04 Jun 2007
Korea - Week 1
The Job Advertisement:
Teaching position - 2.9 million won per month (1550 pounds), free accommodation provided. One year contract. 300000 won (160 pounds) 'settling in' payment; 22 teaching hours per week, overtime optional at 20000 won per hour. New, modern teaching building. The best students in the province come to stay for one week to learn English in a new and fun way. Location: Gongju - capital city of blah province (can't remember what it's called).
Sounded good. Was kind of chasing the money too (most jobs here pay 1.9-2.2 million won). Applied; was offered job; accepted job; sent documents; got Visa; bought plane ticket.
The person who offered me the job is Ellena, and she is from Canada. I kept in touch via e-mail b4 arriving on Korea. The e-mails just b4 I left went as follows....
'Dear Ellena, will I be met at the airport by anyone? I have never been to Korea b4 and don't know a single word yet. Oh...one more thing...unfortunately I am a vegetarian...will there be much for me to eat in Korea or should I bring my own food?' (wasn't being serious).
'Dear David - Yes...you will be picked up from the airport in Seoul and taken to your apartment in Gongju' (about 3 hrs away). 'Oh...do you have much luggage? There is lots of food here for vegetarians...you don't need to bring your own.'
'Dear Ellena, Oh ok... I will unpack the tofu. But I will still have 3 heavy bags with me.'
'Dear David, I don't think my car will be big enough, so I think it will be easier if you get on a bus from Seoul to Daejon, and then get another bus to Gongju. Call me when you are on your way. My number is blah blah blah. You will need about ten 100 won coins for the phones. Good luck.'
'Dear Ellena, Oh yes...that is so much easier. I will arrive in a country I have never been to, look for a bus to somewhere I have never heard of in a language I have never spoken, and will make phone calls along the way with coins I don't have, and 3 heavy bags. You bstard.' (I didn't send this one. Just thought it).
Sunday - Arrived
Made it to Gongju...with the kind help of a chap who could see I was completely lost when I got off the first bus in Daejon. Kind and friendly people the Koreans, I thought, stereotyping a whole nation after having met one person. I don't have the same feelings towards Canada, or the selfish, unthoughtful, small car owning arses who live there.
I was met by Ellena the biatch after waiting 30mins at the bus station in Gongju. She seemed v friendly and nice, and I got into her small car.
'My boyfriend is cooking you lunch. You must be hungry after all that travelling. Oh, and I can't find the key to your flat! I was there this morning bleaching the black mould in your bathroom, and I think I have thrown it out with the rubbish.'
'Nice. What's for lunch?'
'Steak'
'Fantastic'
The key was finally found in a bag of rubbish, which was among many other bags of rubbish near the blocks of flats where I, and about 7 other foreign teachers live. I thought it was lucky to have found it...so maybe things were looking up.
Was taken to the place where I will be living - the top floor of a six floor apartment block. There was no lift, but thought that is good as it will give me some exercise. The flat had brand new fridge freezer, microwave, gas hobs, electric hobs, rice cooker, TV, bed, and an air con....which was nice. The black mould wasn't black anymore, thankfully, and there were 2 balconies.
I ventured off to the supermarket to buy some food. Everything was in Korean, funnily enough. But bought the things I recognised, and went back to cook. When I got back my nice Canadian helper told me there are no plates, cutlery, pans, cups, bed sheets, nor kettle or anything at all that makes a place inhabitable. I can buy these things with the settling in money...which I will get in about a week. Wonderful. I brought very little money with me...cause I don't have any.
Was looking forward to the next day when I would be taken to the school and introduced to other people...
2 comments:
Great!!!!! I think you're very brave/don't have to worry about losing your job etc. I have been to the school? that you are in - indeed I turned the first sod (I hope that's an expression you don't misunderstand) along with about 50 suits and a couple of bewildered school-kids, when they started constructing the place.
I've been back later and shuddered at the thought that I had originally wanted to teach there. That I hadn't been judged worthy to do so is something that left me with slightly mixed feelings. Mostly relief, of course, but a distinct twinge of annoyance, as well, sadly enough.
I'd love to see the 'text book' examples you said you'd put on the blog - I suspect it might be the one/adapted from the one that I and some other people here were asked/told to produce.
My wife and I want to stay here another year - for our own, financial reasons - so I'm not as game as you are in saying what I feel about the place, but - apart from a liberal sprinkling of f***ings that I would have put in, in the descriptions - you seem to encountered the same situations as we have almost exactly.
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