Korea

[surebet]

One last thing....If you like being intoxicated - this place is it. 30% of the population here is alcoholic, probably the highest in the world.

Another 'fond' memory I have is when I was stoned (yes you can score weed/hash if you ask around amongst expats). I remember It was a heavily overcast day and I was out of it, standing at a train station platform (far away from 'home'), COMPLETELY surrounded by a wall of 40 and 50 story apartment buildings, with bullet trains flying by and how exotic the station announcements sounded and how wierd everyone looked and with me being the only foreigner there, people sometimes giving curious stares (something you need to get used to in Korea). I've been to about 40 countries, but THIS really felt 'Star Wars' alien, unforgetable. Nobody would have a clue either - they ALL think your drunk on Soju...and this by the way is considered very normal. If the looks become annoying (or you want to start a chat with the natives), just tell them (with one thumb pointing up) "Soju bashitsa i o" (soju is delicious) and everyone will laugh and start talking to you - the fastest way to make an instant connection with anyone in Korea. (Koreans like it if you prefer 'their' type of alcohol as oppossed to the Western stuff). Now thats funny.

[limbo]

Surebet,

 

Thanks for the descriptions, they are very informative and make me feel like going there and checking it out!

 

Hope you enjoy the rest of the board as well.

[surebet]

Limbo,

 

Thank you for that.

Although I had read a few other boards, I was put onto this board by a fellow Aussie ex-pat who was a moderator here, that I met in an expat bar in Seoul (Big Azza from Brizzi).

 

I can't wait till my first mongering trip to Thailand some time in the near future. Believe it or not, i've been to Thailand about half a dozen times in the past, but I have never once indulged in sanuk, or even stepped into a beer/go-go bar for that matter - long story best shared over a cold beer. Hopefully i'll meet up with some board members here to show me the ropes.

[samak]

excellent info surebet!

can confirm many things but others is new to me.

despite i regularly travel for business to seoul and other places i hardly partake in the sanuk scene anymore there as i am usually pretty busy and it is also rather expensive in comparison to other places.

[limbo]

Surebet,

 

I know exactly who you're referring to. Good man he is for you pointing you in this direction.

 

Well, if you ever manage to come down to Samui we can have a few brewskis!

[surebet]

Limbo,

 

Samui never crossed my mind to be honest (BKK and PTY is mainly what I'm thinking at this stage), but seens your buying first round and after doing some research on this board (the pictures look like it's the perfect tropical island paradise), I may yet pay a visit - cheers!

[limbo]

Oh dear!

 

Surebet,

 

you're more than welcome, PM me if you really come this ways!

[wonderlust]

Some of the information in this thread is little bit misleading! It's true that the sex industry in Korea is probably the biggest in the world. I read an article that 20% of women aged 15-29 were employed in the sex industry. But Korea is also one of the most isolationist, xenophobic countries in the world. The most beautiful whores won't touch you because it's bad for business for Korean men to see them with a foreigner. It's a joke among Korean men that only the "ajumas" (old women) and girls with STDs will do foreigners.

 

In fact, the only girls who WON'T talk to you are the whores. Many of the others will be very keen to practice their English on you. This is assuming you're not too tall, not too fat, are reasonably handsome and preferably have blue eyes. Koreans don't socialise as much in bars, clubs etc as most people and tend to meet new people through introductions, so it's important to build a network of friends (male and female) who can introduce you to girls of your age. Adult English students are also keen to see you out of lessons but most English teaching work involves teaching horrible little Korean brats.

 

It has to be said that teaching English in Korea is a shit job. The salary is about £12,000, compared to an average of £24,000 for a UK graduate. If you did work 12 months in Korea followed by 6 months holiday in Thailand your real salary is about £8,000 - well below the UK minimum wage. Do you really want to be another drop out English teacher bum? If you do want to teach English a year in Japan would be a much better experience.

[surebet]

Wonderlust,

 

Your right about the Xenophobia, the looks and attitudes sometimes sucked. Initially it was no big deal, then it got to me, then I learnt to deal with it, then it was no big deal, then it got to me even more... but being ethnic southern european growing up in Australia, I was already a little used to some of that...

 

Common joke amongst my circle of friends:

Q. What do you call 3 white westerners hanging around and chatting outside a 7/11 in Korea?

A. Nigers in the hood.

(no offence meant here to African Americans)

 

Re. the income disparities - if you factor in taxes, rent and the general cost of living you'll probably find that you can save as much money in Korea as you can in Japan or the UK, and still have a pretty outgoing lifestyle. Off course their is no promotion prospects in Korea like in the UK, but if you do privates (as many do) outside of the regular job, then your income can be 50% more. I knew a Chinese/Canadian girl who worked a morning (off the books job) and the regular evening job + Saturday privates and she was making US$3500 a month net and most of this she could (and did!) save. She told me that she plans to stay in Korea until she can put a substantial deposit down on a house back home (which may take her 5 or 10 years). Back home this same girl was an out of work concert pianist..

 

Having said that, I just needed a place to get away for a while, I had no money in my pocket and shitty job prospects here in Australia, I wasn't complaining when I had a free air ticket, my own free apartment, an easy job, a life etc. practically thrown at me (it took me 17 days from my first internet job search to landing at Incheon airport).

 

I made some very strong friendships with other 'drop out English teacher bums' along the way too, more than I have made here in the West in that short a period of time.

 

Lastly, my work mate was a retired Texan (strangely the 2 Americans I was close friends with were both Texans!), 62, and he did very well getting freebie and p4p action. Sure we would bitch and moan about how emotinally primitive most Korean girls were. But neither of us were complaining either.

[wonderlust]

I didn't want to cause any offence to English teachers (I used to be one!) and probably Korea is a good place for someone in your position - someone who just needs to get away for a while. More English teachers in Korea seemed to be running from something rather than to something. But spending more than a year there would be a big mistake and going there just for a short visit would also be a mistake. There is no tourist industry in Korea and if you ever go you'll see why! Fortunately I had a cute girlfriend in Korea and some good friends (western and Korean). You need to actually live there to get a good experience.

 

I also taught English in Japan and Taiwan and think these are far better places to live and work than Korea. Still, getting a decent career back home will get you better pay and more holidays than some crappy English teacher job.