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Zulethe
Joined: 04 Jul 2008
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 Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 4:46 pm Post subject: Rural Life |
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So I've been in Korea now for about 13 months. I haven't spoken to another westerner in that time. I live in a small rural community near a decent size city.
I live in an apartment complex that sits atop a hill with beautiful views. I'm approached almost daily by people that want one thing or another. Some try and hook me up because I'm 42 Korean age and unmarried, some try and hire me to teach English, while others just want to drink with me.
My Korean is becoming scarily good. I'm having conversations with the locals on basic everyday topics. It's pretty cool when you think that to have simple conversations, which encompasses the majority of the conversations we have; it's not too difficult to learn the language.
I ride small country roads on my citi 100 motorcycle to work everyday. The other day I saw a couple of deer.
I teach at an elementary school and I don't have a class with more than 15 students.
I leave school whenever I want and generally take two hour lunches. There is this huge amusement park just two miles up the road where I usually lounge about having my lunch while watching the kids ride the Viking.
There's the local drunk guy at the local convenience store that used to sneer at me and talk smack. I just started talking smack back. He's tapered his tone since I've gotten in the good graces of the store owner who comes out and sides with me when the rap war begins.
I've started a weight training club with a bunch of the younger teachers at my school. They have finally come to realize that it feels good to be strong.
Life is good! |
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blaseblasphemener
Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Location: There's a voice, keeps on calling me, down the road, that's where I'll always be
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| Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 5:26 pm Post subject: |
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Interesting post. I'd say your experience would make a good book. Why not start writing blog/Carrie Bradshaw style and see if you can get it published in a newspaper somewhere?
Good for you. Keep us updated. |
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Clockout
Joined: 23 Feb 2009
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| Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 5:38 pm Post subject: |
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What is your social life like? Weekends especially.
Do you have close Korean friends? |
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thomas pars
Joined: 29 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 9:04 pm Post subject: |
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Good post.
currently i live in bucheon. i work at a smallish public school. out of say 100 students maybe 20 really want to learn.
I have been really curious about the country. the clean air. the ability to learn korea. the small classes and the students eager to learn- are all pretty big draws.
from some of the ads ive seen posted the pay is pretty good too. better than here. plus some places give you a rural bonus each month.
i am curious about your living quarters. you have a house or a walk up willa?
Where are you located? |
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thomas pars
Joined: 29 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 9:06 pm Post subject: |
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| oops i didnt read the part about the apartment. good place. i've been thinking about moving out to kawando with my korean girlfriend. wonder how the locals would take us. |
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Zulethe
Joined: 04 Jul 2008
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| Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 1:05 am Post subject: |
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| thomas pars wrote: |
Good post.
currently i live in bucheon. i work at a smallish public school. out of say 100 students maybe 20 really want to learn.
I have been really curious about the country. the clean air. the ability to learn korea. the small classes and the students eager to learn- are all pretty big draws.
from some of the ads ive seen posted the pay is pretty good too. better than here. plus some places give you a rural bonus each month.
i am curious about your living quarters. you have a house or a walk up willa?
Where are you located? |
Keep in mind this is definitely not for everyone. Especially if you don't know any Korean and you don't like Korean food.
I'm close enough to a town that has some western restaurants so I can satisfy that urge every month or so.
I don't want to advertise the area I'm in because I think it's the best (so far) kept secret in Korea and I'd like to keep it that way. I've seen very few posts about this place on Dave's, which is good.
I'm just enjoying the simple life. After putting up with all of the headaches, red-tape and hastles of professional life in the states this is like a paid vacation.
The people have been very welcoming (except one) because their views of us haven't been tainted by the few bad apples that destroy any type of positive image most of us try and maintain.
But if this is your niche, man you've got it made cause you will have job security for years to come.
The key is to find a small school like the one you're at. The kids are all very motivated to learn but it took me a year to get them where their at due to having to wean them off Mr. game man clown who I took over from.
If I could sign a ten year contract with this place, I'd do it in a heart beat. |
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Cohiba
Joined: 01 Feb 2005
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| Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 5:04 am Post subject: |
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I would rather cut my yarbles off than live anywhere except close to
Seoul. The reason your classes are so small is that nobody, even
Koreans, don't want to live where you do.
However, if your happy that is the main thing. I need a vibrant social
life and a large variety of things to eat, see and do. The only possible
place for this is the Seoul area. |
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Palladium
Joined: 26 Apr 2009
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 6:54 am Post subject: |
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I live in a 33 pyeong apt, have decent work hours and get OK overtime. I live in the boonies, there are lots of hiking trails, lots of fresh air and quiet. I visit friends and every time I leave I wonder why the hell would anyone want to live in Seoul?!?
On the flip side of the coin, the shopping sux and every so often I have to go to Seoul. |
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whitealum29
Joined: 30 Aug 2009
Location: korea
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| Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 12:04 pm Post subject: Re: Rural Life |
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| Zulethe wrote: |
So I've been in Korea now for about 13 months. I haven't spoken to another westerner in that time. I live in a small rural community near a decent size city.
