links i find vital

where it all started for me! (btw it starts off with like a min of music)
http://www.filefactory.com/file/c0b6c4f/n/metro_025_black_in_korea_2.mp3
a seoul radio station interview about bssk
http://www.zshare.net/audio/94134128ba8ecd63/
a bunch of interviews with black expats in soko
http://www.youtube.com/user/BSSKSEXIES
find family on facebook: Brothas&Sistas of South Korea
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=25747883752

Saturday, January 01, 2000

i got this email too early to answer anything.

Date: Mar 31, 2007 8:41 AM
I recently got accepted by CDI. Before turning in my acceptance letter, I just really wanted to get the low down on CDI. Being black myself, I wanted to find out what the deal is from another fellow black person. With your salary, are you able to keep up with rent, food, and other cost AND save money? Are you able to transfer easily your funds to an american bank account? They proposed to me a 7-day vacation, is that too little? Basically, i think the oppurtinity is great but i'm simply worried about the cost of living. I look forward to hearing from you. ive only been in korea about two months, so i hope what little i do know so far helps you out. i work for cdi in pyeongchon.

*7 days vacation paid if youre salary, or 7 days vacation unpaid with hourly. yes, it is very little. i have heard (only heard) that many people outside cdi get several weeks off at a time, paid.

*i work hourly. ive heard the rate is 25000 (fresh out of college) to 40000 (phd). i have heard that most make 28000/hour. i was offered 28000 and didnt bother to negotiate. i think many of my colleagues makes more. i dont really care, tho, i specifically wanted hourly so that i can opt to work 4 instead of 5 days a week.

*many say you make tons more money if youre hourly. ive not been here long enough to give an educated opinion, but it seems to me that it evens out. with salary, you get severence, medical insurance, paid 7 days off, free housing. you get none of that with hourly, and you pay your own rent. my rent is 600USD. my first payday is april 10, i'll let you know what it do.

*i cant give an educated opinion about savings potential yet either. before i got here, i heard that you can easily save 1000USD a month. some of my colleagues here are rather broke, but i suspect it's b/c they have a lot of party left in them, and their apartments are decked out with the greatest of the latest.

*i cant comment about transferring money yet either, but when i get paid and do it for the first time, i'll let you know what it do. *are you ever on daveseslcafe.com? this link http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=74744&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0 i liked, it had a lot of pros and cons.

*all in all, i love my job here and dont regret going with cdi for even a second. the classes are 3 hrs long, but i dont feel it b/c the curriculum is great and you get a break down of what to do each min. i love that i only deal with two sets of kids each day. and when i arrived, i found that there were actually two other sistas here on the staff, & it's been nice. all in all, im a pretty positive person, and im sure that contributes to my having a good time here and maybe seems unrealistic, but you'll hear plenty of the negative from everyone else. :) any other questions, hit me up anytime.

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