Dropping the Basket

I just read where Rudy is taking his hat out of the ring. I still don't understand is decision to skip all of the other early voting states. Doesn't it make sense to build up some momentum and gain more funding?

He largely skipped the early voting states to put all his energy into Florida.

"Obviously, the strategy didn't work," he said. "We're going to go back and try to find out why. I don't have the answers ... Having said that, it was the only strategy available to us -- could we have done it in a better way? I don't think we know the answer to that right now."

I wonder if he knows the saying "Don't put all of your eggs in one basket." I knew that with his stances on abortion, gay rights, and some of the skeletons in his closet he would have been a tough sell for the Über- conservatives, but I thought if he won the republican nomination he would have no problem steam rolling the democrats.

Giuliani described McCain as "the other best candidate."

"I made it clear before I had to make this decision [to drop out] that had I not run, I'd be supporting John McCain," Giuliani told reporters on a flight to Burbank, California, for the debate.

Some people are commenting that he is setting himself up for an invitation to run with McCain. I just don't see Rudy as a number 2 kind of guy!

이승철 - 소리쳐

Here is 이승철 or Lee Seung Chul another song from my mp3 player. I actually had to look this guy up. I told my students that I really like this song and they looked at me like I was crazy.(Not an unusual thing for my students) "Teacher, he is old" was their comment. I found his biography and he is a whopping 41 years old! I mean I was thinking closer to 50 or 60 the way my students were talking!Anyways here is so more information about him. You can see his website, wiki(Korean) and some KPOP website that I ever never seen. I tried to look him up on Pop Seoul, but didnt see a listing. . I saw that he has a new album that was released last year and will have to get Jaeyoun to look it up for me(i.e download it)

I hope I get this attention when I die!

Check out this article on CNN. Unfortunately, I don't think any of my students will make me famous, but it is wishful thinking. You never know. I may have the future President of Korea in one of my classes!

BEIJING, China (AP) -- Zhang Hanzhi, an elegant Chinese diplomat who was Mao Zedong's English tutor and an interpreter during the historic 1972 meeting between the Communist leader and U.S. President Richard Nixon, has died. She was 72.

I love the word elegant and I can just picture her in my mind.

She met Mao in 1950, at a party to celebrate the first anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and again in 1963 at Mao's 70th birthday. He seemed relaxed and happy and asked to be her student when he found out she taught English. "Why not?" he asked, when she said she wouldn't dare.

"The Chairman wanted the lessons to start the following day! I was dumbfounded," Zhang wrote in a 1999 article for Time magazine. "I was to teach the great leader whom over a billion people worshiped as their god?"

She described Mao as an ambitious student who was keen on vocabulary -- especially political terms -- and proper word usage, although he had no interest in grammar and correcting his accented pronunciations.

I was going to use this article in my highest class, but read the last line. My upper students would have had a field day with that one. I can hear them now " But teacher, Mao didn't care about grammar and pronunciation......Why should we?"

Crown J - 그녀를 뺏겠습니다 (I Will Take Her Away) MV

I have been listening to this for the past couple of weeks and just found it on You Tube. Don't let the start of the song fool you. It is actually quite catchy!

Kimchiman's Arirang (spoken word style)

I know that this is old. I have been meaning to post it for awhile. I came across it again while looking at some Korean study material on You Tube!

Really they were excited about market day

This picture really doesn't give their excitement justice. This was the first time I have ever had a market day at a school that I have worked at. Students collect stamps for doing homework and good behavior and then are able to cash in these stamps for money. We sold all kinds of juice, cookies, dokkbokie, chocolate, and what not. I didn't think the students would really get into it, but they really went crazy today. Even my middle students wanting to get in on the bartering for goods eventhough they were not elgible for stamps. I ended up giving my middle school students a few dollars to buy some things with! Tomorrow is part 2, so we will see how it goes with another group of students!

Red Screen of Death

Turned on my computer tonight and this what i was looking at. Just a hint for all of those computer users out there, don't click to fast on those install active x buttons...This spyware changed my desktop and windows kept popping up telling me to download some lame virus killer. ......I just downloaded a couple of programs to get rid of it....I will like to the cleaner software later, just in case anyone else out there gets this spyware. I am also in the process of cleaning up my desktop ...you can see it is a little cluttered.

Saturday's Super 7* 7 Beers of Korea

It doesn't take you long in Korea to see the signs and advertisements for beer. Words like Hite, Cass and OB are some of the first names you will recognize. Think Bud Light/Miller Light back in the States. You can check out the Wikipedia for Korean beer here. If you are teacher coming to Korea, I am sure that your coworkers will be taking you out to their local haunt to test the Korean brews. All of these beers have English slogans and I have included them for your enjoyment. I never really know where they come up with these.

