Posts
Do you pay for everything in cash? What's the bank account situation?
Cash: I hardly ever use it. I use my debit card, which is widely accepted, and which draws from my Korean bank account. Getting the bank account set up was a little harder than I thought, but still not very hard, just time consuming. Although you can get a bank account with just your passport, it takes longer to set up than if you wait to do that until after you get your alien registration ID. Getting the ID takes a week, though, and you can't exchange American money at the bank until you get a bank account. It all seems a bit complicated. The way I did it (and really was not given a choice by my bosses, and was guided through this whole thing) was to get the registration card first and have one of my bosses take my money to the bank and exchange it himself. For some reason was not allowed to withdraw it from his bank account right away, so his mom gave me 100k won to borrow. By the time I got the ID card, payday had come, so I got my first paycheck, plus the money I exchanged from American money, in cash. Once I was able to take the alien card to the bank and open the account, I put some money in my account and wired the rest to my American account. I was given a debit card at the time I opened the account. During this whole process, I was with either one of my bosses or their parents to help me and translate and such.
What's with the alien registration/ID card?
When you get here, you have to go to the immigration office to register as a foreign resident. You are issued an identification card, which you need to carry around as if it were a driver license or other important ID. You use it to identify yourself at the hospital, to pick up bus or train tickets you get online, etc. You also need it should you ever get stopped by a police officer, or whatever, as unlikely an event that is. Important: I was not told I would need any more passport pictures, but you need two to get your alien registration ID. Having to get them done here delayed everything above by a couple days, because they place my boss took me to didn't have one hour photo, and I think we had to wait a couple days because they were closed on Sunday or something. Bring two passport sized photos for the ID. If you need any more photos, you can get them here for pretty cheap (ten photos for 10k won was what I got), but already having them expedites things.
Are credit cards accepted anywhere?
Visa/Mastercard seem extremely widely accepted. I carry around an American Express, and ironically, the only place that's ever been rejected was at a restaurant on the American air force base up north, which runs on American currency. You'd think the military would take AMERICAN Express. Jerks.
Is it difficult to get clothing that fits? What about shoes?
Purchasing clothes has been somewhat difficult, less because of size issues than because they're freaking stuck in the 80s here. It's hilarious and awful. I go to the stores and just laugh and cry. Since most Koreans are quite thin, most clothing here is small. There are a lot of foreigners here, though, and it seems like the country caters more and more to them as time goes on. Even if you can't find good clothing in your city, you can always try shopping in Seoul, Busan, or other big cities. Larger people be warned, though. It's difficult to find clothes that fit no matter where you go in this country, or so I hear. The two other Western teachers at my school aren't particularly fat, but have like beer bellies, and even they can't get clothes here.
It's possible that shoes would be okay anywhere. People are taller here than I expected, so that might result in larger feet. I have small feet, so I haven't noticed shoe sizes too much.
Bras could be a big problem for some women. They only have A and B cups here. So if you're bigger than that, make sure you stock up, because you'll have to mail order them if you don't. Or pay a ton from some sort of specialty store, if there are any.
Also, good luck figuring out the way sizes work here. I haven't. My shoe size is 235, my shirt size is 90, and the jeans I bought here are 71-94. The only size that makes sense is the bra size, which is measured in centimeters.
Is everything cheaper in Korea than in the US?
I originally had the idea that things cost less here than back home, but I was WRONG. I don't think I've seen a single thing in this country that costs less than it does in the US or Canada. I bet rice does, but I don't buy rice, so I don't know. Oh, and food from street vendors, but we don't have those anyway. Clothes don't cost more, per se, unless you're shopping at the department stores. Then the prices make you want to vomit. Most of what little clothing I've bought here was from E-Mart, which is like a Super Target, and an easy to find chain. You pay 15-30k won for a button down shirt, 7-25k won for a t-shirt, 10-30k won for pants, and so on. There are many American shoes here, like Converse, Adidas, Nike, Puma, etc. They seem to cost exactly the same amount as in the US.
What are the differences between public and private schools?
Let me talk about public schools first, based on what I've heard from others:
Teaching in public school involves very little responsibility, from what I can tell. As a teacher, you are mostly responsible for coming up with lesson plans and fun activities for classes. You don't have to work very much, usually between 20 and 30 hours a week, and you don't have to give or correct homework. You work with a Korean coteacher, who translates for you and runs the class. Because you have that coteacher, you can actually use your sick days if you need them, and you get plenty of them. You can also choose your vacation because the coteacher is there to conduct the class. You get a lot of days off when the school is not in session.
