Korean Job Discussion Forums

[passport220]

Now if I can get my landlord (the dude speaks to me a mile a minute in Korean even though I have tried every means to let him know I don�t understand) to stop inviting me to his home to get drunk while his family sits around the room staring and smiling...... everything will be groovy.

[Junior]

Update: they had yet another party, but invited me this time. I really wish they hadn't.

Picture sitting eating grapes for an hour and surrounded by people who don't speak any English. Your every effort to start a conversation in korean is greeted by a sudden hush through the room. The insecure young guy who hates the fact you are surrounded by the unmarried women has judged you as an imperialistic foreigner. Every teacher gets given a gift by the principal except you. When i asked why, it is because apparently they have all worked at the school since day 1 of its opening a year ago. Oh, ok, thanks for that information.They then think I'm impolite for asking why. Xenophobe capitalises on this to increase his own popularity, the foreigner is suddenly dissapproved of. I then leave without bidding any farewells: and all after having to stand in silence to the national anthem.
Oh well, some friendly attempts at conversation as i walk out, which I reply in my best korean.

Maybe i'll just return to the happy hagwon next year, yeeha!!

[rawiri]

It's definitly a weird kind of vibe, everybody is nice but the native teacher in public schools is just a kind of anomoly, like just something thats there, nobody knows anything about them aside from the obvious stuff like family and what pets you have, all trivial stuff. It takes a kind of strength of character to get through a contract as the sole foreigner, isolation is a real issue, it was to an extent when i worked in a hagwon as well but its 10 times more working for the public system. Thankfully i've managed to counter the negative aspects by just doing the best job i can, trying to learn more korean and having a life outside of school hours the involves more than getting hammered on friday and saturday nights. I'll happily finish this contract, to date theres been nothing so bad as to make me want to not finish it but i'll be having a long hard think as to wether to reknew or not.

[Junior]