Korean Job Discussion Forums

[danby_ll]

Hey everyone,

I'm leaving for Korea next month and will arrive on Feb. 26 after spending a week in Tokyo visiting friends.

I'm not going as an English teacher, but I figure this is the best forum for foreigners in Korea so I hope I can get some questions answered here. I'll be a visiting student at Ewha Womans University for a semester so I'll only be there for 4 months.

I'm lucky that I've met tons of Korean friends here as I work at an English language school at my university so I'll have help when I'll need it. My boyfriend is Korean but he'll live about an hour by subway from me (I'll be staying in the dorms at Ewha).

1. does anyone know of any cheap places that offer Korean language courses, preferably in the evenings or on the weekends, and preferably near the Ewha campus? Ewha offers a language course but I've decided not to take it because the 9-1 classes every day limit what other courses I can take to transfer credits back.

2. Any tips for living as cheaply as possible in Seoul? I'm really bad with money and I'm a poor student living paycheque to paycheque here. I've been told food is quite cheap but I'm known to drop huge amounts of cash while drinking without realizing it.

3. I'm a smoker and a 21-year old female (I know, not good for me). I've heard that women get yelled at by people for smoking in public so I'm wondering if it will really be a big problem. I smoke with Korean guys all the time, and smoked in front of 50-year-old Korean male clients I've worked with, and they never had any problem with it, but then again this is Canada so I doubt anyone would chew me out for doing something that's not as looked down upon here.

4. For the ladies - any personal products that you think I should stock up on before going? Like tampons, etc. I don't want to run into a problem where I suddenly can't find what I need.

5. Because I'll be a student, I can't work legally in Korea but I hope I can find some way to make some extra money. Korean friends have told me I could do it no problem and that they can easily find a job for me, but I don't wanna get in trouble. If I tutor some people and get paid, that's not really illegal, is it? What would be the best way to find work tutoring people who are willing to pay for it?

I guess that's it for now and sorry this is so long. Thanks for any help in advance!

[thebum]

[sock]

I haven't seen women's razors here. Bring whatever toiletry and personal items you'll need for 4 months. If you do a few searches, especially in the FAQ forum, you'll find what you need to know.

As for living cheaply, and tutoring illegally, well, maybe you should consider doing the tutoring over dinner/drinks. At the client's expense. Kill two birds with one stone that way. Just don't do it next to an immigration officer.

PS usually the average "job" for someone your age is going to pay less than 5,000 won per hour. Tutoring can pay anywhere from 30,000 to 60,000 per hour. And let's face it, what more marketable skill do you have to fall back on, than English?

[SeoulShakin]

They sell women's razors at Olive Young. They also sell playtex tampons there. Deodorant is the one thing I would suggest bringing. They have Dove here, but it's very expensive, and if you like another brand you likely won't find it here.

But for whoever hasn't seem women's razors, Olive Young (by my place anyway) sold Venus, Bic throw-aways, and Intuitions. You should be fine in that regard.

[OiGirl]

If you are particular about "lady things," bring a supply. I find the pantiliners to be fine (when someone doesn't talk me into the herbal medicine ones... ) The pads are Always-style and usually very thin. I don't use tampons, but they are becoming more available here. Still, if you like OB or have a favorite brand otherwise, bring it. If you use any "alternative," of course bring it.

If you are picky about deodorant, bring a bunch. There are a few brands somewhat available and somewhat expensive.

If you are bigger than a small B-cup and like something other than granny bras, bring those as well. Larger sizes are becoming available, but they are hard to find, expensive, uncomfortable, and or/ugly.

Yes, you can buy a lot of these things online, but especially if you're not working, I'd say every dollar (pound, whatever) spent at home is worth $2-3 in Korea.

Did I cover the personal products you were wondering about?

[SuperFly]

[danby_ll]

Ok, that's a lot more expensive and formal than what I'm looking for, but thank you for the heads up.

I have the Lonely Planet guidebook and it mentions a place called World Village that offers casual Korean classes for just 10,000 won. However, I couldn't find any info about it online. Has anyone ever heard about this place? If not, I guess I'll have a Korean speaker call them and ask for details.

Thanks for responses everyone, it's helpful. Keep the answers coming if you have them.

[princess]

Hello there! You can get women's razors here, and even the Venus razors, at Lotte Dept. store. You CAN find tampons here. Convenience stores have the Tempo brand, but they are small. OK for me. Western brands can be found in other places, like the Olive store that another poster mentioned. Yes, please be careful with the smoking. I don't smoke, but a few years ago, my Korean friend smoked while walking down the street. She got strange looks from people. She is the only girl I have seen smoking in public. Again,not a good idea. The girls smoke inside the bars and restaurants here. Have a safe trip and keep an open mind!