There are disadvantages. One is that the classes are huge and the kids don't really speak any English, unless they also go to private school on the side (rich kids). This means you don't get to talk to the kids much. That kind of sucks, I'm sure. Another is that the education system in this country is complete and utter bullshit and it gets frustrating that you have to follow such a slowly paced curriculum. For example, a teacher told me he had to spend two weeks on "hello," "hi," and "goodbye." Ouch. A major drawback I've noticed is that the contract stipulates that you have to be at school for certain times even when school is not in session, and they don't give you work to do, as far as I know. This means you sit at your desk and read or play solitaire for 8 hours a day, and you can't leave. Finally, you don't get the personal attention at a public school as you do at a private school. Consider the following example regarding a teacher in Seoul, who came here through a program called EPIK, and was placed at a public school:
One guy I talk to in Seoul said that his apartment, although I think it had everything it needed in it, was not professionally cleaned before he moved in (the school should be paying for that), and the place was a nightmare. I don't remember if he dealt with it himself or if he paid to have it cleaned, or what, but that situation was bad. Also, his landlord was bothering him a lot at first because the previous tenant (an English teacher, too) had skipped out on three months of utility bills. The school apparently didn't help him out in all this, at least not at first.
I'm teaching at a private academy (hagwon). This has its pros and cons, too, of course. The pros are as follows: I'm in charge of my classes and I do pretty much whatever I want, whether it's in the book or not. My classes have no more than eight kids. I would get a bonus each month for any class that has more than eight kids. There are only four teachers at my school, so it's all very personal, and I can get lots of help from my boss without feeling like I'm one of many teachers nagging her for something. I think private school teachers get paid a little more than public, at least at the entry level.
The cons: I have to work very, very hard, and I hardly get any days off compared to public school teachers. The first few weeks I was here, I didn't have that many classes, so I wasn't working long hours, but in March, the schedule changed, and my class load was increased by over 50%. For the first few weeks, while I was getting used to both teaching and the new schedule, I was working about 50 hours a week, because I taught about seven hours a day and corrected and prepped for about three. I've streamlined it now, so I'm only working 40 hours a week, but that's about 10 hours more per week than the average English teacher here. I do get overtime, though, so it's a good deal. For days off, I get national holidays, and one week at the end of July and one week at the end of December. This is considerably less time than public schoolteachers. I get sick days, I think, but it's difficult to use them, and I haven't used one yet. If I call in sick , my boss has to teach my classes, or cancel them. She gets kind of pissed off when someone calls in sick.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
For Those Coming or Thinking About Coming to Korea
I've gotten several comments lately about people coming to Korea who want to ask me questions (some comments not published to protect the innocent), so I figured it worth the effort to post the questions and my answers to benefit anyone interested. Below is a sampling. I'll add more soon.
What is the cost of utilities there?
Utilities for me include a flat apartment management fee of 30k won a month. Internet costs about 36k a month, and cell phone is about 15k a month. It varies a little. All of this is taken directly out of my paycheck, so I don't have to worry about paying bills. I did not have to put down any deposit on anything at all. HOWEVER, as I'm writing this, I just got an IM from a teacher friend of mine whose year is up in September, and he tells me that he had to pay a 700k won safety deposit on his apartment. You should ask your school about this if you're concerned.
What's your apartment like?
My apartment is small, but nice, and it was cleaned professionally before I moved in. This isn't always the case, but usually is, I think. I have a queen size bed with Korean style bedding. This means there is a bedspread similar to any Western style bedspread, but the sheets are not Western. Korean sheets involve just one thin quilt, not fitted, which is lain atop the mattress cover. You don't have a top sheet, so you just sleep under the bedspread. They provided me a pillow, but it was too small for my problematic neck, so I bought another bigger one. Pillow cases in Korea are more like pillow shams, with frills and such. Not the most comfortable. I recommend bringing your own bedding if you can fit it.
For furniture, I have a table with two chairs, a tall bookshelf, a vanity-style cabinet, and a small cabinet. For appliances I have what seems like a new refrigerator (It's not as big as the standard family fridge, but has ample space for one person. It's not like a college fridge or anything.), a tv (Cable is included. There are several channels that play American movies, too.), a washing machine, a two-burner gas range, a rice cooker (which I don't use), and a hot water heater. The apartment came with pretty much all the dishes I need, except for glasses. I had to buy three (they cost a buck) to add to the one mug that they gave me. I did get a brand new set of pots and pans, cutting board, cooking utensils, etc. The only things I've bought for the place are the glasses, a broom, a couple small trashcans, clocks, hand towels, a steam tray, and the pillow.
