Korean Job Discussion Forums

kiwiboy_nz_99 · Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Location: ...Enlightenment...

Beaver! You have become instantly fascinating to me! Can I be so bold as to ask how old you are, and what is your ultimate goal with getting so good at Korean. Is it just to ease your life here, for a challenge, or do you aim to be able to use it for working?

Homer · Guest

1. How long have you been here?

Since early 1997

2. How much longer do you plan on being here?

Until we decide to move somewhere else.

3. Where do you work? (uni/hagwon etc. or if unemployed, details)

Hagwon (3 years at my present school)

4. Are you married to or in a serious relationship with a Korean?

Married for over 5 years

5. Do you have children here?

Not yet.

6. How much Korean do you speak (self-assessment here, modest best guess)

I would say advanced level. My writing is not as proficient as my speaking.

7. How often do you consume alcoholic beverages?

On and off

8. What's your ratio of Korean friends/associates to foreigners?

I have no clue, I don't count them but my best guess would be 2:1 in favor of Koreans but thats largely due to sheer numbers and my extended famly here.

posco's trumpet · Joined: 20 Apr 2003 Location: Beneath the Underdog

OiGirl · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Hoke-y-gun

Kyrei · Joined: 22 Jan 2003

Squid · Joined: 25 Jul 2003 Location: Sunny Anyang

1. 14 months on the dot.

2. I (We now) will be in and out of Korea amd SE Asia for the rest of our lives.

3. Just finishing an eight-week break to next week start work in an adult teaching position.

4. Yes

5. Yes

6. Not as much as my In laws would like.

7. I sometimes enjoy a beer after work.

8. I suppose as I stay here longer I'll make more friends locally, the butcher and his wife across the road are good people- and I'm a veg!

There, now you can send me the travel catalogue tailored to my specific individual needs.

Squid.

8.

justagirl · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Location: Cheonan/Portland

Hi Camel and Kiwiboy--

don't pick your nose---koh-pa-ji-mah

I'm pretty sure you can say it and it will mean both don't pick your nose and don't pick his nose, since the verbs for you/my/his/their are interchangeable. Very Happy

Kiwiboy, I didn't post because I didn't feel like I knew enough to give others advice and often times my opinions are vastly different from others and I didn't feel like getting flamed. Some days are hard enough at school, but to come home and discover that someone is angry because of a posting makes me feel really bad. Perhaps I shouldn't care so much (working on that), but I do care a lot--about my job, my students, my thoughts and beliefs....okay. That's all. Sad

justagirl

William Beckerson · Guest

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

1. How long have you been here?
Not currently in Korea, but lived there 2 years (more or less during the 2000-2001 U.S. school year, 2002-2003 school year).

2. How much longer do you plan on being here?
N/A, but I would like to go back to Korea someday when I have kids for a year or two.

3. Where do you work? (uni/hagwon etc. or if unemployed, details)
Catholic High School in U.S.

4. Are you married to or in a serious relationship with a Korean?
Yes. Enaged to be married in Nov. or Dec. Waiting on his fianc� visa right now.

5. Do you have children here?
No.

6. How much Korean do you speak (self-assessment here, modest best guess)
upper elementary to low intermediate level. I can get around and carry on conversations about some important things, but in 'broken' Korean.

7. How often do you consume alcoholic beverages?
In Korea more than in the U.S. In Korea, once or twice a week (weekends). In the U.S. maybe 2 times a month.

8. What's your ratio of Korean friends/associates to foreigners?
In Korea it was about 90% Korean to 10% foreigners.
In the U.S. 80% American, 20% foreign-born people (although some are now citizens). Maybe 2% of those people are Korean at this time, although I'm sure that will change when my fianc� comes.

the_beaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

gomurr · Joined: 04 Feb 2003

1) Just over 6 years.

2) Hopefully for another year (This place is getting to me)

3) Hogwan (the netire time)

4) No I'm not married to a Korean (married to a Filipina)

5) Yes (1 boy)

6) I speak enough Korean to have a 5 min conversation and to get by

7) Before marriage on weekends. After marriage once a weekend. With baby once a month if I'm lucky.

Cool

80% foreigner - 20% Korean. When I first got here it was the other way around but now I find Koreans get on my nerves too much, like calling me at 2 am on Weds when they are piss drunk.

Sarah-in-Korea · Joined: 20 Aug 2003

It's interesting to hear how similar or different others' lifestyles are. I'll add my 2 cents worth for the sake of it.

1. How long have you been here?
Total of 2.5 years, but went to London for the obligatory OE for 1.5 years after my first year.

2. How much longer do you plan on being here?
For another year and a half, until I have enough money to buy a house at home.

3. Where do you work? (uni/hagwon etc. or if unemployed, details)
My first year was at a hagwon (ECC) but never again! This is my second year at a foreign language high school. Excellent job, possibly even better than a uni as the kids are petrified of failing.

4. Are you married to or in a serious relationship with a Korean?
No, I came here with my long-term boyfriend, we've done everything together.

5. Do you have children here?
Almost 400, but I get to send them home each day!

6. How much Korean do you speak (self-assessment here, modest best guess)
Shopping-Korean only. I live too far away from Seoul to be able to get decent classes and am usually too exhausted to teach myself. I studied Japanese, but you can imagine how much people want to speak THAT to me!

7. How often do you consume alcoholic beverages?
Maybe once every 3 weeks.

8. What's your ratio of Korean friends/associates to foreigners?
When I was first here I socialised with a lot of Koreans, but these days it's foreigners only as my idea of relaxing isn't trying to communicate with people like I have to do at school. Maybe I'm getting old, but I just can't be bothered with the struggle.

Seoultrader · Joined: 18 Jun 2003 Location: Ali's Insurgent Inn, Fallujah

1. I remember when chocopie/ramyun/bus ride was 50 won, but have skipped back and forth all my life.

2. Until I reach my target investment portfolio.

3. Asset management / finance / export consulting.

4. All the time.

5. Reproduction is for doggies.

6. Speak fluently (half Korean), writing is abominable.

7. I don't have a problem with alcohol - just without.

8. 5 yellow : 1 white

The Great Wall of Whiner · Joined: 24 Jan 2003 Location: Middle Land

1. How long have you been here?

All together almost 2 years.

2. How much longer do you plan on being here?

Wishfully forever if the family registration act is abolished (don't ask!)

3. Where do you work? (uni/hagwon etc. or if unemployed, details)

Hakwon.

4. Are you married to or in a serious relationship with a Korean?

For the time being.

5. Do you have children here?

Working on it.

6. How much Korean do you speak (self-assessment here, modest best guess)

I can pretty much say or write anything, but my listening skills need improvement. This is because I self-taught myself Korean with text-books before I even came.

7. How often do you consume alcoholic beverages?

Every second day.

7. How often do you consume alcoholic beverages?

Every second night.

8. What's your ratio of Korean friends/associates to foreigners?

40/60 I suppose.