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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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Fat Sam
Joined: 05 Dec 2005
Location: Gyeonggi-do
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 Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 3:08 am Post subject: |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| BJWD wrote: |
| (1) Even those of you who can actually stand the place, if you could be somewhere else, if you had real life options, you would leave right? |
1. I had "real life options" as you put it in Canada. I gave up a higher paying job to come here. Why? Because I enjoy what I do FAR more here then back home.
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You don't need to justify being in Korea based on salary. Just compare savings. It actually makes us look like the enlightened ones rather than the 'losers'.
A friend of mine recently finished his first year as a high school biology teacher in England. His salary: 27 thousand pounds (about four million a month). Take away tax (almost a million) and his excessive mortgage (over one and a half million). Then factor in the cost of living; owning a car, food, council tax, etc. and I don't understand how he makes it to pay day. He might get fifteen weeks off a year, but other than sitting in the park with a long book, I doubt he can do much in his vacation.
He's already said that he won't be making the trip for my wedding this year because he can't afford it. Speaking of which, in my 'loser job' I've put away five million for the big day in less than three pay-checks without compromising at all. I might even go to Thailand for a few days next month.
Would I leave if I had other options? If I could live a better life with a better job for more money then I'd obviously consider it. I'm actually quite happy where I am for the time being. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:38 am Post subject: |
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| Fat Sam wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| BJWD wrote: |
| (1) Even those of you who can actually stand the place, if you could be somewhere else, if you had real life options, you would leave right? |
1. I had "real life options" as you put it in Canada. I gave up a higher paying job to come here. Why? Because I enjoy what I do FAR more here then back home.
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You don't need to justify being in Korea based on salary. .. |
I'm not. I'm justifying being in Korea based on personal satisfaction and happiness.
Read Number 1 again.
That said I do agree with the rest of your post. |
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fusionbarnone
Joined: 31 May 2004
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:49 am Post subject: |
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| OK! |
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fusionbarnone
Joined: 31 May 2004
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:50 am Post subject: |
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| OK! |
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Fat Sam
Joined: 05 Dec 2005
Location: Gyeonggi-do
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 5:04 am Post subject: |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| Fat Sam wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| BJWD wrote: |
| (1) Even those of you who can actually stand the place, if you could be somewhere else, if you had real life options, you would leave right? |
1. I had "real life options" as you put it in Canada. I gave up a higher paying job to come here. Why? Because I enjoy what I do FAR more here then back home.
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You don't need to justify being in Korea based on salary. .. |
I'm not. I'm justifying being in Korea based on personal satisfaction and happiness.
Read Number 1 again.
That said I do agree with the rest of your post. |
Sorry, that wasn't a dig at you. Maybe I should have re-phrased it to say that we (in general) shouldn't have to defend our choice of working in Korea based on the fact that we earn less than we could do in our home countries. There are many other benefits yet the financial one based on savings is still great. |
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fusionbarnone
Joined: 31 May 2004
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 5:10 am Post subject: |
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Homer
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 6:13 am Post subject: |
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Excellent post again schwa...
BJWD:
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| I was the only one, on the very busy street, who took notice and seemed at all interested. |
And you did what besides watch this happen and then post about it on Dave's???
The answer seems to be: nothing.
Interesting how you post about this event when you did squat about it yourself when you were in a position to intervene or do something...but wait..that would mean you would actually put your money where your mouth is....sorry |
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thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 6:44 am Post subject: |
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| Homer wrote: |
Excellent post again schwa...
BJWD:
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| I was the only one, on the very busy street, who took notice and seemed at all interested. |
And you did what besides watch this happen and then post about it on Dave's???
The answer seems to be: nothing.
Interesting how you post about this event when you did squat about it yourself when you were in a position to intervene or do something...but wait..that would mean you would actually put your money where your mouth is....sorry |
Interesting point, though not necessarily relevant. I believe that there was a discussion of this very topic in the past. I don't know if you know Korea at all but in here foreigners aren't afforded the same set of legal rights (both legally and applied) as are Koreans. Should I have intervened more than yelling, rest assured I would be in a very sticky situation now. Homer, I'm sure that you have seen violence against females in Korea. What did you do? I would assume nothing, for you are still in country. Had the same situation occurred in a more sane nation, the likelihood of me physically stopping the assault would rise, though not to 100%.
But, again, this misses the point. Most of us have seen a woman getting her arse handed to her by some Korean "man" several times in our time here. In 22 years in Canada, I never saw it once. Of course it happens, but not at all with the same care-free attitude that it does here.
