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On March 23 2011 14:22 NeverGG wrote:
That was a really good read :D
I find it really hard to make friends here with anyone, but hopefully in the future that will change. I think it's mainly due to lack of confidence (and language skills) on my part (and also having weird/solitary hobbies that don't include certain things a lot of Korean/foreign people here my age seem to enjoy.) >.<
I've recently made friends with a Korean student from Sejong University (she approached me actually while I was cooking at home.) So, it's been a good experience learning how to approach friendship with a Korean girl, and improving my language skills whilst helping her to get more confident about having conversations in English.
Having this insane "f everything, let's do it" attitude got me so far there. Missing sleep and taking risks, I met people from way across the spectrum, constantly. By the time I left, I was eating at hole in the wall's, hearing gf/bf rants, making friends that knew 0% English, getting into top clubs for free in VIP, playing in a metal band etc. etc. just because I had relationships. People will get hit by cars for you after hardly no time, pretty amazing to see dedication like that without so much cautious research like we do here in the States.
On March 23 2011 15:13 Tomken wrote:
:/ Can't see the videos :[]
edit: Really nice read!
How did you get your job btw? From some ESL program?
Go on Craigslist for the Seoul region, get ready for your head to explode. Though, I think at this point there's better ways to do it all, that's sure a start. And, ESLcafe.com will give you enough reading for ages. Watch out for foreigner scum, though.
On March 23 2011 15:18 Empyrean wrote:Show nested quote +On March 23 2011 14:32 Quesadilla wrote:On March 23 2011 14:19 Empyrean wrote:
Goddamn you're one hip son of a bitch :<
It's always interesting to read people's takes on other cultures. Great read.
(also add my on fb! lolololo) where teh req? What? :O
Friend request! fb/andrewmarksmith
On March 23 2011 16:18 Raii wrote:
This blog inspired me to ace my test tomorrow. No kidding lol
I like this. If I could always hear positive results of my writing, I'd probably do it or post it a lot more often.
I'll get back to this more later.
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Please do post more later. I'll be anxiously awaiting on a foreigner's inside view of Korea. 
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Pretty cool, great to see someone enjoying another country so much.
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Netherlands45349 Posts
You know I have been wondering about the Korean study(or Asian study in general) attitude, I am asian myself but I am totally spoiled western, so I am terribly lazy. I ponder how they can spend so much time on their studies, it is no miracle that they are well educated and very smart in general. If only I could do the same.
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good read^^
very interesting views and background u have there..hope u go to TL meet in april!
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Good read. Would be sick if you shared these videos with everyone.
Have you met any of the people that 'relevant' TLers usually meet once they go to SK? Like Rekrul and the bunch? Or were you not attracted to their lifestyle to begin with? Seeing how you've had no problem socializing I assume you don't value foreign company at all while in Korea.
What do you think about their life choices and could you possibly live a life like that?
Do you have any future plans involving Korea (I would be upset if I didn't get to utilize all that experience)?
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JIJIyO
Canada1957 Posts
Hey handsome, great read.
Just wondering are you still with the girl that you were with from back home? I remember you asking if there was a chance to still be with her, but Rek and Atom said no chance.
Write more! I really like your writing style.
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Very good read. I don't know what it is about the country and culture, but despite my qualms with certain social standards, I've taken a great interest in the country. From my perspective, society is shallow as fuck and uncompromising, and I really don't like a lot of what that entails, but at the same time... they get shit done.
I'm looking forward to visiting  I hope to meet-up with a lot of you still over there!
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+ Show Spoiler +On March 23 2011 15:12 Spica wrote:
Very good read. Although I'm Korean myself and should know most of my own country's culture (but some things will still be unknown to me since I am a Korean-American), it's always interesting to see a non-Korean's perspective on Korea. I'm very glad to see that you don't adopt the "angsty English teacher stuck in foreign country that is out to get them" mindset that I always hear about; adopting a positive outlook on life will definitely save you from going insane and make you overcome many situations. Your background as you were growing up is also very interesting - it's almost as if fate led you to where you are now. The bit about Koreans doing what they care about in a hardcore manner and not giving a flying fuck about things they don't care about is totally true as well. The ultimate example of this? K-Pop fangirls. They are a fearsome bunch, and definitely not to be messed with.
