Korean Job Discussion Forums

[R. S. Refugee]

A very subjective question, I know. So, I'll tell you a little about myself. Middle-aged, but active and fit. I've been involved in a social dancing scene most of my adult life. And the primary dance scene I've been involved in for the past 20+years is a type of traditional folk dancing from New England called contra dancing. It's done to traditional fiddle tune sorts of music with instrumentation including things like fiddle, banjo, guitar, piano, sometimes African drumming (one of my favorites). It's sort of like square dancing except for some VERY different aspects, such as:

1) It's done as a community socializing activity rather than an activity reserved for retirees in hokey costumes. People dress like they would for other sorts of dances though it would be viewed as silly and very risky for women to wear high heels.

2) It's very easy to do, so no one has to have any prior commitment like, for instance, taking lessons. This is because a dance leader, known as a caller or prompter, reminds participants of the moves as you go along. And the moves are very easily taught. Our slogan is, "if you can walk, you can contra dance."

3) It is very sociable. By that I mean people come to these dances with or without a partner (more often without and so it makes for a good socializing scene for singles as well as for couples). And traditionally, after each dance (each dance lasts for 15 minutes or so), people change partners for the following dance.

Another aspect of it that would probably make it unappealing to the Korean ex-pat community is that there is never any drinking at these dances. Since, in this type of dancing, one interacts through dancing with virtually everyone else at the dance, most dancers who move with any gracefulness at all (i.e., they don't step on their own feet, at least) don't appreciate having a confused and clumsy intoxicated dancer treading threateningly through the dance set.

That is one reason that this type of dancing has never had any commercial viability. Instead of sitting around buying drinks, getting toasted, yakking, and checking out the opposite sex all night, at these dances people check each other out while dancing. So, it's like 3 hours or so of enjoyable aerobic exercise. I read recently on a contra dance mail list that I'm on about someone wearing a distance tracker on her ankle at a contra dance one evening and finding out that she had danced eight miles during the course of the evening.

The other type of dancing that I've been involved with over the years has been swing dancing. While traditionally done to swing music of the 1930s and 40s (no, I'm not that old; this is a retro dance scene), it can also be done to rock and blues. Here in Seattle there has been an active scene for this type of dancing for many years with pretty large numbers of 20 and 30-somethings pursuing it.

So, why am I yakking about all this? Do I expect to find anything in Korea like these social dance scenes that have been an important part of my social life since way back when I was 25? No. I don't. But since that little eccentric, subcultural thing, is undoubtedly one of the things that I will miss the most when I leave Seattle, it seems worthwhile to mention it as part of describing the sort of things that appeal to me in a community.

Regarding the typical social scene of young ex-pat people in Korea (as I perceive it any way from hanging out on Dave's and from some private conversations) of heavy drinking in bars, etc. every weekend, this would have very limited appeal to me. While I do thoroughly enjoy getting drunk from time to time (though never when pursuing one of the social dancing activities described above), I don't consider it to be all that great for my health to be doing every weekend (something that more people over the age of 40 tend to consider than those under 40, I expect).

However, I do enjoy being where there are interesting cultural attractions available -- good movies, concerts, plays, museums, fesitvals, etc. So, living in the sticks does not appeal to me.

I don't expect that this description of interests will resonate with many (perhaps not any) of the folks on this board. I have, after all, led something of an eccentric life in terms of having fun and have been having fun in a relatively low profile subcultural way even by Seattle standards, but I find it's often worth communicating what you're about in that it sometimes leads to interesting surprises and experiences.

So, how does all this relate to my asking for advice about where are some of the more desirable places to be living in Korea teaching ESL? I don't actually know. But, not being in-country and not having a Masters' degree, I haven't had any luck finding a uni position. To get a start at teaching ESL at a uni, I am willing to live anywhere. But, if I'm going to end up teaching at a hogwan, which seems more likely at this point, then I will be thinking more about where in Korea I would like to be living.

So, feel free to try to educate me on that topic if you're inclined.

Cheers,
RSR

[peppermint]

Unless you're really into Korean culture, that pretty much limits you to Seoul, or maybe Busan. I've heard a little about Swing dancing in Seoul, and I know there are a few salsa clubs too, There's folk music if you look hard for it, and there's film festivals and galleries and that sort of thing.