Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Weigookin74]

I feel your pain. As a guy approaching mid 30's soon, I shared a similiar feeling. You don't think there will be a difference. Sometimes people can get along fine, but little things and habits can serve to annoy. I was early 30's and dealing with people 10 years younger than me was ok for a time. But within a short time, we all got on each other's nerves. We were EPIK living in a rural area in the same building but worked at different schools. I lived there for a couple of years with 2 or 3 older foriegners (40's and 50's). Then the recession flipped everything around and there was a surge of hiring. I was surrounded by 22 year olds. Sometimes ok, sometimes irritating. Couldn't relate anything about life, limited intelligent conversation, too much noise and drinking at night, dormitory poor student lifestyle. It was almost embarassing to be seen with them around town.

But when I moved to a bigger city and lived by myself amongst Koreans, meeting younger or older foriegners seems more ok. I can minimize and control contact more this way. However, most my age seem married and with different interests. As for me, I like being here and my job most of the time. Also, a downturn back home is unappealing and loans still need to be paid off. Had to defer on those during my 20's and I started late to university (23ish years old when I went).

What I do hate are these arrogant young uns who assume everyone who isnt them is a loser. Lets see how well they do 10 years down the road. If you enjoy what you're doing, feel no shame and do what you like. But have a plan for life in your 50's in case you can't keep doing this. Also keep in shape and look younger.

I stress that I have met plenty of younger teachers who are decent guys and whom I liked just fine. So, it's not everyone. In the past, younger ones were in Seoul and the rest of the country seemed to have a diverse mix of age groups. The recession shaked things up and flooded more younger ones in here. Hard to say how the demographics will be when the US economy recovers.

[Julius]

[english puppet]

[fosterman]

so an Expat is 35 and some FOB is 25 and looking at him like OMG you're 35???? andyou're still here???? OMG!

well young people might stick their noses up at older guys now.

but when I am 77 and you are 67 you really gonna be sticking your nose up then?

[The Floating World]

Fosterman, I am that guy! Well not the 40 yr old one sitting in 3alley wondering what went wrong, but the 35 yr old guy who spent his first 6 yrs messing about and put nothing away.

I'm okay with it though as my financial goal only takes a year to save up for and I am now halfway there and I needed that 'blowing out' period, to get it all out of my system and mature (I'm pretty much there.)

But yeah, it's not that I don't like 20 somethings, rather I don't have the inclination or energy to socialise in the style that they like and I used to like when I was here at their age.

Spending 4 hrs in a bar drinking and shooting some pool is fine with me but the club until 4am, spending 100k on booze, not being able to hear each other speak, to music I don't like, being all crowded and bumping into one another and competing for each decent looking woman with 5 or 6 other guys is a sure track to burn out for someone my age.

I was in Shanghai recently and liked the expat bar scene there better as it's more geared to just 'people' in general and there was a steady stream of pool players (all I want these days is a steady night of pool, decent drinks and good conversation while keeping an eye out for any interesting looking ladies to talk to, which is merely the icing on the cake, no longer the SOLE reason to go out.) In Korea it's the same thing every night and is just so played out to me now as it's all set up for young esl teachers and feels like you're in a goldfish bowl and the conversations with newbs are all the same (not their fault) how long you been in korea, stories about the same job etc. In shanghai at least I socialised a little with people who weren't all in the same industry and I found that refreshing.

When you first come here being in the esl bubble is kinda comforting and cool, a shared experience, a shared adventure, an exclusive club you are a privalaged member of. Once you've been in the club for a few yrs, you start wanting to not be part of the club anymore.

I just also cannot take seriosuly anyone who doesn't want to commit violence after being subjected to lady ga ga and all the other crap music the main esl bars play all night (shudder.)

Might sound boring, but all I want is to be in a bar with others in their 30s - 50's, playing pool for a few hours, conversation that isn't centred around the esl experience and the potential to talk to some attractive ladies.

All my good friends here now are mostly in their 40's, one in his 50s and a cpl a few yrs younger than me.

[ayahyaha]

I'm in the same boat. It's absolutely possible to meet and hang out with people in their 30s, it just takes a bit longer to meet them because they probably won't be at your place of work.

I split my time between hanging out with the mid-20s crowd and the my-age crowd. They both annoy me sometimes, and they're both really fun sometimes.

So, people are out there. OP, if you decide to return to Korea, live somewhere central and go do some stuff (open mics, trivia nights, pool league, judo...stuff!) and you will meet people.

Meetup.com is awesome too.

[OBwannabe]

Thanks guys. Some of this is very encouraging.

[FaceFaceFace]

[rowdie3]

I'm 32 and I agree with what the poster said about working at adult academies. I think I am the fourth or fifth oldest right now on staff out of 11, so I don't feel old at all working there. I have friends here who have been here for the long haul and then meet new friends through them, work, or through playing poker. I definitely don't feel too old to be in the ESL game and am still enjoying life in Korea. I think anything is what you make of it, so a positive attitude and good networking will help you a lot.

[myenglishisno]

Interestingly, my last hagwon told me that they thought 22-year-olds with no experience made better teachers than experienced/older teachers. Not just any 22-year-old either, they were preferred to be white, blonde and American too. At the very least, American.

They said old teachers were too "set in their ways". The brand new teachers were more "open" and "energetic".

The main reason why I was fired was because I developed my own teaching style over years of working here which was designed to teach the students English.

The teachers that got rewards were the ones that brought candy to every class and taught the kids how to dance while simultaneously wearing a costume and running around like a trained monkey.

I took it to heart for awhile, got a job at an adult hagwon and now I feel like I was right; I teach well but hagwons like that aren't looking for good teachers. They're looking for young, foolish, Aryan clowns.

This hagwon employs more than a hundred English teachers by my count. I'm hoping this fad doesn't take off.

[edwardcatflap]

[myenglishisno]

[PatrickGHBusan]

[litebear]

[PatrickGHBusan]

My father in law worked until he was 60.

All of his male friends retired at 60.

My brother in law styarted working when he was 25 (full time), he is now 46 and nowhere near retirement....