Korean Job Discussion Forums

[OBwannabe]

OP, you are going to do what you are going to do and it's unlikely that anyone is going to change your mind. But I'm going t share of bit of my experience with you anyway.

I arrived in Korea to work my first contract right after Christmas several years ago. Living in Seoul gave me the impression of living in a dirty, ashphalt/concrete digusting sort of snow-globe. I felt boxed in and there was little respite from it, although I never gave up searching.

After 14 months I returned to my homeland for a 2 month break from Korea, but had already signed a contract for a second year. During my time off I regretted that I signed on again and and was dreading the day I would have to return. It was a fun and interesting experience working and living in Seoul, but really wasn't for me. But I had some financial commitments that required me to come back. So I did.

I remember flying over the ROK into Incheon airport. Looking out the window of the aircraft a blanket of anxiety fell over me. What a mistake to come back to this place again!

Exhausted and depressed I made my way through immigration and fetched my bags. I moppishly dragged them, and myself, outside in search of the bus. Well, the warm air blew over my face and it was surprisingly refreshing. I remember noticing just how green everything was for that time of year. While back in Canada things had just begun to bud. An incredible sense of relief came over me with the warm air. I wasn't quite sure why I had a sudden, and wonderful, mood swing, but I was already feeling much better.

The ride into the city was fantastic and I couldn't wait to see my fellow co-teachers at the apartment building we shared. Upon arrival they all remarked at how upbeat and happy I seemed. I really was.

That overall feeling for Seoul(and Korea) never left me. It grew year by year as I got to discover the small havens scattered throughout the city. Over time I created my own niche. The longer I stayed the happier I became. My social network expanded and I began to feel a sense of home.

I can understand that Summer is nearly here. You are likely quite young and are missing home. You probably want to get back home and enjoy your time with friends. Doing all the things you normally do, some of which are difficult do in Korea. That's fair and I wish you all the best.

Being that you are returning after spending so little time in Korea, you will likely not have any regrets because you haven't been there long enough to know what you are missing out on. And that's ok.

But to truley develop an appreciation for where you are now, takes time and effort. But the reward can be much greater than you could probably guess.

My assumption is that you are in Seoul or nearby, and I'll probably get flamed for this, but something that helped me tremendously was spending time in Itaewon. Yes, that foreigner stinkhole that so many like to shout down as Mos Eisley from Star Wars. Good dining, sports pubs, rooftop pool, rooftop beers and food. Loads of stuff similar to home.
Get involved in pool, dart, football leagues. All these things can help.

After 5 years in Korea and loving it, I returned to Canada. I thought it was something I should do considering my age and the age of my parents. But after 1.5 years here I'm ready to come back to the ROK. For good! Being abroad for so long has undamentally changed me. I'm not the same person I was when I first set food on Korean soil, but everyone from home still is.

So maybe it's better you take off now, because if you stay too long you may just become a lifer, like me.

[oppa637]

I think you need to get laid

Joking aside, 3 months in, is not enough time to make a decision.

Everytime I start a new job in the states, at the 3rd month, I've hated it. Heck, Schools the same. in general, 3 months is when it's not "new" anymore and you want to go back to your old habits.

I wonder how old you are.

Being a guy, I'd say stick it through contract. For personal reasons.

A contract is my word and I believe in honoring it. Just cause I sign for a phone contract doesn't mean I just drop it cause I found a cheaper one.

Anyways, if you must leave, just do it the right way, for you and the people who will come after you.

[Blanca]

An update, eh? How about this.

A little over 2 weeks ago I was more than ready to jack it in and fly home mid-June. Well nothing's changed in that I'm still aching for home and would gladly go at the drop of a hat, and I still intensely dislike teaching.

