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Roch
Joined: 24 Apr 2003
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 10:19 pm Post subject: |
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| VanIslander wrote: |
| daz1979 wrote: |
| Ok so Geohyun is a bit of a hole is it?... I'm a little worried,... I would be very happy to be situated near the sea and beaches surrounded by nature!! (Are there any beaches in Geohyun??) |
My god man wake up! It's an island. You are mere minutes from each coast, less time to get halfway across Seoul or Busan. Plenty of beaches, hills, cliffs, valleys and scenic coastal drives to explore.
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| I presume there are many bars in Geohyun, am I wrong? |
*sigh* I write it here, I write it elsewhere a lot (use the search command here at Dave's to find plenty of threads about Geoje wherein I've explained such things in detail). As I mentioned earlier in this thread, OKPO is the nightlife district for the island, Gohyeon has a major shipyards and shopping.
I'd take a job there for two million with the sort of envioronment depicted in your posts about the island. Seriously.
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| How much can I rent a motorbike for out of interest? If I can get a bike cheap enough I don't really care where I live at the end of the day because I will just drive off somewhere on the weekend! |
You can buy a scooter with the SPARE CHANGE from your first pay cheque. Seriously. If you make 2.0 mill, you could easily fork out 0.3-0.6 for a decent used scooter. No need to count your pennies. Even if you have debts and make big purchases in settling in, you'll be able to buy a scooter by month two and three, and scooter shops are all over, plentiful and cheap because the average Korean buys them (NOT status symbol) and used things aren't appreciated much (used cars are much cheaper than new because no one wants them, even two or three years old).
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| Also is it relatively easy to reach Busan from Geohyun? And Opko? |
Did I not already provide this info in this thread too? All three main ports (Gohyeon, Okpo, Jangseungpo) have ferry service to the heart of Busan. I've taken each several times, about the same, though little jangeungpo has a bit better schedule because it's closest to DSME headquarters.
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| Last thing for now is Geohyun more expensive than the rest of Geoje and does the shipyard cause much pollution in the city? |
The island as a whole is considered more expensive than elsewhere in Korea, or so the locals say. I don't notice it. Though they often cite the coast of clothes (which I don't buy on the island anyways because they're too small). You can eat out in Korean restaurants every night of the week and twice on Saturdays and still buy a used scooter out of the same paycheque, and travel around the country by express bus on weekends and stay in motels.
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| Ah so many questions and so little time!!! |
Keep the questions coming. Sorry if my patience runs a bit thin but one gets tired of repeating oneself, especially in the same thread! and you really should use the search function here at dave's (however much it's limitations, it works for unique words like "Geoje").
There comes a time when one has to realize that the questions will never stop, which is good, but one's decision whether to come or not needs to be made. Figure out what's most important to you and go with that. Everything else will be incidental.
I for one chose Geoje in large part because my research on places in Korea uncovered Geoje as having the CLEANEST air, and indeed it does, largely due to the Pacific ocean winds and shipbuilding's lack of smokestacks (though water pollution does happen, the island is big enough that the north coast yard and northeast coast yard doesn't seem to negatively affect mine or anyone else's swimming experiences on the southeast and south coast beaches. The island is pretty big and the sea seems to me clean enough for me (never noticed pollution) but local area fishers have complained about the shipbuilding's effect on their livelihood.
I also chose Geoje for its beaches and small town feel and proximity to a major city (Busan).
Finding out when I got there about the benefits of the foreigners (socializing, food, etc) and the transit buses (supercheap comfy roomy first-class express buses to any region from Gohyeon) were bonuses.
I was on the island from 2002 until 2006. And I may return.
Feel free to PM me after you've signed a contract and are less than a week away from coming, if you decide to, and then I'll put you in touch with a few other foreign teachers on the island.
If you decide on elsewhere, great for you, but all the criteria you've listed MATCHES Geoje as the place ideal for you. You have said nothing to suggest that another place may be better, as far as I read.
