Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ibanezhomie]

There's a lot of negativity on this board so please save that for another thread. How has moving to Korea improved you and/or your life? Did it change the way you look at the world? Are you more open-minded when it comes to new food and experiences? Did you become more independent and self-reliant when you moved away from your friends and family?

You don't have to answer these questions specifically (unless you want to), but please give some examples of how moving to Korea has changed your life AND you as a person for the better.

[NYC_Gal 2.0]

I met my husband and adopted my dog here, so that's improved my live a lot. As for the other stuff, I was open minded before moving here. I moved out of my parents' house when I was 18, but talk to them a lot more now, so I'd say that I'm closer with them now that I'm here.

[giraffe]

Generally speaking, I was doing well back home in canada. Had a good salary, wife , basically bought anything i wanted and could travel. The only bad things about living back home was the insane amount of taxes i had to pay on my salary, transportation was 3$ a ride, basically got very little for my money in terms of city services and whereever your taxe money goes. Wife ( korean) couldn't find a job and overall things were expensive ( high rent costs, high transportation costs, travelling around canada is expensive)..

Ever since moving to korea I have 5x more work ( I'm a freelance artist), I save ALOT here in korea especially since my income comes from outside of korea with the exchange rate and all( mostly because of very very very very low tax rates, low rent , any kind of transportation is dirt cheap etc..) Sure some things are more expensive in korea but For me it ends up being much cheaper to live in korea. My wife can work, wife can meet friends and family. We bought our dog here in korea. Overall all korea is just very very convenient and comfortable to live in. I especially love all the customer service and A/S service you get here. Korea is so small i get to travel and see the whole country for cheap! It's great to be able to go out of town for very very very very little money.

Soo overall financially my life is much better here than back home ( even though back home i was doing well). Korea is a good match for my life style.

And about all your posed questions... NO to all of them.. I've travelled ALOT around the world growing up so korea hasn't changed anything in me personally and I've been living away from home since I'm 17 years old...

[lemak]

I personally found the quality of life in Korea to be not all that high. Didn't enjoy socializing (yay another noraebang!) and all that second hand smoke. Meant I spent a lot of time cooking and eating at home and watching movies, playing wii etc. Sounds grim, but meant I saved a massive chunk of my pay which I could then use to "retire" for the next year or two in a more pleasant place - next to a beach in Indonesia, or next to a lake in the mountains in Nepal. Eating better food and surrounded by fewer scowls.
In many ways the time spent in Korea was a sacrifice, but gave me the funds and time to spend my life in happier, more interesting ways. Thanks Korea!

[FDNY]

1/ I've stayed relatively slim in the 16 years I have been here. Lots of free time to exercise and most Korean snacks I find quite unappealing. Unfortunatly, now, I have access to Costco (Kettle Chips) and Lotte Mart beer (Smithwicks), so it is becoming more of a challenge.

2/ Bank account is happy.

3/ Have progressed in hobbies.

4/ I almost never watch advertising. I download everything. 0% ads.

[comm]

I had already committed to trying it before deciding to come to Korea, but Korea has solidified my passion to teach

Also, it's nice being on the other side of the world from the RIAA...
(we need a pirate emoticon for the forum)

[Who's Your Daddy?]

I have made a lot of money here, and that has improved my life. But I only made so much money because I didn't follow the government's rules. So should I thank Korea? Maybe the people, but not the government, they tried to stop me.

Like the thorn on the rose.

[expattarheel]

i feel like i grew up a lot here--learned a lot about myself and learned what i *didn't* want to do for the rest of my life (teach ESL to elem. kids). i got my act in gear, went back to grad school, did well, and now i'm returning to korea on a scholarship to actually use some of my experiences to get a good job after school. If you can use your time to really mature and self-reflect, i think it goes pretty far on resumes and grad school apps. i guess it's that whole "what you put in/what you get out" thing.

also, the longer i'm away from korea, the less i remember shouting directors or "is not possible for foreigners" at the bank, and the more i fondly remember times with my friends and interactions with students in class that kept me sane when i wanted to jump out the window.

also, without even really trying to save all that much, that $10k i went home with sure didn't hurt, either.

[chungbukdo]

I think weather causes a big impact on your mood and even the entire mood of a culture.

That's why I've been spending my summers in British Columbia (right now), fall in Korea, winter in Southeast Asia, and Spring in Korea. It works great that way.

I'm really enjoying my time in BC, but I do miss Korean bbq buffets. I also have a good desktop PC, huge monitor, stereo system etc that I can't really bring to Korea. Having a car is nice, but I like being in a city with public transport like Seoul too.

Another thing I'm thankful for is the legal availability of ephedrine in Canada. I miss the medical system in Thailand the most though, since its the most affordable to me with least waiting times. I generally like hiring a maid as well as getting my laundry done in Thailand or other places in SEA. I've been meaning to find a maid in Korea but never get around to it. In Canada it would be wayy too expensive. I also hate having a lawn in Canada. I spend much more time manicuring it than I do playing in it.

Every country has its ups and downs.

[KimchiNinja]

Seeing hot chicks everyone you go, certainly beats fatties in sweatpants.

[byrddogs]

[comm]

[sml7285]

[byrddogs]

[sml7285]