Anyway, I just wanted to ask you two things:
1. Do you actually like your job as an English teacher? As in, do you think that it's just okay, or would you be able to stay as an English teacher for the rest of/most of your life? I always hear most people going, "Yeah, I absolutely love being an English teacher in Korea! I enjoy it so much!" but then most also go, "But if I was offered another job, I'd totally go for that instead." Do you feel the same way? That being an English teacher is simply a job that helps pay the bills and rent? Picking paycheck over genuine passion for what you're doing? Would you teach English for a few more years, maybe stay a bit more longer, or would you say that you wouldn't want to teach English for the rest of/most of your life and will switch to another job in the future? It's understandable that most people would choose the higher salary over staying at a highly stagnant job, but it seems that English teachers who are truly into what they do and are passionate about teaching students are rare. Part of the reason why I'm asking you this is because I am also aiming to become an English teacher that really wants to help students improve their English in Japan, and am hoping that I can stay in the business for a very long time instead of jumping ship and treating teaching English as a temporary job, like what most other English teachers do in foreign countries.
2. What do you exactly mean by "I can't say that I've felt that people are as genuine as they are here once you get past that outer shell, or defense"? My curiosity has been piqued, I would greatly appreciate it if you could elaborate on this point.
1. Yeah, I actually enjoy teaching. I never set out to be one, but the last couple of years have lent themselves to that cause. Now, I can definitely say that I enjoy teaching older students than younger, but honestly, I used the job to go to Korea. For most teachers, they don't care about Korea and only about the money. It's the same to them as China or Japan. There is a slim group that picks Korea specifically. They are your friends (if they don't like anime).
I'm still teaching now, but college aged students from all different countries. I'm enjoying myself a lot. I'm teaching 30 hr/wk part time and using the income to float myself while I work on a startup company on the side. I'm actually good at teaching, which is a bit sad because it's not necessarily my passion.
2. There's a general shyness or coldness that most Koreans have at first. Whatever you do to get past that, you'll discover that they tend to be the opposite. You actually get called too much, talked to too much, and will be almost annoyed by how much people can want from you once you're friends. It's a bit funny, in that way, but pretty true.
On March 24 2011 00:53 thehorsebecomesking wrote:
Good read. Would be sick if you shared these videos with everyone.
Have you met any of the people that 'relevant' TLers usually meet once they go to SK? Like Rekrul and the bunch? Or were you not attracted to their lifestyle to begin with? Seeing how you've had no problem socializing I assume you don't value foreign company at all while in Korea.
What do you think about their life choices and could you possibly live a life like that?
Do you have any future plans involving Korea (I would be upset if I didn't get to utilize all that experience)?
Haha yeah, I know them all. I guess I'm kind of a weird breed. I'm fascinated and drawn to the depths and seek out extreme things. My personality is really intense, so it allowed me to pull multi-club 11AM nights and keep my head on. I could hang with Rek and the rest and still do my own thing in regards to my choices--I didn't feel obligated to live up to the legends written on this very forum. I've woken up in love motels and still had dignity. Rather than trading seed, I've traded secrets and actually found out about pasts and emotions. I think I'm just fascinated with the Korean people because I can relate so much. Rather that just watching what people do, I always want to know why.
To be honest, I could and couldn't life a life like that. I personally struggle with looking at things from an non-moral standpoint and that makes Korea the grayest of places on earth for me. I dabble in all, and never commit to anything fully. I won many friends and experiences, and more are waiting if I choose them. I honestly have no idea what I will do with all of it. Sometimes, Korea is actually hard to reflect on because I can't properly get out all of the things that I experienced. If I try, there's no way it could properly have been received. Koreans can't even explain a lot of the things that actually just, are.
On March 24 2011 08:26 JIJIyO wrote:
Hey handsome, great read.
Just wondering are you still with the girl that you were with from back home? I remember you asking if there was a chance to still be with her, but Rek and Atom said no chance.
Write more! I really like your writing style.