1. Cass Red "Taste Of Passion"

This beer as an alcohol content of 6.9%. It costs the same has the other beers on this list and for that reason this is the one that I usually drink. I spend less money and actually drink less beer with this one.

2. Cass Ice Light "Less Filling, Longer Fun"

Not a bad beer. I am no expert, but this beer is ok. Supposedly it has low carbohydrates.








3. Cass Fresh "Sound of Vitality"

I have no idea where they got that slogan, but this beer is pretty good. I used to drink this a lot before they introduced Cass Red.






4. OB Blue "The Original Quality Beer"

I never really drink much of this beer, unless It is my only option. They all basically taste the same to me anyway. It seems I drink this only during the summer sitting outside near one of the family marts.







5. Exfeel-S "The Stylish Beer with Fiber"

I really don't understand this one. I mean I guess if you are not getting enough fiber in your diet, then this is the beer for you. I think that this beer is mainly for women. I guess the S is for S-line.









6. Prime Max "Delicious Idea"
I haven't really drank that much of this one either. It is supposedly a full-bodied beer.




7. And last, but not least the beer that I usually get served. Hite "From Naturally Frest Water" Somehow, I always ending up drinking this one. It is not a bad beer and probably one of the most popular. My regular Galbi place serves this one. So, we are always drinking this one with our meals.


Next week's topic: 7 Types of Ramyeon

Random Conversation

I was taking a break outside the school today and was finishing up sending a text message when an middle aged guy stopped and starting talking to me. The conversation went something like this. Patience with my Korean please and I am sure that I am leaving out some parts


Random Korean Guy(hereafter known as RK) : 안녕하세요? Hello

ME: 안녕하세요? Hello


RK: 캐나다 사람이에요? Are you Canadian?

ME: 아니요 미국 사람이에요. No, I am American.

RK :아 미국 사람이에요. Ahh you are an American.

ME: 네. Yes (This was when I noticed the smell of soju, I think it was him saying ahh)

RK: 영어 성생님이에요? Are you an English Teacher?

ME: 네. Yes

RK: ㄱㄱㄳㅅㅅㄱㄳㅅㅇㅎㅊ (He starting speaking faster and I had no idea what he said)

ME: 미안함니다. 천천히 말해 주세요. I am sorry. Please speak slower.

RK:ㅗㅗㅗㄹㅇㄴㄴㅁ (He spoke slower, but I have no idea what he said.)

ME: 미안함니다. 한국말 조금해요. I am sorry. I only speak a little Korean.

RK:ㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹ 어디 일해요 Where do you work? (I didn't catch all of it.)

ME: ************ 학원이에요. I work at *********** Academy.

RK: 학원 어디에있어요? Where is your academy?

ME: 요기 질층. Here 7th floor.

RK: 소주 좋아해요? Do you like Soju?

ME: 네. 좋아해요. Yes. I really like it.

RK: 아. ah. sucking the air through his teeth.

I was trying to leave at this time but he had moved in a little closer and was ready to talk to talk some more.

RK: 나이가 어떻게 돼요? How old are you?

ME: Huh?

RK: 나이가 어떻게 돼요? 저는 마흔** How old are you? I'm 40.

ME: 아. 나이가 어떻게 돼요? 삼십일 ahh How old are you. I'm 31.

I realized that I used the wrong number system here, but he then told me his age in the wrong number system as well. I can't really remember what he said though.

RK: ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Laughing

ME: 왜요 Why?

RK: 형이에요. I'm your older brother.

ME: Hahahaha

RK: 이름이 뭐예요? What is your name?

ME: 자는 제이슨 이에요. My name is Jason.

RK: 아 자는 박 *** 이에요 Ah. My name is Park *** ***

ME: 박갑습니다 Nice to meet you.

RK:박갑습니다 Nice to meet you.

RK: 같이 소조 마셔요! Let's go drink soju together.

At this point he was grabbing my arm and trying to pull me towards a bar that was close to the school.

ME: 아저씨 Sir

RK: 아저씨 아니요 형 형 형. Sir....No......Older Brother, Older Brother, Older Brother

ME: 형 지금 일해요 ! Older Brother, Now I am working.

RK:같이 소조 마셔요 같이 소조 마셔요! Lets drink Soju. Let's drink Soju.

ME: 나중에 같이 소조 마셔요 지금 일해요 ! Later, We drink soju together. Now I work.

ME: 미안함니다. I'm Sorry.

