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madprops
Joined: 25 Nov 2006
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 Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 1:31 am Post subject: No Housing |
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I am to arrive in Korea on the 8th and still I have not received any information on my housing situation. Oh, other from the fact that I will receive my accomodation "sooner or later."
Is this common?
My contract is with a public school, which made me feel somewhat secure, but now I don't really know what to expect. I guess I will find out sooner or later. |
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Sina qua non
Joined: 20 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 1:35 am Post subject: |
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They usually make the new hires sleep at the local inter-city bus station until they can prove themselves successful teachers.
If you bring a pillow and a blanket, you should be O.K. |
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madprops
Joined: 25 Nov 2006
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| Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 1:39 am Post subject: |
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Wonderful! I am bringing a pillow! And now I've a reason to bring a blanket! Everything is working out great.
Seriously, I have a friend living just a 40 minute drive from the airport, so if I'm screwed I can sleep at her place. I guess I will have to wait and see. |
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princess
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: soul of Asia
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| Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 1:56 am Post subject: |
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| Ummm. I'd say even a half decent school will have your accomodations ready BEFORE you start. If not, don't work there. |
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madprops
Joined: 25 Nov 2006
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| Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 2:00 am Post subject: |
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I got an email from my agent who said the school had reserved my housing a few days ago and as they were about to sign the contract at the real estate agency they were told that a Korean got the appartment instead since the landlord preferred to rent it to a Korean, rather than to a foreigner. But, she reassured me that I will have housing before I arrive "for sure," as the school had more than one option.
It would have been nice to know the details and at least my address ahead of time, that's all. |
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Sina qua non
Joined: 20 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 3:00 am Post subject: |
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| madprops wrote: |
| It would have been nice to know the details and at least my address ahead of time, that's all. |
Get used to not knowing ahead of time. In Korea, knowing is so...superfluous.
I hope you like where you go. |
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Hotpants
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 3:04 am Post subject: |
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Housing not yet arranged? Doesn't sound good. You have either signed a contract with housing or without. No in betweens.
Not to worry. If you have your friend's place to stay at, then you'll be fine. If you need to rent a room such as a goshiwon for a month, then at least they are pretty inexpensive. Just make sure there are no more hidden surprises waiting for you. Your employer has at least arranged your visa, I trust??? |
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JZer
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 3:49 am Post subject: |
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Get used to not knowing ahead of time. In Korea, knowing is so...superfluous.
I hope you like where you go. |
You know that sometimes public school don't even tell their foreign teachers that they do not have to teach on a certain day until they actually show up that day. For example, maybe next Monday is going to be test day and your lessons will be canceled but you won't find that out until you walk into the classroom on Monday!!
Anyways, good luck!!! |
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oneofthesarahs
Joined: 05 Nov 2006
Location: Sacheon City
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| Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 8:39 am Post subject: |
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It's also possible that they plan on throwing you in a hotel for a bit while they get housing lined up.
And I have a buddy who is going to be living in a hotel for the entire year that he is here. He doesn't care though, because he has a maid who makes his bed.  |
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ChopChaeJoe
Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 8:49 am Post subject: |
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| What's a goshiwon? |
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vexed
Joined: 25 Aug 2006
Location: Daegu
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| Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:48 am Post subject: |
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| ChopChaeJoe wrote: |
| What's a goshiwon? |
From http://wiki.galbijim.com/Goshiwon
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Goshiwon
A goshiwon (고시원) is a small room somewhere around three square metres (1.5 pyeong) that students will often live in for a number of months in order to focus on a test. Goshiwons are generally located inside buildings somewhere around the second to sixth floor or so, and one goshiwon will have a dozen or two people living on one floor. Note that a goshiwon is not the same as a goshi hagwon, which is a hagwon for students who are studying for a test. These tests (고시 or 考試 is another name for test in Korean) are similar to a bar exam in the sense that they give accreditation for certain positions, and due to their importance people will often live in a goshiwon and do nothing but study for a number of months to be sure to pass the test. Goshiwons include a large number of people from smaller cities who do not have family nearby and need an inexpensive place to live in close to the goshi hagwon.
