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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 8:52 pm Post subject: |
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Well, there is no doubt that for some, coming to Asia and Korea was probably the worst thing to happen to them. I say this not because I'm against drinking and partying, but well, I view addiction as something not good, esp. addiction to cheap flings, drinking and sloth.
I've known guys who always seem drunk out of their mind when I saw them or others who seemed to have left or been fired from yet another job and were looking for new gigs. Many were just waiting to save money to hit Southeast Asia and continue with their hedonistic pursuits. And worse, many employers seem not to check these things and keep hiring a few of the above mentioned, so they seem to fulfill that enabler role.
And as far as staying in Korea, well, many who do don't bother to learn more Korean and that will definitely be a drawback if you stay long term. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 11:34 pm Post subject: |
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| toby99 wrote: |
| Buddy of mine in his-mid 20's recently left Korea for Taiwan. Big, big drinker, if not a full-blown alcoholic. Was a reasonably sharp guy when he arrived on the peninsula a few years back, but now his only goal in life is to hop from Asian country to Asian country, teaching ESL, until his liver gives out. Is this a good thing? Depends who you ask; some might find it awesome that he is "living the dream", while others might view him as "wasted talent". |
Look on the bright side: it's a lot harder to drink like a fish on a Taiwanese salary with Taiwanese bar prices. |
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myenglishisno
Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Location: Geumchon
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 11:57 pm Post subject: |
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Some out of the last bunch of foreign teachers I worked with could burn through an entire 2.3mil paycheque a week after receiving it by going to night clubs. Then they'd complain about our low salary. I swear, our generation is screwed...
Last edited by myenglishisno on Wed Jan 25, 2012 5:35 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 12:02 am Post subject: |
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| myenglishisno wrote: |
| The last bunch of foreign teachers I worked with could burn through an entire 2.3mil paycheque a week after receiving it by going to night clubs. Then they'd complain about our low salary. I swear, our generation is screwed... |
Did they ask for loans and stuff? I've heard horror stories of expats loaning money to fellow expats and never getting repaid. |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 4:42 am Post subject: |
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| Yaya wrote: |
| myenglishisno wrote: |
| The last bunch of foreign teachers I worked with could burn through an entire 2.3mil paycheque a week after receiving it by going to night clubs. Then they'd complain about our low salary. I swear, our generation is screwed... |
Did they ask for loans and stuff? I've heard horror stories of expats loaning money to fellow expats and never getting repaid. |
Did that once when I was in Korea. Never did it after.
As for what myenglishno said, its a good point but its not exclusive to the current crop of ESLers. Back when I arrived in Korea you had similar people burning through their pay in a week to 10 days and then whinign about low pay. The fact they burnt through their pay because they went out drinking numerous nigths a week did not occur to them as a possible waste of money. 
Seriously, for many new ESLers of the fresh grad variety, budgeting has never been a life requirement.... |
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myenglishisno
Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Location: Geumchon
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| Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 3:31 pm Post subject: |
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I don't really understand the appeal of drinking until stupid. Drinking is supposed to enhance social experiences, not solely comprise them.
I think a lot of people must be really depressed to feel that they not only have to drink in order to have fun but they also have to try to drag others down with them or try to make non-drinkers feel like losers for not partaking in it.
I'm pretty tired of it. |
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The Floating World
Joined: 01 Oct 2011
Location: Here
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| Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 5:54 pm Post subject: |
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| myenglishisno wrote: |
I don't really understand the appeal of drinking until stupid. Drinking is supposed to enhance social experiences, not solely comprise them.
I think a lot of people must be really depressed to feel that they not only have to drink in order to have fun but they also have to try to drag others down with them or try to make non-drinkers feel like losers for not partaking in it.
I'm pretty tired of it. |
No offense, but that sounds like textbook projection due to you actually really feeling you are in some way, missing out.
How do drinkers make non-drinkers feel like losers, for example? Just curious. |
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DaeguKid
Joined: 09 Dec 2006
Location: Daegu
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| Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 9:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Dodge7 wrote: |
Teaching in Korea forever as a life time job = LOSER
TRYING to go back home and find a REAL job, you know the one you planned on getting when you went through college = SMART. |
That above is a crock of ddong.
I'd bet you blame the government for you not having a job in your homeland as well. College, (undergrad) a great time, but a sham for the real world.
I do well. Why give it up? The key is to have a plan, stick to it and you will succeed. No matter where one ends up. Teaching ESL in Korea included. |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 5:12 am Post subject: |
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| DaeguKid wrote: |
| Dodge7 wrote: |
Teaching in Korea forever as a life time job = LOSER
TRYING to go back home and find a REAL job, you know the one you planned on getting when you went through college = SMART. |
That above is a crock of ddong.
I'd bet you blame the government for you not having a job in your homeland as well. College, (undergrad) a great time, but a sham for the real world.
I do well. Why give it up? The key is to have a plan, stick to it and you will succeed. No matter where one ends up. Teaching ESL in Korea included. |
Quite true DaeguKid. However, some people cannot see that or simply refuse to see it. |
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myenglishisno
Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Location: Geumchon
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| Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:18 am Post subject: |
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| DaeguKid wrote: |
| Dodge7 wrote: |
Teaching in Korea forever as a life time job = LOSER
TRYING to go back home and find a REAL job, you know the one you planned on getting when you went through college = SMART. |
That above is a crock of ddong.
