more questions

[dharmabumin06]

Following skinsk's advice ive prioritized (generally) what I want but cross-referencing what I want with the cities that have postings for jobs is a bit daunting. I'm hoping that if I generally tell you what I want, then perhaps you can give me recommendations on cities/regions. Then I can go looking for jobs in those areas. Is that a reasonable plan?

OK so, my dream girl, oh wait...wrong forum.

My dream job would have, in order of importance:

1. Friendly colleagues and respectful employers.

2. Close to either the beach or the mountains so that I have access to hiking/climbing/camping and generally being outside.

3. Good vacation.

4. Not in a major city but hopefully not more than a few hours away; there are some things that you can only get in the city.

5. Good Pay

Note to skinsk: im currently updating my resume, when its complete Ill send you a copy.

Thanks for all your help,

Michael

[Ricky]

Hey! Are you the Mike I met last month in Tonsai?

Well regardless, the best advice I can offer you, is to come to Mokpo. It's near the sea, near some of the best climbing (1.5 hours), big enough but small enough, has two climbing gyms....great Kimch'i.
If you want a Haegwan job I can fix you up at my friends' place, and the job I should have taken. If you want an elementary school job, here in the Southern provinces you get two months paid vacation. 1 in the summer, 1 in the winter, and actually in the winter you end up coming back from a months' vacation to sit at the school for 3 weeks and pretty much do nothing. For elementary, middle or high school contact Canadian Connection - just google them. You don't have to be Canadian, eh.

Okay. Maybe I'm overselling Mokpo. It is kind of country, and I've never lived anywhere else, so I can't compare it to anything.

But just an idea.

But you'd probably be happier in Seoul.

[dharmabumin06]

Yep, I am the mike you met in Ton Sai.

How far is Mokpo from Seoul? From the sea? Other than teaching and climbing, what is there to do in the area? How is local transportation to the aforementioned "other things to do?"

When would the elementary school job start...and the Haegwan?

Anybody else feel like "selling" their town? Id love to hear more reccomendations!

Thanks again for the help,

M

[Ricky]

Mokpo is a coastal city, but not the "Tonsai" kind. If you want to go to a nice beach, you'll have to take a 30 min. ferry. If you want nice beaches, Busan is the place. Seoul is a 3 hour high speed train ride away, doable on a Friday night. Transportation is pretty good here with the high speed train (KTX) and all. By bus, one usually has to go to Kwanju (1 hour) first.

Haegwan would start immediately.

Elementary job, I'm not sure, maybe summer time, but some schools may still be looking for teachers.

What "things" do you want to do?

If you want a good night life, Seoul is IT. But I wouldn't know much about that. In the two years I've been here, I've been to 3 nightclubs, never in Seoul.

When I'm not climbing, I like to go biking. You can be out of the city and in the country in 20 minutes.

But pretty much, all I do is climb, and when it's raining, I catch up with friends.

Mokpo is cool for me, but I'm sure there are better cities to live in.

Suggestions anyone???

[skinsk]

Hi Mike,

I like my city, Jeonju, home of world-famous bibimbap and the interantionally renown JIFF (film fest) but I have a great job that lets me travel alot and I get to live on the outskirts, away from the noise and lights of pretty much every Korean city, even Mokpo!

Nothing in Korea is too far from a city, as Seoul and Busan are in the NW/SE respectively, Daegu and Daejeon are fairly central. Personally, when I first came to Korea, living in Seoul was definitely convenient. You can study Korean (many places offer free lessons), but you can also easily find people who speak English (or you'll just find English), visit many cultural centers, get just about anything (true especially these days) and you're connected to everywhere by direct bus/train. The subway is amazing. The Southern 'burbs are a nice compromise, though the N burbs can add hours (going thru Seoul) to anywhere else you might go. Incheon (my first home) is not much to speak of as a city, but Bundang, Suwon. . . have some charm.

A mid-size city like Jeonju, or, if I wasn't living here, Daejeon, can be nice-- you have access to cinemas, some nightlife, shopping (none of these is too important to me), and nowhere is too far away. Not on a main train line, but busses run most places pretty regularly.

