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mnhnhyouh
Joined: 21 Nov 2006
Location: The Middle Kingdom
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 Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 11:41 pm Post subject: Been here 5 days |
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I have been in Seoul for 5 days now, I arrived on Thursday morning. I was picked up at the airport by the recruiter and taken to a motel in Mokdong, as I arrived early I picked up the tab for that. The director paid me a visit that evening, and the recruiter called later in the day as well. Both seem to be looking after me.
I went to COEX mall on Friday, to the Electronics market on Saturday and into central Seoul on Sunday.
Originally I was to move into an apartment of one of the hagwon's financial partners for the first week, starting today, but that seems to have fallen through. So now I am staying in the motel until the teacher I am replacing moves out. The hagwon is now picking up the motel tab.
I am spending half days (low pay) for the first week, just observing. The school is small, with only 3 foreign teachers, and the director, who although Korean, grew up in Australia.
I am looking foward to starting and running the classes. 
I think the hard yards I did when looking for a school (I turned down at least 4 offers) has paid off.
I love the food, and when I went to get a pizza for a change, I was dissapointed.
Good coffee is still missing, though I had a decent cup at a Tea Purple store. However it is a little too far to walk to before work, and in the wrong direction.
I have been looking for a decent bird book in English. In fact the Korean language ones are not good either.
Does anybody know where I can get one?
h |
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crazylemongirl
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Location: almost there...
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| Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 11:43 pm Post subject: |
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Starbucks is as good it gets coffee wise.
You might want to check out Kyobo books or what the book or start using amazon.
Glad to hear your having fun. |
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periwinkle
Joined: 08 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 12:12 am Post subject: Re: Been here 5 days |
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| mnhnhyouh wrote: |
I have been in Seoul for 5 days now, I arrived on Thursday morning. I was picked up at the airport by the recruiter and taken to a motel in Mokdong, as I arrived early I picked up the tab for that. The director paid me a visit that evening, and the recruiter called later in the day as well. Both seem to be looking after me.
I went to COEX mall on Friday, to the Electronics market on Saturday and into central Seoul on Sunday.
Originally I was to move into an apartment of one of the hagwon's financial partners for the first week, starting today, but that seems to have fallen through. So now I am staying in the motel until the teacher I am replacing moves out. The hagwon is now picking up the motel tab.
I am spending half days (low pay) for the first week, just observing. The school is small, with only 3 foreign teachers, and the director, who although Korean, grew up in Australia.
I am looking foward to starting and running the classes.
I think the hard yards I did when looking for a school (I turned down at least 4 offers) has paid off.
I love the food, and when I went to get a pizza for a change, I was dissapointed.
Good coffee is still missing, though I had a decent cup at a Tea Purple store. However it is a little too far to walk to before work, and in the wrong direction.
I have been looking for a decent bird book in English. In fact the Korean language ones are not good either.
Does anybody know where I can get one?
h |
I saw one at Kyobo bookstore (get off at Gwanghwamun stn.). It was called "Birds of Korea" or something, but it was wicked expensive (almost 40,000 won, I think...). |
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I-am-me
Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Location: Hermit Kingdom
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| Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 1:23 am Post subject: |
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Please let us know how you are doing after 1 month!!!  |
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Ron Stevens
Joined: 10 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:11 am Post subject: |
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| crazylemongirl wrote: |
Starbucks is as good it gets coffee wise.
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this is patently wrong |
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Axl Rose
Joined: 16 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:56 am Post subject: |
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| Don't bother with the coffee joints at all. Get yourself some coffee from emart (I get maxwell house for 6,000 - it lasts me about a week), make coffee at home and stick with that. Buy a coffee maker for work too maybe? I hate coffee shops, as a die-hard coffee addict. |
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mnhnhyouh
Joined: 21 Nov 2006
Location: The Middle Kingdom
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the eye
Joined: 29 Jan 2004
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| Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 7:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Ron Stevens wrote: |
| crazylemongirl wrote: |
Starbucks is as good it gets coffee wise.
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this is patently wrong |
Yeah, i'm in on that. It's the McDonalds of the coffee industry. |
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mnhnhyouh
Joined: 21 Nov 2006
Location: The Middle Kingdom
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| Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 4:28 am Post subject: |
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| I-am-me wrote: |
| Please let us know how you are doing after 1 month!!! |
Been here a month now. Still loving the place. I love the food, the people are friendly and helpful, especially given my lack of Korean.
I went for a meal today, and my friend ordered for me. The older woman who served us obviously realised i was new, and when she bought the small dish for me to let the mandu cool down, she gestured as to how I should use it.
I find this sort of helpfulness all the time.
I do wish the air was cleaner, and that the coffee shops would open in the morning and that everything was cheaper and people just handed me money for being me, but otherwise its fantastic
h |
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4 months left
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 4:43 am Post subject: |
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| crazylemongirl wrote: |
| Starbucks is as good it gets coffee wise. |
McDonalds beats Starbucks in Coffee survey
McDonald's Coffee tastes better than Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts and Burger King Coffees according to Consumer Reports Magazine.
Consumer testers in the US have declared coffee from McDonald's better than the brew at Starbucks.
The burger chain's Premium Roast was chosen as the tastiest by Consumer Reports magazine.
Consumer Reports Magazine compared coffee from various places and found McDonald's Premium Roast Coffee tastes much better than Starbucks Coffee. They also found it better than Burger King and Dunkin' Donuts.
The coffees were tasted by trained sippers found McDonald's coffee "decent and moderately strong" compared to Starbucks coffee "Strong, but burnt and bitter". Also, McDonald's Coffee is cheaper $1.35 compared to $1.55 for Starbucks.
``Although it lacked the subtle top notes needed to make it rise and shine, it had no flaws,'' the magazine said.
Burger King's coffee was considered the worst, they said it looked like coffee but tasted more like hot water. While Dunkin Donuts Coffee was inoffensive, but it had no oomph according to them.
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/105516/McDonalds_beats_Starbucks_in_Coffee_survey |
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rothkowitz
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 5:11 am Post subject: |
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I went to the national arboretum yesterday north of Seoul(and Uijongbu0.
I just noticed sparrows and magpies.I think to see birds, go off the beaten track.Don't often see different birds flying on air currents.
To see birds you have to walk into their environment and then wait for a bit.Good luck.I should be doing this stuff more.Have fun. |
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oneofthesarahs
Joined: 05 Nov 2006
Location: Sacheon City
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| Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 5:17 am Post subject: |
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| Korea has a fair amount of egrets and herons and the like, if you live near large-ish bodies of water. I'm not sure how common they are around Seoul, but down farther south, I see cranes and herons all the time. Peregrine falcons and kestrels are relatively abundant as well. |
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mnhnhyouh
Joined: 21 Nov 2006
Location: The Middle Kingdom
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| Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 5:36 am Post subject: |
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I have seen a few different kinds of ducks in the river near Mok-dong, as well as the magpie, sparrows and flying rats (pigeons). I will be starting to try to get out and about over the next few weekends.
h |
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swetepete
Joined: 01 Nov 2006
Location: a limp little burg
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| Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 1:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Is your name some Jonathan Swift thing but backwards? |
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mnhnhyouh
Joined: 21 Nov 2006
Location: The Middle Kingdom
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| Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 3:30 pm Post subject: |
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| swetepete wrote: |
| Is your name some Jonathan Swift thing but backwards? |
h |
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