Korean Job Discussion Forums

Corporal · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

Are you the only foreigner at your school? Do you like it that way?

Draven · Joined: 03 Feb 2003

I'm not the only foreigner at my school, but considering the alcoholic loser I share an office and classes with, I often wish I was.

katydid · Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Location: Here kitty kitty kitty...

Yes, I am the only foreigner and it kind of drives me crazy being so out of the loop when it comes to sked changes, etc. But I live with a bunch of other foreigners now and that is great. We all share the same building. It's really a lot like college life all over again...

sistersarah · Joined: 03 Jan 2004 Location: hiding out

i am, and i enjoy it. i go in, do my thing in my own classroom and leave. no one bothers me. but i'm mostly an introvert and keep to myself anyway.

ryleeys · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: Columbia, MD

I'm the only foreigner... at school I guess I don't mind. It kind of annoys me that I live so far from the other foreigners here that I enjoy spending time with though... it usually takes me 20-30 minutes to get downtown and most nights I end up missing out on things cause they decide stuff at the last minute.

Ever since I broke up with my ex and then my two best friends moved to Suwon, it's been kinda lonely... as the Koreans spent the most time with me. Now I get some plans on the weekend, but still eat dinner alone 5 nights a week, which makes for not so interesting dinner conversation.

Badmojo · Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2004 5:47 pm Post subject:

I'm the only foreigner at my school. And for me, it's neither this nor that. I'd prefer others if they were interesting people and we got along, and we could do things together. I'd prefer things to stay as they are if the other foreigners who came were incompetent losers whose sole purpose in life is to stir things up.

On second thought - if it ain't broke, don't break it. I'd prefer to keep it this way.

kangnamdragon · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Location: Kangnam, Seoul, Korea

I am the only foreigner at my office and I like it that way.

Eazy_E · Joined: 30 Oct 2003 Location: British Columbia, Canada

Being the only foreigner at my school is definitely isolating... but that's not the same as being lonely. My Korean co-worker is my interpreter and helps me out a lot. She gets saddled with a lot of work that the wonjongnim gives her, simply because the boss' English is very limited and she just can't explain it to me. So I guess since I can't really understand Korean I get away with less work. Not really fair but... meh.

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

shawner88 · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

I'm the only foreigner in my school and the only foreigner not from Bangladesh in my town. This kind of makes me a celebrity. Almost everywhere I go people are so friendly to me. The woman at the mandu shop actually joined a hagwon to learn English to chat with me a little. I can order food on the phone from several restaurants by saying "Hello! Waeguk chib!" and I always get huge portions.

Yes, it's lonely at times, but I've always been a loner at heart anyway. My girlfriend stays with me from Friday to Sunday night and we go out and have a good time. Seoul is 50 minutes on a bus, too. If I didn't have her, maybe it'd be worse. Then again, maybe I'd have a different girl. Wink

I should point out that my job is easier than most peoples. I have very little stress at work if any. If I had a crummy hagwon, there's no way I could hack living in this town.

fidel · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Location: North Shore NZ

I'm the only foreigner here however there are 14 other English teachers who have a high degree of fluency and a dozen other teachers who can converse well. However I do miss shooting the bull with another waygook from a similiar cultural background who understands all the nuances of what I am babbling about.

That said, at my last High School I had two waygook colleagues, one Canadian who was an excellent friend, and an American who was a raving alcoholic. He would get pissed off his nut 4/5 times a week and come to class reeking of booze.He would go into these silent moods and not speak to anyone for a month. He would also snap at anyone who voiced an opinion that he didn't agree with and get his heckles up for no reason. Basically he was an unlikable nutcase who hates every minute of his life in Korea.

osangrl · Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Location: osan

im the only way gook too and like it. I think other foreigners breed negativity.

Alias · Joined: 24 Jan 2003

I am happy not to have to deal with any freaky waygooks.

Tony Danza's Houseguest · Joined: 24 Jan 2004 Location: Osan Dong

I'm not good at breeding negativity. (This one's for you, bulsajo)

kozzlow · Joined: 22 Feb 2004 Location: Gangnam

I was, but now I'm not.