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Milwaukiedave
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Location: Goseong
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 Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 5:31 am Post subject: 10 years went by fast... |
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Last Thursday marked 10 years since I came to Korea. When I first got here I would have never guessed I'd end up staying.
Never say never...... |
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Jodami
Joined: 08 Feb 2013
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| Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 6:11 am Post subject: Re: 10 years went by fast... |
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| Milwaukiedave wrote: |
Last Thursday marked 10 years since I came to Korea. When I first got here I would have never guessed I'd end up staying.
Never say never...... |
Congratulations. Do you win a prize? |
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Chaparrastique
Joined: 01 Jan 2014
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| Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 7:35 am Post subject: Re: 10 years went by fast... |
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| Jodami wrote: |
| Milwaukiedave wrote: |
Last Thursday marked 10 years since I came to Korea. When I first got here I would have never guessed I'd end up staying.
Never say never...... |
Congratulations. Do you win a prize? |
A gold medal.
For being able to tolerate teeth-sucking and hoking for a decade. |
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hogwonguy1979
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: the racoon den
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| Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 11:50 am Post subject: |
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We just finished 17 1/2 years there and have moved back to the states, now the hard part has begun, trying to transition to life back here
We miss our friends there and I will miss my 5 months vacation etc but the cold or dealing with Koreans |
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I'm With You
Joined: 01 Sep 2011
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| Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 12:12 am Post subject: |
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| hogwonguy1979 wrote: |
We just finished 17 1/2 years there and have moved back to the states, now the hard part has begun, trying to transition to life back here
We miss our friends there and I will miss my 5 months vacation etc but the cold or dealing with Koreans |
Yeah, it's hard to transition back to the homeland. Really tough. I hated it. In fact, I disliked it so much that after the first year at home, I came back to teach. If you've been out of the country for several years, don't underestimate reverse culture shock.
5 months paid vacation? Forget it back home! People are consumed by their jobs. People work long hours and are really tied to their work. How can you go from 5 months vacation to 12 days annual leave? That's a huge adjustment.
OP,
I've met many teachers here who are now in their 15th - 20th year here but only came for 1 year to teach EFL and then go home to pursue a career.
This lifestyle is addictive and hard to quit for many, regardless of all legit beefs that we may have. And some were just meant to live life on the road.
Last edited by I'm With You on Tue Jan 07, 2014 12:18 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Chaparrastique
Joined: 01 Jan 2014
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| Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 12:16 am Post subject: |
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| I'm With You wrote: |
| hogwonguy1979 wrote: |
We just finished 17 1/2 years there and have moved back to the states, now the hard part has begun, trying to transition to life back here
We miss our friends there and I will miss my 5 months vacation etc but the cold or dealing with Koreans |
Yeah, it's hard to transition back to the homeland. Really tough. I hated it. In fact, I disliked it so much that after the first year at home, I came back to teach. If you've been out of the country for several years, don't underestimate reverse culture shock.
OP,
I've met many teachers here who are now in their 15th - 20th year here but only came for 1 year to teach EFL and then go home to pursue a career.
This lifestyle is addictive and hard to quit for many, regardless of all legit beefs that we may have. And some were just meant to live life on the road. |
Most people worry that transitioning back will be impossible after one year, never mind twenty.
But you're right. Its the lifestyle that people fall in love with, not Korea as a country. |
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World Traveler
Joined: 29 May 2009
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| Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 3:27 am Post subject: |
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OP, if you're just reaching your 10 year mark, you're a young'un on here. Most Dave's posters are old men who have been in Korea since the 90's.
The majority of those who come to Korea stay for one year only. (Some stick around for a really long time, though, but they are in the extreme minority.) |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 12:07 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm With You wrote: |
| hogwonguy1979 wrote: |
We just finished 17 1/2 years there and have moved back to the states, now the hard part has begun, trying to transition to life back here
We miss our friends there and I will miss my 5 months vacation etc but the cold or dealing with Koreans |
Yeah, it's hard to transition back to the homeland. Really tough. I hated it. In fact, I disliked it so much that after the first year at home, I came back to teach. If you've been out of the country for several years, don't underestimate reverse culture shock.
5 months paid vacation? Forget it back home! People are consumed by their jobs. People work long hours and are really tied to their work. How can you go from 5 months vacation to 12 days annual leave? That's a huge adjustment.
OP,
I've met many teachers here who are now in their 15th - 20th year here but only came for 1 year to teach EFL and then go home to pursue a career.
