Korean Job Discussion Forums

[nolegirl]

Ok, so I went to e-mart and it was a horrible experience and I am never going back without someone with me. So what the hell, a brita fliter pitcher is 50,000 won!! Everything is so expensive. Can I just boil water and put it in a jug??? Does anyone else do this?? I don't know how to work my stove yet, though. I need to buy a pot, too.

So I got pillows, trash cans, table, etc... and I talk to some guy that said I can get this stuff delivered. Well I go to check out and the manager said I could not get it delivered. WTF, OMG, I am going to have to spend 80,000 won a freakin taxi. So I go outside to catch a taxi but I don't see anyone else going up the ramp with shopping carts, so I sit down to smoke a cigi and contemplate what I should do. I could just go up the ramp but there are really sharp turns and my cart is loaded up and that could end in disaster. I could just leave my stuff down stairs and call a taxi and then just run my stuff up in hand. At this point I am so freakin hot and annoyed. The whole time in the shopping mart some lady with a mop kept pushing her mop into my feet and she would not leave me alone. And damn why does everyone stare for so long, not 5 or even 10 seconds, its like 30 seconds. The young people take a quick glance and give you sort of a nasty look, wtf!!

So I have not seen one foreigner at this point. So I decide to go into Starbucks so I can weigh out my options. I meet this guy from Saudi Arabia and he tells me to go to the elevator. He then proceeds to ask me out to dinner with his 2 small kids present. I get his number and tell him I will call and if I get desperate enough I probably will.

So I point to "where can I get a taxi" in Korean in my handbook to some guy. He tells me to go up to the 1st floor. So I proceed to go up to the 1st floor. All I see are mens suits. So I then decide to just walk around til someone helps me. Luckily the guy that told me to go the 1st floor shows up with his wife and I show him my address and the wife said she would take me home since they live in the same area. So they drive me home and they were so nice. It's sort of wierd... the main people that have helped me have been over the 50 age group, both Koreans and foreigners.

For example, I got up out of my seat so an old lady could sit in the back of the subway card and then the 2 old men told me to come sit between them. I think they were really impressed that I let the old lady sit. So I am sitting between 2 old men who are sleeping for the next 3 exits. Then I get off and start walking, well shit if I am not lost. I keep forgetting that on my way home I am on the other side of the street, duh!!


So I get my stuff home and realize I am missing the stool I bought, but no biggie. Then I break out the gloves so I can clean the bathroom. Well shit, theres only one glove. So I walk to my local grocer and buy another glove. Well shit, I have 2 right handed gloves. Then I bought adapters, nope there not even adpaters, I don;t know what I just bought. So....

I think since I have 8 more days til I start work I am going to calk the walls in my bathroon b/c they are sort of black. So I got calk, I think, and the orange thing that pushes it, well it does not work. I don't even know if its calk as its grey not white b/c I tried opening it with a knife and then scissors, it doens't open that way, though. Total freakin waste of money. So I then decide to hang the mirror on the wall. I use the bottom of a shoe as a hammer and hang the mirror, wow job well done, go me!! Motherphucker falls and glass breaks everywhere. Now I have to walk with shoes on in my apt. So I decided to not try any more home improvments at this point unless I have a trained handyman present or safety goggles as glass broke in my eye i think.

Oh yeah, I am eating for substance not for flavor. The food is nasty. I go to Joes Sandwitch and now that makes me sick. Its weird I am craving toast. But nothing in Korea is toasted or even that crispy. I got cereal at e-mart but I have to go buy spoons. I am just so tired. I buy bread and just eat bread. Its like I am on survivor "South Korea" and I am defiantley not winning.

I have no friends except this 80 year old lady I say hi to everyday, my funds are going much faster then anticipated, I have eaten 2 whole containers of tums, and I am seriously thinking about going to bar at 11:00 in the morning so i can cry in a glass. Actually a beer sounds good now as the carbonation makes my tummy feel better.

