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| How many years for you in Korea? |
| I don't think I can hang on until the end of year one |
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4% |
[ 4 ] |
| Just one year and not a day more |
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17% |
[ 17 ] |
| Two years, one year seemed too short |
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11% |
[ 11 ] |
| 3-4 years |
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27% |
[ 27 ] |
| I'm a lifer with no plans to return home anytime soon |
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31% |
[ 31 ] |
| More than 4 but less than a lifetime |
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10% |
[ 10 ] |
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| Total Votes : 100 |
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jazblanc77
Joined: 22 Feb 2004
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 Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 8:44 am Post subject: |
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Good to know about citizenship and military service. Thanks!
I was wondering how we would pull off returning to Canada for childbirth anyways as I have cancelled my healthcare completely and have no intentions of filing for even permanent citizenship for my wife. |
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SuperHero
Joined: 10 Dec 2003
Location: Superhero Hideout
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| Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 5:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Hollywoodaction wrote: |
| Not enough options. I fall in the '6 to 7 years' category. I've been here for about 8 years. The country keeps changing for the better, so I'm in no hurry to relocate just yet. |
Me too.. I just started year 8 and I can foresee at least another 4 years maybe more. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 7:15 pm Post subject: |
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| posco's trumpet wrote: |
| One might want to be suspicious of any foreigner who willingly stays in a locale with a long history of open hostility toward non-natives (whether that locale is rural Alabama or anywhere else). |
I'd be more suspicious of any foreigner who keeps promoting hatred. |
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dutchman
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: My backyard
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| Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 5:35 am Post subject: |
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| Been here nine years and am ready to leave. Had no major problems living here until we made the definite decison to move to the States in early 2005. It's pretty hard to live in Korea now. We just returned from a 3 week vacation in Michigan. My wife and I didn't want to come back to Korea. It's pretty depressing living here (the weather isn't helping though). I dread teaching another semester (even though it will be my last). I can't wait to move back and get started on the next chapter. |
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Eazy_E
Joined: 30 Oct 2003
Location: British Columbia, Canada
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| Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 5:40 am Post subject: |
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Dutchman, I'm just curious: why did it take you nine years to get sick of Korea? I assumed it was something that you would be used to after a few years. You must have a pretty good handle on the language, and maybe you've secured a good university gig.
Maybe, like me, the end is in sight for you and that makes it harder to go through the motions for the last stretch of your time here. |
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dutchman
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: My backyard
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| Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 5:41 am Post subject: |
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| Eazy_E wrote: |
Maybe, like me, the end is in sight for you and that makes it harder to go through the motions for the last stretch of your time here. |
Thats exactly it. It's not so much a dislike of Korea as an eagerness to move on. |
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kiwiboy_nz_99
Joined: 05 Jul 2003
Location: ...Enlightenment...
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| Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 5:42 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
One might want to be suspicious of any foreigner who willingly stays in a locale with a long history of open hostility toward non-natives (whether that locale is rural Alabama or anywhere else).
