public schools

i work for an esl hogwan/academy. that is a school where kids go after their day in public school. there are all kinds of academies here: math, science, art, etc. Hogwons are individually owned, the horror stories you may hear about a school could be for just that one particular school so dont avoid all of them if you hear one bad experience. below is some stuff fm the discussion board on facebook.

PUBLIC SCHOOL taryn blake:
for public schools, there are three main programs, base your choice of them on where you want to live.

In Seoul contact SMOE: http://etis.sen.go.kr/

The province surrounding Seoul Gyonggi-do has their own program called GEPIK.http://cge.ken.go.kr/

If you wanna work way out in the boondocks, do EPIK: http://epik.niied.go.kr/

If you're more adventurous you can go the hagwon route.

HOGWONS JNiki Battle
Hagwons are really funny. What no one tells you is that contracts are more like guidelines, so Hagwons can always be difficult. But I would recommend looking into CDI (Chung Dahm Institute), SLP, Yes Yung Do, or Poly School. They are more like big corporations and very familiar with hiring foreigners. They are used to working with foreigners, so they expect the issues that we bring over here, i.e. racism. They will work you though. No real holiday packages with these schools.

yeah...

it's around 8am or so. im on my way to the internet cafe, sporting jeans, a grey hoodie, funny black glasses and my backpack. an adjosshi (elder korean male) sporting a suit sees me in his peripheral vision and walks up to me, asking,
"American?"
"Yes," I respond, respectfully, quietly.
"Did you vote?" he asks, leaning in, his eyes wide.
"Yes," I answer, not inexplicably feeling nervous... you run into a lot of drunks in the morning, drank dat soju, boy.
"When?" he demands.
"A few weeks ago, absentee ballot."
"Who did you vote for?"
"Obama," i say, respectfully, proudly.
The adjosshi nods his head affirmatively, pats me on the shoulder, and keeps on walking.

lil' picker upper

romare bearden, btw-->

i went through a blue 6 month or so period. i was just in the world of hater-ation, annoyed with everything and everybody, feeling underrepresented, unappreciated, undervalued, by everyone, and i mean everyone: people in korea, people back home, people ive met/connected with anywhere ive ever been in my life. i withdrew from friends feeling like i had nothing or no one and everything in life was lame. but then i got re-medicated, got better. even nicer is when i find things like this, and i get over myself, knowing that even when i go through periods of self flagellating and questioning my work/worth: good things do happen, people connect, friendships are made, love is found, and a little teeny tiny bit of all of it is b/c of me and i need to quit whining already.

my man is going to do it, i just know it.

useful websites

from eslcafe member polonius.

Shopping
http://global.gmarket.co.kr/
http://www.iikea.co.kr/
http://www.ikeakorea.biz/
http://www.whatthebook.com/
http://www.ezshopkorea.com/
(Organic stuff) http://www.healgreen.com/
http://www.rodeoave.co.kr/brand_home.php
http://www.auction.co.kr/
(Used)http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewforum.php?f=6&sid=af03b04e04935ac584d1617889c65e7b
(Used) http://www.buythekorea.com
http://wiki.galbijim.com/Black_markets

Restaurant Guides
http://www.seoulstyle.com/
(Vegetarian) http://www.happycow.net/asia/south_korea/seoul/index.html
http://www.seouleats.com/

Translation/Learning Korean
http://www.zkorean.com
http://babelfish.yahoo.com/
http://www.declan-software.com/korean/
http://www.seoulsearching.com/language/
http://www.mylanguageexchange.com/Learn/Korean.asp

Inter-city Travel
http://bus.congnamul.com/SeoulRouteWebApp/view_english/map.jsp
http://www.seoulmetro.co.kr/eng/sg/sg_main.jsp

International Calling
http://www.countrycallingcodes.com/

World Time
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

Currency
http://www.xe.com/ucc/

Travel
http://www.xanadu.co.kr/eng/index.asp
http://www.shoestring.co.kr/en-main.htm
http://www.whypaymore.co.kr/
http://www.hoteltravel.com/
http://www.octopustravel.com/IntlHome.jsp
http://www.lifeinkorea.com/index.cfm?Language=English
http://www.adventurekorea.com/
http://www.jinair.com/
http://www.koreanair.com/
http://info.korail.com/2007/eng/eng_index.js
http://www.kobus.co.kr/web/eng/index.jsp
http://eng.templestay.com/