At this point I saw our school's bus pulling up and some of my students getting out. Nothing of the students saw me which was a shame.

ME: 형 초기 나 학생 있어요. Older Brother, There are my students.

RK: 친국 없어요. I don't have any friends.

RK: 이십 만 원 있어요. 소조 마셔요!. I have 200,000 won. Let's drink soju!

RK: ㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹ 형형이에요. I'm your older brother. I will pay.(I got a little lost here. I am not sure exactly what he said.)

ME: 미안함니다. I'm sorry.(What do you say to that)

He was still pulling on my jacket at this point I was getting a little annoyed, but at the same time I felt sorry for him. Also, at this time another guy walked up and said hello to him.

ME: 너 친국 이에요? Your friend?

RK: ㅋㅋㅋㅋ 네. Laughing ....Yes.

ME: 지금 일해요. 나중에 같이 소조 마셔요. Now, I have to work. Later we will drink soju.

RK(to other guy) 미국 친국. My America friend.

His friend could tell that I needed to go and pulled his friend away.

ME: 안녕히 가세요! Goodbye

RK: 안녕히 가세요! Goodbye

RK: 소주 나중에. Soju later!

ME:(shaking my head) 아라써요 Ok, I will.(I don't know if this was the right Korean to use)

They left arm in arm singing and walked into the bar next to the building where our school is located.

I told this story to my boss's wife and to some of my other Korean coworkers. They got a big kick out of it. They asked if I didn't have to work, would I have gone with him? I don't think that I would have. My Korean is not strong enough to carry on much of conversation with someone who doesn't speak any Korean. I guess we could have talked about the weather and a few other topics that I can talk about, but I would probably not be that entertaining. There are not that many bars in Dongtan. So, I am sure that he and I will cross paths again. I wonder if he will show up one night at the school and be ready to drink.........

Adult Classes

A couple of teachers have been out sick this week. I had to cover for them since I don't have a full schedule. I actually got to teach an adult class for the first time. I really enjoyed it. It made a big difference that the students actually want to be there and learn. I have heard this from other teachers and bloggers, but have never witnessed first hand. I have found out that I will be teaching an adult class next month and I am really looking forward to it. I am used to teaching advanced level classes and I look forward to the challenge of teaching adults. There are so many conversations that I am looking forward to having with my new students. Today was an easy day since I am back to my regular schedule and only had two classes, so that was only 4 hours of teaching. I am spending the rest of my time working on workbooks and tests for other classes. Also, I just realized that with have New Year's holiday coming up, so I am really looking forward to that. Even though I just got back to work, vacations are always welcome!!

My Newest Toy

I have an older Ipod that I have been using since I got to Korea. My friend all pitched in and gave it to me before I left the States. I have been looking for something smaller that I could use at the gym. I bought Jaeyoun and IAudio last year and I really enjoyed borrowing it. She surprised me and bought me the new IAUDIO 7. I got it yesterday and have been playing with all of its features. It does play videos, but the screen is so small it is really not worth it. It also has a slide interface that it tough to work, but with practice it seems to be ok. It doesn't have the storage capablities that my old IPOD does, but at least it will fit into my pocket. I always had problems with Itunes reading Korean characters and I don't have this problem with the Iaudio. I still haven't figured out all the features, but I like the fact that it has a built in microphone. I will have to spend a little bit more time with it and then I can give a better review!

Not for men

So today with the wind and the weather, my lips were super chapped. I had forgotten to pack my lip balm in my rush out the door this morning. I took a break at 6p.m right before my adult class. My lips were killing me and I decided to make a stop at the GS 25/Family Mart below my school. I was going to go to the pharmacy, but I was buying a coffee and saw it right there on the counter. They had a few different flavors and I decided to try Strawberry Kiwi....actually the name of it was Strawberry Kiss. When I first put it on, it seemed like the tube as very red and actually looked like lipstick. I saw some Koreans in the elevator look at me when I put it on. This seemed like nothing out of the ordinary. My students often laugh when I put on lip balm. I got up to the floor that my school is on and went to the bathroom. I had lips that were only meant for girls! I mean the color is basically the brightest red you can image. I kept thinking what my adult students would have thought if I had come to class with stripper red lips. Would they have noticed?

Enough already with the snow in Dongtan!

This picture was taken from my balcony window. It has snowed now two days in a row. I am getting tired of walking to work in this stuff. Since I have about a 20 minute walk, I have gotten pretty good at not falling down. Somehow I almost always bust it on the blind people dots in the sidewalk. If you are from North America, you probably have no idea what I am talking about, but Korea and Japan both have these rubber indentions built into the sidewalk so blind people can find their way. I will try and upload a photo later this week. Add snow and they are quite slippery.

