Meanwhile in Korea

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Jae

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When I requested participation in this year's Secret Santa, crazyheart asked me to post about my life in Korea. So, here's the latest...

I've accepted a position as a "Native English Teacher" at a private academic school here. Today, I'm on my last of three days of training. I'll actually start teaching tomorrow. Right now, they have 1.5 Native English Teachers from South Africa, but their contracts end today. As of tomorrow, I'll be the only Native English Teacher.

What I'm teaching is basically English language conversation. The school has Korean English Teachers to drill the students (most of who are kids) on spelling, grammar, etc.

Yobo and I have two apartments to live in now - one with her oldest son in Suwon, and another of our own near the school - which is about an hour away from Suwon by bus. The apartments are basic, minimal, and have very little furniture. We've been eating a lot at restaurants, but I imagine that will change with time.
 
Are you still doing your home church?

Not for the time being. Last week we attended, and this Sunday coming we will attend, the English language worship service of a conservative, evangelical, Baptist megachurch in Suwon-ci. Our priority right now is in getting me established as an English teacher. After that, we will see.
 
When I requested participation in this year's Secret Santa, crazyheart asked me to post about my life in Korea. So, here's the latest...

I've accepted a position as a "Native English Teacher" at a private academic school here. Today, I'm on my last of three days of training. I'll actually start teaching tomorrow. Right now, they have 1.5 Native English Teachers from South Africa, but their contracts end today. As of tomorrow, I'll be the only Native English Teacher.

What I'm teaching is basically English language conversation. The school has Korean English Teachers to drill the students (most of who are kids) on spelling, grammar, etc.

Yobo and I have two apartments to live in now - one with her oldest son in Suwon, and another of our own near the school - which is about an hour away from Suwon by bus. The apartments are basic, minimal, and have very little furniture. We've been eating a lot at restaurants, but I imagine that will change with time.
Did you complete the English teaching course before you left, or were you able to get the job without it?
How long have you been in Korea?
 
Did you complete the English teaching course before you left, or were you able to get the job without it?

Completed it before we left. I am TESOL certified, with a specialization in TOEFL preparation.

ChemGal said:
How long have you been in Korea?

As of today (Wednesday morning here), one week.
 
what kind of work permit did you require?

Require? I think what's actually required is the E2 visa. However, I have my F6 visa.

Pinga said:
How far apart are your two places?

I don't know. I haven't looked at that. I just know that the time difference by bus is about an hour.
 
Interesting to learn about life in Korea - I look forward to your posts jae. I was just coincidentally watching a documentary on CBC The Passionate Eye - titled "Changing Face" - about the plastic surgery industry in South Korea - mainly the Gangam area of Seoul. They were saying 1 in 5 south Koreans have had plastic surgery, and amongst those in their 20s the rate is 60%! Apparently it is imperative in the country to put a photo on one's resume if applying for a job ... so a lot rides on one's appearance. Made all the more interesting as the primary investigator of the doc is a woman from Britain who suffered severe facial & body burns as an infant - such a contrast.
 
Interesting to learn about life in Korea - I look forward to your posts jae. I was just coincidentally watching a documentary on CBC The Passionate Eye - titled "Changing Face" - about the plastic surgery industry in South Korea - mainly the Gangam area of Seoul. They were saying 1 in 5 south Koreans have had plastic surgery, and amongst those in their 20s the rate is 60%! Apparently it is imperative in the country to put a photo on one's resume if applying for a job ... so a lot rides on one's appearance. Made all the more interesting as the primary investigator of the doc is a woman from Britain who suffered severe facial & body burns as an infant - such a contrast.
Do you know what they were including with that?
Ie. Botox, fillers, things that are moreso procedures and not necessarily full out surgery?
 
Take a good poke at it @Jae ... understanding Don Quixote can be a pain on the onager ... a stoic following!

Perhaps a kick in the Pans ... the non intelligent option ... leading to flaming ... incendiary devices? We have the POTUS ... as bright illustration ...
 
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Sounds exciting and daunting at the same time...I realize you have an advantage coping with a different culture, with Yobo as your wife, but would love to hear how it feels to be "the foreigner". The good and any issues that crop up as time goes by.
Hope your first day is great! Do they celebrate Hallowe'en there?
 
Yeah. :D

Still with me. :D

The first few days I'd fall aslepp around 3 p.m. and then wake up again around 5 a.m. Now, I'm struggling to adjust to my new work schedule of teaching 1:30 p.m. - 9:10 p.m. :D

When we went to China in 2005 (I'd imagine the time zone is the same as Korea or within an hour anyway) for whatever reason I didn't really have a problem with jet lag when we got there. It was when we returned to Canada two weeks later that my body really noticed it.
 
When we went to China in 2005 (I'd imagine the time zone is the same as Korea or within an hour anyway) for whatever reason I didn't really have a problem with jet lag when we got there. It was when we returned to Canada two weeks later that my body really noticed it.

Yeah, I've always found eastbound is worse than westbound, too. Though I hear from a reliable source that age makes it worse regardless of direction. :(
 
When I requested participation in this year's Secret Santa, crazyheart asked me to post about my life in Korea.
Don't put crazyheart in that spot. Nobody trusts you yet. Sit this one out, at least. Work on that trust thing.
 
Thanks for your posts about Korea. I would be very interested to hear about the teaching bit. My eldest just finished his undergrad degree. He is taking at least a year, perhaps two, off between degrees and is considering options. One of the options has been to teach English in another part of the world because it provides the opportunity to be paid while also seeing a bit of the world.
 
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