Online English Newspapers/Magazines

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/index.asp
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/
http://english.chosun.com/
http://www.mygrooveonline.com/
http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=607130200#/group.php?gid=12228910125

Movie Cinema/Performing Arts

http://www.sac.or.kr/eng/
http://www.lottecinema.co.kr/theaterinfo/theater/main.asp
http://www.megabox.co.kr/theaters/main_coex.aspx?TheaterCode=01
http://www.cgv.co.kr/

Touring/ Sightseeing

http://www.tour2korea.co.kr/
http://www.dmz.ne.kr/eng/index.htm
http://www.adventurekorea.com/
http://english.seoul.go.kr/
http://www.seoulcitybus.com/eng/subB_A01.htm
http://www.visitseoul.net/visit2007en/
http://english.nowon.seoul.kr/
http://www.lotteworld.com/Global_eng/Main.asp
http://www.everland.com/MultiLanguage/english/
http://www.everland.com/MultiLanguage/english/caribbean/main.html
http://grandpark.seoul.go.kr/Eng/html/main.jsp
http://parks.seoul.go.kr/main/english/seoulforest/sub_intro.htm
http://www.coexaqua.co.kr/english/e_main.html
http://www.laart.kr/main.html
http://seoulmoa.seoul.go.kr/html/eng/index.jsp
http://www.metro.seoul.kr/muse/eng/
http://www.coex.co.kr/eng/main/main.asp
http://eng.templestay.com/
http://www.nseoultower.co.kr/english/
http://www.sisul.or.kr/grobal/eng/worldcup/worldcup01.jsp
http://www.korea.net/
(Baseball Games) https://www.doosanbears.com/renew2008/main/index.asp
(Baseball Games) http://www.lgtwins.com/
http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/intro.html

ESL Korea Discussion Forum
http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/

International Hospitals
http://www.snuh.org/eng/
http://www.internationalclinic.co.kr/
http://www.korea4expats.com/article-hospitals-intl-clinics.html
http://seoul.usembassy.gov/health.html
-Dr. Sung's Obstetric and Gynecology Clinic
2nd Floor Chung Wha building, Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Tel: 02-790-0802

Weather/Yellow Sand Levels
http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/KPXX0001
http://www.seoul.amedd.army.mil/sites/yellowsand/default.asp

Misc
http://wiki.galbijim.com/Main_Page

goshiwon

http://www.cocoresidence.com/

korea "cribs"

lmao fo real!

sorry, i was having a crappy day.

dude... im getting so annoyed w/people telling me i should go work for a public school!!!
ie Jo-Anna from this blog who left me a comment:

When I was applying to jobs in Korea, I thought it was really sketch that CDI doesn't offer health insurance. If you are working full time, I don't see how it is possible for them not to offer it. I feel as if someone should be complaining to labor board about this. But then again, CDI seems to give a pretty raw deal anyway. Making your find your own apartment and working holidays and weekends and such. If I were you... I'd look for a job with health insurance and apartment provided so you don't have to worry about key money and dumb stuff like that that english teachers here shouldn't have to worry about.... or at least get paid enough to make worrying about it worthwhile. It sounds like you have been working here long enough that you could be working in a public school or at least somewhere that pays more so that you can afford your own health insurance. Good luck with the health insurance stuff.

*pish* noob. she been here like a month, yo, please...

Ok, it certainly isn't a common or typical deal with cdi, i dont know if i'd call it a "raw deal" that you dont get the other benefits that other jobs offer. i guess i dont personally mind b/c it's not a surprise, they didnt trick me: they dont hire you and then say, "Opps, no benefits for you! SUCKER!" yo, i knew all this before i got hired. But it's a trade off, there are other things about my job that I love: the class structure, the organization of the company, never being paid late, small class sizes, rarely working mornings, a 6 hour work day...

and it's not like cdi is the only school people say to "watch out" for. i feel like ALL korea jobs are going to have something "shady" about them, something you dont like, b/c everyone has a complaint about their job. To me, cdi is like any other hourly job i'd have back home: i get paid for the hours i work. If I want a day off, i have to ask my boss, and i dont get paid that day. My job didnt give me housing, i pay the rent, it's my own place.