Geoje Island is not for everyone. And it certainly is NOT Seoul!!! But it is something special (even if Gohyeon is most people's least fav part of the island ;) just remember it's 10-15 minutes away from most parts! and it does have new shopping complexes, just-about-completed movie multiplex and the like.
Anyways, good luck whatever.
(you should probably pay much closer attention to the SPECIFIC workplace, talking to those who work there or have worked there, if they can't or won't give you contact info of past waygooks then i'd be concerned, though that's not always possible, i suggest you might want to consider a SIX-month contract, and only get one-way airfare paid, that way you could go anywhere in Korea to work after six months (early spring is the time when sweet offers seem available because of university and public school hiring competition).
IMO. |
Sounds great: How do I join up? |
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Matman
Joined: 02 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 2:59 am Post subject: |
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Daz, Busan is not 45 minutes away from Gohyung. It's 45 minutes away from Okpo. From Gohyung it's well over an hour. It's going to take around two hours to get from your apartment to Busan. I hope you don't get sea-sick - the ferry ride is a lot more choppy than Dover to Calais.
As for language, yes your limited Korean will be a massive barrier. The proportion of people who can speak English is much smaller than in the big cities. How many years of learning does it take to learn a new language enough to have even a semi-decent conversation with someone? How far do you think you'll be after 3 months? How long will it take you to even read a menu (Hangul only) in a Korean restaurant and order what you want? There are no free Korean language classes in Geoje.
In Gohyung there are hardly any foreigners. Over in Okpo there are plenty but mostly middle aged engineers who work at the shipbuilding yard. |
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Cynical Optimist
Joined: 26 Feb 2006
Location: S.E. Korea
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| Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 9:29 am Post subject: |
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I'm currently working in Okpo, Geoje-do. I've been here a little over 3 months now. I'll just ramble on here about my experience so far and maybe that'll be helpful to you. 
Overall, I'm happy with the place, but I'm not really the kind of person who gets bored easily. Staying home and reading is always a welcome break from expensive nights of drinking. Last night I was suddenly molested while trying to sing Kareoke. Yes, plenty of fun to be had here, just like anywhere else. Once you're inside a bar, etc., it's just people -- doesn't really matter if there's 10,000 or 10,000,000 more of them outside the door.
So far I haven't even explored that much of the island yet -- I don't want to do it by bus. I just bought a motorcycle and will be off exploring soon. I've heard from others that riding a scooter or a motorcycle around the island makes for quite a good time. What I've seen of the island so far is not exactly spectacular, but it's nice -- nicer than most of what I saw from the bus and train windows between here and Seoul.
Gohyon vs. Okpo:
I happen to like Okpo more than Gohyon, but maybe I'm just biased. Also I haven't spent that much time in Gohyon. Okpo is nestled in among some mountians (sure they're not HUGE mountains, but they're definitely not "hills" -- let's call them "mini-mountains"). So I think Okpo is visually pleasing. Gohyon is flatter. There's no beach in either place. Okpo has A LOT of places to drink -- lots of western bars and also "Hofs" (they look more like a restaurant, but you mostly drink and you're supposed to order some appetizers). Not sure about the pickin's in Gohyon -- I haven't really noticed them when I was there, but then again, I wasn't looking. A Canadian friend said Gohyon has some good clubs where a guy might have better chances to pick-up a 20ish Korean girl. In Okpo, most of the females in the bars are behind the bar WORKING and so naturally they turn on the smiles. Female customers are a bit rare and are usually either engineers' wives or maybe they're Korean girls with their boyfriends. In general, it's relatively easy to meet other foreigners in bars (at least in Okpo), but obviously the language gap can make meeting Korean bar patrons more difficult. But if you get nice and drunk and bring a pen and notepad, you can play an enjoyable game of charades or pictionary with like-minded Koreans.