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One might want to be suspicious of Posco's Trumpet. He is, after all, a fop ... |
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gomurr
Joined: 04 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 5:57 am Post subject: |
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| Should have the Godfather category for those who have 7+ years but are not neccessarily lifers. I'm almost finished year 8 but this is my last contract come March. I agree Korea has gotten alot better in some ways but I find that I just don't like Korean Society as whole. It's a love/hate relationship, I love the job and kids but hate the parents and the way society generally acts. |
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Neil
Joined: 02 Jan 2004
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 7:13 am Post subject: |
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| I'm currently approaching the 6 month mark of my first year. I'm enjoying life here a lot. I think the quality of life here is superior to my home town due to (relativly) high wages, free accomodation and a cheap standard of living. I'm currently thinking about what to do at the end of my contract and the main factor is really the language. I'm studying it at the moment but I still suck.....badly. If I convince myself I'm heading in the right direction then I'll stay for another year. If however I get to the say 10 month mark and I still suck then sod staying for another year of not being able to talk to anyone! |
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Eazy_E
Joined: 30 Oct 2003
Location: British Columbia, Canada
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| Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 5:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Neil wrote: |
| I'm currently approaching the 6 month mark of my first year. I'm enjoying life here a lot. I think the quality of life here is superior to my home town due to (relativly) high wages, free accomodation and a cheap standard of living. I'm currently thinking about what to do at the end of my contract and the main factor is really the language. I'm studying it at the moment but I still suck.....badly. If I convince myself I'm heading in the right direction then I'll stay for another year. If however I get to the say 10 month mark and I still suck then sod staying for another year of not being able to talk to anyone! |
I know people who have been here for 3+ years and still can't say the simplest things in Korean. You really don't NEED to know how to carry on a conversation but it would really make life here more enjoyable. But good on you for trying. You might find that towards the end of your year, your enthusiasm for studying the language will decline considerably if you're not sure that you're coming back. That's been the case for me. |
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mokpochica
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
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| Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2004 4:56 pm Post subject: |
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| dutchman wrote: |
| Been here nine years and am ready to leave. Had no major problems living here until we made the definite decison to move to the States in early 2005. It's pretty hard to live in Korea now. We just returned from a 3 week vacation in Michigan. My wife and I didn't want to come back to Korea. It's pretty depressing living here (the weather isn't helping though). I dread teaching another semester (even though it will be my last). I can't wait to move back and get started on the next chapter. |
Dutchman---if you ever want to hang out in Michigan you can look Mr. mokpochica and myself up. We are a Korean and American couple too.
And responding to the original post... I lived in Korea for 2 years and really liked it. We plan on going back to live for a few years someday...after we have children. We want the kids to learn Korean and know their Korean family. Anyway, that is the plan now. And if it doesn't work out that way because of our careers then at the very least we will spend several summers there. |
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BabeRuth
Joined: 01 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2004 6:57 pm Post subject: |
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| gomurr wrote: |
| Should have the Godfather category for those who have 7+ years but are not neccessarily lifers. I'm almost finished year 8 but ... |
right on. i'm into my 13th year and everything seems so wonderful. all the money, the girls, the cake-walk position, and even the food seems to just be getting better and better. however, i feel i'm gradually being lulled into a false sense of sercurity. after all, no matter how long we stay, how much this alien place feels like home, we will always be foreigners here, and so will our children.
gomurr, that's a mighty fine avatar you got there! and, that's the cutest kid i think i've ever seen on this board...except for mine, of course.
Go Chiefs, brother. |
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krats1976
Joined: 14 May 2003
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| Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2004 7:37 pm Post subject: Re: How many years for you in Korea? |
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| Eazy_E wrote: |
| How many of you are staying for more than one year, |
Meeee! August 2 was my first anniversary in Korea. The first six months were hell. The last 6 months went by so fast I got whiplash. In January I was looking for jobs back in the States or Spain and had sworn off Korean food. Now I've committed to 2 more years and I'm eatin' kimchee like a native... well, water kimchee anyway.
| Quote: |
| and what made you stay? |
Simple... a wicked awesome contract at a foreign school. Been here 3 weeks and I'm happy as a clam. I've still got my eye on Spain after my contract finishes here, but I think I'll enjoy the 2 years in the interim.
Admittedly, I am a bit homesick. I haven't been home since I got to Korea, and I don't get to go till December, but otherwise I'm quite content.  |
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The Man known as The Man
Joined: 29 Mar 2003
Location: 3 cheers for Ted Haggard oh yeah!
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| Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2004 9:08 pm Post subject: |
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| kiwiboy_nz_99 wrote: |
| Quote: |
One might want to be suspicious of any foreigner who willingly stays in a locale with a long history of open hostility toward non-natives (whether that locale is rural Alabama or anywhere else).
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One might want to be suspicious of Posco's Trumpet. He is, after all, a fop ... |
So true. |
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itaewonguy
Joined: 25 Mar 2003
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| Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2004 11:35 pm Post subject: |
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I doubt VERY MUCH anyone here is here for EVER!!
NOWAY!! yeah like you guys are going to be 65 - 70 retired here!!!
die in korea?????
what a waste of a life!!! |
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