I live in an apartment complex that sits atop a hill with beautiful views. I'm approached almost daily by people that want one thing or another. Some try and hook me up because I'm 42 Korean age and unmarried, some try and hire me to teach English, while others just want to drink with me.
My Korean is becoming scarily good. I'm having conversations with the locals on basic everyday topics. It's pretty cool when you think that to have simple conversations, which encompasses the majority of the conversations we have; it's not too difficult to learn the language.
I ride small country roads on my citi 100 motorcycle to work everyday. The other day I saw a couple of deer.
I teach at an elementary school and I don't have a class with more than 15 students.
I leave school whenever I want and generally take two hour lunches. There is this huge amusement park just two miles up the road where I usually lounge about having my lunch while watching the kids ride the Viking.
There's the local drunk guy at the local convenience store that used to sneer at me and talk smack. I just started talking smack back. He's tapered his tone since I've gotten in the good graces of the store owner who comes out and sides with me when the rap war begins.
I've started a weight training club with a bunch of the younger teachers at my school. They have finally come to realize that it feels good to be strong.
Life is good! |
Hey man sounds like you're living the life. I'm moving to a small town in a few weeks, and so far you seem like the only one to post a positive review of country life. I really don't understand why so many people have it out for small towns. Seems like so many think its terrible that a town without foreigners or western style conveniences is prison. I think it's really up to the individual to make the most out of their experience. Bravo! |
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Cohiba
Joined: 01 Feb 2005
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| Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 4:10 pm Post subject: Re: Rural Life |
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| whitealum29 wrote: |
| I think it's really up to the individual to make the most out of their experience. Bravo! |
Haha, what a strange philosophy. My sights are set a little higher than
"making the most of it". Anyway, you are implying that you are entering
a bad situation in which you have to, "make the most of it". Why would
you voluntarily go anywhere where this would be the case? |
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Ukon
Joined: 29 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 5:48 pm Post subject: |
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Hey man sounds like you're living the life. I'm moving to a small town in a few weeks, and so far you seem like the only one to post a positive review of country life. I really don't understand why so many people have it out for small towns. Seems like so many think its terrible that a town without foreigners or western style conveniences is prison. I think it's really up to the individual to make the most out of their experience. Bravo!
Would you suggest a 24 year old move to a one horse town back home? Same situation here...some would love it...most would hate it.... |
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xingyiman
Joined: 12 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 6:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Most guys moving here will eventually entertain the thought of getting a local GF. If thats the case better go to Seoul. |
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Zulethe
Joined: 04 Jul 2008
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| Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 6:39 pm Post subject: |
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| xingyiman wrote: |
| Most guys moving here will eventually entertain the thought of getting a local GF. If thats the case better go to Seoul. |
Keep in mind I'm only 15 minutes away from a city that has an outback, movie theaters, department stores etc...I'm definitely not advocating living in the middle of no where.
I've just got the best of both worlds I think. Like I said before, without your own transportation/knowledge of the language, this is not for you.
If I were a first timer to Korea, I would definitely choose one of the larger cities. But for those more comfortable then finding a place on the outskirts of a city of 500,000 could be a nice fit. |
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xingyiman
Joined: 12 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 7:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Zulethe wrote: |
| xingyiman wrote: |
| Most guys moving here will eventually entertain the thought of getting a local GF. If thats the case better go to Seoul. |
Keep in mind I'm only 15 minutes away from a city that has an outback, movie theaters, department stores etc...I'm definitely not advocating living in the middle of no where.
I've just got the best of both worlds I think. Like I said before, without your own transportation/knowledge of the language, this is not for you.
If I were a first timer to Korea, I would definitely choose one of the larger cities. But for those more comfortable then finding a place on the outskirts of a city of 500,000 could be a nice fit. |
I know you weren't advocating that. I lived in Pohang for two years. We had all the afforementioned also. But if you wanted a GF you had two 1. Be able to speak extremely fluent Korean, and 2. Find a local gal who doesn't mind being called a 'BEEP' and a 'BEEP' at least 40 times per hour when she walks down the street with you. Out of about 20 guys I knew in Pohang only 1 had a GF and she met the previously mentioned criteria. But from experience you might as well try finding a 24 year old podiatrist who plays professional oboe in a Mongolian orchestra.
The rural areas have their charm, in fact I live in a rural area outside of Seoul now. But it's only for those who are hitched or who simply could give a rats arse about the relationship aspects of their lives here. |
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tomato
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: I get so little foreign language experience, I must be in Koreatown, Los Angeles.
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| Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 4:43 pm Post subject: |
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Hello, Zulethe!
I have a job in rural Korea, too.
My experience is like yours in some ways and unlike yours in some ways.
| Quote: |
| So I've been in Korea now for about 13 months. |
I wish I had your luck in job-hunting.
