Korean Job Discussion Forums

[chi-chi]

I haven't worked there, but I put my impressions of Japan, also.
No I'm not the expert but people ask all the time and I myself like to think about the comparisons so here goes. If anyone else who has worked in both places wants to add anything, cool. So many people have been asking around lately, so I thought about it, and...
**These are all just comparisons based on what I've seen, they're not carved in stone so feel free to disagree**
**Also don't take it too seriously I am not saying that all these people in these countries are actually like this. But these are trends that the expat may want to examine themselves on to see which place they may feel the most comfortable in. Anyways all in fun so...**
(Copyright 2003 Chi-Chi Productions)

You know you wanna go to Taiwan if:
-Rules are made to be broken
-Your fav. movie is speed
-You like fire
-Buddhist or you like Buddhism
-There isn't much that can't be fixed with the right connections and a little bit of cash down, but mainly connections
-You can eat anything (Western food there is good, but many people are afraid to eat Taiwanese)
-You are willing to pay for Western if you can't eat Taiwanese
-You're just a little bit different
-Dirt does not bother you, you can get down and dirty with the best of them
-Car chase movies give you an adrenaline rush
-You like anything that gives you adrenaline
-You're very independent, don't mind being alone and finding your own way
-You're not necessarily athletic, but love the outdoors.
-Your party habits have you dodging cops back home
-You like to make your own schedule
-You don't mind freelancing (this can include being a starving artist at times)
-You thrive on chaos
-Your friends back in your country knew you for your crazy style
-Your favorite outfit is shorts and a tank top, or shorts and a t-shirt if you're a guy, beards are ok. Piercings and tats on women-go to Taiwan
-You won't get mad, get glad. If someone messes with you, smile at them and then proceed to steal all their stuff, fire them, or steal their spouse. But you must not get angry. Ever.
-You are more non-chalant with strangers. Not exactly friendly, but not exactly rude either. You don't say "hey" to other waygookins, except maybe to ask where to really party. You like to meet your friends when partying, if you go somewhere alone.
-You don't mind being broke.

You know you want Korea when:

-Earth Fire Wind Water? You like Earth
-Speaking of earth fire wind water, you also enjoy rock paper scissors
-You're chaotic but not insanely so
-Rules are made to be bent.
-There isn't very much wrong that can't be fixed with some soju and some cash down
-You call people Waygookin or suspect that you can become this way-in other words, you're just a little bit different but not in the same way as in Taiwan *l*
-The car wrecks shown in music videos don't give you an adrenaline rush, but rather make you cry
-You always take your multi-vitamin
-You like cutsey shit like Puka and Garu
-Dirt can be dealt with, but you will not get dirty just for fun. Ever. You will deal with it as it comes.
-Adrenaline is cool sometimes, but too much makes you want soju.
-Speaking of which, you already want some soju.
-Your activities back home don't make you hide from cops, but will make your neighbors call the cops sometimes
-You're not athletic, the outdoors are ok but it has to be something involving a mountain
-You can't pick out new clothes without your friends there
-You hate eating alone
-Your friends back home know you as always being in the center of the group, and their attention
-You like routine but some chaos thrown in isn't too bad
-Sometimes people complain that you're too conformist
-You can eat anything as long as your friends are there with you
-You like Khakis and dockers or skirts if you're a girl
-You have a spicy bit of a temper and tend to laugh when embarassed
-You can be really friendly (help people who look lost, like giving gifts to your friends, etc.) You can also let your temper flare and show out when the case may be.
-You meet friends by either talking to them or at work or church
-Christian/Buddhist, leaning towards Christian.

Japan (what I think, could be wrong, could be wrong, correct me if so)
-earth fire wind water you dig water
-you're very polite and well mannered, always say please and thank you
-you like a stable and respectable job with the stable paycheck
-DIRT KILLS. AVOID IT ALL COSTS.
-Rules are made to be followed.
-You never show up late.
-Dockers are not good enough, you like to DRESS, pull out all stops.
-You also like to shop.
-You think soju tastes like shit. Sake or wine, you don't mind spending the money.
-Forget yogwans, you want the best hotel. And will pay if necessary.
-You're a little bit different and don't mind hanging out alone, reading books and playing computer games.
-You go ga-ga over cutsey shit and like hello kitty and toy robots.
-You love good food, and once again, do not mind paying for it.
-When you party back home, your neighbors are glad you're getting out for once (and not to work.)
-You have lifelong friends and meet new ones at work

moved to general forum by rudyflyer

[Tiger Beer]

Damn, I'm in the wrong country. From the reading, looks like I should definetely be in Taiwan! I love chaos, disorganization, freelancing, starving artist at times, partying my ass off, and everything involved there.. what am I doing here? The only thing I don't care for is excessive heat.

