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aeglus posted:I'm happy to live just enjoying life but most people hate doing that.
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Apr 19, 2013 02:16
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I could definitely understand wanting to start a family in the states instead of over here. Out of curiosity, what sort of jobs were you looking for here? I kind of ran into the same thing where the work I was qualified for payed far less than I am making now, in a public school.
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Apr 19, 2013 02:50
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Onion Knight posted:I could definitely understand wanting to start a family in the states instead of over here. I'm currently employed by an American company working from home - that's the only way I've been able to get my last 2 years of experience. But if for some reason that didn't work out in the future, I'd be left sitting here in Korea with very little ability to get a job and the jobs I could get I wouldn't want. There probably won't even be the Korean/Foreigner workplace standards separation in the future (it could already be gone for all I know). In other words, you'd likely have to work the same insane hours and do the same insane things Koreans do. edit: and on the enjoyment front, I seriously enjoy IT waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more than I do teaching. Teaching made me want to punch babies. So it's not just an pay grade/I wanna be a professional thing. It's a "keeping my sanity" thing as well. edit2: also, the reason I'm posting all of this at all is I think it's information worth reviewing and thinking about for anyone that may entertain sticking around long term. I think if I knew what I know now earlier, I would have made the decision to go home a lot sooner. TreFitty fucked around with this message at 03:43 on Apr 19, 2013 |
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Apr 19, 2013 03:05
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Not to get into your business but were/are you able to get the little woman to come with ya? If so congrats, if not sorry man.
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Apr 19, 2013 03:45
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KirbyKhan posted:Not to get into your business but were/are you able to get the little woman to come with ya? If so congrats, if not sorry man. 
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Apr 19, 2013 03:52
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Well I guess if it makes you happy then it's okay. If you're really into making tons of money and starting a family then Korea's probably not the place to be. Even a joker with an acting degree or something can eventually clear $50,000 in the States. I don't want kids and my lifestyle is pretty inexpensive so I still save a big chunk of my checks, so for me, it's more about time. I work 12 to 16 hours a week and spend the rest of the time doing what I want, not to mention I teach adults and not kids. For me, the quality of life here is still better than what I'd find at home and I'd be crazy to blow it up right now. If I was still doing the have on grind, I would totally be back home right now doing a real job.
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Apr 19, 2013 07:53
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Who knows what'll happen or who we'll be in, say, 5 or 10 years. That's why I don't have any plans one way or another.
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Apr 19, 2013 09:10
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BrainDance posted:Who knows what'll happen or who we'll be in, say, 5 or 10 years. That's why I don't have any plans one way or another.
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Apr 19, 2013 11:19
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They sat me at the kids table... My students are here...
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Apr 20, 2013 07:01
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If you haven't gone, check out the Yangjae-dong Flower Market. It's great. Prices are reasonable and they have tons of plants. Some vendors speak English and pretty much all will be able to inform you in simple English / Korean the care instructions for your plants. But avoid hydrangeas; these bastards die too easily.
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Apr 20, 2013 09:32
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I recall some of you have expressed interest in urban exploring in Korea. I've been a little more secretive about it lately because there's a tour group leading large groups of foreigners to places now. Anyway, next weekend we're planning a meetup. It'll start on Saturday somewhere downtown, and we'll do something more crazy on Sunday. Let me know if you want to come along.
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Apr 20, 2013 10:31
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BrainDance posted:They sat me at the kids table... My students are here... Ah so the real reason for you attending comes clear. You're the children's entertainer for the day. So none of the other adults have to do it.
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Apr 20, 2013 12:25
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Posted on my door this morning. Why god why. Also lol at those people getting a free English lesson for their kids. I told you not to go, homie. Teikanmi fucked around with this message at 15:24 on Apr 20, 2013 |
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Apr 20, 2013 12:42
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terivinix posted:I recall some of you have expressed interest in urban exploring in Korea. I've been a little more secretive about it lately because there's a tour group leading large groups of foreigners to places now. Anyway, next weekend we're planning a meetup. It'll start on Saturday somewhere downtown, and we'll do something more crazy on Sunday. Let me know if you want to come along. Weekend of the 27th? You're in Seoul right? I'd have to journey up to the city, but if the locations are cool then yeah, I'd like to come along.
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Apr 20, 2013 12:58
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BrainDance posted:They sat me at the kids table... My students are here... May as well dress up as a clown for the next wedding you go to.
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Apr 20, 2013 13:32
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Cameron posted:Posted on my door this morning. Why god why. 420 advertisement?