It took me 9 years to find a job out in the boonies.
| Quote: |
| I haven't spoken to another westerner in that time. |
I work in three elementary schools way out in the middle of nowhere, but I live in a small town.
I was a little shocked when I found that other foreign teachers, also working in schools way out in the middle of nowhere, were also going to live in the same apartment house.
I seldom see any of them, but when I do, it's pleasant.
The teacher across the hall from me occasionally throws an outdoor barbecue.
I attend those barbecues. We get into some good discussions.
| Quote: |
| I live in an apartment complex that sits atop a hill with beautiful views. |
The location of my apartment house is nice.
It's near a park on the riverside.
| Quote: |
| My Korean is becoming scarily good. |
One of the reasons I looked for a rural job was to get away from people speaking English to me.
I've had a few disappointments, but I have had a fair amount of luck along that line.
The woman at the pizza delivery place speaks only Korean to me. So does the woman at the dry cleaning place. Usually, I have had to try three or four drug stores to get away from clerks speaking to me in English, but here, I have had to try only two.
Some of the teachers I work with speak to me only in Korean. I have two teachers whom I can't get along with. One of them speaks English, so we fight in English, and the other speaks only Korean, so we fight in Korean.
| Quote: |
| I teach at an elementary school and I don't have a class with more than 15 students. |
That's about how my classes run.
| Quote: |
| I've started a weight training club with a bunch of the younger teachers at my school. |
Local social activities have been a disappointment for me.
I'm too old for weight-lifting--or too lazy, I'm not sure which.
At most of the places where I've lived, I found Japanese classes, music classes, or Korean sign language classes, but this town is too small.
I recently found out that a nearby community has a children's library, and I like to read Korean children's books for Korean practice.
I'm going to check that out this weekend.
| Quote: |
| I'm close enough to a town that has some western restaurants so I can satisfy that urge every month or so. |
There's a Lotteria here, but I like Burger King better.
I wish there was a Burger King here.
I'm halfway between Daegu and Masan, and it's a long bus trip either way.
| Quote: |
| After putting up with all of the headaches, red-tape and hastles of professional life in the states this is like a paid vacation. |
I'm glad they take our taxes out of our paycheck.
The April 15 paperwork was too much for me.
That's one reason I stay here.
| Quote: |
| Keep in mind this is definitely not for everyone. Especially if you don't know any Korean and you don't like Korean food. |
I would also recommend it for a person who doesn't know any Korean but is genuinely interested in learning.
| Quote: |
| But if this is your niche, man you've got it made cause you will have job security for years to come. |
I'm more valuable to my supervisors and co-teachers than I thought.
My apartment manager is a real jerk.
Even though he took this job as manager of an apartment house where several foreign teachers would live, and even though the name of the apartment house is 한미, which means "Korean-American relations," he is trying to kick out all the foreign teachers once their 6-month leases run out.
My lease ran out recently. He not only tried to kick me out, but gossipped about me all over the county so that no other apartment manager would take me either.
I was afraid my supervisors and co-teachers would do the easy thing, which would be to give up on me and send me packing.
Instead, they talked my manager into renewing the lease.
[quote]The kids are all very motivated to learn . . .{/quote}
When I applied for the job, the supervisors told me that the students had very little motivation to learn because they had very little contact with foreigners or foreign culture.
I haven't noticed much difference, though.
When I first came here, there were two students who seemed especially unmotivated.
While the rest of the class was learning English, a child whom I call Jason had two erasers on his desk. He knocked one eraser against the other by flipping his thumb against his forefinger.
Another child whom I call Georgia held two pencils like chopsticks and walked them across her desk.
I wanted to involve those two children by having the whole class play Jason's game and Georgia's game, but the teacher didn't like the idea. (This is the teacher whom I fight with in Korean.)
For some reason, though, Jason and Georgia later became involved in the class. They throw their hands up in the air shouting "저요! 저요!� just like the other class members.
Later, we got to the chapter in the book about "Let's go hiking" and "Let's go swimming."
With or without the homeroom teacher's permission, I taught the two pastimes to the whole class, saying "Let's go playing Jason's game" and "Let's go playing Georgia's game."
| Quote: |
| but it took me a year to get them where their at due to having to wean them off Mr. game man clown who I took over from. |
Uh-oh, you probably wouldn't like my teaching style.
I don't spend the whole class period playing games, but I usually play a game during the second half.
We play dice games, in which each student writes down a verb in first, second, and third person singular and first, second, and third person plural.
The first player to get all six persons wins.
We also play bingo games, sometimes with bingo boards which I made and laminated and sometimes using new words in the textbook.
| Quote: |
| If I were a first timer to Korea, I would definitely choose one of the larger cities. |
I wouldn't. If you ask me, a foreign language student without an English-speaking guide is like a fish without a bicycle.
Are you sure you won't tell us where you live?
I'd like to visit your town to see who has the better deal. |
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