![[image loading]](https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/166567_10150377159755173_744060172_16739324_4563220_n.jpg)
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United States5582 Posts
On March 27 2011 13:24 Quesadilla wrote:+ Show Spoiler +On March 23 2011 15:12 Spica wrote:
Very good read. Although I'm Korean myself and should know most of my own country's culture (but some things will still be unknown to me since I am a Korean-American), it's always interesting to see a non-Korean's perspective on Korea. I'm very glad to see that you don't adopt the "angsty English teacher stuck in foreign country that is out to get them" mindset that I always hear about; adopting a positive outlook on life will definitely save you from going insane and make you overcome many situations. Your background as you were growing up is also very interesting - it's almost as if fate led you to where you are now. The bit about Koreans doing what they care about in a hardcore manner and not giving a flying fuck about things they don't care about is totally true as well. The ultimate example of this? K-Pop fangirls. They are a fearsome bunch, and definitely not to be messed with.
Anyway, I just wanted to ask you two things:
1. Do you actually like your job as an English teacher? As in, do you think that it's just okay, or would you be able to stay as an English teacher for the rest of/most of your life? I always hear most people going, "Yeah, I absolutely love being an English teacher in Korea! I enjoy it so much!" but then most also go, "But if I was offered another job, I'd totally go for that instead." Do you feel the same way? That being an English teacher is simply a job that helps pay the bills and rent? Picking paycheck over genuine passion for what you're doing? Would you teach English for a few more years, maybe stay a bit more longer, or would you say that you wouldn't want to teach English for the rest of/most of your life and will switch to another job in the future? It's understandable that most people would choose the higher salary over staying at a highly stagnant job, but it seems that English teachers who are truly into what they do and are passionate about teaching students are rare. Part of the reason why I'm asking you this is because I am also aiming to become an English teacher that really wants to help students improve their English in Japan, and am hoping that I can stay in the business for a very long time instead of jumping ship and treating teaching English as a temporary job, like what most other English teachers do in foreign countries.
2. What do you exactly mean by "I can't say that I've felt that people are as genuine as they are here once you get past that outer shell, or defense"? My curiosity has been piqued, I would greatly appreciate it if you could elaborate on this point. 1. Yeah, I actually enjoy teaching. I never set out to be one, but the last couple of years have lent themselves to that cause. Now, I can definitely say that I enjoy teaching older students than younger, but honestly, I used the job to go to Korea. For most teachers, they don't care about Korea and only about the money. It's the same to them as China or Japan. There is a slim group that picks Korea specifically. They are your friends (if they don't like anime). I'm still teaching now, but college aged students from all different countries. I'm enjoying myself a lot. I'm teaching 30 hr/wk part time and using the income to float myself while I work on a startup company on the side. I'm actually good at teaching, which is a bit sad because it's not necessarily my passion. 2. There's a general shyness or coldness that most Koreans have at first. Whatever you do to get past that, you'll discover that they tend to be the opposite. You actually get called too much, talked to too much, and will be almost annoyed by how much people can want from you once you're friends. It's a bit funny, in that way, but pretty true.
Thanks for replying to my questions! I don't blame you for using the job to go to Korea, because honestly, most people do, and it's one of the easiest tickets to be able to go live in a foreign country. I also know that most English teachers only care about the money, which disappoints me, because I want to be different from them. (And it's not even that much of a high-paying job with a crazy salary anyway!) The thing I'm most scared of is trying out the experience and finding out that the job is not actually my passion/doesn't fit me at all, because I really want to help out the future generation. But since there are plenty other jobs out there that can help me interact with the younger generation as well, I guess it's alright if I don't stay as an English teacher for a long time.
And I see your point about most Koreans. Some people I know are definitely like that, which is pretty amusing. I hope that the startup company you work at will become more successful and become a daebak, and wish you the best of luck in life!
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again i have to commend you for your good looks.
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3861 Posts
Leona says hi. She's leaving Dean this month.
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On March 23 2011 15:39 phosphorylation wrote:
If every foreigner in Korea were like you, I would welcome them with open arms.
Unfortunately, this is far from the truth.
Truth
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On March 28 2011 12:02 lilsusie wrote:
Leona says hi. She's leaving Dean this month.
Don't tell me things like this... 어려워.
Actually, can you get her 카카오톸 ID?
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EPT