Is there training?
Despite what I was told before coming here, I was not given any training, nor did I shadow any classes before I jumped in and started teaching. I'm not sure if this happens commonly with private academies. Luckily, my school uses American English textbooks, so I just had to follow the lesson plan. I was given access to the books during the weekend I arrived, so I was able to get a feel for what I was doing beforehand. With teachers going into public schools through programs like EPIK, there are large orientations, but I've heard you don't really learn anything at those. I think in any case, unless you already have teaching experience, it's all pretty much learning to swim by being thrown in the lake. Whatever.
What's the toiletries situation?
I pretty much brought all my toiletries, because I was paranoid about things costing a lot. AND I WAS RIGHT! Now I wish I had brought even more than I did. For the girls, definitely bring tampons--I haven't even noticed any on the shelves. I just put mine in plastic sandwich bags to save space in the suitcase. They have plenty of shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, mouthwash, body lotion, and bar soap here, for sooort of decent prices. The toothpaste doesn't have fluoride, but that whole fluoride hype is just hype. Just, you know, brush your teeth. Definitely bring facial cleanser and moisturizer if you use that stuff. Clearasil costs 13k won a bottle. Retarded. They have Korean brands of facial stuff for cheaper (like between 6 and 10k), but it's a little harder to figure out if it's right for your skin.
If you wear contacts, I would recommend bringing plenty of that stuff, too, or at least plenty of eyedrops. I saw a bottle of Renu multipurpose solution at 7-11 the other day that didn't seem to cost much more than in the US, so that might be okay. Bring deodorant. Bring sunscreen! I didn't think of it, and I had to buy a tiny bottle for 11k won. What a ripoff. Bring condoms. They don't seem to sell condoms in droves here. I haven't looked much, but I haven't noticed, either. Medicine! Apparently Koreans don't self medicate, they just go to the doctor to get drugged up. I highly recommend cold and allergy medicines, especially if you're concerned about the yellow dust they have here (it's not severe). I pretty much had a cold the first four or five months I was here, as did the teacher I mentioned above (I don't think it was the dust, though).
What's the visa process like?
The visa process was pretty quick, but a wicked hassle. I overnighted the application with FedEx, then got a call a couple days later saying they had just changed the requirements and I had to go to the "local" Korean consulate for an interview. This meant driving from Maine to Boston for a ten minute interview. It's possible I might have actually gone home with my visaed passport the day of the interview, but the visa processer was on vacation, so they FedExed it back to me a few days later. The whole process only took a week or so, but you should call your consulate to ask about processing time.
Of course getting the visa only happens after you get a bunch of other required documents, like the criminal background check and the medical examination form. I only had to do a criminal background check with the city of Los Angeles, where I was living at the time, but I believe now you have to get either a state or federal check. A city check is a one hour process; the state process takes weeks, and I think the federal check takes months. Best to get that out the way immediately. The medical check was a hassle, too. I called the agency that got me the job in Korea to see if there is a specific form that they had that I could bring. They told me that doctors usually have a general form for this sort of thing. When I called the hospital to find out if this was true, they said the company requiring the exam would have to provide the form; otherwise they wouldn't know what to look for. I ended up digging out the medical examination form I had to fill out to get into college (I can't believe I saved that), and copying all the questions onto a Word document and printing it out. It totally worked.
Speaking of visas, once you get here, you need a visa to leave and come back, if you're taking international trips while here. The US automatically issues a multiple reentry visa on your E-2, but it expires a year after the visa is issued, not a year after you get here. So if, like me, you are travelling internationally the month or two before your contract is up, you have to go over to immigration and get a new reentry visa. This costs 50k won.
What is the cost of utilities there?
Utilities for me include a flat apartment management fee of 30k won a month. Internet costs about 36k a month, and cell phone is about 15k a month. It varies a little. All of this is taken directly out of my paycheck, so I don't have to worry about paying bills. I did not have to put down any deposit on anything at all. HOWEVER, as I'm writing this, I just got an IM from a teacher friend of mine whose year is up in September, and he tells me that he had to pay a 700k won safety deposit on his apartment. You should ask your school about this if you're concerned.
What's your apartment like?