This was the view from my classroom. I have been teaching for a couple of teachers that are out. I would show you the view from my room, but alas, I don't have a window. Maybe when a teacher or 2 leaves, I can upgrade my classroom. It snowed all day yesterday until about 5 pm and then it was gone. The same thing happened today. I am kinda getting tired of all the snow. I am ready for spring and warm weather. It did not take me long to get tired of it. I mean considering that I was in Mississipi for Christmas and we were able to wear shorts the week of Christmas. I should be enjoying it, but two days of slushing around is plenty for me. Dongtan is actually quite beautiful with all the snow coming down. I wish that I would have gotten more pictures. I still plan on taking some more photos of the place, just so everyone knows what Dongtan, Korea looks like.

In other news, I am teaching a couple of classes and filling in for teachers that have been sick. I believe that I will be teaching a full schedule come February. The Hakwon seems to be a better one and the boss seems really cool. I like all the teachers that I am working with and the Korean staff seems really organized. Time will tell!

Bad Employers in Korea.......no say it ain't so!

check out the article in the Digital Chosun.

These are embarrassing incidents for Korea. They involve dirty tricks to get people to work and then not pay them, preying on their weaknesses as illegal visitors. What will these laborers say about Korea after they have been deported back to their home countries? As civic activists are calling for, the laws must be changed so that these laborers can receive their due wages, even if they are deported.

This was my favorite paragraph. Now, I know that as an English teacher who has been screwed over by an employer in Korea our situation is no where near as dire as the workers from SE Asia who come here on no visa. I know that word does reach outside of Korea. I mean how many stories have you heard about Hakwon directors firing teachers or pulling some insane stunt to get out of paying teachers?

I sometimes wonder if regular Korean citizens know about the stories of horrible directors. I wonder if it even crosses their minds. I would think that the way many teachers are treated would be embarrassing to Koreans.

Bokkeumbap

I made bokkeumbap for the first time since we have been back the other night. Not only did I make a mess, but I have learned that I can not cook a decent egg. I will never be to the level of guys like Zen Kimchi , but I guess you gotta start somewhere. Not only do I have trouble with eggs, but I am still figuring out the rice cooker. I seem to use too little or too much water.
Jaeyoun's mom made this kimchi. It will be interesting to see how long it lasts.
See I have no business cooking eggs!

Relaxing Weekend!

After coming back from Japan, I took the bus straight to Youngtong. I headed straight to Pavox. It was nice to see everyone again. I saw a bunch of people that I have not seen in about 4 months. Jaeyoun showed up later and we ate, drank and threw darts for a few hours. I spent Saturday cleaning up the apartment. Jaeyoun's coworker came to stay with us on Saturday night. We went out for chicken and beer and then back to our place to hang out. I tried to follow as much of the conversation as possible. My Korean is improving, but not in leaps and bounds. I gave them my bed and I am trying to get the kinks out of my back from sleeping on the floor. I really think hanging out with Jaeyoun and her coworkers has had the biggest improvement on my vocabulary. I told them to please correct me when I say the wrong thing and they feel comfortable enough to stop and correct me. Since they all work so much, we don't get to do much besides going out for dinner and drinks. Most of the teachers at Jaeyoun's school work 7 days a week. Jaeyoun works only 6 days a week, so she has it easy. I really felt uncomfortable when they found out that I don't work on the weekends at all. Along with Jaeyoun, they have taught me the most about Korea. It is also nice to learn that Jaeyoun's parents are typical Korean parents after hearing about her coworkers families.



Also, I have been meaning to add these four people I know to the the blogroll . All four live and work in Korea. I saw all of them, but Roxy on Friday night. So here they are; Roxy, Shannon, Stephanie, and Dave

Saturday's Super 7***7 types of foreigners you will probably meet in Korea

1. The Lifer

This person has been in Korea for a while. They come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. They more than likely speak a decent amount of Korean. Many in this category are married to Korean citizens. Most in this category have Korea figured out. They tend to cause fewer problems and understand their place in Korean society. They tend to be older and actually have all their ducks in a row. Most in this category don’t tend to work at hakwons. They usually have university or corporate jobs or they don’t work in education at all.

