Korean Job Discussion Forums

schwa · Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Location: Yap

I felt quite at home from the get-go.

Arrived on a friday evening & my first event was pitchers of beer with my new coworkers in a comfortable cafe. Slept like a baby that night & woke to a dazzling view of mountains & greenery.

Korea (Sokcho especially) has treated me very well for 5 years now. Never felt a hint of culture shock.

uberscheisse · Joined: 02 Dec 2003 Location: japan is better than korea.

i was jet lagged and tired. my director insisted on driving me all over the city to see all the "most famous places in korea" i felt like i'd been on a 72 hour crack binge...

i went to bed at about 7pm and woke up at 5am. read a lot, got to teaching right away.

the rest has been pretty damned smooth. korea is easy if you're not a bedwetting crybaby.

oneiros · Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Location: Villa Straylight

marista99 · Joined: 05 Jun 2004 Location: Incheon

I arrived in Korea two days ago, and so yesterday morning was my first morning here. Actually, I felt excited. I woke up around 4am and could not get back to sleep, so I busied myself with unpacking, TV and reading until it got to be around 9. Then I went out and walked around. I went to the supermarket, about four mini-marts, dunkin donuts, and actually found a PC Bang, where I e-mailed home to tell them I arrived safely.

I was surprised, but I really felt fine. I find the fact that I can't read any of the signs unsettling, but mostly I like it here and I'm happy.

By the way, what's up with Koreans' obsession with the word "happy"? My tea kettle has the following inscription on it: "We are always happy, happy. We always look to a better tomorrow. Happy story." Now that, I really don't get.

desultude · Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2004 12:07 am Post subject:

bucheon bum · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

"Crap, I'm living with an alcoholic- again. Crap, this is going to be one long year. Crap, I don't want to put up with bratty kids all day."

Yeah, nice positive thoughts when I arrived Smile

. Things got worse for the first 6 weeks then improved from then on. Last 6 months were quite enjoyable- so much so I came back for another year.

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

I thought that the north was invading due to the loud speakers from the fruit trucks...

hojucandy · Joined: 03 Feb 2003 Location: In a better place

Sleepy in Seoul · Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2004 7:08 pm Post subject:

I woke up to the noise from hell - the vegetable trucks. I had no idea what it was. It took me a long time to become used to it. I slept with ear plugs for the first year because of those fiends!!

VanIslander · Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2004 7:54 pm Post subject:

I felt like a million won!

The afternoon before, I had a nice van ride from Gimhae airport near Busan to the island, with the recruiter and two nice associates. Nobody was working because it was the presidential election just before Christmas. A lively political debate broke out between advocates of the two candidates and I learned a lot about various issues on that trip.

When we arrived, my director greeted me and showed me my wonderful apartment, a relatively newer rooftop 10 pyeong with a view of the ocean and mountains. I wasn't tired because I had negotiated into my contract a night over in Osaka, Japan. So, after unpacking, I had time to go for a walk around town and to the beach before a fine night's sleep, knowing my director would come and get me at 10 am to show me the hagwon.

I awoke at dawn and all was right with the world.

I can't say the same for the following day, but that's another story.

Ryst Helmut · Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2004 8:33 pm Post subject:

confused....had prostitutes at my door (was put up in a love hotel), not sure if I had to pay....ok ok ok ok...HOW MUCH to pay....

!shoosh

Ryst

Falstaff · Joined: 14 Jan 2004 Location: Ansan

I'll post my answer to this soon, as I catch my flight in about 6 hours.

ajuma · Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Location: Anywere but Seoul!!

After reading all the other posts...MINE IS THE BEST!!!!

After being picked up at the airport (flight was an hour late...got in at almost midnight), I was taken to (what I now know to be) a love hotel. I left the bulk of my luggage in the car and my "hosts" said "We'll be here at 9 am.".

Silly me! Had NO idea about "Korean time!" Like a good little western girl, I was ready at 8:45. And I waited....and waited....and waited...."They" finally called at 10:30 and said they had car trouble and would be there "around lunchtime." Silly me again...I thought "lunchtime" was NOON!!!!

Hadn't changed any money...no where to go...I was out in the middle of nowhere...(thinking about my mother's questions about "white slavery"...) No luggage... Nothing to eat (the love hotel's owners finally took pity on me)...I ate SOMETHING on a newspaper-coverd table with flies swarming around...the inevitable (sp??) toilet paper....

FINALLY, they showed up around 2:30 and said "It's too late to drive to Ulsan...we'll fly". Got to Ulsan at about 5 (maybe???? )....and the rest of the day was a blurr....can't remember much...tired...jet lagged....

But I'm still here!! Laughing

marista99 · Joined: 05 Jun 2004 Location: Incheon

butter808fly · Joined: 09 May 2004 Location: Northern California, USA

well since my first wake up in this country happened less than a week ago... I felt quite the same except the room was different, I was tired and hungry and like someone else said.. didnt know what to do about it. I was ready to see this neon city that I arrived in the night before. Im not sure which I still like better, the neon lite sky at night or all the colorful advertisements during the day.

I like this country so far! Very dynamic and everyone has a cell phone and camera. Smile