk pretty easily behind my back, and I just let them, and listened carefully.

[misher]

I've met probably 35 or 40 ESL teachers since I arrived 7 months ago and all of them except for a few said that they hated their job but liked living in Seoul.

THey said if they could work in an MNC or in some type of foreign government department in Korea then things would be great.

I actually think that out of all the people that don't like living here, most don't like it because of their jobs. They then get frustrated and little daily things outside of work, that they would probably not notice too much if their job was good, push them over the edge.

So it isn't really South Korea that is driving them up the wall. Teaching snotty kids, stupid co-workers and supervisors are probably the main culprit and this can happen back home too. The school I taught at in Canada had plenty of the above. Then an ajumma pushes you on the subway and that is the straw that breaks the camel's back resulting in a vent fest against all things korean when it is in actuality frustration with your job in most cases.

[njp6]

I develop that love hate relationship with every place I spend extended time in. I always bitch about the place I'm in and then I return and wonder why I ever left. I think this is often the human condition. OP, I think in time Japan will become your new ex-girlfriend.

[Globutron]

[sesyeux]

[Solarian]

I live and work in the outskirts, and that's the main reason I hate my job. It prevents me from having a life here outside of work.

[BoholDiver]

[Globutron]

[VanIslander]

[Sadebugo1]