But, I suppose an ad homonym is the proper way to go.
Kindly elaborate on your superman stories. |
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JZer
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 6:56 am Post subject: |
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| Fat Sam, while Korea can be great financially if you are single, I don't know whether it is the place to support a wife on. for one I don't think that jobs in Korea offer the same types of raises that they do in the best. you could still be making 2 mil a month 10 years from now. I want to see some one support a wife and two children on an ESl teacher's salary. I know that there are some jobs that pay more but I don't really think that the long term perspectives are hot. Also I don't think that you can work for the same University or High School for more than 3 years in a row. Does anyone with kids want to be moving around all the time? |
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Homer
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 8:15 am Post subject: |
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| Homer, I'm sure that you have seen violence against females in Korea. What did you do? |
Err..I used a magical device called a "cell phone" and it allowed me to magically contact mythical creatures called "police officers". It voodoo magic man...try it out.
What has it resulted in? Sometimes nothing, often a cop came and broke up the altercation.
Would I jump in like an idiot and bash the guy's head in? I have stepped in a few times and talked a guy down. But thats never the best option...again..the magical cell phone BJWD...its pure magic..try it...or do what you do and post about events you see (or invent for convenience) on Dave's and bash Korea..well done.
No superman stories therefore..sorry...just run-of-the-mill life stories.
In 27 years in Canada, I saw a few women get decked by idiots in bars or such places and 99% of people there did nothing due to fear or simple "its not my problem attitude".
You want a recent example (got this from my friend who lives in Montreal a coupel weeks ago): A Chinese woman in the montreal subway was beaten to a pulp in the subway by 4 teens as people walked away. Then, she stumbled down the stairs to the subway teller to ask him to call 911. He refused and told her to use the public phone when he had a phone next to him. Is this an everyday occurence...not really but it speaks volumes about society.
In Toronto, a homeless guy got beaten to near death and as he lay there moaning and pleading for help, people crossed the street to avoid him...yes..all help..all the time.
So..just because you do not see it, it does not mean it does not happen. Is it less accepted publicly? Yes it is. Will people act more often when they see it? I would be surprised. |
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Grotto
Joined: 21 Mar 2004
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 8:30 am Post subject: |
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sorry Homer....heresay....thats your best rebuttle?
That would be like me saying...I heard from this guy I know who heard it from a friend about this Korean guy who sneezed and didnt cover his mouth  wierd eh?
Fact is, Korea is a different world from what we are used to, where we grew up and its people are very different as well. There are huge differences in mannerisms between Western and Korean. Are all these differences bad? Not necessarily! But by the same token they arent also good.
Long timers tend to get used to the differences or survival techniques allow them to overlook or ignore them.
Newbies are often rubbed raw by some of their experiences as the shock is greater. |
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Homer
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 10:07 am Post subject: |
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Was not heresay Grotto...it was news from a person living there (Montreal)...it made the headlines a couple of weeks ago because of the brutality of the assault.
Am I saying this makes Canada worse than Korea? If you see that in there...well you need new glasses.
| Quote: |
| Fact is, Korea is a different world from what we are used to, where we grew up and its people are very different as well. There are huge differences in mannerisms between Western and Korean. Are all these differences bad? Not necessarily! But by the same token they arent also good. |
I could not agree more...in fact this is my basic position on the manner. You must differentiate between responses to threads about certain topics and a persons overall position....and I know you are smart enough to do that Grotto.
As for the differences, I see them, try to understand where they come from but I certainly do not ignore them. Then again, I don't on every little annoyance out there, run to my computer and whine about it on a message board...guess that makes me some sort of "apologist"...  |
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Swami
Joined: 13 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 12:10 pm Post subject: |
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| Getting sucked in..... can't hold out any longer ..... must post reply...... |
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dogbert
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: Killbox 90210
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 5:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Homer wrote: |
| Then again, I don't on every little annoyance out there, run to my computer and whine about it on a message board...guess that makes me some sort of "apologist"... |
No, instead you run to your computer to whine about others' whines.
In addition to helping run said message board, of course. |
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Homer
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 5:14 pm Post subject: |
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| No, instead you run to your computer to whine about others' whines. |
Well thats your opinion and you are entitled to it. I hold a different view. Then again this topic is useless to debate with you as we have oposite views here.
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| In addition to helping run said message board, of course. |
Clever...trying to re-hash the ole outing thing are ya? Who cares, that was settled a while back and really, it does not really matter. |
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