Oh yeah, whats up with the ring lady with the long black hair on all these shows and then theres the 80's soft porn thats always on which I found midly entertaining as CNN runs the same shit.

Ok, for all of you new people who are coming over who have no foreign teachers at your school be aware life will suck.

Oh yeah, still no hot water nor internet.

[Pooty]

I give you six months before you pack it in and head back home.

Kidding, things will get better...hang in there kid.


AND

GO GATORS

[billybrobby]

Caulk the bathroom?? what planet are you from? calm down.

[kentucker4]

[MUOhio82]

Ok, CALM DOWN, lol. Everything will be ok, at least it was in my experience.

You don't need a water filter, just buy the bottled water. I take my empty bottles to school when they're empty and fill them up for free with the filtered water there....

Depending on where you live it's incredibly easy to catch a taxi, if you stand on the street for a minute one should drive by, then do the whole arm wave thing and that's that.

I find it much cheaper to buy things at little shops than at EMart, as it's expensive sometimes, and the only thing I buy there is peanut butter. Instead of eating shite food, buy some peanut butter, jelly, bread, milk and cereal, that's what I did my first week here. Not being able to understand the labels almost made me want to cry, but take a deep breath, try to look for some pictures on the labels, and sometimes that helps.

Girl, if you need anything PM me. I don't know what I would have done without the 11 foreigners I work with......

[rebel_1812]

the honeymoon is over.

[sojourner1]

Yea, Emart is rediculously expensive with less service than Homeplus, but Emart is Korea's main department store chain with many locations.

Too bad someone like a co-teacher couldn't take you shopping. My co-teacher took me shopping when I first got here and what we couldn't haul in her Musso Sports, Emart had delivered.

It's a communication thing as to why we have so many problems getting services.

[nolegirl]

I don't think people understand the drastic nature of having no foreigners at your school and your school not willing to help you. I am on my own, can nobody relate to this

[kentucker4]

Going shopping in a new country is supposed to be an adventure. It's more fun IMO without any help.

[spliff]

You're amazing, can u post a link w/ a picture of yourself? Please!

[MUOhio82]

Just take your time, walk up and down the aisles, get a bearing on what aisle has what products, and take it from there homeslice.

I've been here one month, I'm 25, and this is my first time ever away from home. I'm still alive, my fridge is full of food with crazy writing on it, but it's good stuff...... if you see something interesting, try buying it, tasting it. You find stuff this way.

Don't buy what you're used to seeing back home as it's going to be twice as expensive.

Go to Home Plus and buy Home Plus brand, that's what I do with all toilet paper, cleaning products, mayo and milk. Little things like that.

I'd rather go alone shopping, it gives me time to do it all on my own, find things, try things. Home Plus always has people handing out samples too, try them.

It does all look different and crazy, but take it little things at a time and you'll feel a lot better than jumping in all at once. As for home repairs, your boss/school should be doing that shite. My fridge just broke and all I do is make a phone call, and they take care of it.....

Keep your head up girl!

[newteacher]

[nautilus]

[kentucker4]

[aka Dave]

I was alone at my small school a year and a half ago in Ochang, a small town.

Hmm, what did I do? Well, my apt. was nice so no worries there. I was bored until I got the internet, went to a pc bang a bit. Also had some personal little projects that kept me busy. But it was fairly boring. I actually watched some Korean TV. There was not much to do in Ochang. I went jogging at the park.

I suggest learning Hangul (Korean alphabet). It takes just a few days, it's fairly easy. It fills your time, you'll feel like you're making progress.

For food, I ate simple vegetables like zuchinni, mushrooms, eggplant, garlic sauteed with go chu chang (spicy paste). And chicken or pork.

Currently I'm the lone foreign "professor" in my department. To be honest, I like it, I'm fully on my own and pretty much answer to no one, except I have lunch with my boss once a week during the semester (she's sweet and kind). It takes some time to find your niche, and I suppose I'm more inclined to solitude than others, but I think if you learn a bit of Korean it will ease things.