I'd bet you blame the government for you not having a job in your homeland as well. College, (undergrad) a great time, but a sham for the real world.
I do well. Why give it up? The key is to have a plan, stick to it and you will succeed. No matter where one ends up. Teaching ESL in Korea included. |
I'm 27 so a lot of the younger teachers think I'm a loser upon first finding out my age and the fact that I've been in Asia for five years. A lot of them, including the drunkards, only plan to do a year and they know they can get any job they want or become whatever they want. They don't even think they'll have to bat an eyelash to land in a cozy career.
Then they actually go home, truth hits them and they have to face facts. They probably should have stayed in Korea until they figured out what to do with themselves. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:24 am Post subject: |
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| PatrickGHBusan wrote: |
Did that once when I was in Korea. Never did it after.
As for what myenglishno said, its a good point but its not exclusive to the current crop of ESLers. Back when I arrived in Korea you had similar people burning through their pay in a week to 10 days and then whinign about low pay. The fact they burnt through their pay because they went out drinking numerous nigths a week did not occur to them as a possible waste of money.
Seriously, for many new ESLers of the fresh grad variety, budgeting has never been a life requirement.... |
1) Loaning money to coworkers is fairly safe, as it's hard to dodge someone when you see them every day.
2) Drinking is so damn cheap in this country that I have difficulty seeing how you burn through a paycheck doing it. I suppose it's doable if you're going to upscale establishments, but what's the point if you're drinking three nights a week? A three liter pitcher costs around 12,000 at most bars in the Seoul area; you've got to drink an awful lot for that to catch up with you.
3) Even though I'm absolutely terrible at budgeting, and never really worry about my bank account here, I'm still able to save at least a few hundred thousand even in a bad month. I've worked with some people who were able to burn through their entire paychecks regularly, but their lifestyles were absolutely ridiculous. My favorite example: I worked with a girl who was making 2.7 million and would always be so broke at the end of the month that she wouldn't have money for subway fare (she also never bought a T-money card in a year). Some of her superfluous expenses included taking cabs to Seoul from Gyeonggi-do pretty regularly, as well as a cab to work every morning (two subway stops away). Then she'd freak out if we weren't paid by noon on payday. She also failed to pay a penny towards her (significant) student loans. She still makes for good stories, but kind of in the same way watching a train wreck does. |
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T-J
Joined: 10 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul EunpyungGu Yeonsinnae
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| Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:39 am Post subject: |
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| Dodge7 wrote: |
Teaching in Korea forever as a life time job = LOSER
TRYING to go back home and find a REAL job, you know the one you planned on getting when you went through college = SMART. |
Haven't quite figured out the big picture have you padawan?
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SinclairLondon
Joined: 17 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:06 am Post subject: |
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Taught in Korea for about four years and lived in Asia for a total of five knowing I would ultimately return back to the states. Returned this summer. Landed a job in a public school as a tutor in Austin, Texas. Not much money but one can earn their teacher certification online in Texas, and I'll probably do that next year.
Stick around here for a couple of years or move back abroad with certs in hand.
Knowing Spanish and speaking Korean has helped tremendously here as I hear it everyday.
Having said that, there is a lot to say about reverse culture shock. |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 12:57 pm Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
| PatrickGHBusan wrote: |
Did that once when I was in Korea. Never did it after.
As for what myenglishno said, its a good point but its not exclusive to the current crop of ESLers. Back when I arrived in Korea you had similar people burning through their pay in a week to 10 days and then whinign about low pay. The fact they burnt through their pay because they went out drinking numerous nigths a week did not occur to them as a possible waste of money.
Seriously, for many new ESLers of the fresh grad variety, budgeting has never been a life requirement.... |
1) Loaning money to coworkers is fairly safe, as it's hard to dodge someone when you see them every day.
2) Drinking is so damn cheap in this country that I have difficulty seeing how you burn through a paycheck doing it. I suppose it's doable if you're going to upscale establishments, but what's the point if you're drinking three nights a week? A three liter pitcher costs around 12,000 at most bars in the Seoul area; you've got to drink an awful lot for that to catch up with you.
3) Even though I'm absolutely terrible at budgeting, and never really worry about my bank account here, I'm still able to save at least a few hundred thousand even in a bad month. I've worked with some people who were able to burn through their entire paychecks regularly, but their lifestyles were absolutely ridiculous. My favorite example: I worked with a girl who was making 2.7 million and would always be so broke at the end of the month that she wouldn't have money for subway fare (she also never bought a T-money card in a year). Some of her superfluous expenses included taking cabs to Seoul from Gyeonggi-do pretty regularly, as well as a cab to work every morning (two subway stops away). Then she'd freak out if we weren't paid by noon on payday. She also failed to pay a penny towards her (significant) student loans. She still makes for good stories, but kind of in the same way watching a train wreck does. |
1) You would be surprised at how bad it can be.
2) Boozing a few nights a week + meals out can burn through your paycheck pretty fast along with a dumb list of lifestyle choices. |
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bobbybigfoot
Joined: 05 May 2007
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 8:26 am Post subject: |
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It comes down to dollars and cents. I would need to find a job that pays $80,000 a year back in Canada. And to get this, I would need:
(1) a miracle
(2) to work twice as many hours
I think I'll stay put in Korea. Until the industry collapses. |
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