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Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
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| Why do you log on to this forum? |
| To get/share information on living & working in Korea |
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20% |
[ 7 ] |
| I enjoy reading others opinions & debating with them over my own |
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23% |
[ 8 ] |
| I like to play head games with other posters |
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14% |
[ 5 ] |
| For some social interaction with others in a similar situation to myself |
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2% |
[ 1 ] |
| A combination of the above (details?) |
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32% |
[ 11 ] |
| ........insert own reason here...... |
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5% |
[ 2 ] |
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| Total Votes : 34 |
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Stormy
Joined: 10 Jan 2008
Location: Here & there
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 Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 11:43 pm Post subject: What do you get out of Dave's? |
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| Just a general question on why people are here & what they get out of it. Feel free to elaborate on your answer. |
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BS.Dos.
Joined: 29 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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| You forgot to add the biggest reason - to kill time. |
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PRagic
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 4:46 pm Post subject: |
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I'm the only foreigner in my department, so it's nice to be able to see what others here are thinking and experiencing.
Plus, I spend a lot of my office time writing and reading. Dave's is an easy way to take a break. |
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bogey666
Joined: 17 Mar 2008
Location: Korea, the ass free zone
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 5:27 pm Post subject: |
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| PRagic wrote: |
I'm the only foreigner in my department, so it's nice to be able to see what others here are thinking and experiencing.
Plus, I spend a lot of my office time writing and reading. Dave's is an easy way to take a break. |
ditto.
plus if you take the time to wade thru some of the posts, there is a lot to learn (some "surprises" weren't surprises to me once I landed in Korea because I had read posts about them)
And it's easier knowing other public school teachers deal with the same issues I am dealing with.
Also, despite the recent heavy hand of editing/deleting threads, I often enjoy the very morbid, yet extremely hilarious sarcasm from a lot of the posters.
there have been several times I've read something in teacher's room and exploded in a guffaw. All the Koreans then look at me like I"m crazy and I have to sheepishly apologize (last times were when the guy posted being stuck in his room hungry.. (those were deleted unfortunately) and then the time jettrash was talking about the polluted air as "sparkling air", with the Korean Tourism Ministry trademark.
lots of funny guys here , keep it up 
Last edited by bogey666 on Sun May 25, 2008 5:30 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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uberscheisse
Joined: 02 Dec 2003
Location: japan is better than korea.
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 5:28 pm Post subject: |
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| i wonder how many people have gotten laid because of posting on here. |
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friendoken
Joined: 19 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 7:14 pm Post subject: |
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I have looked at the Korean forums and all the Asian forums for quite some time now, looking for the place that most appealed to me as I get ready to start the next phase of my life.
I thank Dave's for helping me clarify that direction. In a word, Korea loses. It appears that far too many posters have far too many negative things to say.
So thank you all. I now have a much clearer idea of where I shall end up this September.
Say what thou wilt, but I have to believe the numbers of ESL teachers that Korea does not seem to appreciate, is Korea's loss, not those of ESL teachers.
I also believe I am not alone in these feelings. And, as I have read on Asian forums, and I believe here as well, if Thailand et al, paid equally to Korea, few, if any ESL teachers, would make Korea their destination of choice.
It begs the question, "why express the desire, if you do not fundamentally desire their presence." |
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PRagic
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 7:24 pm Post subject: |
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I don't know. I'd probably work in Korea anyway. Thailand is great to visit, but for work, I think I'd find it oppressively hot. That's one of the reasons I don't apply for jobs in Hong Kong or Singapore as well. Just too hot. I had a few friends who took university jobs in Bangkok and were hating life once they settled in, mostly because of the weather.
I like my schedule in Korea as I get summers and winters off. This allows us to usually miss the hot, muggy, rainy season here, and to get to a nice beach in the winter. |
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bogey666
Joined: 17 Mar 2008
Location: Korea, the ass free zone
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 7:50 pm Post subject: |
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| friendoken wrote: |
I have looked at the Korean forums and all the Asian forums for quite some time now, looking for the place that most appealed to me as I get ready to start the next phase of my life.