Also, Okpo has a "Foreigner's Club" -- basically a pub with social events to partake in. They have something they call a "hash" once or twice a month. They cook some food and go for a hike -- different place on the island each time. I suppose you could join in even if you're from Gohyon. 
I guess it's not THAT important which which town you live in. If you get a scooter, you can go from one to the other in 10 minutes. A one way taxi ride is 10,000 won.
As for moto license requirements:
*under 50cc = no license, registration, or insurance needed.
*50-125cc = you need all of the above. Get an international driver's license BEFORE you come here! It will save you from having to make an hour drive to the DMV office near Masan (Jindong). If you want a cool Korean license, you just pay maybe 15,000 won -- since you're from the UK, you won't have to take the little 20 question test that those of us from the US have to. Bring your UK license though; they need to see that (and take it away from you for good for some reason -- that's why you should do the intntl. lic. thing). Registration and insurance are each about 100,000 won (1yr of insurance). You can get those things in Gohyon.
*more than 125cc = you need to take a special motorcycle test (so I've heard).
I will have a 125cc Daelim (VS125) for sale at the end of August -- maybe for about 600K won. Let me know if you're interested.
Regarding the ferries -- it costs 19K or 20K won one way to Busan, and in Okpo they leave every TWO hours -- i.e. at 7am it goes to Busan, at 8am it comes back, 9am it goes again to Busan. So you have to time it right. And the last ferries to ANYWHERE on the island leave in the 5pm hour. After that, you have to take a bus or stay the night in Busan.
Last weekend I took the express bus to Seoul. It was maybe 28,000 won one way. It was very comfortable and it took only about 4 hours (I took the 6:20am bus and was in Seoul at 10:30 -- later in the day it might take longer).
You don't need to read Korean. Just remember the names of things and then say it like a question. For example, at the bus terminal, you get your ticket for Seoul by saying, "Seoul." (Crazy, eh?) Then you go up to a bus and say, "Seoul???" and show them your ticket. You should be able to tell by their reaction if it's the right bus. To be safe, ask two different people (but don't let them see you ask the other). One good word to know is "Aw-dee". That means "where". So then you just say, "Aw-dee???" and go where they point. Then repeat the whole process. It's not a big deal. And for food, remember the names of some dishes you like and then just go somewhere and say the name like a question. Either they have it or they don't. I'm sure your boss and the current teacher will familiarize you with some places to eat.
Learning to read Hangul (Korean writing) is easy. I learned maybe 2/3 of it on the KTX train ride from Seoul to Busan. As King Sejong said upon its introduction 560 years ago, "The wise will learn it in one morning; even a fool will be able to learn it in ten days." A good book on the Korean language is called "Roadmap to Korean" by Richard Harris.
Feel free to PM with any other questions. If you do end up coming to Geoje, send me a message when you get here and we'll go for a beer. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 4:35 pm Post subject: |
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All of what CO says rings true to me, except I should clear up a couple of things...
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| I guess it's not THAT important which which town you live in. If you get a scooter, you can go from one to the other in 10 minutes. A one way taxi ride is 10,000 won. |
And the local bus every few minutes is 900 won (under a buck). But CO told me in person two weeks ago that he hasn't even taken the bus from Okpo to Gohyeon!
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| So far I haven't even explored that much of the island yet -- I don't want to do it by bus. |
What's the word for fear of buses: locobusaphobia?
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| Gohyon vs. Okpo... There's no beach in either place. |
Well, technically no. But from your apartment in Okpo you are 10-15 minutes ON FOOT from a sandy beach ("Dokpo") where many swim and stroll. (that's a hellavu lot closer than many Busanites are from their beaches.) Head up and over the hill with the road past the old amusement park. Makes for a nice morning walk. First time, do it by way of the road. But afterwards you'll find the longer, 20-minute walk along the trail treed and by the coast nicer even, the entrance is near the harbour on the left, about 200 m from the boats, sort of behind London Pub. I showed you when I walked around Okpo with you! Remember?
| Cynical Optimist wrote: |
| Last night I was suddenly molested while trying to sing Kareoke. |
I told you about the women who join you in the singing rooms, didn't I?
