Korean Job Discussion Forums

[merlot]

I know reverse culture shock has been discussed many times here, but this is a fluid environment with people coming and going and I'm curious as to the experience of the quite a few people I know of who have recently arrived back in their homelands.

I'm supposed to fly back July 27th to S. Florida, party balls in Palm Beach County, then make my way down to the Keys for a major blowout on Duval street in Key West on August 5th.

Then, fly to San Antonio and chow down on TexMex, intertube down the San Marcos river (super clear exotic Amazon-like river) with a ice chest full of real beer in tow. And maybe do a little fishing, hunting at the ranch in West Texas, and plenty of two-legged dear hunting in the honkey tonks.

Then, fly to, San Jose, Costa Rica for 10 days and stay with a buddy who has a three- story house there and do all that place has to offer ( a lot).

Then, come back here and start a new job I haven't found yet.

But here's the weird part. I have this strange urge just to blow it all off and just do a ten-dayer to Thailand, then start a new job here.

I dunno; it's not that I don�t want to see everyone; it's just that I sense some sort of weird reverse culture shock looming.

But grandma�s old, so I really should go.

Anyway, back to the point: To you new arrivals in your homeland--in retrospect might have you done my plan B as opposed to the going home for a visit thing? And is reverse culture shock real, and in what degree?

[Zyzyfer]

That sounds like a great trip back home. Don't know why you're having doubts. There is an element of reverse culture shock, but I do think that's more reserved for the folks who go back home to settle down.

[n3ptne]

Yeh, I was supposed to go home at the end of September for a vacation to see the family before coming back on my second contract with the same school.

Opted for three weeks between Cambodia and Thailand.

*beep* going home. Ain't nothing to see there.

[jlb]

I have the feeling that with that short amount of time and all the travelling around you're doing, culture shock won't be much of an issue. Plus if you know you're coming back to Korea, the bad stuff won't seem so bad because you'll be leaving again soon anyway!

Family and friends back home are important...it's good to keep up those connections but hard if you're never there. When you get old and want to come back to North America, you'll be thankful that you kept in touch all these years and still have a few friends.

[mole]

I'd go with Plan A, just for the Texas leg of the trip.
The San Marcos River is my fountain of youth. I gotta get back there.
(wondering if my snorkelling gear is still in someone's garage somewhere)

[skinhead]

[Paddycakes]

I had a case of reverse-reverse culture shock.

Was in Korea for 2 years, first two years were okay... Korea was tolerable... came back to Canada for a month, but the Korean culture shock really hit after returning to Korea. It was like a delayed culture shock.

For some reason, after seeing how clean and beautiful *parts* of Canada are and how high the standard of living is here, and then to get thrown back into Korea... well, after that return all I could see where the differences between Canada and Korea...

Now I just thank god every day for not making me a Korean... It might be okay if you're on the top of Korean society, but for the remaining 90 percent I really feel sorry for them...

[periwinkle]

I always get freaked by people saying "excuse me" when they happen to pass within 2 feet of me. I don't know how to respond anymore, or even how I used to respond. I say "no problem", but then I think, should I have been the one to say excuse me?

Last time I was home, I tried to buy some contacts. I asked for a box of -8.5 (my unfortunate prescription). The woman got all huffy and said I had to make an appointment. I didn't even bother to try to explain to her why I just asked for a prescription, and didn't make an appointment. I'm forgetting how things are done back home... Too bad I couldn't conveniently "forget" about our tipping culture...

[SPINOZA]