My apartment is small, but nice, and it was cleaned professionally before I moved in. This isn't always the case, but usually is, I think. I have a queen size bed with Korean style bedding. This means there is a bedspread similar to any Western style bedspread, but the sheets are not Western. Korean sheets involve just one thin quilt, not fitted, which is lain atop the mattress cover. You don't have a top sheet, so you just sleep under the bedspread. They provided me a pillow, but it was too small for my problematic neck, so I bought another bigger one. Pillow cases in Korea are more like pillow shams, with frills and such. Not the most comfortable. I recommend bringing your own bedding if you can fit it.
For furniture, I have a table with two chairs, a tall bookshelf, a vanity-style cabinet, and a small cabinet. For appliances I have what seems like a new refrigerator (It's not as big as the standard family fridge, but has ample space for one person. It's not like a college fridge or anything.), a tv (Cable is included. There are several channels that play American movies, too.), a washing machine, a two-burner gas range, a rice cooker (which I don't use), and a hot water heater. The apartment came with pretty much all the dishes I need, except for glasses. I had to buy three (they cost a buck) to add to the one mug that they gave me. I did get a brand new set of pots and pans, cutting board, cooking utensils, etc. The only things I've bought for the place are the glasses, a broom, a couple small trashcans, clocks, hand towels, a steam tray, and the pillow.
Is there training?
Despite what I was told before coming here, I was not given any training, nor did I shadow any classes before I jumped in and started teaching. I'm not sure if this happens commonly with private academies. Luckily, my school uses American English textbooks, so I just had to follow the lesson plan. I was given access to the books during the weekend I arrived, so I was able to get a feel for what I was doing beforehand. With teachers going into public schools through programs like EPIK, there are large orientations, but I've heard you don't really learn anything at those. I think in any case, unless you already have teaching experience, it's all pretty much learning to swim by being thrown in the lake. Whatever.
What's the toiletries situation?
I pretty much brought all my toiletries, because I was paranoid about things costing a lot. AND I WAS RIGHT! Now I wish I had brought even more than I did. For the girls, definitely bring tampons--I haven't even noticed any on the shelves. I just put mine in plastic sandwich bags to save space in the suitcase. They have plenty of shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, mouthwash, body lotion, and bar soap here, for sooort of decent prices. The toothpaste doesn't have fluoride, but that whole fluoride hype is just hype. Just, you know, brush your teeth. Definitely bring facial cleanser and moisturizer if you use that stuff. Clearasil costs 13k won a bottle. Retarded. They have Korean brands of facial stuff for cheaper (like between 6 and 10k), but it's a little harder to figure out if it's right for your skin.
If you wear contacts, I would recommend bringing plenty of that stuff, too, or at least plenty of eyedrops. I saw a bottle of Renu multipurpose solution at 7-11 the other day that didn't seem to cost much more than in the US, so that might be okay. Bring deodorant. Bring sunscreen! I didn't think of it, and I had to buy a tiny bottle for 11k won. What a ripoff. Bring condoms. They don't seem to sell condoms in droves here. I haven't looked much, but I haven't noticed, either. Medicine! Apparently Koreans don't self medicate, they just go to the doctor to get drugged up. I highly recommend cold and allergy medicines, especially if you're concerned about the yellow dust they have here (it's not severe). I pretty much had a cold the first four or five months I was here, as did the teacher I mentioned above (I don't think it was the dust, though).
What's the visa process like?
The visa process was pretty quick, but a wicked hassle. I overnighted the application with FedEx, then got a call a couple days later saying they had just changed the requirements and I had to go to the "local" Korean consulate for an interview. This meant driving from Maine to Boston for a ten minute interview. It's possible I might have actually gone home with my visaed passport the day of the interview, but the visa processer was on vacation, so they FedExed it back to me a few days later. The whole process only took a week or so, but you should call your consulate to ask about processing time.
Of course getting the visa only happens after you get a bunch of other required documents, like the criminal background check and the medical examination form. I only had to do a criminal background check with the city of Los Angeles, where I was living at the time, but I believe now you have to get either a state or federal check. A city check is a one hour process; the state process takes weeks, and I think the federal check takes months. Best to get that out the way immediately. The medical check was a hassle, too. I called the agency that got me the job in Korea to see if there is a specific form that they had that I could bring. They told me that doctors usually have a general form for this sort of thing. When I called the hospital to find out if this was true, they said the company requiring the exam would have to provide the form; otherwise they wouldn't know what to look for. I ended up digging out the medical examination form I had to fill out to get into college (I can't believe I saved that), and copying all the questions onto a Word document and printing it out. It totally worked.
