Korean Job Discussion Forums

ninjamonkey

any takers?

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

terrible

kermo · Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2005 1:43 am Post subject:

I got here in August, settled into a one-room apartment in a very small town. I remember the hum of the cicadas and the rowdy magpies. I didn't have much to do at work, so I spent a lot of time walking down alleys and among the farms during the day, enjoying the air conditioner and marvelling at wild and weird Korean television at night.

I learned to read and pronounce Hangul (written Korean), and learned how to count, say hello and thank you. I wrote constantly, recording my experiences, communicating with family and fighting off home-sickness. I took photos of everything, then lost my camera.

I had a pass to Everland, given to me by my school, so I wandered up and down the hills, restricting myself to one ride per visit to make the fascination last.

alwynjo · Joined: 18 Jan 2005 Location: Daejeon, South Korea

Funny you should ask - Friday marked one month in Korea!
It wasn't any where nearly as bad as I had expected ... after hearing of some of people's horror stories.
We spent the first week in a 'love' motel, and we just watched classes. Week 2 we moved into our flat....which is much nicer and much bigger than I expected...and it has air con!!!
I had a pretty cruisy timetable at work too....

Although month 2 is looking to be worse/harder than month 1....a heavier timetable...and its soooooooo hot outside!

But im sure I will enjoy it. I have so far.

Hans Blix · Joined: 31 Mar 2005

absolute non-stop 24 hr partying. then i got a job.

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

Emotional. Quickly learn to jettison your teacher fantasies... classes full of eager students struggling to learn English. It's nothing like Dead Poet Society, by gum.

Gopher · Joined: 04 Jun 2005

[deleted]

just because · Joined: 01 Aug 2003 Location: Changwon - 4964

awesome time....I drank like a madman, met some great people and travelled to quite a few cities...

Sure didn't save any money though

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

My first month was completely disorienting. No one met me at the airport because the co-teacher wanted me to fly on Northwestern and I came on United. So he ignored me when I told the school the arrival time and airline. I was put up in an apartment but the co-teacher and his wife were 'jealous' of their free time and wouldn't give me any information about where the grocery stores were or anything else. I arrived in '94 when there were no English words on any storefronts--I got lost a lot. I found the grocery store in the basement of a building by accident. We quarrelled about the one Teacher's Manual because he didn't want to share it.

After a week I was called in by my boss and told I was moving. When I asked when, he said, "Tonight". I was shifted from a two bedroom place to a shoe box in another neighborhood without an English speaker for miles around.

At the end of the month the two co-workers went postal and attacked the wongjongnim with their umbrellas. They moved away that weekend. The new teacher that arrived over the weekend and I had to add the students from the runaway teachers to our classes.

matthewwoodford · Joined: 01 Oct 2003 Location: Location, location, location.

rapier · Joined: 16 Feb 2003

I have to say the first morning i woke up in korea, I cried my eyes out in the bathroom. It was very emotional- to be left to explore everything myself, left alone in an appartment in this really new and strange place. Very interesting, stimulating..but intimidating.

struggled to do even the basics- go shopping etc by myself.

it was a special time, really, that first week. It took me 10 days until I discovered Itaewon, of course.

Zyzyfer · Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2005 6:24 am Post subject:

Oh, the usual when you're stuck in some small town, meeting new faces, drinking a lot, treating going to Seoul like some bizarre adventure, all that jazz.

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

livinginkorea · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Location: Korea, South of the border

My first day of teaching I was put in front of a group of adults and I had no idea of their level so I was pretty nervous. Everything that I experienced then in the first month has been erased by Noraebang and Soju so it can't have been that great!! I surely able to drink too much and me being Irish, well let's say I got a bit of a name for myself in a very small town!!

Having said that I much perfer where I am in life now. I guess the most people do.

SHANE02 · Joined: 04 Jun 2003

I arrived at 6 a.m and was dropped at the appt. Couldnt sleep due to the dam cicadas. Was told to be at school by 12 to teach. I had taught before so actually the hagwon stuff was easy.....once I found the school.

I was so lucky to have a great first roomate (THANKS!) He showed me the ropes and introduced me on the first night to the joy of soju. I will never forget that headache.

I think if your lucky and you meet the right people early on then the the first month flies by.