Korean Job Discussion Forums

[The evil penguin]

Just wondering if anybody else has done or felt the urge to do longterm (ie one/two year) volunteer work overseas in the teaching or other field(s).

I'm currently in the I'm sick of korea phase. Not the being overseas part but the whole being treated like shit part in a country pretty much tainted by corporate greed... That a bit over the top??? Maybe. But not by much.. I'm sure we all know the feeling..... teaching here is like wacking yourself repeatedly with a slimey mullet (the fish not the haircut) while passerbys throw spare change in your hat.... .... Never really achieve anyhting in the end excedpt for a few slimy bruises and a couple of dollars... Not the best analogy but I'm tired..... Anyway, I'm here purely for the money. It was a bit of a hoot when i first arrived but the novelty has worn off. If i felt like i was actually doing something meaningful then I'd be a lot more content....

If anybody says "but teaching is meaningful" then well..... you'd cop a wack with the mullet as well.... Teaching here is a joke. Especially in hagwons. Trying to explain to a kid (lets call him "Eric") for the 100th time that "so so" is not an adequate answer to "what did you do yesterday?"....... well... its not exactly a heart warming rewarding experience. Don't get me wrong, there are some great moments. And some great kids. But in general,,,... teaching here is like being stuck in the groundhog day movie.

Been thinking seriously about china (I have contacts at a chinese uni that I've been talking to) but I'm assuming the situation is pretty much the same when it comes to creating a change or being anything but a white faced marketing ploy. Yeah, I'm getting a bit cynical here....

So I've been thinking... anybody done a stint in a volunteer org? Australian volunteers abroad does placements in the rural parts of middle and western china. Community development is their main focus, but they place english teachers as part of the operation.

I like the romantic notion of going to some impoverished country and changing the lives of people for the better...... but i realise that reality is not so rose coloured. Fair enough being a doctor or engineer in some remote village..... but really what value is an english teacher (with a science back-ground mind you) in such a place....

I must be nuts even thinking about working for free when i could be making money instead... (its not as if i don't need it)... but... dammit it'd be nice to just be really needed. To be a contributer to somehting worthwhile and not just a pawn in some esl business-scam.

Thoughts/ experiences anybody?

[ilovebdt]

Hey Penguin

I would love to do a long term volunteer period teaching overseas. After the first time I left Korea I did 5 months teaching on the Galapagos Islands off of Ecuador. However, my dream is to get a placement through VS0- Voluntary Services Overseas. They offer 2 year placements in Africa and Asia (inc China). They pay your airfare and will give you a local allowance and accommodation. You won't be able to live like a king, but you will get by and the experience, in my opinion, is a reward in itself.

I am not sure what nationality you are, but if you are Canadian, VSO have an office in Canada. Here is a link to their website for the UK: www.vso.org.uk and for the Canadian site it is http://www.vsocan.org.

Ilovebdt

[captain kirk]

I work at a haggie. The other foreign teacher complained today that this job isn't stimulating her abilities. I said to her, listen, she has four hours or so after work and all weekends to stimulate her abilities.

Don't you think it's kind of messed up to expect a job to deliver total life satisfaction. I mean, it's just a job. It isn't one's identity and so on.

In the west we say, 'what do you do?'. Like, 'what's your career?'.

Haggie teachers leave work and there's the evenings and all weekend (or the weekday mornings if you're a morning person).

I'm somewhere between making use of that time and thinking about getting an Xbox/Playstation 2. I believe that if you can impart some good cheer, spontaneity, humour to the kids at your job that's giving something back.

Lot of free time to think, make choices. Some money to save, make choices.

[some waygug-in]

I've been doing a lot of thinking along those lines as well, especially since I was so royally shafted at my last haggie job.........I may as well do some volunteer work. At least I would feel like the students were there because they wanted to be.

I've thought about VSO as well. The only problem with that is that I'd have to go to Vancouver to do their interview/ training or whatever it is, and then and only then would they tell me if I were accepted or not.