2. The Loser

If you met this person at home, they would probably be asking if you want fries with that. I am surprised that there are universities that grant these people degrees. They tend to be drinkers and spend too much time on Dave’s ESL Café or hitting the comment sections of some of the more popular blogs (that should stir some people up) They usually love to drink and know where all the good bars are located. They can tell you everything that you want to know about Korea. They usually have a plan for how they would “fix” every aspect of Korea. (i.e. Turn Korea into America/Canada) They tend to be the easiest to offend and are usually complaining about one thing or another. They are, of course, the most fun to argue with. They often make the news or just do really stupid things. See here , here, here, and here

3. The Traveler

They are usually in Korea to make a quick buck and then off to another part of the world. They treat Korea as their personal ATM. They are usually interesting to have a conversation with and can usually tell you the best place to drink/eat/party etc… in some different location i.e. Thailand, India, or Bali. A good number of this variety don’t have a degree and teach illegally to make enough to make it back to Thailand. Don’t get too attached to this type of expat. They tend to come and go like the wind.

4. The Soldier

I don’t have that much contact with this type of Korea dweller. They tend to stay close to their bases and interact with their fellow soldiers. am not sure exactly how long they stay in Korea, but I know it must be nice to have a taco bell on base. I wonder if Korea is considered a good post to be assigned. I would think that it would be better than Iraq or Afghanistan. They tend to make the news along with the English teacher when trouble arises. See here, here, and here,

5. The Bubble Resident

Named for the bubble that they live inside. They actually live in Korea, but you would never know it. They only eat from western restaurants, have only western friends, speak little to no Korean, and generally hang out at their local expat bar. They also tend to spend quite a good bit of time in Itaewon. I sometimes wonder why these people come to Korea at all. They could be doing the exact same thing wherever they are from.

6. The Korean America/Korean Canadian

This type of expat normally has family in Korea. It seems they are usually here to reconnect with their Korean roots. Some speak a good bit of Korean. I think their parents are thrilled that they are in their mother country and hope for them to bring back a nice Korean boy/girl to marry. I have made a number of friends who fit into this category. I sometimes feel a little bit sorry for them. Especially, the ones who don't speak any Korean. It is easy for me to explain that my Korean is bad, but they have hard time making people understand that they look Korean, but not speak the language and that doesn't even mention the cultural differences they encounter.

7. The 1-2 years and I Am Gone Expat

This is a catchall category. Usually, these kinds of expats come to Korea to pay off debt. Most teachers fall into this category. There are many in this category that come to get some teaching experience, before applying to teachers college. I think with the new visa regulations in place, we may see a decline in the number of this kind of expat. I think most “lifers” start out in this category. I don’t think too many people move here with the expectations of staying more than 1 or 2 years.

This of course is just my opinion and you know that it is impossible to narrow down people to only 7 categories, but I am sure that in your time in Korea you will come across at least one person from each category.





Next week's topic 7 Popular Beers in Korea

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Fukuoka Visa Run

Well, I officially have a new visa. I won't go into too much detail, but last year I quit my job with the promise of a release letter. I was recruited to be the manager of another school. The original school decided that they did not want me to work in Korea, so I took a little vacation till my contract expired with them. I was very nervous about the new E2 regulations, but I got the criminal history check done with the apostille in America and had no problems. Now, I just have to get my ARC.

I left on January 17th about 5:30 a.m. I was so nervous about oversleeping that I only sleep about an hour. I got a call taxi to take me to Hotel Castle were I caught the Limousine bus to ICN. My flight was on Asiana and was relatively stress free. Immigration leaving Korea and entering Japan was super easy. There were not that many of us lined up and took about 5 mintues in each country.

Getting to the Embassy in Japan and getting the visa were super easy thanks to a few different sites. Chris's photo log, Dave's ESL Forum on the Fukuoka Visa run, Lao Ocean Girl's post, and Galbjim's page on the topic

I did meet some interesting people during my short stay in Japan. I met:

1. Mr Park/Lee (can't remember exactly)

He was traveling to Japan with 24 members of his family. They were celebrating his mother's 84th birthday. They were going to spend 4 days in and around Fukuoka. He is a math teacher at a highschool in Seoul. He spoke pretty good English. We sat next to one another on the flight over and he was quite perturbed that I did not finish all of my Asiana snack. His oldest son goes to school in Vancouver and he told me his experiences from his visit to North America.

2. Claudia

I saw Claudia walking to the Embassy. She looked like an English teacher and she looked lost. I knew exactly where I was going thanks to the handy dandy information posted on the above sites. Well, Claudia ,23 years old, turned out to be a model working in Korea. She is Danish and was going to get a C4 Visa. She told me that she has worked in Japan, L.A. New York, London, and Paris and that this was her first time to be in Korea. She never did tell me exactly what kind of modeling she does, but she did say that she leaves with a group of models in an apartment. She said that there 5 of them living there a Russian and Czech girl, a Brazillian guy, an American guy and her.

