Korean Job Discussion Forums

[austinmc86]

It seems all I do is work and party. I feel I am wasting my time here, and not accomplishing anything constructive.
I want to further my Spanish, learn guitar and take up a martial art.
However, some of that is difficult with the language barrier. I don't live in Seoul, Busan or even Daegu, so it is hard to have a fun and productive life here sometimes.
I would like to do one of these 3 things I said, but it is hard while in Korea.
With that said, does anyone else do martial arts here with a limited/no English instructor? There is a good boxing gym nearby, but I am unsure if it would be wise to go since he cannot speak any English.
Also, does anyone have any websites for learning languages (Spanish) and learning the guitar? Books could be helpful as well.

I am just trying to be more productive while here... any suggestions are welcomed!

[jondepoer]

Just a general comment on being productive and keeping up on hobbies...

I find that simply living here can be exhausting, never mind the long hours that are often demanded of us as teachers. At the end of a day of negotiating my way through public transportation, all manner of retail transactions, communicating with co-workers, having to re-learn how to do things I once took for granted, I am exhausted.

So perhaps I have found the perfect excuse for my lack of "extracurriculars", but I think living well in Korea, and fine-tuning my daily existence is diversion enough! If you find yourself with extra time, try taking on some more students, and doing the main thing you came here to do. After all, I'm sure you're here to earn money, and to some extent, you will eventually measure the success of your stint here by the cash you're able to bank. A healthy bank account is certainly reassuring when you look around and ask yourself what the **** you're doing here!

Just some thoughts from a 2+ year fellow traveler in Korea.

[austinmc86]

The cash is good, and I am saving money. Still, I would like to feel more useful.

[oldtactics]

I think Spanish is one of those things you'll have to study independently unless you can find a fluent Spanish speaker in your town who is willing to help you.

Martial arts - I have LOTS of friends who have studied MMA & taekwondo and some of them had instructors who spoke almost no English at all. You really don't need it most of the time. I'd say check out the gym near you and communicate that you want to learn - I think you'll be surprised how little verbal communication is necessary.

Guitar is easy. Ask every Korean that you know to put out the word that you want a guitar teacher, and someone will turn up. You'll probably be able to find a university student who is willing to trade lessons for English conversation, and it'll be a great way to make Korean friends as well. As a last resort, I'm sure any of the music hagwons in your area would be willing to take on a foreigner if the price is right.

Completely understand what you mean about being productive though. The key for me was to set aside specific nights, i.e. Tuesdays & Sundays, and set goals for those two days. Every other day of the week I could say yes to invitations, but those two nights were turn-off-the-phone-and-internet nights, and I did seem to get quite a bit accomplished this past year.

[Jake_Kim]

um... reproduce?

[austinmc86]

[chungbukdo]

[chungbukdo]

[DaHu]

[Draz]

Learning Spanish isn't a waste of time...

Yes, it is hard to be productive here. Like Jon says, just living here is exhausting.

[northway]

[morrisonhotel]

There's ridiculous amounts of guitar tuition videos on Youtube. You can find tuition on almost any style/genre right from beginner level to advanced.

As for Spanish, how about using Anki?

[shifty]

Great post from jondepoer. You should focus and avoid distraction. Look for a hobby that complements the job, one that can make you more effective.

Poster DaHu is also right, the wonderful world of Spanish notwithstanding.

Don't do anything that you will likely bomb out from, it'll make you feel a failure.

Spanish for example. If you're at a hakwon especially, you'll be too brain dead after class to assimilate much. If you do it before class you'll arrive at work in a tarnished state. Rather just maintain what you have with a bit of internet over the weekend.

Martial art. You say 'take up,' which means you don't know how rigorous it is. I knew a bright-eyed fellow teacher who gave up quick-quick.

Guitar. This is a good idea. There are a lot of foreigners who play. Check on facebook for your area and get to mingle with jams. Buy a guitar first to show your intent, there's a difference between a fantasy and a dream.

Don't try and learn guitar from a Korean. The language barrier will drive you to distraction. They don't know any western songs and you'll need a few easy western songs to gain momentum.

[fermentation]

Go to the boxing gym. The basics of most martial arts don't really need to be explained in words, just in action. People go to Thailand to learn Muay Thai from dudes who don't know any English other than "punch" and "kick." Most boxing lingo in Korea is the same in English anyway. A jab is a jab and a hook is a hook.

If you haven't boxed before, be warned, it can be pretty addictive.

[austinmc86]

Someone like Chris Tharp is pretty inspiring. He just wrote a book, plays in a few bands, and has used his time wisely here.