Daegu (#3) and Busan (#2) are the other big cities in Korea, though neither really inspires me-- if you want a big city, I say Seoul. That said, some people like #2&3 and I do visit these places, but mostly for friends and climbing. Busan has some nice beaches, but way crowded in the summer and well, not Thailand (even Thailand almost isn't Thailand anymore:confused8 !)

Mokpo has it's charm, but it really keeps you away from Gangwondo, the NE and most mountainous (and most beautiful, if fairytale spires of rock, surrounded by mist with clear streams cutting though the jagged ridgelines is your idea of beauty) province, with some of the cleanest (though colder) beaches. It takes a day or better to get there from Mokpo. If you plan to stay close to home, or island hop, it's not bad (I can get there in little over an hour).

Which leads me to Sokcho, the main city in said beautiful province. The only problem with Sokcho in particular, Gangwondo in generral, is that the mountains "cut it off" and make it harder to visit other areas. In the past, several KOTR members swore by living there, but they had a core group of 2 couples and a car, and they spent most of their time in the area.

In Gangwondo, Wonju is another good choice-- close to Seoul, and near many mountains. Kanhyon, a very popular sport climbing crag would be in your backyard.

Personally, I'd stear clear of Ulsan, Pohang and the industrial SE, home of Hyundai shipyards and other heavy industry. Way up N (N of Seoul) in Uijeongbu, Paju. . . also puts you a little out of the way.

A small town, Sancheong Yeosu Gwangyang. . . has some appeal-- you'll be immersed and learn Korean faster (or become sullen and bitter). . . if there's a local gym you might end up climbing 5.13 in a year, if not, you may become an alcoholic. If you're a bit of a loner or want to go missing, close your eyes, open the map. . . and move to Gaeun. . . or Hapcheon:confused:?

I have a prejudice against recruiters, even the seemingly nice Canadian in charge of Canadian Connections, who is doing this out of the goodness of his heart, as he suggests, so that you have as great an experience as he had. Is he living in the country? How much money does he make with this human trafficking? Fact is, recruiters are paid from your salary. they have no power to get the school to do anything; they are not lawyers nor have I heard one story of any who really pursued schools that mistreated their teachers. Like this guy, many are not even in the country. Usually they continue to collect a cut every month you work, so they have a vested interest in getting you to stay. (Other recruiters are paid just to bring you in and sign-- so there's no interest there in getting you to stay. They are not your friend, but yes, they must seem to be-- you are money. They prey on people who have no experience and don't know any better and have no idea where else to go for information. At KOTR, we give advice because we want you here:) We don't get a cut of your pay, no bonus when you arrive (we accept drinks afterwards), but we'll look over your application and any contracts/job offers/job ads you may find. I do highly recommend talking to other foreign teachers who work there-- be sure they are not lying to get you to take their job so they can leave early!! Ask how long they've been there; how many foreign teachers are there? these days you should be able to get digital pics of your apt, etc.

Hey, if you're in the neighborhood, it's not a bad idea to show up in person. You can check out all the cities (and nearby climbing) and see what suits you!

Where are you now?! Having fun wherever, I hope. . . peace and all!
(Maybe I should be a recruiter. . . advertise in the back of Climbing. . . "Climb in Korea and teach and get paid. . . save enough for the ultimate climbing trip to Asia. . . SK Recruiting ###-####-ROCK". . . ah if only I had no ethics!

[climbhigher14k]

Hey, check out the job I posted earlier in this forum. I had a horrible hagwon job in Seoul for seven months and I hated it. Three weeks ago, I moved to the country and started working for a public school. Check out my post if you haven't yet. If you are interested or have any questions, shoot me an email.

[dharmabumin06]

Sonia, as always, thanks for sharing of your wealth of Korean beta. Also thanks to everyone else who has lent a helping hand to this newbie.

I just got back to thailand today (I was in Malaysia for 5 weeks) and am headed to Ko Tao, Chang Mai, BK (for thai new year) this month and then Cambodia, Viet Nam, and Laos. After that Ill probabally head home for a bit and then hopefully to Korea to work. Im hoping to be in Korea around Aug/Sep.

Take care,

M