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Just how awful is life in Ulsan?
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Ya-ta Boy



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994

PostPosted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 11:07 pm    Post subject: Just how awful is life in Ulsan? Reply with quote

I got my first nibble for a job. It's in Ulsan.

Is life in Ulsan truly awful?
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Noureli



Joined: 14 Oct 2005
Location: Nowhere but Here

PostPosted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 1:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey, I 've been in Ulsan for 8 months now and it's not as bad as some people say it is. However, it all depends on what type of person are you. I like it here, the people are nice and friendly. I find most of the things that I need. Good Luck.
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John Henry



Joined: 24 Sep 2004

PostPosted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 3:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Check your PM
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stevenisi



Joined: 17 Jul 2006

PostPosted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 3:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a friend living in Ulsan now. She says she likes it better than Seoul.. but to each her own..
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RachaelRoo



Joined: 15 Jul 2005
Location: Anywhere but Ulsan!

PostPosted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 6:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, it is awful compared to many other places in Korea. I'm outta here in a month and I can't wait! I wish I'd taken a job anywhere else.

The pollution is ridiculous, a lot more Koreans stare and shout waykookin than you would expect for a city of this size, and personally I find most of the foreigners here to be .....uh.....off, (though I have met a few really cool people). It's also harder to find western goods than in the other large cities.
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AliNZ



Joined: 11 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:12 am    Post subject: I lived in Ulsan for 12 months Reply with quote

I lived in Ulsan for 12 months...

there are places I prefer...

I guess it's a matter of expectations, pre-conceptions and how you want to spend your time. It's good in that there are other teachers around and foreigner hang-outs -

are there other foreigners at your school? company helps

I don't like Seoul and prefer smaller towns.


What part of Ulsan do you know?
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periwinkle



Joined: 08 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you don't drive a Hyundai, maybe people will be after your head... Laughing
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Ya-ta Boy



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994

PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
What part of Ulsan do you know?


At this point, I'm just talking about the job with a recruiter. All I know is where Ulsan is on the map.

I have received two very negative reviews of the city by PM.

Quote:
and personally I find most of the foreigners here to be .....uh.....off


I'd like to hear more about this. If nothing else, there might be a candidate for the Freaky Way-Gook Contest thread.
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RachaelRoo



Joined: 15 Jul 2005
Location: Anywhere but Ulsan!

PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 5:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ya-ta Boy wrote:


I'd like to hear more about this. If nothing else, there might be a candidate for the Freaky Way-Gook Contest thread.


Oh if only I could tell you the whole story! I woudn't even know where to begin. I have several candidates for that thread, all of whom could contend for the title of "Freakiest Wakgookin of All Time".

Unfortunately, my Dave's identity is not much of a secret and I would be putting myself at risk if I told the stories....one day I'll get a sock and share the disturbing hilarity.
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Ya-ta Boy



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994

PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 5:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
one day I'll get a sock and let the disturbing hilarity begin.



Did you have a non-native speaking deviant female from hell living across the hall from you standing behind her door calling down God's wrath on you for telling her the students weren't in the classroom because she went 5 minutes too early? And then have to listen to her over the partition in the office for days saying it was MY fault. I think not.

Get that sock and spill the beans. I NEED a laugh at other people's misery. My life has gone the entire emotional range from crappy to cruddy in the last year. If I can't laugh at other people's misery, what is left in life?
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b_canadian_eh



Joined: 21 Jul 2006

PostPosted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 8:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've been in Ulsan a short time with my wife and it has been kind to us. Enough to do unless you're looking for a lively bar scene and close to lots of other great places like Busan, Gyeongju and Daegu.
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Dugsby



Joined: 24 May 2003
Location: Ulsan

PostPosted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 10:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

How awful is life in Ulsan? It isn't.

I've been here 3 1/2 years and have no complaints.

Granted, I've never lived anywhere else in Korea, but I imagine city living is city living when it comes to pollution etc. I've never walked through the city and thought to myself, "God, what a pit."

Ulsan is not the busiest or most diverse city, that's for sure, but how you enjoy it depends what you're looking for. Despite what you may hear about our freaky waygooks (and you'll find those anywhere), we have quite a strong and friendly foreign community (although the negativity I've read leaves me wondering if I number among the freaky ones).

If you know the name of the school you're looking at, PM me and I'll ask around about it. Also, my school, which I've been since I got here, may need a teacher in mid-August.
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Becka



Joined: 28 Sep 2005

PostPosted: Sun Jul 23, 2006 12:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ya-ta Boy wrote:


Quote:
and personally I find most of the foreigners here to be .....uh.....off


I'd like to hear more about this.


So would I!

Maybe we know different foreigners here, because I've made a few excellent friends here (foreigner and Korean). I've seen some rowdy a-hole types from a distance, but I wouldn't be friends with them at home, either!

I have a feeling that comparing Ulsan to Seoul is an apples-and-oranges thing, but here's my take on Ulsan so far:

� friendly foreigners - Benchwarmers is a great spot for meeting and getting to know folks.
� very easy to find pretty well any western-type of thing I might be craving (peanut butter, basil, decent coffee, decent pizza)
� lacking in any sort of "cosmopolitan" feel for a city this size. Oddly smalltownish attitude at times.
� some neat sights for sure - I'm thinking of Ilsan beach, "Dragon Rock", the bamboo forest.
� Handy to Gyeonju, Daegu, and Busan for day trips.
� easy to get out of the city to see some countryside, too, if you're interested in that sort of thing
� really, really nice park (Ulsan Grand Park)
� not a heck of a lot going on with 'alternative' music, art/cultural stuff (at least, not that I've seen so far). Pretty mainstreamish that way.
� I'm a fan of riding the Lotte Wheel. Cheap thrills!
� also been told that setting up privates is easy and lucrative here - though we haven't gone that route (I really like my time off and want to keep it that way)
� if you're accustomed to seeing foreigners on a regular basis in Seoul, I guess the general lack of them here might be something to adjust to.

...also, I guess it depends on what your job is. Good luck with your decision!
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b_canadian_eh



Joined: 21 Jul 2006

PostPosted: Sun Jul 23, 2006 2:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you're going to come to Ulsan being withing close proximity to the Grand Park (Ok-Dong) would help, it is seriously a haven surrounded by city life. We love taking evening walks through there!!
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bmc_keeper13



Joined: 17 Jul 2006

PostPosted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 2:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have been in Ulsan for two months now. I have had no problem finding things that I need, and have not felt uncomfortable in anyway. I don't think the pollution here is any worse than any large American city, and the people are friendly. There are foreigners here, but not near as any as Seoul. That is why I chose Ulsan, maybe not the most lively part of Korea, but a very convienient place to live.
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