This lifestyle is addictive and hard to quit for many, regardless of all legit beefs that we may have. And some were just meant to live life on the road. |
Don't know that many jobs that give 5 and a half months vacation here. |
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Ginormousaurus
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
Location: 700 Ft. Pulpit
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| Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 12:28 pm Post subject: |
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| World Traveler wrote: |
| Most Dave's posters are old men who have been in Korea since the 90's. |
Most? I doubt that.
This year marked what would have been 10 years for me.
Last edited by Ginormousaurus on Tue Jan 07, 2014 5:11 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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hogwonguy1979
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: the racoon den
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| Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Chaparrastique wrote: |
| I'm With You wrote: |
| hogwonguy1979 wrote: |
We just finished 17 1/2 years there and have moved back to the states, now the hard part has begun, trying to transition to life back here
We miss our friends there and I will miss my 5 months vacation etc but the cold or dealing with Koreans |
Yeah, it's hard to transition back to the homeland. Really tough. I hated it. In fact, I disliked it so much that after the first year at home, I came back to teach. If you've been out of the country for several years, don't underestimate reverse culture shock.
OP,
I've met many teachers here who are now in their 15th - 20th year here but only came for 1 year to teach EFL and then go home to pursue a career.
This lifestyle is addictive and hard to quit for many, regardless of all legit beefs that we may have. And some were just meant to live life on the road. |
Most people worry that transitioning back will be impossible after one year, never mind twenty.
But you're right. Its the lifestyle that people fall in love with, not Korea as a country. |
Trust me the reverse culture shock is as bad as they say. Just figuring out basic things like getting cell phones, cable tv, gym memberships etc is like being a martian.Right now we are living with my mother in law because she is having health problems so we are taking over a lot stuff at her house, also means we have cars etc. We are working on getting jobs, nice thing is I'm still on my university's payroll and we had a nice chunk in savings.
Lots of things though to get used, slower more expensive internet, much more expensive cable and cell phone (2 Iphones and an Ipad runs $220/month) bills, the stupidity of US TV. Lots of good things though, affordable and great Mexican food etc, cheap gym memberships etc.
Overall I think we are happy we came back, Korea was really getting to us it was time to leave. We will come back to Asia at some point...to retire in Thailand  |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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I'm really surprised to hear about the reverse culture shock. Not trying to take way from those that experience it… but whenever I "go home" for a few weeks, I feel like a fish in water - I love it.
Gym memberships and the like - I can't see that being any sort of issue. |
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swashbuckler
Joined: 20 Nov 2010
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| Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 7:38 am Post subject: |
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| I'm With You wrote: |
| hogwonguy1979 wrote: |
We just finished 17 1/2 years there and have moved back to the states, now the hard part has begun, trying to transition to life back here
We miss our friends there and I will miss my 5 months vacation etc but the cold or dealing with Koreans |
Yeah, it's hard to transition back to the homeland. Really tough. I hated it. In fact, I disliked it so much that after the first year at home, I came back to teach. If you've been out of the country for several years, don't underestimate reverse culture shock.
5 months paid vacation? Forget it back home! People are consumed by their jobs. People work long hours and are really tied to their work. How can you go from 5 months vacation to 12 days annual leave? That's a huge adjustment.
OP,
I've met many teachers here who are now in their 15th - 20th year here but only came for 1 year to teach EFL and then go home to pursue a career.
This lifestyle is addictive and hard to quit for many, regardless of all legit beefs that we may have. And some were just meant to live life on the road. |
lazy bums |
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Chaparrastique
Joined: 01 Jan 2014
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| Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 2:46 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| 10 years since I came to Korea |
Wow. How many times have you had to submit a notarized diploma and CRC? |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 3:01 am Post subject: |
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I'm in my 18th year in Korea as a gyopo, and I have to agree that the love isn't for Korea but for the lifestyle. Many Koreans would rather live elsewhere, too, mind you.
Having tried unsuccessfully to live in the U.S. again, I don't see myself going that route again (though if I did, I'd stay away from the West Coast like HIV). Instead, I'm looking at other Asian locales and the like. I'm thinking that Pax Americana is by and large over, and though the U.S. remains the world's top superpower, who knows how long that'll last. Lots of jobs and opportunities have disappeared since the 2008 financial crisis, and well, having lived life abroad, the U.S. seems so damn mundane and boring in comparison, though I'm not saying Korea is necessarily better. |
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schwa
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Yap
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| Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 3:09 am Post subject: |
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| Chaparrastique wrote: |
| Quote: |
| 10 years since I came to Korea |
Wow. How many times have you had to submit a notarized diploma and CRC? |
Coming up 15 years myself. Once each. |
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