Korean Job Discussion Forums

teachingld2004 · Joined: 29 Mar 2004

I am sick and tired of hearing people complain about Korea. If you don't like it here, GO HOME.

Yep, there are plenty of things here that drive me nuts, but then again, there are plenty of things I love about this place.

Do I hate going for a Visa every year? Yep. Do I hate motorcycles on the street that scare me half out of my mind? Do I hate the pushing and the shoving, even when the streets are quite empty? Yep. And I could go on an on about the things I hate.

Do I love the fact tht I feel safe here? Yep. Do I love the fact that I work with great people and do not pay rent? Yep. Do I love how easy the subway system is? Yep. So screw me, I love the food. And (mostly) I love the people.

In America I taught Special Ed. Was I treated well by the supervisor? Nope. Was I respected by the parents? Nope. DId the principal kiss the parents butts and treat the teachers like second class migrant workers? Yep. Did I get a great pay check, but pay super high rent and bills? Yep. Was I able to save any money, nope. Was I scared to go out after dark? Yep.

There are plenty of thibngs wrong here, but plenty of things right. At home there are plenty of things wrong, and plenty of things right.

We are here cause we choose to be here. So many "teachers" are here because they would not be able to get jobs in their own countries. Would a boss at home keep a person who came to work hung over, or dressed like they slept in their clothes? Certainly not.

There are plenty of great teachers here, and plenty of not so great teachers. I love it here, so I stay.

numazawa · Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Location: The Concrete Barnyard

Whoa, nice rant!

Now please take a bit of refreshment and come back for another round. Very Happy

thepeel · Joined: 08 Aug 2004

Was that an original post? Nope. Did it have something new to offer? No. Does pissing and moaning on an internet site disqualify one from being here? Nope. Is the poster likely an unkempt, self-righteous Canadian who actually thinks she/he is a real "teacher". Yep.
Is posting in a question and answer to oneself style annoying? Yep.

lastat06513 · Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 3:14 am Post subject:

I understand your rant,

But I honestly think that it is out of perspective, first of all.

There are several reasons why people rant negatively about korea;

1. Here, people have the secrecy to say thing that they wouldn't normally say in public in fear of hurting people's feelings.
I, for one, love living here, but sometimes things can't get unbearable and sometimes downright intolerable.

2. Sometimes they want to know why people do the things they do here. Korea is very different culturally and spiritually and they just want to rant about something that doesn't noramlly make sense to them.

3. Sometimes people want to breathe life into this forum by creating a debate that will draw in both positive and negative responses (IE Trolling), which is good because it allows other members of the forum to logically (and in most cases, illogically) discuss different issues and get a variety of thoughts on them.

But....what gets me is that people who can't tolerate others thoughts, no matter how negative they are. THIS IS, above all, SUPPOSE TO BE A FREE FORUM......People should have the freedom to say what they want without the fear of being criticized along the way.

I'm sorry to say this, but if you can't tolerate how others feel about living and working here, you can;

1. Go to another site.
2. Stop reading all the negative posts and only read the ones you like.
3. Start writing your own positive posts that might outweigh the negative ones.
4. Open your mind.
5. Go home.

The world is made up of many kinds of people. Some of these people made their way to Korea, if you can't accept them, turn around and walk away.

You have the freedom to, remember that!....

indytrucks · Joined: 09 Apr 2003 Location: The Shelf

lastat06513 · Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 3:17 am Post subject:

double post**

thepeel · Joined: 08 Aug 2004

Satori · Joined: 09 Dec 2005 Location: Above it all

Is "If you don't like it here go home" the most tired cliche on this board? Yep.

Are people who say "If you don't like it here go home" the most irritating kind of foriegners here? Yep.

laogaiguk · Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Location: somewhere in Korea

thepeel · Joined: 08 Aug 2004

numazawa · Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Location: The Concrete Barnyard

Two questions: Who is Ed, and why is he special?

Homer · Guest

While I understand the OPs feelings on this issue, I disgaree with the "go home" solution.

I do agree he puts living here as opposed to back home in perspective (nicely done). Too many of us start turning home into some sort of utopia in reaction to problems we encounter here (regardless of if the problems are of our own making or not!).

Sometimes however, some people do get screwed badly. They have every right to complain. What should be avoided however is to turn this experience into an all inclusive brush used to paint all of Korea in a negative light or to use the experience as some excuse to spue racist crap all over Korea. There is a big gap between the two.....

I also cannot understand why someone who truly hates it here would stay more than a year when there are many teaching opportunities elsewhere or perhaps job opportunities back home. That is just hurting oneself intentionally and then ranting about it...no very smart or very sane...

Shooter McGavin · Joined: 22 Nov 2005 Location: ROK

bobbyhanlon · Joined: 09 Nov 2003 Location: 서울

i also love it here, and i left all manner of 'real' opportunities back home.
if you hate korea, then fine! but equally, some of you guys bitch and moan every time someone actually seems to be enjoying themself here.
believe it or not, it is possible to live in korea and have a good life.

thepeel · Joined: 08 Aug 2004

Bottom line, people come for one year and generally stick out their contract. They then go home and resume their normal life. While here, they realize that all the tolerance and multicultural indoctrination was BS and start to piss and moan about their quality of life and the nature of Korean society, as they experience it.

I go home in May. Until then I will piss and moan as much as I feel like. Korea is a mess culturally, socially and politically. I'm comfortable with trash talking the elephant in the living room.

So, you go on being a "teacher" in a "school" in this "country". 10 years down the road, when you have aged 30 years and haven't banged your K-husband/wife since the Beijing Olympics, you will surely wish you had bailed too.

Can you take that to the bank? Yes.