Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Marcilla]

I'm teaching kindergarten-middle school at a hagwon in Hanseong called "E Bo Young Talking Club", which is a franchise

It's sweet, the classes are all less than 6 kids, all my coworkers and boss are super nice, everyone is really polite, food and other stuff is all pretty cheap, my apartment is very clean and spacious, the whole city is readily accessible via the subway system which is not particularly difficult to navigate at all, a lot of the kids are really good at english, and they all work really hard at it, I haven't experienced even the slightest bit of racism from anyone.. hmm, I can't think of any other myths to debunk atm

anyway it's leet

hey, anyone know where I can buy a gamecube power adapter and some 250V to 110V adapters for my toothbrush and gameboy? I'm having trouble finding that stuff, I went to the Coex mall next to Samseung station and the Carrefour mall next to my house but neither seemed to have those

Also, what immunizations do I need to live here, and can anyone give me any quick info on them or a link to where I can find some? I'm kinda paranoid about that now

[mindmetoo]

You don't need any immunizations beyond the ones you've gotten in, presumably, North America. Korea is a developed nation, not Uganda. One probably has a marginally higher risk of contracting TB or Hep, however. That said, I doubt the time/expense of getting these shots and the possible negative side effects is really worth it compared to the marginally higher risk of getting TB or Hep A/B.

[Roch]

Your post implies that you are a Maritimer. If so, where are you from, eh?

[fancypants]

actually, korea has a surprisingly high rate of hepatitis...i think it's from the spit-sharing custom of everyone eating out of the same dishes.

you can get all the shots you need at the international clinic in itaewon:

http://www.internationalclinic.co.kr/

[ontheway]

Marcilla,

Congratulations. You made a lot of postings before coming here. Nice to see you made it and found a good place. Have fun and don't let any small irritations get to you.

As to immunizations, just eat plenty of kimchee and you'll be free from cancer and other nasty western diseases and live forever.

[rapier]

[Big Mac]

I would definitely get the hepatitis shots. Once you get them, you're good for life. I actually had to go twice for mine. They space them out six months apart. I agree that the international clinic in Itaewon would be the best place to go, since they speak English there. I hate having to be a mime with a doctor.

The risk for hepatitis is quite high in Korea. You definitely don't want to leave here with a fried liver.

As for getting converters for your 110 appliances, I would check out Technomart (at the Gangbyeon Bus Terminal, green subway line) or Yongsan Electronics Market. If you can't get what you need there, I'll be very surprised.

[denverdeath]

Hey, Marcilla. Good to hear you made it and have a half-decent place.

With regards to the shots, it depends on what you may've had before getting here. I heard that, unlike in Canada, you may've gotten a lot of the necessary stuff in school(uni) in America(may not necessarily be the same in your case though). Before I came here, I had a tetanus and diptheria booster, got my Hep A and Hep B vacs, and even got a TB test done. If I were you, I would make sure that you're up-to-date on the Hep A and B if nothing else.

For a step-down transformer(you'll probably need for the Gameboy and Gamecube as I don't think you can just plug them into a 220V socket even with an adapter) and adapters , you're looking for a shop called "ö����", or "Chuhl-mool-juhm". You'll know what you're looking for when you spot 'em. They have coils of wire and brooms and other junk out front with the typical Korean-style shutter-fronts. You're looking for a "������ ���� ���б�", or "Gah-juhng-yohng soh-hyuhng byuhn-ahp-gih" for the transformer. Even though it's a heavy SOB, I'd recommend getting the one that's 15amps. Mine has two North American-style sockets. It'll cost you about 30,000won, but will last you and you won't have to be replacing the fuse very often. For the toothbrush, the adapter might be enough. Check the power ratings on it. I bought a razor here that I can also use in Canada with only the adapter. You can just say "adapter" or "ah-dahp-tuh" for the adapters...show them the plug. Have a Korean co-worker or your boss direct you to a place nearby...I'm sure they'll accomodate you.

[Marcilla]

thanks for the tips d00ds

Do you know where I should look to buy gamecube and gba accessories? If I can just get a power cord for my gamecube I'll be all set, but it seems like nobody here plays gamecube since I can't find gamecubes or accessories for sale anywhere

And is there any reason to get a 15 amp converter other than the current capacity? I'm not planning on plugging a washing machine/drier/refrigerator in, so I don't see how I'd need more than like 1-2 amps if that

I got my bachelor's in electrical engineering, so I'll just check the current consumption of my stuff before I plug it in, haha

oh, hey, if anyone reading this is planning to move to korea, don't get cocky and plug your computer in before flipping the switch on the power supply to have it use 250V instead of 110

Right when I got here I checked the power ratings on my monitor's AC adapter and my computer's power supply and saw that all I needed was plugs that would fit into them on one end and the korean wall socket, and toasted my computer's power supply

Fortunately the department store nearby had a computer shop with cheap power supplies for some bizarre reason, but it was still $35 I didn't really need to part with, haha

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Hey Marcella, so happy to hear that you got a job you like. Just remember that with any new job there's always a honeymoon period. I hope yours lasts a whole year!

[TheUrbanMyth]

[denverdeath]

[Grotto]

[ajgeddes]

Just a note. I don't know where you are from, but depending on what immunizations you have you should really look into it. A lot of the time back in Ontario for example, if you got the Hepatitis shot, it was only for Hep. B or C (Z, K, W...I don't know), but the hepatitis they have here is Hep. A. so you need a different shot. I got my Hep shot in school, but it doesn't work for the kind they have here, so I had to get a different shot. So, if you do have it, you should really look into seeing if it was for both.

[forgesteel]

i wanna plug it in (it's regular power supply don't work).
what do i need? just an adapter? one of those heavy blocks?

thanks in advance,
forgesteel