However, the lifestyle has got better in a big way. I've been doing a bit more stuff, getting to know a couple more people and I feel like I'm on the cusp of it getting really really good here. I've bought a guitar, am looking at buying a piano, and am entering an open mic night on Thursdays. In short, I don't think I'll be handing my notice in at the end of this week. Nor do I think I'll be handing in my notice in 5 weeks to go home in 10. However, it's still early days so I'm taking it a month at a time. My current goal is to do 7 months, maybe 8 (6 would be stupid for all sorts of reasons) and if I get to that and feel like sticking out the winter, I'll do the year.

That said, I'm still not prepared to "stick it out". As long as the weekends and occasional weekdays are good enough to be worth hating school and aching to go home, I'm going to be happy to stay. The approach to Winter is going to be a turning point. Most of my friends finish their contracts around September/October, the weather starts to get miserable and soon enough I'll be away from my friends and family for my birthday and Christmas. It's a long way off to say anything for sure but I think it'll be tough to get through that but we'll see how it goes. For now, I'm working for the weekend and having a pretty good time when it comes around, so that's what counts.

I've got a thing or two to say about anyone saying "a contract is your word, you shouldn't go back on it". Maybe, but I made that "promise" at home in England without any idea whatsoever what it would be like out here. No amount of research can prepare you for life out here, and things change when you experience it. Especially since this is my first time living as an independent adult on my own (I lived with 3 other people...in my home country...at uni). Let's put it this way - could you take seriously any promise made by a person under torture? No? Why not? A promise is a promise isn't it? An extreme example but it goes to show you can't always know what you're promising or whether you've got any chance of fulfilling it. Sometimes you "promise" things with no way of knowing if you'll fulfill it, because it gets you an opportunity. There has to be a leap of faith somewhere there, and sometimes it won't work out. People quit jobs all the time. I don't know if any of you have time to burn doing something you're not particularly keen on, spinning your wheels, but I don't. It's the reason I came here in the first place, ironically.

Anyway, that's all by the by for now. The best thing that could have happened looks to be getting off the ground - enjoying it and actually wanting to stay, even if it is only for 2 or 3 days a week.

[NilesQ]

I think your experience is the norm. I taught ESL so I could live in Korea. I didn't live in Korea so I could teach ESL. The job isn't what keeps most people here, IMHO. Having fun and experiencing an interesting new place is the reward. Most of us struggle through the job. After a while we get used to it. Some of us even get good at it/start to enjoy it.

Once I resigned myself to the fact that the job wasn't why I was here, it got easier to do. Like anything else, there is a skill to it. It takes time to develop that skill. I'm back in Canada now working at a big company. Whenever a meeting is called that my dept needs to present something quick with no time to prepare, I often get asked to do it. I have tons of experience with walking into a room cold and entertaining/distracting/explaining/giving a lesson with 5 min of prep and let it fly. That is what scared and frustrated me when I first started teaching in Korea. It's now the gift that I've taken from my time in Korea. I can walk into a room full of people and talk for 45 min with no preperation. Korea helped me become a good public speaker.

[likeanyother]

Thanks for giving us an update, Blanca. I was curious as to how your situation was progressing. It's really cool of you to give an honest rundown of your feelings and your experience. I'm glad you've found some things to enjoy and some reasons to stay here for a while.

And yeah, teaching sucks. I think there's a select few people for whom teaching is fun and natural, but most of us here aren't 'real' (ie career) teachers, we're here for the experience of living abroad and the travel. There have been periods where I've felt like quitting everyday. But there are also days where I really love it, and the kids are great. So things have a way of balancing out. Anyway. Good luck!

[Blanca]

Also, for anyone that was wondering, I've started to get a handle on my cyclothymia a bit better. Since I discovered you can order 5-HTP (my "medication" - actually herbal-type stuff but extremely good) off the internet for next to nothing I've started being more liberal with my dose (considering I've only got about 50 left). 1 a day wasn't enough so I'm now on 2 a day, which sometimes sends me a bit mental (I had a day of walking everywhere with clenched fists and my thoughts racing the other day), but it's better than before. Good days and bad days.

The condition itself isn't bad enough to require any medication really. They'd only give me Lithium for it, and even then only if the 5-HTP was ineffective.