Korean Job Discussion Forums

LateBloomer · Joined: 06 May 2006

I had an unbelievable experience a couple of days ago. It was my first day of summer camp classes and my first time taking the bus to school (the teacher who was giving me a ride every day is on vacation). I soon realized that something wasn�t right�it was taking much too long to get there and nothing looked familiar.

The driver noticed that I had been on the bus a long time and asked a woman to talk to me. She spoke no English but I could tell she was asking me where I wanted to go. Fortunately, I was able to show her the address of my school. At about the same time�.and this is the embarrassing part� I recognized where I was�right back where I had started from. I had taken the right bus but in the wrong direction!

As we were getting close to my stop (a block from the school), the driver left the �main drag�. Taking a narrow side street, he went around the block and let me right off in front of my school. HE ACTUALLY LEFT THE BUS ROUTE TO TAKE ME RIGHT TO THE DOOR OF MY SCHOOL!!! I made my first class with three minutes to spare.

I had to post this because it�s the latest in a series of nice things that Koreans have done for me in the three weeks I�ve been here. I�m sure I will be griping about something at a later date�� but so far, a co-teacher who speaks no English and the anal retentive attitude of school division bureaucrats are my only complaints. Teachers at my school and Koreans in general have been great.

Has anyone else has had similar experiences? I�m wondering if my age has anything to do with it. Maybe there are some advantages to being �over the hill�.

krats1976 · Joined: 14 May 2003

I_Am_Wrong · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: whatever

umm...I did the same thing once when I was new in Korea. The bus I took in the morning was extremely packed and I hated it. I noticed that the same bus number going the opposite way always had empty seats. I figured that the bus did a loop and even though it might take a little bit longer, at least I'd be comfortable.

Well...30 minutes and we're in the middle of absolutely nowhere way out from the city. Another 30 minutes and we're back at my original stop. Then another 20 minutes and I'm at my stop for school. School starts at 9:00, I'm supposed to be at work at 8:40 and it was 9:30 when I arrived. I was lucky that I had a prep block first period and my co-teacher said I was very lucky the vice-prinicipal didn't see me come in.

mokpochica · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Location: Ann Arbor, MI

Nice story LateBloomer. That was one helpful bus driver. Smile

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

Let's see...

1) the neighbourhood seniors inviting me over to drink some beer with them even though I am a sweaty mess after the gym.

2) I work in the middle of nowhere, but some guy stopped for me and picked me up and drove me to my city. He couldn't speak any English, so it wasn't for a free English lesson for all those Korea haters out there. He thought at first I was lost.

3) Bought a subway ticket (100 won too little), and some lady helped me explain it to the ticket booth and then gave 100 won to them. It's not much, but the thought was still there.

4) My teachers giving me time off for anything I need, and helping me whenever I need help (and I mean 100% of the time so far). When they found out I didn't like something, the were immediately ordering something else for me too at any dinner parties.

5) When I asked about the sites around, got taken to all of them the next Sunday

To be honest, there are seriously many more, it's just become common to be surprised by kindness here. Now, a disclaimer, I live in a small town. I know even back home small town people tend to be (atleast outwardly) more kind than big city people.

VanIslander

waterbaby · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Location: Baking Gord a Cheescake pie

In my first week or two in Korea, I tried catching a bus home from downtown and asked a Korean person which side of the road I needed to catch the bus on (I knew the number but didn't know the direction). They of course told me the wrong direction... I ended up at the bus depot about an hour from home and the bus driver not only made me get off, he made me pay another 700 won to get back on Evil or Very Mad

huffdaddy · Joined: 25 Nov 2005

jaganath69 · Joined: 17 Jul 2003

Moved to a new hood in Cheongju, unsure of the buses routes one night after the gym, which was in another part of town. After jumping on 3 buses and saying Cheongdae gasseyo and then jumping off, a middle school girl asked me where I wanted to go. I told her and not only did she find the right bus for me, she swiped her card to pay my fare before I could put a chon in the chute. Made my day, thanks to her.

rocklee · Joined: 04 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul

I've had many people helping me and not just in Korea :

- I stayed at a stranger's house in Japan for a week while I looked for a permanent place to stay, I only met the guy on the plane.

- Same guy took me to CDB to exchange chinese money to japanese money even though we were both dragging our luggage looking for the bloody bank of Hong Kong.

- Once had to fix my car and had to get a taxi home, only problem was I couldn't get one. A guy comes out of a shop and gave me a lift all the way to the doorsteps of my house.

- When I was sick in China, my friend's cousin's mother's auntie took me in even though she couldn't speak English and I couldn't speak Chinese. Stayed at her place for a few days including trips every day to the hospital. She payed Very Happy

for all the medicine.

- I was unfairly abandoned by my last school, leaving me with no house or place to stay until my next job (long story, company messed up). My new school however gave me a temporary place to stay for the next few weeks until I get my visa sorted out and everything. Just when I was about to think negatively of Korea, this happens.

My latest feel-good story happened just recently. I went mountain climbing the other day with the intention of reaching the highest peak. It was also the most difficult I've ever attempted to climb. 5 hours later I was lost, tired, thirsty and hungry. I eventually found a group heading back home, I ended up talking to one girl when we rested. Pretty soon everybody was giving me whatever food and drinks they had because I was feeling absolutely wasted up there in the mountain (my bout of "asthma" certainly didn't help). A couple insisted that I follow them. They took me to their home, I showered, got fresh clothes and went out for dinner. I could not speak much Korean, and they could not speak a lot of English either, but they had a good laugh. Very Happy

djsmnc · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Dave's ESL Cafe

LateBloomer · Joined: 06 May 2006

djsmnc wrote:

djsmnc · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Dave's ESL Cafe

Yeah, it was a joke, and based on my pleasant experiences in Korea, I imagine you'll have a lot more stuff like that happen.

Cheonmunka · Joined: 04 Jun 2004

I had ended up in Hongdae instead of Shinchon and left the subway only to see am in Hongdae so turned around but the subway gates went down and closed for the night. So drunkenly I walked the drag along the sidewalk. I heard this 'honk honk.' An empty tour bus pulled up and the door swung open. The driver motioned me to get in. I did. He drove me to Shinchon. Is very strange. Shall not forget it.
Best of all I was one minute before the doors of the dormitory locked for the night.
Often there are some unusual cosmic occurences that in the light of day don't add up.

kiwiliz · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Location: New Zealand

I love these stories. They add to my impression of the curious complexity of Korean people.
The first bus story, I have to shake my head, I just can't see that readily..note the readily please...happeing in the western world. Bus drivers are so goeverned by rules, unions, regulations, mileage counters etc.
And yet these things happen here..its wonderful. Very Happy