I thank Dave's for helping me clarify that direction. In a word, Korea loses. It appears that far too many posters have far too many negative things to say.
So thank you all. I now have a much clearer idea of where I shall end up this September.
Say what thou wilt, but I have to believe the numbers of ESL teachers that Korea does not seem to appreciate, is Korea's loss, not those of ESL teachers.
I also believe I am not alone in these feelings. And, as I have read on Asian forums, and I believe here as well, if Thailand et al, paid equally to Korea, few, if any ESL teachers, would make Korea their destination of choice.
It begs the question, "why express the desire, if you do not fundamentally desire their presence." |
keep in mind many people use this forum to gripe, vent, etc.
it's common for more bitching than positive things to appear.
but things like money, are a fairly important consideration for many here.
if I could go anywhere without money being a consideration, I'd be in Colombia, Brazil... Venezuela.
but the money in Korea is far superior.. you can save money here. and if you get a couple of months of paid vacation in summer and winter. like public school teachers do for e.g..
that's pretty hard to beat.
weather should also be a consideration. It's one thing to vacation in hot weather.. to live in it daily and work in it is quite another. |
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uberscheisse
Joined: 02 Dec 2003
Location: japan is better than korea.
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 7:03 am Post subject: |
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| it's still important to wonder how many people have gotten laid from being on dave's. |
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Nowhere Man
Joined: 08 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 1:10 pm Post subject: ... |
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| Quote: |
I have looked at the Korean forums and all the Asian forums for quite some time now, looking for the place that most appealed to me as I get ready to start the next phase of my life.
I thank Dave's for helping me clarify that direction. In a word, Korea loses. It appears that far too many posters have far too many negative things to say.
So thank you all. I now have a much clearer idea of where I shall end up this September. |
Hmm. That's really not the best way to choose where you're going to teach.
My general experience over several countries is that expat-teacher cynicism is fairly uniform. It's a product of culture shock. By culture shock, I'm referring to long-term contempt for the local culture as opposed to the "wow effect" of arriving in Asia.
Consider also that Korea has about 74 expat-teacher forums compared to most countries' 1 or 2. I think this is due more to the broadband infrastructure than it is to Koran expats being whinier.
In some ways, other countries might appeal more to people with specific interests such as language or martial arts, but I think the bottom line about being happy wherever you are will be based on how happy you are at your school/place of work. Are workplaces happier in some other Asian countries? I don't really think you can judge that on a country-by-country scale.
You specifically mention Thailand. I worked there for four years and would make these points:
1) Thais are very polite and friendly as a whole, but in their culture face plays a far bigger role than it does in Korea. You can't really criticize anything. Students don't want to participate unless they make no mistakes. It isn't uncommon in local education for students to never fail anything throughout their schooling. Now, this makes teaching there tricky in the sense of dealing with students as well as dealing with administrators.
2) There are many very normal expats who make up a fun community and are often planning to stay in Thailand forever, but the radioactive waste attracted by the seedier elements make the weirdos in Korea look pretty pedestrian. By the way, we're all a bunch of weirdos for moving to the other side of the Earth to engage in this profession. Weirdos are part and parcel of this line of work. In many ways, that's as good as it is bad. In fact, I take back the word "weirdo" and replace it with "eccentric". I do not take back the term "radioactive waste".
3) Those beaches in Thailand are fab. Unfortunately, when you live in Thailand, it means you get the same holidays as everyone who lives in Thailand. Guess where everyone goes when there's a holiday? The beach! As such, when you get free time, the beaches are packed out. I spent my Thai holidays traveling to other countries in the region. During my second stint in Korea, I actually had more Thai beach time because a) I could afford it and b) the holidays don't match up with Thai holidays.
