Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Sireno]

I'm curious what people enjoy about this country, the culture, the people, any and everything you like please write it down. I'm becoming frustrated living here, though I think it really mostly stems from the work. I'd like to hear some good things that give me some hope and reason as to why I am here so I can try to make things better for my situation.

[hondaicivic]

[agentX]

There are a lot of things I like about Korea. Korean IT is NOT one of them, however. I hate hate hate IE6 and every time I see it I want to throw the computer out the damn building!

1- I like the tourist information staff. They have been very helpful on almost every occasion I have requested their assistence. I have heard from others that they have NOT been helpful. But they have been helpful for me more times than not so maybe I'm just catching them on a good shift.
2- I like the seafood here. NOT a fan of hong-o or the squirts or the whale dishes. The rest, even the hella gross fish soup, still tastes great.
3- I like getting a bag full of veggies from the old ladies near apartments. They do tend to cut you a good deal if you come late in the day and they just wanna lower their material to take home.
4- I like going to the various events around the country BEFORE the damn FMD hit! So many interesting things to see and do! Haven't gotten bored yet (though the bus rides are boring- BUT trust me, you don't want to be on exciting bus rides! you want them to be boring because it means you live to talk about it).
5- I like the Konglish signs. It always cheers me and my students up. If you're ever feeling bad, just go to a clothing shop and look at all the funny T-shirts.

[uklathemock]

[hondaicivic]

[Illysook]

I like shopping here. Most of the clothes are too small but I've found a new passion for scarves and other accessories, so I feel like my look is more chic than ever.

I like the challenge of being a teacher. It's like lesson plans totally succeed or totally fail and it's mostly up to me. I choose the topic, I get excited (or not) and the students really do catch on. Today we talked about how to survive a zombie apocalypse!

[Zackback]

1. The pretty ladies
2. The strawberries
3. The numerous hills/mountains on my jogs

[Oreovictim]

[happiness]

I like the infrastructure, I like my contacts, and I like the location. Also, the food is great. Its peaceful and dull mostly, and thats fine by me. Ive been here 10 years. Beats the hell out of me why, but it works for me.

Im sitting in the same coffeeshop, in the same chair, probably the same shoes:) that I was 5,6 years ago. Ive always figured as long as the money was coming in and I was ok, Id do the same thing in Honolulu, Chicago, Miami, or where I was living .

[lakeshow]

convenience stores, at least a dozen, on every block. Now THAT's convenience.

transportation- taxis, subways, buses. Cheap, efficient, abundant

no tipping, yet the service, quickness, and efficiency at restaurants pisses all over places back home. Yeah, whoever thought that giving good prompt service was one's JOB and not anything special deserving an ungodly 15-20% tip?!

not getting robbed with "taxes" on anything and everything like back home.

not having to look over my shoulder, hide jewelry or other expensive goods, or dress down when I'm out any time of the day/night for thieving mofos.

not having meth/crack-heads or other bums loitering outside of 7/11s bothering you for money.

i love driving in korea.. yeah i said it. The do-what-you-feel way of driving here is a breath of fresh air. You don't have to look over your shoulders or mirrors every 10 seconds being paranoid of cops pulling you over and giving you $400 tickets.


OP, if you're miserable here then maybe you need a break. Go back home or travel and relax. go back to korea and start working at a new place, or try another country. As an ethnic Korean, my experiences, positive and negative, are likely different from a "waegook"'s. If the negatives are overwhelming, then korea may not be a good fit and that's fine really... you're not alone in that.

[Caffeinated]

The internet service.

[schwa]

Year in year out, I find my life here pleasantly livable.

[Mr. BlackCat]

As someone who left Korea after almost 6 years and has been back in Canada for over 6 months now, I'll share what I miss most from everyday life in Korea:

1) Transportation. Cheap if overcrowded buses and subways that go everywhere and unbeleivably relatively cheap taxis. I don't even consider taking them here. In Korea if I waited longer than 5 minutes for a bus I had my hand out flagging a cab down.

2) Outdoor convenience store hanging-out at. I know people here poo-poo it, but nothing beats a 2k won beer at a table outside under the sun on the way home from work with a good book. Get a good people watching location. Outdoor drinking is a fine art where I come from.

3) The food. I know it gets redundant, I totally understand. But I loved the galbi dinners with friends. Communal eating is great.

4) Noraebang. Yeah yeah, you're too serious for it. Whatever.

5) The weather. I guess this depends on the time of year and where you're from, but right now I know it's nice in Korea while back here it's still snowing and -5c. STOP BEING COLD. And I don't even mind the cold, I just miss the warmth that Korea had in March/April. The summers are terrible though, I don't miss that, so in July I'll be glad I'm here again.

6) One thing that I missed while in Korea is one thing I hate now that I'm back. I wanted to part of the community again, know what's going around me and talk to strangers, etc. Some of that is great. But alot of it is terrible. There's a few people who 'protest' in the subway by my place with "OBAMA=HITLER" posters with the mustache and everything. Whatever your political leanings, it's just over the top. I can no longer ignore it or brush it off as a strange culture (ie the '08 beef protests in Korea). I live downtown in a big city, so everyday I get harrassed by crackheads and other crazies. Everyone wants your money, and they're not afraid to stop you to try every trick in the book to get it. It's exhausting. In Korea you can just coast, which is terrible, but wonderful at the same time. It's like being stoned.

Anyway, hope this helps you get through. This is, in my opinion, the best time of year. Spring is just setting in. Soon will be good rafting season, so plan a trip. Join a group for paintball. Do a scavenger hunt. Find a few ridiculous things to do, climb a mountain, spend an afternoon getting drunk at a 7/11, take the subway to an area you've never been before. This is all advice I wish I could have told myself when I was getting down on the place the last year I was there. I love being back in Canada, but you will never have some of the opportunities you have in Korea again. Try to look at it that way. Good luck.

[sojusucks]

The subway system, the food, along with food from other countries, and the people who are friendly to foreigners.

[OMGtrev]

Well if you've been living here and you can't think of anything you like, then hearing about what other people like probably won't change your mind.