Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bogey666]

so I find out there's a TWO day "teacher field trip" next week.
I have no idea where they are going, somewhere deep south, which means hours of being stuck on some bus.

as I imagine what there will be to do (nothing) and what will be done (either nothing or something stupid, or people just getting drunk)

I'm seriously getting the heevie jeevies.

not to mention other "exciting" things to come like sleeping with a bunch of middle aged Korean men on the floor.

shitting into a hole? (I really really don't want to attempt this)

and of course, literally starving for 2 days, since there won't be anything to eat (that I'll be able to swallow without wincing).

Anyways, I"ve already "kind of " steeled myself for 2 days of pure hell, which I'll bear best as I can, because I won't have to warm my seat later.

anyways - any stories, suggestions and recommendations so that I can endure this with minimum suffering.

[I_Am_The_Kiwi]

Good luck....I was able to escape our teachers field trip cos i had other plans....they just told me of it far too late.

Glad i didnt go though, all the things you describe...sharing a floor with drunk teachers...not cool, nor my idea of a good weekend.

most likely youll stay at a resort of some kind, do a hike, eat bbq, drink soju, do karaoke and catch the bus home...

enjoy.

[Thewhiteyalbum]

2 nights. Many places to see very 'bali bali'. At night the teeachers got pissed while the kids had a mini noraebang thing (were entertained by some poor soul whose job it is to entertain the schoolkids who stay at the complex).
Teachers forced to drink. Many female teachers had too much soju and cried.
Many tours and lectures in Korean including a visit to a steel plant.
I got tired and nasty on the 3rd day and had a fight with the 6th grade teacher cos I referred to the East Sea as the 'Sea of Japan' and informed him that as that is what I was taught at school, that is what I will continue to call it. This was last summer and he still hasn't spoken to me.

Very tiring, but also some interesting places, the more interesting the place the less time was spent there, it seemed to me.

Noticed the lack of tourists. In fact, I did not see ONE tourist at any of the 'tourist' places.

Have fun

[oldfatfarang]

The only memorable thing about The Teachers' Field Trip at my last school was when they bought entrance tickets to a historic site: "3 adults and a foreigner." You gotta laugh, because if you took these things seriously, well..............

[Fishead soup]

I've been on one. My school went to Sock-cho. This is a seaside place in Kangwon-do. We spent almost a full day on the bus. The evening was spent in a Hoe Restaurant eating raw fish. Which included, living octopus still moving, raw sea Urchins and raw flatfish. There was plenty of soju.

Then we went to a nightclub. There was alot of pressure to dance and the music was crap. The nightclub consisted of beer and fruit. It went on a little longer than it should. I personally would prefer a chicken hof which would have been cheaper and more fun.

That night we had to share rooms . I politely warned the teachers I would be snoring so they agreed to go to a third place. After that we were all rip roaring drunk and passed out in the rooms.

The next day we went to some caves which was interesting. Then we bused it home.

There are many advantages of going on these things. One of the obvious ones is you will improve your image at your school. Another is if your were to try all these things on your own it would seriously burn a hole in your wallet.

If you are at all fussy with your food I find these things not to be a problem. People are more than willing to order you something different if you don't like whats on the menu.

The only downside is I think it would be a real bummer if you had to cancel a trip to Thailand for one of these things. If your school likes you and you inform them in advance about your plan to travel I doubt they would make a fuss. However if you have nothing else to do it's a great experience.

[Perceptioncheck]

I also escaped going on the Teachers Trip this year and boy, was I happy about it when I asked what they did because eight hours on a karaoke bus sounds like the ninth level of hell to me.

My advice? If you don't enjoy these things, always have some fake excuse "plans" ready. If I say I'm busy and have to skip an event, my co-teacher gives me the third degree so it's a good idea to have those imaginary Whos Whats Wheres Whens and Whys sussed out beforehand.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Next week will be my fourth year in a row. A bus ride with maybe some drinking and gambling; a boring, mostly pointless meeting that could just as well have been held at school; nice dinner (at ours there are so many courses it would be almost impossible to hate everything) and drinking; noraebang and drinking (if the male teachers go off on their own this might lead to more fun, if you know what I mean); back to the hotel and more drinking and perhaps gambling; drinking and passing out on the floor, inhaling second-hand smoke all night long as Mr Kim and Mr Park can't stop gambling and gamble and smoke eight hours straight; morning and hang-over soup; off to see some sight for the sake of seeing some sight; lunch and start drinking again; bus ride home, maybe more drinking and gambling.

Basically we have a boring meeting and then spend 24 hours doing things that we'd beat the living hell out of our students for doing.

[Dharma_Blue]

[thekakapo]

My school went to Sukmodo with all of us teachers. It was really fun! We crowded on a bus, ate many strange sea creatures, and visited a temple. I was led around the whole day like a strange pet that various teachers with limited English skills got to play with.

I ate a fish eye. I did it thinking that Koreans did it, but after I ate it my co-teacher burst into laughter saying, "We never eat these things!" It was bitchy but I became very impressed with her skills at pranking.

Expect lots of confusion, running around, and not understanding what is going on. With a good attitude you'll have fun.

[IncognitoHFX]

I go on two or three of these things a month, but when I go they rarely take up an entire day.

Sometimes they're boring (ie: driving for two hours to eat at an insignificant restaurant or seeing temples under the impression that you've never seen a temple before).

Other times, they are a lot of fun. Like snowboarding was last Wednesday.

Just go with it.

[Xuanzang]

The Vp made me stay at school. i figured I didnt miss much because I dont want to go freeze my butt off at Seoraksan.

[bundangbabo]

Never been to one! Ever! Unlikely that I will be going on one anytime soon.

[cruisemonkey]

I might have said I go on mine except the big plan for Saturday is mountain climbing (starting early a.m.). Either this means a very quiet, sober Friday night TRYING to sleep on the floor in a room full of K-teachers, or lots of fun, booze, passing out and a very brutal Saturday. Not fun either way. I told them I already had big plans to celebrate a 'belated' Christmas that weekend.

[bogey666]

my trip is mon-tue.
no weekend.
thank GOD for that.

turns out it'll take us 6 hours on bus to get whereever it is we're going.
some island... and fish market around it.

thrilling.
(the island might be cool, the 6 hour busride to get there surely won't be)

and I found out I'm staying the same room as the principal and vice principal. (they put me with the vp because we're pretty tight)

I guess I can use it for some sucking up, so if I decide to renew my life will be as easy or easier next year.

[oskinny1]

I went rafting with the teachers. Was handed a beer as I stepped on the bus at 9am. It was a great time and I just got drunk and passed out at the table around 3am. Woke up to all the teachers staggering around looking for coffee and ramyon.

Go, it will add to your life experiences.