So, yeah. Choose based on good working conditions, not message boards. |
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Stormy
Joined: 10 Jan 2008
Location: Here & there
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 2:35 pm Post subject: |
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| uberscheisse wrote: |
| it's still important to wonder how many people have gotten laid from being on dave's. |
Sorry I didn't put this option in the poll.....how about we assume from here on out that the last option of insert own reason here is really code for to get laid? If you did get laid by logging on to Dave's then please make sure to share the details....up to a point. |
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peppermint
Joined: 13 May 2003
Location: traversing the minefields of caddishness.
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 2:55 pm Post subject: |
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| I used to teach in Korea, and I work from home about half the time now. This place is a way to keep in touch with old friends and it's sort of a virtual watercooler. |
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Dances With Wolves
Joined: 06 May 2008
Location: A galaxy far, far away!
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 4:21 pm Post subject: |
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| For information regarding South Korea and teaching ESl. I plan on coming there to teach in August. |
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bogey666
Joined: 17 Mar 2008
Location: Korea, the ass free zone
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 4:48 pm Post subject: Re: ... |
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| Nowhere Man wrote: |
| Quote: |
I have looked at the Korean forums and all the Asian forums for quite some time now, looking for the place that most appealed to me as I get ready to start the next phase of my life.
I thank Dave's for helping me clarify that direction. In a word, Korea loses. It appears that far too many posters have far too many negative things to say.
So thank you all. I now have a much clearer idea of where I shall end up this September. |
Hmm. That's really not the best way to choose where you're going to teach.
My general experience over several countries is that expat-teacher cynicism is fairly uniform. It's a product of culture shock. By culture shock, I'm referring to long-term contempt for the local culture as opposed to the "wow effect" of arriving in Asia.
Consider also that Korea has about 74 expat-teacher forums compared to most countries' 1 or 2. I think this is due more to the broadband infrastructure than it is to Koran expats being whinier.
In some ways, other countries might appeal more to people with specific interests such as language or martial arts, but I think the bottom line about being happy wherever you are will be based on how happy you are at your school/place of work. Are workplaces happier in some other Asian countries? I don't really think you can judge that on a country-by-country scale.
You specifically mention Thailand. I worked there for four years and would make these points:
1) Thais are very polite and friendly as a whole, but in their culture face plays a far bigger role than it does in Korea. You can't really criticize anything. Students don't want to participate unless they make no mistakes. It isn't uncommon in local education for students to never fail anything throughout their schooling. Now, this makes teaching there tricky in the sense of dealing with students as well as dealing with administrators.
2) There are many very normal expats who make up a fun community and are often planning to stay in Thailand forever, but the radioactive waste attracted by the seedier elements make the weirdos in Korea look pretty pedestrian. By the way, we're all a bunch of weirdos for moving to the other side of the Earth to engage in this profession. Weirdos are part and parcel of this line of work. In many ways, that's as good as it is bad. In fact, I take back the word "weirdo" and replace it with "eccentric". I do not take back the term "radioactive waste".
3) Those beaches in Thailand are fab. Unfortunately, when you live in Thailand, it means you get the same holidays as everyone who lives in Thailand. Guess where everyone goes when there's a holiday? The beach! As such, when you get free time, the beaches are packed out. I spent my Thai holidays traveling to other countries in the region. During my second stint in Korea, I actually had more Thai beach time because a) I could afford it and b) the holidays don't match up with Thai holidays.
So, yeah. Choose based on good working conditions, not message boards. |
I'm not sure I'd agree about the weirdo/eccentric part. I haven't been around enough ESL types to give a solid opinion. There are always eccentrics..yes..
but I've met teachers from international schools, especially young(er) guys and they're anything but eccentric/weird. Rather, they see the opportunities for making more money in their profession and actually enjoy being away from the US of A, culturally speaking, as well. |
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mikeyboy122
Joined: 28 Feb 2008
Location: namyang
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Laughter and incorrect information. |
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