[chi-chi]

Tiger Beer I think I saw on your webpage that you really like to study languages? Taiwan would be good for you. The language is a challenge at best, but it is the place to go out of the three if you want the most ease in studying a language. They have language schools everywhere there and you'd be hard pressed NOT to find another foreigner who is studying it, unlike here where both times I have inquired about language classes, but they are difficult to find.
It is insanely hot and not to mention polluted. But they do have A.C. in most apartments unlike here, so it's kind of a trade-off. Here it's not as hot, but I have to deal with the heat more often because of lack of A.C.
As for me, I think I belong in Japan. I did not want to come back after my last visa run.
Chi-Chi

[Tiger Beer]

Yeah, actually I've written Taiwan off though. Mainly because it would be similar here as in I'd still have to work alot to make ends meet and save money. I have quite a few friends here as well. Actually, if I were to teach elsewhere, I'd want to be in South America.. Brazil and Colombia come to mind.. but of course I'd have to be debt free and have money in the bank.

Regarding langagues, actually I always TRY with languages.. but unfortunately, I am not really a language whiz.. and from what I know of Taiwan, they prefer Taiwanese and the Mandarin isn't standard.. much better to be in Beijing, Harbin, Dalian, Shenyang in China to study, plus its super-cheap there as well.

I've been to China and Japan each a number of times. I like them both, but Korea works well for me as well. I like Korea because I have a ton of friends here, and.. well.. it feels to me like I also have the most opportunities to travel (can accumulate money here), plus most of the expats are similar-minded.

To me, if you are in Japan, than there is the feeling you are already where its at or something and lose interest to explore other places. In China, you wouldn't make the money to travel. Perhaps Taiwan would be most similar to Korea, except the heat and humidity would kill me. At least those are all of the conclusions I've come up with before.

However, I do like chaos and messy streets, and just rubble that Taiwan would seem to provide and some say Korea as well.. actually what I really like is small little streets with heaps of life in them.. (Seoul has an overabundance of that)

[The Lemon]

[katydid]

LOL Maybe it was going to church and being a Girl Scout in my formative years, but it looks like (according to this FAQ, anyways) that I'd be better off in Japan! Ha ha ha.

[Tiger Beer]

[gang ah jee]

[The Lemon]

I've been outed.

[Tiger Beer]

This is what my preconceptions are..

Taiwan:
Boring tea-culture.
Hybrid weird version of Mandarin - not worth studying there.
Hot and humid, with mold and mildew everywhere.
T-shirts, tennis shoes on any girl that might otherwise be considered attractive.


Korea:
Drinking drinking drinking.
Very social, everyone is meeting everyone all of the time.
Beer & Soju are drank like water is elsewhere.
In-your-face all the time all day long.


Japan:
Everything extremely overpriced.
Bad haircuts gallore.
Everything is very small-person size, particularly housing.
Popular culture gallore.
Extreme politeness bordering on intense bouts of boredom.
All the foreigners trying to outdue each other on the 'i'm in Japan' realm.

--

I'm probably wrong.. but thats always been my 'basic' feelings..

[camel96]

Some of the TV channels in Taiwan seem to default to this wierd rape porn after about 10pm every night. I don't know what's up with that. Maybe it's just kind of north east Asian romantic comedy or something but it could be a definite plus or minus for anyone considering the place.

[Coffeecup]

Tiger Beer wrote:

[orpheusdown]

[Tiger Beer]

[chi-chi]

Heh-Not trying to do a cpa where someone ignores their own thread, but I haven't been online in about a week...
People in Japan seemed really friendly to me, I don't know for sure, never lived there.
I have met a lot of people both here and in Taiwan who USED to work in Japan, and they were friendly.
And in Japan (oddly enough compared to what you guys just said) when I went for my visa run, I had a beer with some expats I met at random.
They were like "give us a call if you ever come work here" that sort of thing.
But I think that may just be approachability, or randomness, I don't know.
I do talk to weird waygookins and megookins and shegookins a lot.
So I'm cool with all the gookins and had a great time in Japan.
Btw, Taiwan does have that stuff on the tv, for any of you freaky types. Wierd rape shit. UGH.
Tiger Beer-Taiwan is anything but boring. If you hang out with the ex-pats that is. The Taiwanese are kinda strangely repressed, so don't expect to go drinking with them. (Although there are exceptions.) And yeah you can study Mandarin. Strangely enough I found it easier to find KOREAN classes in Taiwan than here in Korea. They're big on the language thing.