- Korea
- Stepping off of an airplane in Korea was like
being in a movie. There were dozens of people holding signs in a language you could
not read. I flew from Canada to Korea to teach English, as a second
language, to Korean children.
You arrive in a strange country, surrounded by a language you do not understand and
within a couple of days, you are in a classroom teaching. This depends not upon your
experience teaching. All you need is a four year university degree in any subject.
It is as much a babysitting service as a teaching position. Parents in Korea
are busy people and need a service to look after their children. These children will
take care of the parents when they are older. So the parents kill two birds with
one stone and they pay numerous teaching institutes to watch and teach their children.
The children in Korea are constantly in classes to learn new things to keep
them competitive in the future when they are applying to universities or looking
for jobs. The better the job, the more likely the parents get taken care of in the
old age. This is due to the fact that in Korea the parents move in with their
children in their old age. The existence of old age homes in Korea is rare.
This process seems good in theory, but when you see it in practice you realize how
quickly it loses its appeal. The children here are on the go from early in the morning
until extremely late at night. I taught students (13 years old) in Korea that
started classes at 8:30am and finished at 11:30pm. The only breaks in this schedule
were travel times between schools, recess and meal breaks. Then after classes they
go home, do homework and study until the early hours.
Don't get me wrong, the country is very well respected in the world's learning communities
and our job is tolerable. We are set up nicely with airfare to and from Korea,
a furnished apartment and a decent salary. It also affords you the opportunity to
travel throughout Asia and pay off your student loans.
The best aspect is that you experience a new culture. The Korean culture is
based on good food, singing rooms and soju (Korean rice wine). It is actually much
more complex, but I will only explain those three.
In Korea the food is excellent. The main staples are kimchi (spicy fermented
cabbage) and rice. These are served with most meals and most meals have meat or tofu
with them as well. I have tried many dishes, including boshintoung (dog soup), silkworm
pupa and live octopus. Finding a bad dish is quite rare.
The singing rooms in Korea are a popular pastime. They are similar to Karaoke
but are in a private room for you and your friends. You can also go to DVD rooms
to watch DVDs, video game rooms to play games or board game cafes to have a cup to
coffee and a beat your friends at Monopoly.
Soju is an extremely cheap alcohol that makes most people go crazy. Drinking
in Korea is a masculine statement. The more you can drink in one sitting,
the more you are respected. This leads to some crazy events happening when people
are trying to gain respect. I find it is easy just to avoid the whole soju scene.
I paid off the final payment of my student loan this month with much awaited enjoyment.
I have also come to the end of my second year in this country and I am looking forward
to returning to Canada. I think that teaching in Korea was a good experience
and gave me some great memories.
If you feel you are up to it you might like to try it out. It is not a job to go
into lightly. Do some research and make sure you get a respected school. It is not
unknown for foreign teachers not to get paid. Or for a school to go out of business
and the teachers be stuck half way around the world form their home with no place
to live. It is also not a job to go into with long term expectations because the
chances to advance are extremely limited.
If you do decide to try it out, you get the chance to see much of Asia. It
is a lot cheaper to fly to Asian countries from Korea than it is from Canada. It
is not all fun and games though, just remember it is a job first.
- Thailand
- It a wonderful place. The country is a travel hotspot.
The shopping, food and the beaches are amazing. The country has suffered a big tradegy
this past December. The country is full of great people and will soon be back on
its feet.
- Cambodia
- This country has really rebounded from the horrors
in its past. It is quickly becoming a traveler's paradise. Tourism is taking off
and the Cambodian people are welcoming the world with open arms. The center of its
tourism pull is the Angkor temples in Siem Reap.
- Vietnam
- Vietnam is one of my favorite places in the world.
Canada is where I call home and will live out my days, but in my travels I have fallen
in love with this country. The people are helpful and friendly, the shopping is great
and the prices dirt cheap. If i was to recommend one place in the world to visit
it would be VIETNAM (Belgium is a distant second).
- Malaysia
- The fasinating blend of Malay, Chinese and Indian
cultures make this a great place to treat your senses. The amazing contrast in architectures
is an experience in itself. Kuala Lumpur is the home of the Petronas Towers (formerly
the World's Tallest Buildings).
- Singapore
- Singapore is the most European Asian country I have
visited. The Singapore Zoo is a trip in itself. I am not a person who enjoys zoos,
but this one was well worth afternoon i spent there.
- Indonesia
- Bali has really bounced back after the 2002 bombings.
It is a hopping touristy island that can't keep the people away. The beaches are
beautiful and scenery is spectacular.
- Japan
- The island group of Japan is a very expensive place
to travel. It is rich is culture and heritage. If you plan on visiting Japan make
sure to plan every detail. It will cost a small fortune, but it will be worth it.
- Taiwan
- This small island has a ton of missiles pointed at
it. This should not stop you from visiting this happy place. The jade markets are
terrific. The long distance buses are equiped with recliners and televisions. Taipei
is home to the World's Tallest Building, the Taipei 101.
- Hong Kong
- This area is a dish of Asian with a side order of
Western. The city state has fantastic shopping, a wild nightlife and tons to see.
It is a little more expensive than other Asain countries but nowhere near the level
of Japan.
- Macau
- This former Portugese colony is now back in the hands
of China. It is a city of casinos and old world elegance. The sites have been forgotten
in the swarm of the gambling. It is an easy day trip from Hong Kong.
My time in Korea is soon drawing to an end.
In the remainer of this year I plan on traveling to China, the Philippines,
Cambodia (again), Vietnam (again), Laos, Myanmar (formerly
Burma), Thailand (again), India, Nepal, Egypt
and Germany (again).This will be a long journey home but life is too short.
I will update my adventures when I return to Canada.
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Editor : Timothy W. Shire
Faster Than Light Communication
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306 873 2004
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