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Apr 20, 2013 15:07
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Bugblatter posted:Weekend of the 27th? You're in Seoul right? I'd have to journey up to the city, but if the locations are cool then yeah, I'd like to come along. The main plan is to have a bit more of a social on the first day, a piss-up on a helipad downtown. That way we can all get to know each other in a safe and central but fun location, see what everyone's capable of, and share tips and advice. Second day we're most likely going somewhere underground. http://www.flickr.com/photos/racetraitor/5658191400/in/set-72157623683071636/
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Apr 20, 2013 15:10
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terivinix posted:The main plan is to have a bit more of a social on the first day, a piss-up on a helipad downtown. That way we can all get to know each other in a safe and central but fun location, see what everyone's capable of, and share tips and advice. Underground sounds cool, I'll come along.
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Apr 21, 2013 02:25
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FWIW, you're making the right choice. I took a few months to decompress when I got home, then got a decent job with a temp agency. They liked my work so much that they recommended me for a position with another company. After two weeks there, I was offered a full-time position with 401K and benefits. I make at least three times what I was making in Korea. It's great that people enjoy living like functioning derelicts in the ESL scene, but I think some just make excuses to stay. If you have a college degree, the job market here isn't as bad as you think. You might have to make copies (I did), do small writing work well below your experience level (I did) before you get your big break, or do other menial poo poo, but it will happen. Rabid Koala fucked around with this message at 04:51 on Apr 21, 2013 |
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Apr 21, 2013 02:53
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I'm glad you think so lowly of people who are working to become career educators. I'm tired of education being diminished as a career choice, I don't know if you've looked at the job market for teachers in the states, but it is bad. I, and many other people here, were not able to find work despite our varying degrees, and do not like being seen as some sort of losers. You got yours, great, but that doesn't make it that easy. I am in Korea, because I could not find a teaching job in the States, in my area of concentration. I will be here a few years while I pursue a Masters in ESL that I plan to use at the collegiate level at some point. I work hard for my school, read current literature on education, and attend TESOL conferences for professional networking and development. Most of the others who are in Korea at this point are not some losers who get drunk every night and do not work hard at their jobs. This may have been true the in the past, but virtually every person I know here, who is teaching, does a very good job and works every day to give their students every effort. There are a few lazy people here who don't do any work and just mooch of the system, but the same can be said of anywhere. Maxsmart fucked around with this message at 07:06 on Apr 21, 2013 |
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Apr 21, 2013 06:55
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On kakao someone was asking about shoes in korea. ASOS does free shipping to Korea RealPicky is a Korean site that carries up to 13/14
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Apr 21, 2013 08:26
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I don't think he was speaking lowly of ESL teaching, but rather that there's still hope for working back at home.
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Apr 21, 2013 10:00
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Rabid Koala posted:It's great that people enjoy living like functioning derelicts in the ESL scene, but I think some just make excuses to stay. That's not how I read it.
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Apr 21, 2013 10:18
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He didn't say all of the people are like that, but there are definitely some people who are "derelicts" of a sort who refuse to leave.
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Apr 21, 2013 10:53
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Yeah, that describes a lot of the multi-year teachers I've met fairly well. He was just saying it's good that TreFitty isn't falling into that trap. He's overstating the availability of jobs based on his own anecdote, and he could have tempered some lines (example: "you really should be saving at least 15% of your paycheck for retirement, if you are able" [edit: he removed that line]), but it's not really worth getting in a huff over.
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Apr 21, 2013 12:03
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It's the Korea thread, just a guy taking poo poo too seriously like every page of every thread before. I'm kind of disappointed the rest of you aren't doing the same. It seems like months since we had a good meltdown. And he said functioning derelicts. It's a compliment. BrainDance fucked around with this message at 12:46 on Apr 21, 2013 |
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Apr 21, 2013 12:40
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AmbientParadox posted:On kakao someone was asking about shoes in korea. Oh god no... I brought enough shoes with me. But I love shoes. And now I can actually buy them here? This is a bad bad thing. Hopefully I can forget about this by payday.
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Apr 21, 2013 14:37
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My god... it's almost like Korea becoming a normal place to live with stable work conditions and a normalized job market or something. *checks Dave's* ...Nevermind. Still, I feel like there's fewer people coming to Korea than there has been in the past, in this thread and in general. Maybe that's a good thing.
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Apr 21, 2013 14:38
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Is the job market getting better at home? I don't keep up on that stuff as much as I should, but when it does there'll be less and less people coming over. That might be bad, because instead of generic recent grads who can't find decent work after college it'll just be the people who either suck so bad back home or really like Korea that come over. Nothing wrong with liking Korea, but I think that might be a lot of weirdos reasoning. If I leave it'll be for grad school or to go to another country. I don't stay here so I can just be a loser but because I actually like it here. I've actually set up a decent life here.
