Korean Job Discussion Forums

Universalis · Joined: 17 Nov 2003 Location: Seoul

In a way, yea.

I've been in Korea a long time... I've attended a Korean university, I've opened a cafe here, and yes, I've taught English here, so I like to think I've graduated beyond "common English teacher" status, which seems to be the norm among most westerners in Korea.

So yea, I try to avoid the usual bitch sessions that are so common when foreigners get together. I know, I'm not perfect, because sometimes things do get to me (still) and I end up doing my fair share of bitching, usually on my blog.

But frankly, life is too short, and I have enough problems of my own without having to listen to people bitch about this, that, or the other thing involving life in Korea. I know it's been said before, but really, if it is all that bad here, leave.

So I try to be a bit selective about the types of foreigners I hang out with. My current hagwon co-workers seem like a pretty stand-up bunch... the type of people who keep pointless bitching to a minimum. I like that... The rest of my friends here tend to be other long-timers who have a grudging admiration, like I do, of life in Korea.

Brian

captain kirk · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

'Why would anyone want to come to Korea? The fantastic beaches?'

Pusan has some great beaches. I've been using the metal detector at Haeundae (1.5kms long). And when that beach had an event, stage set up, too many people, went to nearby Songtaen (spelling not right Smile

beach which is 1.2kms. In case you're wondering in four hours I found 8,000 won in W500 and W100, a cheap ring, what looks like a 50 cal bullet maybe fired from offshore during the Korean war (all corroded and crusted up). While I was there foreigners and Koreans were surfing. Yup, wetsuits, and actual surfboards. The waves were curling, but not enough 'pipe' to run sideways through. The waves looked to be about, I dunno, six to eight feet high. Don't quote me on that Smile

. Point is they were having a blast.

Corporal · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

Cedar · Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2004 5:57 am Post subject:

I had a pretty negative opinion of most foreigners in Korea, but the university I am working at now only has one apple that -might- be going soft, and no rotten apples at all! I am pretty lucky to have met some of my co-workers in fact. And the students in my GSIS program, many of them are really interesting and a lot of those interesting ones are foreigners (of course most of them have never been English teachers).

Ody · Joined: 27 Jan 2003 Location: over here

[yawn]

kiwiboy_nz_99 · Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Location: ...Enlightenment...

The Man known as The Man · Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2004 9:45 am Post subject:

The Man known as The Man · Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2004 9:48 am Post subject:

kiwiboy_nz_99 · Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Location: ...Enlightenment...

Corporal · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

Corporal · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

kiwiboy_nz_99 · Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Location: ...Enlightenment...

Corporal · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

Oh please. Busted me? You asked for sources. I provided MANY sources one of which happened to be a Christian couple who are big on abstinence. I didn't know that, but big deal!

kiwiboy_nz_99 · Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Location: ...Enlightenment...

shawner88 · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

I've been a lot of "interesting" Kiwis in Bupyeong. That's a great party town with a lot of foreigners who congregate from Incheon-Seoul.