3. Christian

I was drinking coffee at Starbucks when this guy probably in his late twenties and a Japanese girl sat down next to me. He was carrying on a conversation in Japan. He was white and seemed to me to be speaking perfect Japanese. The girl left and some random guy started speaking to him, again in Japanese. The guy left and he spoke to me in heavily accented English. It seems that he grew up in Michigan. His dad was killed in the first Iraqi war and his mom who is half-Japanese moved the family back to Japan. He commented on the job market in Japan. He told me that it was super hard for him to find a job. That his Japanese was great ,since he has lived there for about 11 years, but that looking like a foreigner has hurt him. His English was ok, but for some reason he loved to say GD, so much so that I thought that was the only swear word he knew.

4. John

Met him near the embassy. He was from Vancouver coming to get a E2 like me. He was working for a big school in Japan for awhile and now decided to go to Korea. I am not sure if he was able to get the visa or not. He was living in Japan and this was his first trip to the Korean Embassy.

5. 25 adjummas

I was waiting in the airport in Fukuoka to be cleared to check in. I sat down on the benches near the ticket offices waiting. Well, out of no where, this group of Korea ladies sat down beside me. I scooted over, so they could all sit together. They were loud and one lady who spoke no English was trying to tell me "thank you". She asked her friend exactly how to say it and then told me. I responded by saying "아니요 괜찮아요" This really got them going. I told them that I lived in Korea and was an English teacher....blah blah..The usually conversation I have when I met random Koreans. They were full of energy and were having a great time in Japan.

The only down-side to the whole trip was that it took me about an hour and half of walking to find my hotel. My map was wrong(hahah). I finally found the hotel and crashed out about 7. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see that much of Fukuoka.

I am know living in Dongtan. It is a very new city and there are really not that many people here. I am working at a great school with a very good boss. I am still trying to figure out all of the bus routes and where to get this and that. I really like the area. It is very open. The streets are wide and it seems to be cleaner here than in other parts of Korea. I still miss being in Yeongtong, but I am only about a 20 minute bus ride away. I am working on taking some pictures of the area as soon as I do, I will post them.

Out with the old ....In with the new

Today, we bought a brand new rice cooker. I don't know exactly how to use the damn thing, but it sure does look fancy. Except the brand name doesn't really do it justice. We walked out of Emart and were unable to catch a taxi. The bus came and let some people off and the driver told us that it was time for his dinner break and that another bus would be here soon. He saw me struggling with the box and let us on the whole time turning away other people. He took us straight to our stop without hitting any of the other stops on our route. It was the first time that I have used a bus as a taxi. My hats off to the driver!

Saturday's Super 7 ** 7 Lies Hakwon Recruiters Tell

note: I have planned to start a weekly series. Every Saturday I will compose a list of Korea's Super 7. This is more or less a way for me to share some insight that I have gained on my almost 3 years here. I really want to share my thoughts on what I have really learned being here. I don't want that to be the main focus of this blog, but a lot of hits come from people that are researching job opportunities in Korea. I know that before I came to Korea, I read tons of blogs and still follow a lot of those blogs today. If you are going to live in a foreign country, you should do so with eyes wide open. My lists will not be comprehensive. I am sure that I will have additions that many Korean expats would argue with and will probably leave out some that should have been added.


If you take a look at the job listing at any of the major sites for English teaching in Korea, you will see a distinct pattern. There are not that many individual schools advertising anymore. Recruiters flood these online sites with their advertising. For example check out Dave's ESL Cafe (I could write more about this site with a popular forum section, love it or hate it), Hi Teacher, WorkNPlay, ESL Teachers Board, and ESL Pages to name a few.


For a little disclaimer not every Korean Academy recruiter is liar, but I have come across to many of them that will say what you want to hear or what they need to say to get you to take the job that they have listed. I tend to put them in the same category as a real estate agent (which I was for a short time). I know that there are some reputable companies that I would deal with, but will not list any here. I really think you have to go on a case by case basis, and don't be scared to call BS on anything they tell you. Recruiters only get paid if you come to Korea and take the job. I think the going rate is about 1.2 million won per teacher. This figure may have risen with the new VISA regulations and depending on where the school is located. I think recruiters are a great asset for the newbie teacher, but if you have been in Korea or have experience teaching I would look into other ways to secure a job.


7 Lies They Tell:


1. "There are not that many schools hiring right now. "
No way, Schools in Korea are always hiring. This basically means that he does not have the exact job you are looking for and wants you to take a job that he is currently trying to place.