At the same time, goshiwons are a remarkably cheap way of living in the country if one does not mind the small space, especially for a few months. Prices in a goshiwon will range from 200,000 to 400,000 won per month, and sometimes more. Sometimes the line between a goshiwon and a one-room will be blurred, and some rooms for 500,000 or 600,000 will have a bathroom and shower within the room itself. By this time it becomes a stretch to call the room a goshiwon as higher-priced rooms have thicker walls enabling guests to visit, and the price is high enough that most people living there will not be students but rather young people who are working full-time. Some one-room locations will even have a number of spaces around eight pyeong that often two people will share.
Regular goshiwons have one to three bathrooms and shower rooms on a floor that are shared; thus, using the bathroom or the shower will involve a short trip down the hall where others may be. Goshiwons have a shared kitchen with a minimum of free rice, and often will have free kimchi, with eggs, ramyeon, and condiments. Some goshiwons have kind owners that will cook full meals from time to time as well. |
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madprops
Joined: 25 Nov 2006
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| Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 10:42 am Post subject: |
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| Hotpants wrote: |
Housing not yet arranged? Doesn't sound good. You have either signed a contract with housing or without. No in betweens.
Not to worry. If you have your friend's place to stay at, then you'll be fine. If you need to rent a room such as a goshiwon for a month, then at least they are pretty inexpensive. Just make sure there are no more hidden surprises waiting for you. Your employer has at least arranged your visa, I trust??? |
Everything, aside from housing, is fine. I have my visa and everything else is prepared. Apparently the school had a few apartments to select from, so, I was told, there is nothing to worry about. I will have my apartment on Friday when I arrive. They have one day to make this work. If not I will be demanding compensation, even if they do put me in a hotel. |
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cdninkorea
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 2:49 pm Post subject: |
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| JZer wrote: |
| You know that sometimes public school don't even tell their foreign teachers that they do not have to teach on a certain day until they actually show up that day. For example, maybe next Monday is going to be test day and your lessons will be canceled but you won't find that out until you walk into the classroom on Monday!! |
Werd. This happens to me all the time- rarely the whole day, but I'm almost always told about cancelled classes until just before the class is supposed to start.
Once an entire week was cancelled and no one told me at all- I just walked into a classroom to have the homeroom teacher tell me there would be no classes.
I have lots of stories like these, as I'm sure any public school teacher does. |
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ChuckECheese
Joined: 20 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 3:35 pm Post subject: |
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Don't worry. When I first got here, they shacked me up in a nice hotel for a few days until they found me a nice apartment and got it ready for me.
Make sure your apartment has airconditioner. If not, demand one because you'll definately need it during "HOT and muggy" summer months. |
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ilovebdt
Joined: 03 Jun 2005
Location: Nr Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 3:43 pm Post subject: |
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| madprops wrote: |
| Hotpants wrote: |
Housing not yet arranged? Doesn't sound good. You have either signed a contract with housing or without. No in betweens.
Not to worry. If you have your friend's place to stay at, then you'll be fine. If you need to rent a room such as a goshiwon for a month, then at least they are pretty inexpensive. Just make sure there are no more hidden surprises waiting for you. Your employer has at least arranged your visa, I trust??? |
Everything, aside from housing, is fine. I have my visa and everything else is prepared. Apparently the school had a few apartments to select from, so, I was told, there is nothing to worry about. I will have my apartment on Friday when I arrive. They have one day to make this work. If not I will be demanding compensation, even if they do put me in a hotel. |
It's all very well the recruiter saying this, but have you actually spoken to the teacher who is going to be your "supervisor" at the school you are going to be working at?
ilovebdt |
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