Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kreftca]

So I wanted to write a post about my circumstances here and what other people thought about it and to see if anyone has any ideas to help me out.

I've been here for 3 months now. I live in the sticks of Korea in a little town called Andeok in the county of Cheongsong in Gyeongsangbuk. I live 45 minutes from anything that resembles civilization and other english speakers. I like the small setting of my town but am getting REALLY tired of doing nothing! After school I walk home and that's about it. My co-teacher don't really help AT ALL and I'm getting bored to tears. There is a little bus stop here that can get me places easily, but getting back is a problem. I am tired of doing nothing.

I get rather jealous of friends from orientation who can go out any night they want with other native teachers in their city. The closest big citye nearby is Andong and between the University, Epik, and Hogwans there are like 10 native teachers there. It makes me SO mad because that is how I wanted my Korean experience to be like! Instead I am stuck in a TINY town with nothing to do.

What do you think? Am I ranting over nothing? What should I do? I'm getting bored of being bored!

[Adobe]

I feel your pain...my town is much bigger but after two years i'm a little tired of the same restaurants/routines. You sound like a young person...the sticks work for those who are anti-social and or married/old(not fresh from uni). You could, as an extreme solution ask for a transfer to a larger town/village..or just enroll in a Uni progamme(online/correspondence)...download movies etc for during the week/study korean and escape to the bright lights on the weekend.

Adobe

[Ukon]

Get a car or motorcycle...and next year, if not sooner, try to transfer to a bigger city....You can always apply for SMOE or a job in Seoul when your contract is up.

Small towns suck for young people....just get drive to someplace more exiciting(like Seoul) often.

[bobbyhanlon]

just quit. when i first came to korea i was stuck near gimhae, which is nice enough but has absolutely nothing to do. basically the boss lied to me, telling me that i would be working in busan... god bless him.
after 3 months i couldn't handle it any more, so i asked him to release me from the contract. he found another teacher, and let me go, and then i was free to move to seoul (my next job was in apgujong, about as 180-degree different as you can get).
so just ask your boss to let you go. if he says no, ask him again. and again, ad infinitum.

[afsjesse]

LOL I'm in almost the same situation. I live in Hupo (10000 people) in Uljin county. Was the only english foreigner in the PS systemf ro 6 months until March. I'm 2 hours from Pohang which is the closes thing to civilization i guess. Although Uljin town is kind of nice and so is Yeongdeok.

Come on up for a visit! Oh and I'm in Gyeongbuk also.

[afsjesse]

LOL I'm in almost the same situation. I live in Hupo (10000 people) in Uljin county. Was the only english foreigner in the PS systemf ro 6 months until March. I'm 2 hours from Pohang which is the closes thing to civilization i guess. Although Uljin town is kind of nice and so is Yeongdeok.

Come on up for a visit! Oh and I'm in Gyeongbuk also.

[afsjesse]

LOL I'm in almost the same situation. I live in Hupo (10000 people) in Uljin county. Was the only english foreigner in the PS systemf ro 6 months until March. I'm 2 hours from Pohang which is the closes thing to civilization i guess. Although Uljin town is kind of nice and so is Yeongdeok.

Come on up for a visit!

[Chet Wautlands]

LOL I'm in almost the same situation. I live in Hupo (10000 people) in Uljin county. Was the only english foreigner in the PS systemf ro 6 months until March. I'm 2 hours from Pohang which is the closes thing to civilization i guess. Although Uljin town is kind of nice and so is Yeongdeok.

Come on up for a visit! Oh and I'm in Gyeongbuk also.

[samcheokguy]

What the heck happened? Sign in as 2 people?

[Eedoryeong]

We're in the same situation, but in our case we checked it out first and they sweetened the pot to make country living attractive. So they really reached out to us with perks to get us to come, and we love them for it.

A scooter would solve almost all of your problems, I figure. They're cheap as hell, and you can get to where your friends are, or at least to a major bus terminal. See if you can get a parking arrangement with one of your friends in a bigger area.

Or just quit

[afsjesse]

That is quite the strange thing that happened.... I'm most decidedly not Chet....

[Rory_Calhoun27]

How difficult is it to get a gig like this, in this "Outer mongolia" everyone describes?

I'd at least like a position where you are the "main man." Not like the brats I have to deal with in the satellite city of Ansan.

And by brats I don't mean the kids, at least most of them. I'm talking about the racist principal who took over three months into my contract, the crazed coteacher who thought it OK to attack me, and her various co-nemeses.

are rural schools MORE receptive to English teachers, or, even more difficult? Enquiring minds want to know!

[KYC]

[DrOctagon]

You should join a gym if there's one nearby. I live in a fairly rural area on Jeju, although downtown is 20-30 minutes away by bus. During the week I work from 9-5 or 8-4, go home, drink a protein shake, go to the gym for an hour or two, come back, drink another shake, cook dinner, eat dinner, go on the computer or play some Xbox then go to bed. I never hang out with anyone during the week. I like it better this way. I'm young and I like being away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Plus I live on the beach so I can go swimming after work if I want to. The days I don't work out I hang out with my Korean friend for a little while. Luckily he spent some time in Australia so he speaks English pretty well. So, I guess my situation is a little bit different from yours. But, try to suck it up. Get some hobbies, learn how to entertain yourself and keep yourself occupied. I have a friend who lives and teaches on Chuja island for Christ's sake and he's only 22. He is the only Westerner on the island. He learned how to speak Korean and he hangs out with the locals during the week. On the weekends he sometimes takes the ferry to Jeju to party with us.

Anyways, I hope things get better for you pal/gal.

[Draz]