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renzobenzo1
Joined: 08 Sep 2007
Location: Suji, Yongin
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 Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 7:44 am Post subject: If you didn't like Korea the first time around what.... |
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brought you back? kimchi withdrawals? loans to pay off?
What things did you learn that you could reapply to make it easier for your next life episode there....or was it just the same? |
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Young FRANKenstein
Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)
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| Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 8:42 am Post subject: Re: If you didn't like Korea the first time around what.... |
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| renzobenzo1 wrote: |
| brought you back? |
The obvious answer for those types of people is: no jobs back home and with no self-respect, it's easy to come back here for the money and continue to rip on the locals. |
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tfunk
Joined: 12 Aug 2006
Location: Dublin, Ireland
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| Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 9:07 am Post subject: Re: If you didn't like Korea the first time around what.... |
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| renzobenzo1 wrote: |
brought you back? kimchi withdrawals? loans to pay off?
What things did you learn that you could reapply to make it easier for your next life episode there....or was it just the same? |
The first time I came to Korea I lived in Incheon, which was far too urbanized for me. I didn't make a discriminating choice, I just choose wherever the recruiter suggested.
The second time around I had a definite idea of where I wanted to go. 3 hours from Seoul, by the coast, near mountains, clear air etc.
Asia brought me back, not Korea. Where you live in Korea made all the difference to me. The type of job also matters(adults, children, teens, hagwon, public school, corporate, non-teaching, long hours, vacation etc.). |
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icicle
Joined: 09 Feb 2007
Location: Gyeonggi do Korea
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| Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 12:54 pm Post subject: |
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For me it was recognising what I had liked and not liked in where I was last time and the type of job I had. I was in a relatively rural area last time (though within an hour of Seoul) and in a public middle school with very large class sizes and each class only once a week but teaching every class in the school.
This time I am in Northern Seoul within 5 minutes of the subway station and with most things I need very close to me. I am teaching in a hagwon so great smaller class sizes. I am also teaching kindergarten and elementary which is what suits me the best (I am a primary trained teacher). I have much much less time that I have to spend at school doing nothing. While that does mean a bit more teaching time and preparation (because I am not repeating the same class very often). I personally prefer that. I also have a much better chance to get to know the students and adapt the classes to suit them. I am asked for my opinion on things related to my work. I feel much more a part of things. I am in a relatively new and at this stage relatively small hagwon.
I think that the previous posters who have said that location is important is correct. But where the best place is is going to be different for different people. If there are things which are important to you then try to find a job which is not too far away to travel to them. I am now within 30 minutes of a couple of places which last year meant travelling upwards of 2 hours to get to ... And am personally spending less money on food etc than I did last year because I have much more access to traditional markets and restuarants than I did last year and have found that a trip about once a month to one of the big supermarkets has been all I have needed to get the few things I can't easily get within a block or so of my home. |
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