Korean Job Discussion Forums

[byrddogs]

So, the holiday is right around the corner and it's time to receive gifts. I work at a Korean school in China these days, and we got our Chuseok gift from school today. It was one of those toiletries gift sets (lots of smelly soap, weird toothpaste, and shampoo/conditioner). I'm thankful, as I'll just pass this on to the wife. My Korean teacher colleagues were a bit disappointed, since they got this instead of the usual bonus that they were used to back in-country there. The best gift for me is the 9 days paid time off. Thanks Korea and China for having this wonderful time to celebrate.

What did you guys get, if anything yet?

[rowdie3]

We get a choice between soap/shampoo set, wine set, tuna set, and vitamins. Went with the shampoo this year. Love Chuseok gift sets!!

[deizio]

Everyone at my company got some vouchers that you have to spend at outdoor markets, something to do with helping small businesses. Haven't tried them yet but it includes hundreds of places including all of Namdaemun so not just limited to fish and flowers. Apparently some stall holders will swap these things for cash for a commission but I'll try to stay in the spirit and spread them around.

Bottle of wine for everyone too. The third "gift" is that you can take Tuesday off without going through the vacation request procedure, but they will still charge you a day. I booked the whole week off months ago so kinda moot for me.

[Hugo85]

Tuna/spam set.. as a student it was cool

[oppa637]

Got 100k won for online shopping. I bought a Polaroid camera with it.

[Flashcard_Queen]

So far, a box with about 20 packages of laver for making kimbap. I've made my own in the past, and will again at some point, but when it costs so little to buy at the local kimbap shops, it seems like a waste of time to make myself; cutting up all the veggies, frying egg, cooking rice on the stove, since I don't own a rice cooker.

I'll be giving a lot of it to my sister-in-law.

Still, it's the thought that counts.

[Porksta]

Got a 50000 Shinsegae gift certificate from my boss. That's it.

[andrewchon]

I got a slice of red bean rice cake. Teachers got together and played tee-ball. We ate un-roasted peanuts, boiled pig feets, heavily marinated fowl flesh of some kind (fairly sure it wasn't chicken), AND crickets marinated in soy-sauce.

[HANGRY]

Socks.

I must have been a bad boy this year.

[waynehead]

Cooking oil set. I don't think I've bought canola/olive oil in the last coupla years, we always get the same gift on holidays.

[Who's Your Daddy?]

I have a full time public school job. I've worked for the district for 6 years and never got a present. Well actually, one year they gave me a present, but then they called my cell after I'd left and asked me to return it, because it was for a Korean teacher.

I also work part-time at a hogwon. They have always given me a holiday present.

In the two years I worked full time at hogwons they also gave me holiday presents.

The EPIK program sure makes it's teachers feel valued! There's some cultural experience for you.

[Son Deureo!]

[madoka]

[orosee]

Got nothing, not even a half day off

FWIW, my previous company gave all employees 4 kilos of New Zealand steak (took me 12 months to finish it, only to find out that the final kilo was Bulgogi styled and pretty much ruined for normal eating). The year before, it was a huge box of rice cake that had turned all green when I opened the box 3 weeks later

Best thing this company has done this year was allow all employees to not come to the office on Tuesday, for the price of one annual leave day

[Zyzyfer]

100,000 won for some sort of traditional market chain called Onnuri. No clue what that is. A lot of people paid the penalty to cash them in.

I got one of them Shinsegae certificates last time and yeah, those are pretty handy.