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schwa
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Yap
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 Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2005 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Bon voyage. |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2005 8:44 pm Post subject: |
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| dimitri25 wrote: |
| By the way, yo soy latino y filipino...I'm not white. |
Kumusta Kayo y Como Estas?
Maligayang Pagadating sa Korea! |
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Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Location: the crib
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| Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2005 8:53 pm Post subject: |
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| dimitri25 wrote: |
Yeah, i'll find out the details before i get on the plane. i am so hyped and ready to go....a lil' nervous though. I just hope that i have no visa problems. I filled out the application at the consulate, paid the US$45, and gave my visa confirmation number, but i left out on the application an address and phone number of a contact in Korea. I'm thinking that shouldn't be a problen b/c the recruiting agency already gave me a visa confirmation number. Anyways, i pick up the visa Monday afternoon (assuming it is not denied by some technicality) and have to be on the plane by Tuesday morning. Hope everything goes as smoothly as it has been.
By the way, yo soy latino y filipino...I'm not white. |
My bad, assumed from the Texas origin.  |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2005 9:04 pm Post subject: |
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| The person meeting you at the airport may well be your agent - if someone is actually meeting you. Exchange a decent supply of won while still in the US. If you're starting 1 Dec., you may not get your first paycheque until 5-10 January. I hope you're not coming here broke. You'll get to your new place, which could be all right or a dive, late at night and probably start work the next day. In the morning it will be a lot chillier than Houston. The first day will be the day of first impressions. Dress a bit smart and be shaved and well groomed but don't over-do it. Otherwise, you've basically entered a crap shoot. You could have the most wonderful or most miserable experience of your life and whether that happens is *not* all up to you but mostly dumb luck. |
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jayjayjay
Joined: 27 Aug 2005
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| Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2005 9:45 pm Post subject: |
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On your way out of Houston could you stop by Chewy's and pick up a couple of gallons of salsa and 15 dozen fresh flour tortillias???
Good luck! |
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rapier
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2005 3:19 am Post subject: |
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| joe_doufu wrote: |
| Save yourself now! Go to Taiwan instead! |
yep  ...don't even get the ball rolling with korea. Change tickets for Japan, taiwan, China,....Afghanistan, Liberia, ..anywhere but korea. |
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dimitri25
Joined: 19 Nov 2005
Location: S. Korea
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| Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2005 6:25 pm Post subject: |
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| jayjayjay wrote: |
On your way out of Houston could you stop by Chewy's and pick up a couple of gallons of salsa and 15 dozen fresh flour tortillias???
Good luck! |
Gosh, I guess that means I won't be eating chips and salsa for a while, eh?
Kamosta ka Tiger Beer. Y saludos a todos de Uds.
Well, I'm counting down...leaving in a lil' over 48 hours!!! Hope my place turns out to be decent, I get to sleep in my apartment the night i arrive, and everything on the contract is honored. Guess I'm soon to find out.
Laterz.....  |
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Jensen
Joined: 30 Mar 2003
Location: hippie hell
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| Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2005 7:33 pm Post subject: |
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| dimitri25 wrote: |
| ... and everything on the contract is honored... |
Best of luck to you, seriously. But I keep thinking of John Goodman's line from TBL..."YOU ARE ENTERING A WORLD OF PAIN!!"...
You will probably have a great time and overcome all your difficulties and learn a lot.
But you need to expect that you will likely encounter shades and manners of racism you never dreamed of. Not always in-your-face confrontations, but subtle absurdities that hurt and shock more because because they come from unexpected sources.
Not that you will listen, or even should, but it would be unfair of me not to lend my voice to those chanting "Run, run while you can... |
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mole
Joined: 06 Feb 2003
Location: Act III
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| Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 1:27 am Post subject: |
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| dimitri25 wrote: |
Gosh, I guess that means I won't be eating chips and salsa for a while, eh? |
Nah, tortilla chips are easy to find. Pace picante is available. Bring taco seasoning and chile mix, though. |
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hogwonguy1979
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: the racoon den
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| Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 2:30 am Post subject: |
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BRING TACO SEASONING!!!!!!!!!!!!
It has to be the hardest thing to find here, even the black market stores (you will learn about them soon enough) cant keep enough of it in stock.
BTW you won't be able to exchange $ to won in the US but there will be no problem at the airport here.
If nobody meets you at the airport, there are plenty of info desks to help you on where to get the bus to Daejon, should run about 20,000 won. Buses are pretty comfy. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 10:23 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="dimitri25"]
| jayjayjay wrote: |
and everything on the contract is honored. Guess I'm soon to find out.
Laterz..... |
Another important piece of advice I'd give everyone is to choose your battles carefully. There are some things worth fighting for or over and some things that are not; some things you can change and some you can't. Every person is different, but don't sweat the small stuff - save yourself for when big problems come along and remember that if you're working for a hogwan, teaching effectively may actually not be on their list of priorities, although pleasing the parents will be. However, this does not mean you should let yourself get walked over. It sounds like you have a good attitude, but remember that you need a balance of this and spine to make your year(s) a good one(s). |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 1:27 am Post subject: |
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| mole wrote: |
| dimitri25 wrote: |
Gosh, I guess that means I won't be eating chips and salsa for a while, eh? |
Nah, tortilla chips are easy to find. Pace picante is available. Bring taco seasoning and chile mix, though. |
| hogwonguy1979 wrote: |
BRING TACO SEASONING!!!!!!!!!!!!
It has to be the hardest thing to find here |
Yep.. nice call. You'll miss it if you don't bring it!
True though - salsa & tortilla chips are easy to find.. taco seasoning is very difficult to find. |
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jayjayjay
Joined: 27 Aug 2005
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| Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 3:16 am Post subject: |
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| hogwonguy1979 wrote: |
BRING TACO SEASONING!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Cilantro would be a good call as well, and it wouldn't take up much space, but it's probably too late now... |
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Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Location: the crib
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| Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 10:02 am Post subject: |
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| hogwonguy1979 wrote: |
BRING TACO SEASONING!!!!!!!!!!!!
It has to be the hardest thing to find here, even the black market stores (you will learn about them soon enough) cant keep enough of it in stock.
BTW you won't be able to exchange $ to won in the US but there will be no problem at the airport here.
If nobody meets you at the airport, there are plenty of info desks to help you on where to get the bus to Daejon, should run about 20,000 won. Buses are pretty comfy. |
Good call on the taco seasoning. I stocked up on that and tortillas when I went to Thailand.
However, it is possible to exchange $ for W in the US. I did it through bank of America. You can't do it right there at the counter, but it only takes a couple days to have it delivered.
Too late for the OP now, but just thought I'd mention it. Airport may be easier, though, 'tis true.
Q. |
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Babayaga
Joined: 28 May 2005
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| Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 12:23 pm Post subject: |
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Even if you arrive late at night and all exhausted, still expect your Korean co--workers, e.g. Korean head teacher, to pile up in your apt and keep you up with pointless conversation. After I was picked up by my director and briefed about my activities the next day, I still had to deal with a head teacher and be told exactly the same thing in a lousy, time--consuming English. Also expect your room-mate to jump straight into discussing shopping arrangements the moment you step through the door. My room--mate was so consumed with the desire to save every "f*cking" won, that she right away had to suggest that we should be sharing groceries.
Last edited by Babayaga on Mon Nov 28, 2005 12:34 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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