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driftingfocus
Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Location: Boston, MA
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 Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:18 am Post subject: Jindo Island? |
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So I just accepted a public school (middle school) job in Jindo.
I am just hoping to hear from anyone who has worked on the island as to what it's like, etc. I like rural areas, so don't just tell me "OMG IT'S SO BORING!!!11!".
Also, I was told by the recruiter that because it's an island, I get not only the rural bonus but also something called an "isolation bonus". Has anyone ever heard of this?
Anyway, thanks in advance for any info you have. |
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cdninkorea
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 12:07 pm Post subject: |
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Anyplace where you get "isolation pay" spells only one thing: BORING!
On the other hand, if you're an animal lover there are probably tons of Jindo dogs on Jin island. |
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Big4Jerm3
Joined: 17 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:19 pm Post subject: |
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Twice the bonus, twice the boredom?  I'm sure it's a cool island. |
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driftingfocus
Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Location: Boston, MA
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| Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:29 pm Post subject: |
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| cdninkorea wrote: |
Anyplace where you get "isolation pay" spells only one thing: BORING!
On the other hand, if you're an animal lover there are probably tons of Jindo dogs on Jin island. |
I like boring. I used to live 5 miles down a crappy road from a town of 5000. I loved it. |
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nicholas_chiasson
Joined: 14 Jun 2007
Location: Samcheok
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| Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 2:45 pm Post subject: |
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| remember in a town of 5,000 in Vermont, you spoke English and so did they. If you can't speak Korean it gets really really lonely. The other foreign teacher and I have to hang out together all the time cause there is nothing else to do. |
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driftingfocus
Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Location: Boston, MA
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| Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 2:56 pm Post subject: |
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| nicholas_chiasson wrote: |
| remember in a town of 5,000 in Vermont, you spoke English and so did they. If you can't speak Korean it gets really really lonely. The other foreign teacher and I have to hang out together all the time cause there is nothing else to do. |
Yeah, except I didn't really ever talk to anyone. I know that sounds antisocial, but I used to live *outside* the town. Most of the talking I did, honestly, was to farm animals.
Most of the socializing I do is online, since most of my friends are spread across the country. I get my fill of talking to people that way. I spent 6 weeks this summer in a town of 132 people where I spoke only a smidgen of the language (hi/how much is this/etc), and did fine, and there I didn't even have access to internet!
Also, what do you mean there's nothing to do? There's woods, there's beaches, all sorts of stuff! Or at least, that what it seems from looking at photos on flickr.
Last edited by driftingfocus on Wed Apr 23, 2008 2:57 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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IamBabo
Joined: 16 Jun 2005
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| Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 2:57 pm Post subject: Jindo |
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Hi,
I have some in-laws that live on Jindo, it is pretty cool if you like living in the country. Lots of older people live there, the biggest school I saw only had about 60 students total!
Lots of jindos roaming around if you like dogs. English is almost non-existent there, so brush up on your Korean.
One of things I liked was the landscape, not a lot of apartment buildings, most people live in one story houses.
I hope you like it. |
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Ukon
Joined: 29 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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| driftingfocus wrote: |
| nicholas_chiasson wrote: |
| remember in a town of 5,000 in Vermont, you spoke English and so did they. If you can't speak Korean it gets really really lonely. The other foreign teacher and I have to hang out together all the time cause there is nothing else to do. |
Yeah, except I didn't really ever talk to anyone. I know that sounds antisocial, but I used to live *outside* the town. Most of the talking I did, honestly, was to farm animals.
Most of the socializing I do is online, since most of my friends are spread across the country. I get my fill of talking to people that way. I spent 6 weeks this summer in a town of 132 people where I spoke only a smidgen of the language (hi/how much is this/etc), and did fine, and there I didn't even have access to internet!
Also, what do you mean there's nothing to do? There's woods, there's beaches, all sorts of stuff! Or at least, that what it seems from looking at photos on flickr. |
I never got how some people could live in small towns....what is there to do? It's always the city for me. |
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driftingfocus
Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Location: Boston, MA
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| Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Ukon wrote: |
| driftingfocus wrote: |
| nicholas_chiasson wrote: |
| remember in a town of 5,000 in Vermont, you spoke English and so did they. If you can't speak Korean it gets really really lonely. The other foreign teacher and I have to hang out together all the time cause there is nothing else to do. |
Yeah, except I didn't really ever talk to anyone. I know that sounds antisocial, but I used to live *outside* the town. Most of the talking I did, honestly, was to farm animals.