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| One good word to know is "Aw-dee". That means "where". |
So that's what that sound means! I travel Korea all over by bus and train and have never used that, but I recall my students saying it. |
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Cynical Optimist
Joined: 26 Feb 2006
Location: S.E. Korea
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| Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 9:12 pm Post subject: |
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VI wrote:
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| And the local bus every few minutes is 900 won (under a buck). But CO told me in person two weeks ago that he hasn't even taken the bus from Okpo to Gohyeon! |
Ha ha. Yeah, I didn't have much reason to go to Gohyon... but now I have a doctor to see there, so I started taking the bus. Most I've had to wait was maybe 5-10 minutes. The ride takes maybe 10-15 and is not bad at all.
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| Well, technically no. But from your apartment in Okpo you are 10-15 minutes ON FOOT from a sandy beach ("Dokpo") where many swim and stroll. (that's a hellavu lot closer than many Busanites are from their beaches.) Head up and over the hill with the road past the old amusement park. Makes for a nice morning walk. First time, do it by way of the road. But afterwards you'll find the longer, 20-minute walk along the trail treed and by the coast nicer even, the entrance is near the harbour on the left, about 200 m from the boats, sort of behind London Pub. I showed you when I walked around Okpo with you! Remember? |
I did that the day before that typhoon hit a couple weeks ago. The trail is very nice. I don't think I actually made it to Deokpo though -- and I even jogged part way. After maybe 15 minutes I was only at that little po-dunk fishing community. It'd make for a nice jogging trail -- wish I was in better shape.  Something to work toward I suppose. [/b]
Looks like Okpo is a little better for heading off to the beaches. Don't think there's really any nice ones that are closer to Gohyon than Okpo. That right VI? |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2006 7:01 am Post subject: |
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| Cynical Optimist wrote: |
| Looks like Okpo is a little better for heading off to the beaches. Don't think there's really any nice ones that are closer to Gohyon than Okpo. That right VI? |
That's a big ten-four good buddy. |
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fiveeagles
Joined: 19 May 2005
Location: Vancouver
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| Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 4:39 am Post subject: |
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Hey,
I just read all your comments on Geoje Island. Great stuff! I was just wondering if it would be a good place to visit for 3 to 4 days with my wife?
Where would be a good hotel? Any good maps online? How about surfing or snorkeling?
5E |
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Ren_The_Unclean
Joined: 29 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 11:39 pm Post subject: |
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Hey folks! New to the site, but I've been ghostying it for well over a year while teaching in Changwon. I (and my g/f - almost wife), have been thinking/talking a lot lately of moiving to Geojedo. Maybe next year, possibley in two. It all really depends on how the financial/marriage situation develops over the next 8 months. I've done a lot of reading about it here and elsewhere. Seems like there's a lot more positives than negatives regarding moving to the island.
I do have a few questions about housing and employers. Here goes nothing:
1. Key money issues... I prefer to live in a house over a highrise appt. What kind of key money is "generally" required for each type of housing? I know that the devil is in the subjective details, but here in Changwon, an "acceptable" two bedroom appt in a house goes for about 10 million at 3-500,000 per month. A two bedroom highrise around 30 million (same monthly rent). What take on it do some of you have who have lived there? Will it cost more, less or about the same to provide my own housing?
2. Employers... Can anyone PM me some contact information? I would love to be able to email potential employers so they could (hopefully) keep my files on record. If I do move next year (Hell, when I move on from my current hagwon), I would love to get involved in some cirriculum/materials development for TOEFL/IELTS classes. Do any hagwons on the island need or desire someone like that, or are they all premade chain schools?
Employment... Does anyone know of potential position openings for May or June of next year? Dumb question, but worth a shot.
Thanks for your time. |
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