2. "I can only get you 2.0-2.1 even if you have experience."
No, I don't think so. Check around before you fall for this line. He is working with some schools that are only willing to pay this amount. He may tell you that you don't have experience in Korea or that this is the going rate.

3. "This is the best school that I work with."
I must be the luckiest guy in the world. Every time I have spoken with a recruiter, I have heard these words. Don't take their word for it. Do your research. Speak or email a couple of the current teachers or better yet contact a former teacher. I prefer a former teacher as they will be more honest. Every school that a recruiter works with is his best school. Don't fall for this line.

4. "Your apartment will be really nice and close to your school"
Really? and how would you know that! 99% of the recruiters I have worked with never visit the apartments that the schools use. Again, ask the current or former teachers.


5. "I only work with fair and honest schools"
Haha! This one really makes be laugh. Your average recruiter only cares about one thing from the school. MONEY! They are not going to check and see if the school is really going to pay you on time and give you everything that is promised. You can ask him, "How many teachers have you placed at this school?" If he has a relationship with the owner, then he has placed more that just you.


6. "There are no schools available in (insert desired location)."
AH no. This is the same as before. He currently does not have any schools that he works with that are hiring in that area. He may present it to you in a way that leads you to believe that there are no schools in a certain that are looking for teachers. Again, he wants you to take a job that he has listed.


7. "I will stay in contact with you and help you with any problems you may have"
No No No Hell No. If you think that your recruiter is going to come down and help you with a problem after he as already made his money, you will be very disappointed. Most recruiters make this promise. I have never heard of a recruiter stepping in and helping a teacher out. Once they have their fee, you will probably never hear from them again.



If you are currently using a recruiter or plan on using one the future, the best advice I have is to ask questions and do your research. I would of course talk to a current teacher or former teacher from the school. You can even research the recruiter if you like along with the school that is offering you the job. I came up with a few more lines that they throw out, but I think the above are the most popular.


Next Saturday's topic The 7 types of people you will likely meet in Korea

Next they will institue weekly drug tests for foreigners

I am a little bit behind on this. I first read it over at Korea Beat and then at Marmot's. It seems some enterprising Americans and Koreans got together and decided to sell weed, hash and ecstasy out of their apartment. They had a nice little grow operation set up right there in there villa. When I first read about this, I thought of two things; 1. Damn are they stupid and 2. The Korean media loves to put the bad foreigner on the national stage. Starting with number 2, if you compare this situation to the States, at first glance this would not make the national news, but if they were really selling to their students then it would be carried by all of the major news outlets. If a ring of Colombia Spanish teachers were caught supplying cocaine to their students, America would be outraged. I don't read Korean well enough to read the local newspapers, so I don't know if the same thing offense was committed by only Koreans would the media coverage be the same. I tend to think that it would.

Now #1 Boy are they stupid. If you are living in Korea, stay away from the damn stuff. Korea doesn't tolerate it and there are no activists currently trying to decriminalize it as in Canada, America etc.... Actually, with the sale of ecstasy they would be looking at some serious time in North America, but I guess if they were first time offenders they could possibly plead it down to some serious probation. I remember Brendon Carr (a lawyer working in Korea) writing an article about drug use and possession I will have to find it later, but I wonder what punishment they are actually facing here in Korea. If they can afford it, maybe these guys need his firm's services.

Even with the new visa regulations, I think these kind of incidents will continue to occur. All your average Hakwon(Academy) worries about is your skin color and your pulse. The demand for native English speakers in classrooms is so high that they don't really worry about what kind of person you are. I don't really know where Korea needs to go from here. Until the quality of the needed teacher is changed, this will keep happening.

1 More New Blog

Last night I finished reading Kimchi for Breakfast. It is a great blog written by a Nicholas Cage look-a- like. I love kimchi as well, but try to stay away from the stuff at breakfast. Actually, I try to stay away from all Korean food in the morning time. The last time we went to Jaeyoun's parent's house in Jeju the first breakfast was Kimchi jjage(soup). Anyways, check out his blog for another unique perspective on living in Korea.

Googlegangers

I was recently checking out some Korean blogs and came across this one " I'm a Seoul Man in Tokyo"

He recently wrote about Googlegangers. This is basically googling your name and seeing who pops up on the search. So, I stole this idea from him. (think borrow) Check out his blog he had a great idea of listing who showed up when he googled his name and now for my list.




1. Jason Roberts -an American writer of fiction and nonfictiIon. He wrote A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History's Greatest Traveler. (I gotta check this out)

2. Jason Roberts- Texas fiddle man (hmmmm)

3. Jason Roberts- CEO Jason Roberts Associates? (He must be a mystery man. No information on him on the website.)

4. Jason Roberts- Professional soccer player. He is currently playing for Blackburn.

5. Jason Roberts- I-cook spokesman and chief.

and me Jason Roberts -English teacher and Korean blogger.