Speaking of visas, once you get here, you need a visa to leave and come back, if you're taking international trips while here. The US automatically issues a multiple reentry visa on your E-2, but it expires a year after the visa is issued, not a year after you get here. So if, like me, you are travelling internationally the month or two before your contract is up, you have to go over to immigration and get a new reentry visa. This costs 50k won.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Engrish
I went to Daegu yesterday and saw a few cool t-shirts. One guy was wearing a shirt that said:
It always leads me here... and you
I went into a t-shirt shop that had some good ones. There were some old school-looking Super Mario Bros. shirts: "We'll clean your pipes!" Then on the back it said "Ways to score a pringess" and had three panels. The only one I remember is "bling." It was pretty good.
Another t-shirt had a little cartoon zebra on it. It basically said, "My mother was a black horse and my father was a white horse. At school they called me Oreo" and some other funny name, but I don't remember. I should have written it down.
I wanted to buy a shirt, but they were all so big. I think it was really just a men's store. Women don't do big t-shirts in this country, so it must have been. Maybe someday I'll find a nice Engrish shirt in my size. Perhaps I'll grab some over in Japan if I ever get there.
It always leads me here... and you
I went into a t-shirt shop that had some good ones. There were some old school-looking Super Mario Bros. shirts: "We'll clean your pipes!" Then on the back it said "Ways to score a pringess" and had three panels. The only one I remember is "bling." It was pretty good.
Another t-shirt had a little cartoon zebra on it. It basically said, "My mother was a black horse and my father was a white horse. At school they called me Oreo" and some other funny name, but I don't remember. I should have written it down.
I wanted to buy a shirt, but they were all so big. I think it was really just a men's store. Women don't do big t-shirts in this country, so it must have been. Maybe someday I'll find a nice Engrish shirt in my size. Perhaps I'll grab some over in Japan if I ever get there.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Six Months
As of tonight after work, I will have been here for six months. Time hasn't gone by as slowly as it did when I was in Kenya, which I'm glad of. In Kenya, I was ready to go home after a month, but here after six months, I still feel okay living here. I guess it's just the difference between third and first world countries.
The first three and a half months went by wicked fast. After that it seemed to take forever to get to five months. The last month has gone by at a fair clip. I'm sure the next six weeks will be going by quickly, as I have planned a trip to Thailand, a couple backpacking trips, and some trips visiting my only two friends in Korea, who are both leaving soon.
At this point, I'm beginngin to settle better into my classes. It takes me less time to plan lessons and correct homework now. It's a little more routine. I've also started a reward and punishment system for homework that seems to be working a little better. I'm starting to have a better handle on the whole discipline situation, or I'm at least just not letting the kids get to me.
My Korean skills are getting better, but very, very slowly. I like Rosetta Stone, but I wish it would give me some more useful skills. Saying that the red circle is bigger than the blue square isn't exactly something I need, although the individual parts of the sentence have their applications.
I'm a bit concerned that I haven't had the chance to leave the country yet. I had wanted to take long weekend trips to maybe Hong Kong or Tokyo, but that just hasn't happened yet. Now that I only have a couple more three day weekends, I'm afraid I won't actually get to do all the things I wanted to do. I still have a week long vacation in December, but I want to go someplace a bit further than China or Japan, and not in a city, for that.
Other than not meeting my travel (and financial) expectations yet, everything's going pretty well. Now time to get ready for work.
The first three and a half months went by wicked fast. After that it seemed to take forever to get to five months. The last month has gone by at a fair clip. I'm sure the next six weeks will be going by quickly, as I have planned a trip to Thailand, a couple backpacking trips, and some trips visiting my only two friends in Korea, who are both leaving soon.
At this point, I'm beginngin to settle better into my classes. It takes me less time to plan lessons and correct homework now. It's a little more routine. I've also started a reward and punishment system for homework that seems to be working a little better. I'm starting to have a better handle on the whole discipline situation, or I'm at least just not letting the kids get to me.
My Korean skills are getting better, but very, very slowly. I like Rosetta Stone, but I wish it would give me some more useful skills. Saying that the red circle is bigger than the blue square isn't exactly something I need, although the individual parts of the sentence have their applications.
I'm a bit concerned that I haven't had the chance to leave the country yet. I had wanted to take long weekend trips to maybe Hong Kong or Tokyo, but that just hasn't happened yet. Now that I only have a couple more three day weekends, I'm afraid I won't actually get to do all the things I wanted to do. I still have a week long vacation in December, but I want to go someplace a bit further than China or Japan, and not in a city, for that.
Other than not meeting my travel (and financial) expectations yet, everything's going pretty well. Now time to get ready for work.
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