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So a week ago I got on Korean Air and shipped off to South Korea. After working a couple of really shit jobs in a few different cities, I realized that if I was ever going to do this, the time was now. I've reached the unforgivable age of 24 where you become very aware that life makes no decisions for you, experiences are what you make of them, and (in my case) youre ever so slowly going bald. X.X thanks dad.
I think its pretty natural for people to have a desire to travel. where and when is their own choice, but myself I can't stand tourism. I never want to merely walk through a city with my camera snapping every half minute. what kind of experience is that? I did it with Japan many years ago and I don't remember a damn thing from that trip.
Anyway, I grew the balls to move to Korea for a while and try out this english teaching thing. I'm teaching for ChungDahm Institute, which is a fairly highly regarded hagweon. The only thing I can complain about is the lack of solid communication. Other than that the company is extremely nice and prepare you well. They put me up in a very nice hotel during training and provided a realtor to help me find a place in Sinchon, which is a huge shopping/bar area with lots of colleges around. Just last night I got in a heated multi-cultural (german, korean, stupid american) foosball match, had some amazing korean bbq, and bar hoped eventually to find drunk korean girls wreestling in a pool of water in a basement at 2:30 in the morning. well hell yes.
so I'm just in a complete honeymoon period with korea. i'm in a pc bang right under my building and there's like 5 or 6 other people in here playing starcraft. it's kind of funny because i've read the threads about rekrul saying starcraft isn't as big as you might think it is here. Which is true, but at the same time, its as big as it looks and then just make no other assumptions. It is definitely embedded in the culture here. Starleague highlight matches were on the personal entertainment screens on the plane. It is on TV on mbcgame and ongamenet seemingly ALL the time. and the crowds at OSL finals are probably as big as they look. (I wasn't able to make it to the finals yesterday due to money and conflict of plans...but I believe MSL finals are in my friend's home town).
the thing is once you arrive here you realize a few things. even though you're completely enamored with the country, things are just going on as normal and people are basically the same everywhere. It really doesn't feel all that different which puts you at ease a bit. and when I do run into something that's different, I wonder why we don't have it in America. ex: parking garages are underground and go up and down a garage elevator like batmobiles. probably a bit of a pain waiting for your car, but at the same time so efficient. but they don't really have a choice given the space.
anyway, I'll be putting up pictures and such in the coming weeks of my experience in korea, and am also thinking of a way to come up with some content to contribute to TL <3. also if there are any teamliquid members in korea, I would love to meet up and hang out, play some sc or grab some food. OMG MAYBE I CAN MEET ARTOSIS (swoon)
alright check my blog in the coming week or so for pics, insight and drunk excursions. btw the food is awesome and if you want to come to korea for that reason alone I encourage it
(this was bad because I'm in a rush. many apologies)
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nice, i'll probably be coming in several weeks =]
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is awesome32274 Posts
Sounds like you still have things ahead of you to discover : )
Please post the pics when you can, I would love to see what korea looks like besides the touristic places!
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seems like you're enjoying your time there, that's great to hear!
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where did you find wrestling drunk girls?
do want.
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51450 Posts
On May 23 2010 15:27 lowbright wrote:
where did you find wrestling drunk girls?
do want.
room salon
love motels
fancy clubs with pools
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Korea is the shit.
Also interested in the teaching side of things. It's a bit different for me since I'm Korean and been there many times but always nice to hear the experience. Like Elric's blog!
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Cool that you decided to try out living in a different country! Wish you all the best and am looking forward to any updates you give. I hope to take a year off during my PhD (my 3rd year maybe) and travel around.