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Apr 21, 2013 14:56
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Haha, I love that. "Why would a normal person want to visit South Korea?" On that topic. Let's play some goddamn Dungeons and Dragons or whatever else whoever is willing to DM chooses.  Using Skype and our choice of http://www.socalled.org/vd/ or http://roll20.net/ we can turn Sunday nights into a blur of cheetos and ~fantasy~. All we need is one brave enough to DM and others even braver to subject themselves to his/her goony will.
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Apr 21, 2013 15:33
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Yea, I told my boss my reasons for wanting to come home and when I mentioned the, "can't really find a reason to like the place at all" one, he said, "OK, I totally get that one: I've been to a lot of countries/places and Korea is one of very few that I didn't think to myself, 'I've got to bring the family'".
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Apr 21, 2013 22:15
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Bugblatter posted:He's overstating the availability of jobs based on his own anecdote, and he could have tempered some lines (example: "you really should be saving at least 15% of your paycheck for retirement, if you are able" [edit: he removed that line]), but it's not really worth getting in a huff over. Yeah, I realized it might be hard for teachers in big cities like Seoul to save money. I was only able to save nearly 50% of my paycheck every month because I lived in the boonies. I was still able to enjoy soju benders and overpriced Yogerpresso, so it's not like I was living miserly. I mean, it does say something that I was able to find a job in copywriting of all things. Another of my friends was going to take a newspaper job in the States, but he ended up landing one in Seoul, so he's making a living outside of the ESL game. For those of you who actually enjoy teaching, awesome, but don't stay in Korea if you're miserable. I would have stayed had I found something in my field, but ESL teaching sucks (in my opinion). Rabid Koala fucked around with this message at 23:15 on Apr 21, 2013 |
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Apr 21, 2013 23:12
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Hey that Gentleman song is pretty cool guys. I ate some white 2 year kimchi and it was pretty good. It's probably going to rain tomorrow 
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Apr 21, 2013 23:28
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Rabid Koala posted:Yeah, I realized it might be hard for teachers in big cities like Seoul to save money. I was only able to save nearly 50% of my paycheck every month because I lived in the boonies. You can save 50% in Seoul and live fairly well too. I do. It says that you are trolling...  paid work in copywriting and newspapers with no connections and being out of the field for a few years? AND pay at 6k+ a month.
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Apr 22, 2013 00:40
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terivinix posted:The main plan is to have a bit more of a social on the first day, a piss-up on a helipad downtown. That way we can all get to know each other in a safe and central but fun location, see what everyone's capable of, and share tips and advice. Expressing interest.
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Apr 22, 2013 01:25
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DontAskKant posted:You can save 50% in Seoul and live fairly well too. I do. I was doing copywriting work for an NPO the entire time I was here.
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Apr 22, 2013 01:37
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If you imagine it as Derelict from Zoolander, this page is much much better.
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Apr 22, 2013 01:42
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Gildiss posted:Let's play some goddamn Dungeons and Dragons I played D&D exactly one time in college but had a great time so I am down with this if you don't mind a terrible beginner. But yeah Rabid Koala I feel like you got extremely lucky or you're incredibly skilled at what you do. Out of all my friends back home (that aren't still in grad school) I believe I make the most money except for one guy who makes almost double what I do but loving hates his job and is miserable all the time, whereas I love my job and my expenses are basically nil outside of loan payments and soju weekends. I know I'll get tired of it eventually so I've been trying to develop skills for another (hopefully more fun) line of work, but gently caress if Korea hasn't been great to me so far. also tervinix I would have loved to go but I already made plans for the Jindo sea-parting this weekend hopefully there will be a next time
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Apr 22, 2013 02:22
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Well, I guess it's more like 2.5x what I made in Korea, before taxes. After that, it's just more than double. That DustingDuvet guy helped a lot. I got a lot of compliments on my resume, and the temp agency originally passed on me but held on to my resume for another position. Let him do a resume for you.
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Apr 22, 2013 02:54
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Rabid Koala posted:Well, I guess it's more like 2.5x what I made in Korea, before taxes. After that, it's just more than double. That DustingDuvet guy helped a lot. I got a lot of compliments on my resume, and the temp agency originally passed on me but held on to my resume for another position. Let him do a resume for you. Is that the goon resume service? Is this 2.5x including housing costs? That 700k increases my salary quite a bit, but yeah, working (illegally) the entire time you are here (while in your field) and then popping back to the US? These are seem key things you left out. Your poor copy editor (one of the last jobs I really liked). So the job market isn't so bad... If you managed to stay working in your field throughout the recession.
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Apr 22, 2013 03:27
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