Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mslaoshi]

I am not sure what everyone's experience has been in Korea, but mine has been wonderful. Except for the random huge clouds of insect spray that i encountered yesterday, and the stomach problems that i just got over...Korea has been very nice to me. I was at a department store yesterday and I had a saleswoman take her sock off her foot to give to me so i could try on a sneaker! Can you imagine being in macy's and having this happen? I don't think so!

I was having this discussion with a teacher before about how ESL teachers in korea are different. More than a few have negative feelings about korea (yet they are here) and don't bother to learn about the culture or learn the language. It is such a shame.

I will finsh later...I could be wrong...but these are my observations so far.

mslaoshi

[chiaa]

[chronicpride]

mslaoshi,

I caught your intended point. I totally agree. Some people are just not into travelling and learning other cultures. Just here for the job. That's fine. Also, I think that for a lot of negative teachers here, Korea becomes the excuse and blame outlet for their personal angst. Just as the excuse is transferred onto something else, in another place. Getting them to confront that is a major issue. I'm basing this on a lot of teachers that I've met and some that I've known on both sides of ocean, beforehand. Especially once knowing a lot more about them and seeing their regular behavior over here. I don't think all complainers fit this profile, but a lot more than one might realize.

Learning the local culture and language would bring about more cultural understanding, which would threaten the foundations of the excuse. And a new excuse would have to be found. Which would then cause some to look within, god forbid. For this reason, I see many teachers who are co-dependent on having Korea as the excuse for their angst, and are quite happy using it like that.

[rapier]

[peppermint]

Quite a lot of us take the time to learn about the culture and/ or language but still manage to come up against the uglier aspects of it . Every culture has an unattractive side, but I think Korean culture may be more appealing from the inside and I think a lot of us are made to feel that we'll never be allowed into that circle.

I do find the English speaking people here more openly judgemental , that's a definite difference from my home.

[rapier]

[chronicpride]

[rapier]

[Homer]

Interesting thread and Chronic...I agree with what you said about complaints and cultural understanding.

Also, like peppermint said, every culture/society has its ugly or negative side. But, by definition it also has its good points.

Korea is no exception to this.

[ajuma]

peppermint You wrote:

[peppermint]

I taught adults for two years before switching over to elementary school, and I've made a handful of Korean friends outside of the workplace too. I've got a fairly solid grasp of the culture- cause I take people up on their invites and I'm not afraid to ask the "stupid" questions.

That said, there's always a sense that because I haven't known these people from childhood I'll always be held somewhat at arms length. I wonder if it's the same for Koreans that move around a lot?

[ajuma]

I too have taught adults, but there's a big difference between seeing people in class (even if you go out for a few beers now and then) and seeing them out and about on campus and at the local watering holes and restaurants. Plus, if you teach them as freshman, it means you CONTINUE to see them for 4 or even 6 (in the case of guys) years. I have student-friends that I made 4 years ago, and we're STILL friends...even after they've moved on to jobs. And while it's true that we were never childhood friends, seeing a student through 4 years of uni, or seeing a guy off to his army service, then welcoming him back to civilian life is a bonding experience.

As for asking "stupid" questions: I've asked my share! And actually, it makes students feel good to know that they know something that the teacher doesn't!

Don't get me wrong. I think that you've found your niche here, as I have. It's just that they're in different areas. It's good to know that there ARE teachers here that take their jobs seriously.

[Azure]

[rapier]

To be honest, I like the mix of eslers here: plenty of Aussies, Americans, canadians, and other unusual nationalities of non teachers. I mean in Itaewon I have had good conversations with Germans,Mexicans, Thais, Russians, Austrians, Indonesians, Hawaiians, and so on and on. I count it a big plus that Korea is very low on numbers of English people, haha. (No offence to Toby BTW).
To be honest I find it refreshing to mix with Americans and canadians because i had little real exposure to them before.

[tomato]

Hello, Mslaoshi!

Keep up the fight. Don't let the Koreamysists intimidate you.

Believe it or not, you're in the majority. According to a poll, three-fourths of the participants on this board are happy here:

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=11885&highlight=

Why, then, are most of the posts negative? It's because foreigners who don't complain are too scared to post. The 25% minority has more than its share of bullies.

Since I first logged onto this board, there has always been an occasional message from a Koreaphile like you. Inevitably, such a message was answered with one or more of these messages:

"If you see anything good about Korea, then you are not looking deeply enough under the surface. In fact, you are a naive, gullible, fool."

"You can't possibly be happy here. You must be compensating. You're like a white person who shakes hands with every black person he sees."

"If you're better off here than you were in your own country, then you must have been a real loser in your own country."

"If you're loyal to Korea, then you're a traitor to your own country. You didn't give a hoot in hades what happened on nine-eleven, do you!"

"So you like Koreans better than you like us, huh? All right, then, reject us! See if we care!"

"What right do you have to be happy when we are unhappy? Don't you know there is a Law of Conservation of Happiness?"

"Oh! So you're happier than we are! So you must think you're better than we are! Well, touch you!"

If any of these messages appear on this thread, don't take it personally.