And i think i've been very clear that i would never suggest someone come work for cdi. i answer questions about my own personal experience with the company, but i dont endorse cdi. and i always preface my opinion with letting people know that this has been my only korea job, so i cant give a well rounded opinion.

health insurance

it's illegal for your employer to not provide health insurance. i dont know how my job doesnt provide it, something about b/c we're contract workers. anyways, i didnt want to fight them about it, so i went to global village to ask about getting health insurance on my own.

they called around and told me that i can register for korean national health insurance as "self employed" but that i'd have to pay retroactively from my first arrival in korea feb 2007.

they told me where the nhi office in anyang is (anyang is where i live), gave the phone number and office hours, and they checked to make sure english would be available.

if youre reading my blog researching working at cdi: try to get insurance as soon as you get here. i'll update when i make it to the nhi office as to how much and what my insurance will cover. but even if you dont get insurace via nhi, you can get your own... i think footprints gives info on traveler's insurance. also see jo-anna's blog for info on insurace.

taxis

taking taxis is common here... well, it really feels common in comparison to daygo, back home you only see taxis in the gaslamp

area on weekend nights.

<--deluxe taxi South Korea has three types of taxis. ordinary, deluxe, and taxis for differently-abled.

the “ordinary” taxis are yellow or green or white, the cap on top will vary in color as well. i think a blue cap means that the cab is company owned, and the white cap taxis are privately owned. i havent noticed a difference in service/price in either. the meter starts at 1,900 won during day time, and 2,500 after midnight, i think.

if you live outside of seoul, you'll see some taxis that are "seoul taxis" which mean they go to seoul only, so dont flag one down if youre only going down the street, b/c then the driver will slow down, yell "Seoul!" at you, and then drive away making you feel stupid.

a “model/deluxe” taxi is black with a yellow cap and bigger and much more expensive, you'll find them en mass by airports and hotels, and these drivers usually speak pretty good english. they always start at 4 bucks or something, day or night, plus deluxe are more willing to help you load luggage and such. regular drivers will probably just watch you struggling while they sittin in the front, peeking at you from the rear view mirror.

there is a red light in the front window that says something in korean, anyway if the light is red, it means the cab is available. hold your hand out, most seem slightly stick out an arm w/hand pointing downward, indicating for the driver to stop there, to hail a taxi.

simpliest way to grab them is to stand at a major street or in front of whatever large facility is in the area. if you see a line of taxis, you must take the front taxi in line as they're waiting in order, unless you want to take a deluxe taxi. avoid bus stops/police stations, taxis are technically not allowed to stop in front of them.

try to stand on the side of the street of the direction youre going. of course the driver can do a u-turn, but some may not stop or ask you to get out of the cab, so it's best to avoid it and stand on the proper street side. when you get in the taxi, get in the back and enter/exit on the right side. the left driver side passenger door is usually locked as a safety precaution. the meter may "jump" when youre in traffic; this is b/c the meter has switched to "charge per min" mode. it's an additional 100 won or so (10 cents) every 50 sec.

there are "call/reserve" taxis, available 24 hours. they're the same taxis on the streets, but they're affiliated w/a call center. the fee is 1,000 won. you can also reserve them for long distance rides. ive never used them, b/c i cant speak korean.

internet taxi reservations accept credit cards, but you have to reserve 4 hrs in advance. you can use them at 'rent a car" type thing where you have the driver drop you somewhere, wait, and bring you back; they provide 4/8 hour srvs based on meter... ive never used them. http://krtaxi.com/

sometimes cabs wont stop for you. dont take it personal. it could be b/c they're on their way to a fare already, or maybe they're not going in that particular direction, maybe their shift is over and they're going bk to dispatch or home, maybe they're a seoul taxi or only serve a specific geographic area. or maybe b/c youre a foreigner... you'll never know, so dont sweat it.

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