Korean Job Discussion Forums

[earthquakez]

Where you work and for whom you work makes a hell of a difference in your attitude. I was going to leave Korea for elsewhere but I turned it down and am now working in a job that gives me the kind of teaching I wanted.

Some teachers are simply too good to get stuck in the rut of teaching spoilt children (of any class - it's not always about privilege but a general lack of teaching basic respect for others unless they are your senior or in a higher position in other ways) who often don't give a damn and are encouraged to not take anything foreign in terms of people seriously. Transfer to the kind of job you did before coming to Korea (for me it's now teaching motivated, intelligent adults) and you will find your attitude changes in a fundamental sense.

Some Korean norms still can frustrate me and I am not a fan of the superficiality and facade of superiority expressed in the Korean way. I find the reactionary attitudes here dismal and annoying. However, that is not the sum total of Korea. If you live in certain places or are stuck in certain jobs with certain kinds of people, it is not hard to apply that in a blanket sense to the country and society as a whole. That is a mistake.

I am fond of my country which is the UK. I despise those expat Brits who slag off the UK as 'mongrelised' and supposedly lacking in charm, culture and decent food.

Mostly the mongrel slur reflects their discomfort with the growing numbers of biracial and multiracial Brits, something I am proud of. I love the way my country's football team has players whose faces show that people of very different races/ethnicities can find common ground. Countryside rambles, visits to old castles, trips to the Highlands in Scotland etc give far better experiences than the concrete mishmashes and lack of greenery in Korea.

The slagging off of the food ignores the wonderful multicultural food choices and the yes, traditional English recipes which great grandmothers kept and passed down. British achievements in all important areas of human endeavour and progress speak for themselves and we still have a proud record of the rule of law despite our flaws. Korea cannot match our positives.

Yet Korea has a lot going for it and an amazingly convenient lifestyle and access to entertainment, shopping and resources. The OP's mindset is common but not necessarily the best to have as the negatives crowd out the real positives of Korean life.

[Died By Bear]

One simple rule: Always try to improve upon your situation. If you can't improve the life in Korea, go home and improve it. There is always room for improvement.

[tran.huongthu]

[Setaro]

[crescent]

[edwardcatflap]

[ZIFA]

[PatrickGHBusan]

[Setaro]

[World Traveler]

[Ribena]

[cj1976]

The UK is great if you can afford to live in a nice, safe area like Richmond or Kingston Upon Thames - places where you can don't have to worry about being robbed on the way home from work. However, the vast majority of people can't afford it and never will (see the Gini index).
There is a list of reasons as long as my arm why I am done with the UK, but back on topic; Korea is no paradise that's for sure, and I can imagine living outside of Seoul can get a little boring but so much of the experience depends on the company you keep. Meeting the right people can make it so much better. I had a crappy job, depressing little shoebox 'apartment' and I was living in a boring little place outside of Seoul. Luckily, I met some great people who I am still in contact with now. They really helped me through it.

[edwardcatflap]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[Setaro]