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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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gem
Joined: 06 Dec 2010
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 Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 7:57 pm Post subject: |
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| True. The people at my education office are a joke. I've been able to have some fun here on and off the job but the fact remains that Korean life overall tends to be more aggravating and problematic than it should be. I have a lot of legit complaints and I'm unapologetic about voicing them. I'm grateful for the experience but I still can't wait to leave. I won't miss the kim chi or the polluted fish parts. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 1:42 am Post subject: |
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| gem wrote: |
| True. The people at my education office are a joke. I've been able to have some fun here on and off the job but the fact remains that Korean life overall tends to be more aggravating and problematic than it should be. I have a lot of legit complaints and I'm unapologetic about voicing them. I'm grateful for the experience but I still can't wait to leave. I won't miss the kim chi or the polluted fish parts. |
Again: pretty much every complaint you've had relates directly to your job, yet you project that onto the entire country. It's a bit dishonest to say "This place sucks!" when you're really saying "This job sucks!" Combine it with the post below, and I think you need to take a step back before you project your unhappiness onto the whole country, particularly considering you seem to imply a certain dishonesty on the part of anyone who doesn't hate it here. First time away from home?
| gem wrote: |
| I appreciate your honesty. You are not the only one who HATES Korea. I have no desire to lie or ever "save face" for Korea. I was suckered into this opportunity and can't wait until this contract ends. I can at least thank Korea for making me appreciate my life back home. |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 3:23 am Post subject: |
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| gem wrote: |
| Cedar wrote: |
| gem wrote: |
| I landed here in the winter and had no heat or water pressure, plus I had mold growing on my walls and they don't give a sh!t. I have 11 coteachers and only half of them speak English and less than half of those have any desire to help me at all. I have to reach hard to think of a more xenophobic country I've been to. They're irrational, ill mannered, superficial, and unfriendly unless they're being fake. Stop making excuses for these people. I'm dealing with it and making the best of the situation but I'll never make excuses for their behavior or lie about what really happens here. |
As long as you understand that this is your experience, and that it does not mean that all of Korea, or everyone's experience is like yours has been.
I appreciate that you've had a tough time of it, but try to look beyond your co-teachers and your workplace to find some of the good points about living in Korea. |
It's my experience but there are too many people out there who can relate to this experience. I might try to switch locations but I'm finding that Korea never really hits bottom. I'm headed home soon and I'm okay with that. |
Well Gem, that is YOUR experience and YOUR reaction. Its fine you make the choice to leave at the end of your contract and never comeback. That is completely up to you.
Your complaints however are all linked to your job and you have only been in Korea a couple of months. This means you have a bad job that is polluting your judgement (quite normal by the way). However, all this is is YOUR PERSONAL experience and reaction.
One thing puzzles me in your story, how does anyone get "suckered" into coming to Korea??? You make a CHOICE to fly across the world to go teach, no one suckers anyone into that. |
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joelove
Joined: 12 May 2011
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| Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 4:50 am Post subject: Re: I LOVED my year in Korea! Don't listen to all the pessim |
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[quote="lenker"]
Koreans are awesome! You can find bad people in any population but I really found 99.9% of Koreans to be the most caring and kind people you can meet.
quote]
Sorry to sound like a smartass, but 99.9% ? I'd say they are like people everywhere. Maybe half are half-decent, half of the time.
Nah, actually I like most people. If you are nice to them almost everyone is nice in return.
Just trying to inject a little of my own 'reality' I guess. |
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elltotheoh
Joined: 31 May 2010
Location: Bundang
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| Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 6:41 am Post subject: |
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| Just adding my two cents -- I finished my first year in Korea teaching at a hogwan in Yongin in July and I am going back (to Bundang) at the end of the month. I had an amazing time, and the only reason I left my old job is because it was so distant from everything. Otherwise, I was truly blessed: a wonderful boss and Korean coworkers, the most precious kids you could ever hope for, and some great friendships that I believe will last well after our time in Korea is over. I understand that other people are not as fortunate, but I think we owe it to the people who are considering a stint in Korea to share varied experiences. The most important step you can take to prepare yourself for an awesome time in Korea is to do your due diligence during the job search -- examine your contract carefully and ask specific questions of the native teachers at the school to make sure that you understand what you are signing up for. |
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ZIFA
Joined: 23 Feb 2011
Location: Dici che il fiume..Trova la via al mare
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| Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 7:18 am Post subject: |
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| lenker wrote: |
Koreans are awesome! You can find bad people in any population but I really found 99.9% of Koreans to be the most caring and kind people you can meet. |
Most of them are fine... if you have been formally introduced.
But its the blatantly selfish behaviour to anyone you don't know.. that gets a bit much sometimes. The main things that irritate me are:
a) Pushing in front of you at the till, or breathing down your neck because they cannot wait 5 seconds to be served.
b) stopping in your path, or walking directly into you as if you didn't exist.
c) The miserable attitude. Its as though some koreans live in a suspended state of absolute stress, anger and frustration from birth unto death. Nothing is ever good enough, they are permanently dissatisfied. And this is expressed with relentless whining, deep sighs or teeth sucking. |
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Ribena
Joined: 07 Apr 2011
Location: UK
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| Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 10:24 am Post subject: |
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| ZIFA wrote: |
| lenker wrote: |
Koreans are awesome! You can find bad people in any population but I really found 99.9% of Koreans to be the most caring and kind people you can meet. |
Most of them are fine... if you have been formally introduced.
But its the blatantly selfish behaviour to anyone you don't know.. that gets a bit much sometimes. The main things that irritate me are:
a) Pushing in front of you at the till, or breathing down your neck because they cannot wait 5 seconds to be served.
b) stopping in your path, or walking directly into you as if you didn't exist.
c) The miserable attitude. Its as though some koreans live in a suspended state of absolute stress, anger and frustration from birth unto death. Nothing is ever good enough, they are permanently dissatisfied. And this is expressed with relentless whining, deep sighs or teeth sucking. |
a) sounds like Germany
b) sounds like Disneyland or the London Underground
c) sounds like most the UK. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 2:10 pm Post subject: |
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Koreans are like everyone else- 10% are great, 10% really suck, and the rest are somewhere in the middle with good days and bad.
Of course every poster on Dave's believes that they personally are in that 10% great category. But we know this isn't so.
The point is that we probably do stuff that irritates them to. All part of sharing the shame cramped space. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 5:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Steelrails wrote: |
Koreans are like everyone else- 10% are great, 10% really suck, and the rest are somewhere in the middle with good days and bad.
Of course every poster on Dave's believes that they personally are in that 10% great category. But we know this isn't so.
The point is that we probably do stuff that irritates them to. All part of sharing the same cramped space. |
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