Moose

I recently got an email from someone asking about dogs in Korea. I wish that I could have my pal Moose here with me. I don't really see Koreans with big dogs.(I know you are probably waiting for a boshingtong aka dog soup joke, but there will be none) I guess with the housing situation there really is not room for big dogs. I have seen plenty of ankle biters and even a good number of medium size dogs, but alas no larger breeds. I guess if I spent some time in the country side where people actually would live in houses as opposed to huge apartment buildings I would see more of the larger dogs. I really wanted to bring Moose over here just for the attention that he would get walking down the street.
I spoke to the parents the other day and they told me that Moose has been in mourning since we left. Jaeyoun was their milkbone dealer and gave them their regular fix 2 to 25 times a day. I swear those dogs put on more weight than I did.

Korean Studies

These are the two books I am currently using. The first book is super easy and I already know most of the words that are covered in it. The second book has been my downfall. I like the way the book is set up, but I try to cover the chapters too quickly and there is just too much information in each chapter. I have found a few useful websites and have been trying to use those as well. If anyone has a series of books that they use and are in love with please let me know. I am trying to finish a chapter in the second book per every 4 days. It looks like it maybe closer to a week or two. I am currently on Chapter 4. My level is so screwed up right now. I feel like I am a false beginner, but there is still so much basic words and phrases that I do not know.

I am up to about 2 hours per day of studying. I am trying to find a system that truly works for me. I am trying to think about it like I teach my students. I already have my Korean notebook to write down words that I learn everyday, but there seems to be an endless supply of those. I am tempted to go and buy some kid's books so that I can actually try and read a story. That may be a mission I send Jaeyoun on soon. I don't want to break away from my books, but I really want to learn more verbs and conjugations. I am just trying to decide the best way to do that.

Korean Skills

Last night I was walking home in the fog(I got lost later) when a Korean lady stopped and asked us where she could catch a certain bus. I was impressed with myself that I could actually know what she was talking about since she asked us in Korean. Now, I could not explain exactly where the bus stop was for lack of knowledge of the area, but still I was happy that I understood what she meant. It is little moments like this that make me want to study harder. The lady was quite a mystery to me. I was extremely surprised that she would ask a group of foreigners directions in Korean. She fully expected us to be able to answer her easily. I am not complaining. It actually made me feel good. So many times Koreans don't expect you to know any of the language and are pleased when you utter the smallest of phrases.

I am considering switching to free press and really can't decide if I want to make the change or not. I use Picasa to upload my photos which make it really easy, but I think I would like more of the freedom of using wordpress.(and of course all the really good blogs use it) I will probably keep trucking along with blogger for awhile now since I have been using it for over 2 years now. I have been a little disappointed with myself for posting more pictures than actually information and will slowly add more text to all of my posts.

I also have a couple of options to spice up the blog a little bit. I am planning on having a weekly reoccurring feature on Saturdays. I have been working on this for a couple of days and have already planned for the first couple of Saturdays.

Last but not least, farewell to a Korean blogger who I read everyday. He has decided to hang up his blogging hat. The Lost Nomad was an insightful blog that I will miss. I have been cleaning up the blog lately and last night actually deleted his link. Good Luck Fishing Nomad!

I am also added a new blog today as well. Check out "A Geek in Korea" I have been following his blog now on a hit and miss schedule and have just gotten around to adding him to my links.

Day 1

Jenny and I are moved and settled in. Tomorrow I will explore our new area and start my exercise program. I also have to pick a new gym to join. There are a few options in this area and I have not decided where to join yet. I also begin my Korean studies tomorrow. I am basically studying on my own with Jenny's help. I will eventually join a class somewhere nearby.


I am still struggling to get back on Korea time. I find myself getting super sleepy late in the evening. Today, I took what was supposed to be a 30 minute power nap that turned into a 2 hour sleepfest.


On a bright note, the new boss took Jenny and I to eat dinner last night. We were joined by a coworker and the boss's wife and mother. As in common in Korea, I was instructed to eat a lot and I did not disappoint them. We had sirloin, rib eye and pork. This was probably the best Galbi that I have ever had in Korea. The meal was great. The boss's mother did not hold back on me either. She told me " You should learn Korean if you will marry a Korean girl." This only echoes Jenny's father, mother, sister etc ... hence the Korean lessons tomorrow!

Christmas Photos

Christmas 2007

Moving!!!

I will update more on this later, but moving was very interesting!