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konadora
Singapore66161 Posts
im going next week, fuck yeah
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United States1719 Posts
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Sounds tight, best of luck
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On May 23 2010 15:34 GTR wrote:Show nested quote +On May 23 2010 15:27 lowbright wrote:
where did you find wrestling drunk girls?
do want. room salon love motels fancy clubs with pools
thing is, this was just like a bar. i wouldn't call it a club. but it was awesome. the whole floor had like a solid inch of water.
i danced with some korean girl for a while until she practically passed out right in my arms and her friends were like "uhhh sorry lol". yeeah she was wasted 
yeah once I take some better pictures i'll post em all up. I look so touristy with my camera tho (its old) so I hate carrying it around. good to hear people are here lets have a get together sometime. and i'll let everyone know how the teaching is. I heard its fun and korean kids are the cutest
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haha actually balding is primarily x-linked, so if you're a guy you should thank your mom for that.
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I'm glad to hear you're having a good time. Lately I have had a desire to go traveling and ever since hearing about opportunities to teach English in Korea, I've been focusing my attention there. Hearing about your trip makes me excited even though I probably won't be going for at least a year or two. Ha, ha.
I have a question for you, if you don't mind answering it for me. How qualified are you for the teaching job and what is it like? Who are you teaching? On most applications I have seen, the only requirement is that you be a native speaker of English, but do you have any other training? Do you speak Korean? English is my native language, and I study linguistics and have learned about language acquisition, but I'm wondering if it's something I will be able to do. Also I speak no Korean, but I am planning to change that. Or at least learn a little bit in my spare time.
I wish you all the best!
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I'll be there probably around July once I get my diploma, so that I can get my visa.
I lived with a friend's family in Seoul and it was the best 2 weeks of my life. Really excited to go back.
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Glad to hear you're having so much fun OP. If you're not doing so already, I recommend immersing yourself in Korean culture by learning the language. You will have a far better experience.
I'd recommend going to nearby Sogang University or Ewha University to sign up for some evening language classes (~600,000Won per term of 10 weeks).
(There are too many foreign jackasses that stay in Mike's Cabin and somehow look down on Koreans.)
P.s. PM Shloober! He's an awesome TLnetter that lives very near you.
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On May 23 2010 17:08 Isas wrote:
I'm glad to hear you're having a good time. Lately I have had a desire to go traveling and ever since hearing about opportunities to teach English in Korea, I've been focusing my attention there. Hearing about your trip makes me excited even though I probably won't be going for at least a year or two. Ha, ha.
I have a question for you, if you don't mind answering it for me. How qualified are you for the teaching job and what is it like? Who are you teaching? On most applications I have seen, the only requirement is that you be a native speaker of English, but do you have any other training? Do you speak Korean? English is my native language, and I study linguistics and have learned about language acquisition, but I'm wondering if it's something I will be able to do. Also I speak no Korean, but I am planning to change that. Or at least learn a little bit in my spare time.
I wish you all the best!
Qualification is a weird thing. I was a referral from a friend so I didn't have to go through a lot of the bullshit most staffing agencies will put you through, such as Aclipse (meaning two separate phone interviews and whatnot). The main qualification is 1. native english speaker and 2. any college degree. They'll ask you if you have teaching experience and for any certifications, but they aren't required by any means, nor is knowledge of Korean language. I am trying to race to learn some Korean now and I probably will take a class, a friend told me that where I work will help me get into a class. There are a lot of Canadians here it seems...and you run into people from europe.
but yeah as for how the teaching job is I have no idea yet. In training a lot of us had different levels, like I'm teaching pretty basic levels (english chip, younger kids, and memory english, older but still probably like 9-10 year olds) but all I've had is the training. Training was a bitch let me tell you. they look for really extroverted personalities so be ready to put on a show if you're thinking about doing it! I know a few other people who were linguistics majors got to teach higher classes and slightly older students, like 11-13 age, but I've heard they can be worse lol lot of hormones ya know.
anyway I just bumble about town like a tard because I don't know korean but man you can still get around no problem. major street signs are in english and so are the subway systems. but living in sinchon I don't have to go far.
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On May 23 2010 17:06 Masamune wrote:
haha actually balding is primarily x-linked, so if you're a guy you should thank your mom for that.
yah I keep hearing that and yet all the baldies are on my dad's side X_X nooo haaair come baack
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sounds epic 251! totally jealous. definitely keep blogging about your experiences in korea!
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EPT