Most of the socializing I do is online, since most of my friends are spread across the country. I get my fill of talking to people that way. I spent 6 weeks this summer in a town of 132 people where I spoke only a smidgen of the language (hi/how much is this/etc), and did fine, and there I didn't even have access to internet!
Also, what do you mean there's nothing to do? There's woods, there's beaches, all sorts of stuff! Or at least, that what it seems from looking at photos on flickr. |
I never got how some people could live in small towns....what is there to do? It's always the city for me. |
Well, I've lived in both major cities (Houston, Boston, and D.C.) and in the countryside, so I can only offer what I usually do when I'm in a rural area (which is my preferred area):
walk
hike
swim
visit with farm animals (I lived on a working farm, though I was not involved in its running, and rarely saw the actual farmers.)
surf the internet/livejournal/forums/facebook
chat with friends online
make websites
sew
read
cook
take photos (I'm a photographer by trade.)
walk more (honestly. I walk approx. 6 miles a day on average.)
watch downloaded TV and movies
work on my online language-exchange (I'm working on learning Swiss German.)
listen to the new iTunesU college lectures about subjects I am interested in |
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driftingfocus
Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Location: Boston, MA
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| Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:09 pm Post subject: Re: Jindo |
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| IamBabo wrote: |
Hi,
I have some in-laws that live on Jindo, it is pretty cool if you like living in the country. Lots of older people live there, the biggest school I saw only had about 60 students total!
Lots of jindos roaming around if you like dogs. English is almost non-existent there, so brush up on your Korean.
One of things I liked was the landscape, not a lot of apartment buildings, most people live in one story houses.
I hope you like it. |
Are the dogs generally friendly? |
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poet13
Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Location: Just over there....throwing lemons.
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| Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 6:22 pm Post subject: |
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I'm interested. Are there any islands in the Kyeong buk EPIK program? It might suck a bit to lose my level 1 and have to start working toward a level 1+ again, but an island sounds nice.
Would be very cool to have a house and yard.
Definitely want to know if the dogs are friendly. |
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driftingfocus
Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Location: Boston, MA
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| Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 6:27 pm Post subject: |
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| poet13 wrote: |
I'm interested. Are there any islands in the Kyeong buk EPIK program? It might suck a bit to lose my level 1 and have to start working toward a level 1+ again, but an island sounds nice.
Would be very cool to have a house and yard.
Definitely want to know if the dogs are friendly. |
I searched the boards and I only found two job openings on Jindo, one is the one I am filling and the other is pretty old and may be gone already. But, it never hurts to keep looking. I'm going straight through the recruiter/school, not through EPIK.
Also, as far as the house and yard thing, I believe that the poster means that the normal residents live in them. As far as I know, teachers are still placed in apartments. |
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Fishead soup
Joined: 24 Jun 2007
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 6:46 pm Post subject: |
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Another thing I want to add ,about these island locations is they love their fish. Mostly raw ,sometimes in a spicy soup. I went to one isolated Island there was not a single meat restaurant on the Island. Some Islanders buy meat at the butcher shop and cook it at home. There is nowhere near the meat eating culture you have on the mainland.
Also check out the ferry schedule. During typhoon season you can be stranded for days. |
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driftingfocus
Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Location: Boston, MA
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| Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 6:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Fishead soup wrote: |
Another thing I want to add ,about these island locations is they love their fish. Mostly raw ,sometimes in a spicy soup. I went to one isolated Island there was not a single meat restaurant on the Island. Some Islanders buy meat at the butcher shop and cook it at home. There is nowhere near the meat eating culture you have on the mainland.
Also check out the ferry schedule. During typhoon season you can be stranded for days. |
Hahaha. That's fine with me. The only two meats I eat are fish and chicken. I was raised vegetarian, and so I don't really eat all that much meat, other than those two.
And thankfully, no ferries for me. Jindo has a bridge. |
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Fishead soup
Joined: 24 Jun 2007
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 7:17 pm Post subject: |
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| driftingfocus wrote: |
| Fishead soup wrote: |
Another thing I want to add ,about these island locations is they love their fish. Mostly raw ,sometimes in a spicy soup. I went to one isolated Island there was not a single meat restaurant on the Island. Some Islanders buy meat at the butcher shop and cook it at home. There is nowhere near the meat eating culture you have on the mainland.
Also check out the ferry schedule. During typhoon season you can be stranded for days. |
Hahaha. That's fine with me. The only two meats I eat are fish and chicken. I was raised vegetarian, and so I don't really eat all that much meat, other than those two.
And thankfully, no ferries for me. Jindo has a bridge. |
No fish sticks in batter, mostly raw and sometimes still moving. |
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