It's too far to go just to have someone tell you,"sorry, we've got all the people we need right now".

Anyway, I'd still like to do it though.

peace

[ilovebdt]

[IlIlNine]

[some waygug-in]

[Demonicat]

Serving overseas is a great gig. I did my term in the Peace Corps (west Africa-Mali), so I can answer any specifics.

[The evil penguin]

Thanks for the replies...

ilovedbt: I'm curious about your galapagous island stint..... were you teaching iguanas??? didn't realise the islands were inhabited. Or were you doing conservation work?

Capt Kirk, wise words and you're definitely on the money.... You are right about a job being just a job and that you should concentrate more on living your life. The ol' work to live not live to work thing....

Thing is.... I'mm kinda going thru something at the moment... Still have a few years to go before the midlife crisis.... over a decade.... but I'm feeling this need to be ....how can i say this without sounding like a prat?...... I want to be doing somehting. Be part of something worthwhile. Some people get it by getting married and having a family. Nah, thats not me though. Not yet. Came close once and dunno if i can agin. Some are satisifed by finding religion. But growing up the son of a minister was enough to put me off that avenue.... I've always admired people like Fred Hollows, Mother Teresa (just for example). Admired and been envious of. They just seemed have had some kind of "destiny" to fulfil... (Jeez,, i really do sound like a prat now..)

Anyway, the current feeling i have is less to do with the BS at work and more to do with what seems like the whole pointless of it all. Never really given a crap about money. I'm here trying to make it but it doesn't really get me that excited. And i have plenty of past-time pursuits. Love the guitar, love cruising on the bike. But there just seems to be something lacking. Maybe a steady and serious girlfriend would help.... but maybe not. Like i said.... just have this wanting to be part of something worthwhile. And maybe doing the whole community develpment thing might be it.

Which brings me to the main reason for posting my OP. I'm after feed back from those who have done it. (I'd love to hear your stories demonicat). My major query is in regards to the whole usefulness of the programs. What "good" is really achieved. For example, my uni background is in science. But i don't work in the area because it bored the crap out of me. Apart from drawing silly pictures for a living my only other "skill" is teaching english. Realistically speaking, what use could I actually serve? Is learning english really that important? Agricultural experts and medical practicioners have a far greater value.
If i was to 'serve', I'd like to try China. I'm not sure why but the place does seem to have an attraction... But can any good really be done under the watchful eye of the communist big brother?

Anyway, I'm sounding a bit negative at present. Insomniacally tired (making up new words too) and maybe not really writing terribly coherantly.

But yeah, feedback from those who have done it would be great. The organisation I'm looking at is AVO (Australian Volunteers). Its a very reputable organisation.

[ilovebdt]

[/quote]

I don't know about for Canada, but on the UK website they say that they select at least 70% of people at that interview. Not bad odds don't you think?[/quote]


If I were already in Canada, then it would be worth my while. A 30% chance of wasting my money on an airticket, hotel, food is just too much of a risk when I am down on funds. (as I currently am)

After I've saved a bit, then who knows?[/quote]

Very true. That is my plan aswell, save a bit have a think and then go.

[Demonicat]

hehe, gor VSO you have to be in Canada (or US) to even apply. Trust me, I tried and got an offer for China, but it can;t be processed until I am physically in the US.
As far as, does it work? Quick answer...sometimes-more later

[ilovebdt]

[kermo]

What an inspiring thread. I've definitely got some ideas for my next gig. Thanks, fellow adventurers!

[Moldy Rutabaga]

Nothing to apologize for. Do something different or fun with your life. You can have a boring house and minivan life later if you choose. My volunteer work was with a missionary organization in Hawaii (I was a clerk), but if that's not your style then fine.

There's lots of options. I see lots of nonpaid volunteer jobs in Indonesia on Dave's. Or, you could get a job with crappy pay in Mexico, or Brazil, or Thailand, or even Vietnam, and feel that you're making a difference in people's lives (and be the envy of half this forum).

Ken:>

[ilovebdt]