Annyong haseyo!
Apologies that I haven’t updated my blog sooner. I have been in South Korea for 50 days now and was only connected to the internet at the end of my first month here. Unfortunately my first impressions will now be tempered by the fact I have become more settled and have started to develop an understanding of Korean culture with all its quirks and differences to my life in the UK. Nevertheless, I am only a month and a half into this adventure and I am sure my opinions will change and adapt while I am here, particularly as I not planning on staying cooped up in my one room apartment plotting of ways to kill the rooster that lives outside my apartment block and has no concept of morning.
Essential Details:
Location: Hongseong, Chuncheongnam-do (Province), Republic of Korea-about two and half hours outside of Seoul on the train.
School name: Seoul Hagwon/ Academy. (No, I am not commuting, the Director either likes the name or is in need of some geography lessons!) A hagwon is a private academy which students attend after they have had a full day at government school. Some of the High School students get taught until about midnight, and then start up at government school between 8am and 9am. There is no rest for them either, as they have to do homework for practically every subject, and go to school on Saturdays too. This is all with the purpose of getting into a top university. All in preparation for a country where the work ethic is work, work and more work. Workers maybe contracted to work a nine til five day, but in reality they can’t go home until the boss goes home, and if he’s holed up in his office watching Heroes through sidereel that a good four hours spent staring at the walls.
Contract: 12 months, airfare returned (in stages over the year), rent free apartment, very good wage for the hours I work and in relation to the cost of living, in return for me providing English lessons to what is currently 5 classes a day, five days a week.
Number of times I have been asked if I am Canadian: One.
As many of you will know, my RAF brat bastardised accent causes confusion at the best of times, usually along the lines of “What? You’re from Oxford(shire!)? You sound like you’re a Northerner/Brummie/Canadian/Aussie?” So how it will translate here in South Korea should be interesting, especially if any of the unfortunate souls I teach mimic my accent. Though, hopefully by the end of the year my speech will have slowed down to an acceptable speed for all involved, making me sound less like an express train going through a tunnel, and more like a normal person.
Ok, with the preamble out the way, I can share some of my first impressions and experiences from South Korea and hopefully raise a few smiles along the way.
Apologies that I haven’t updated my blog sooner. I have been in South Korea for 50 days now and was only connected to the internet at the end of my first month here. Unfortunately my first impressions will now be tempered by the fact I have become more settled and have started to develop an understanding of Korean culture with all its quirks and differences to my life in the UK. Nevertheless, I am only a month and a half into this adventure and I am sure my opinions will change and adapt while I am here, particularly as I not planning on staying cooped up in my one room apartment plotting of ways to kill the rooster that lives outside my apartment block and has no concept of morning.
Essential Details:
Location: Hongseong, Chuncheongnam-do (Province), Republic of Korea-about two and half hours outside of Seoul on the train.
School name: Seoul Hagwon/ Academy. (No, I am not commuting, the Director either likes the name or is in need of some geography lessons!) A hagwon is a private academy which students attend after they have had a full day at government school. Some of the High School students get taught until about midnight, and then start up at government school between 8am and 9am. There is no rest for them either, as they have to do homework for practically every subject, and go to school on Saturdays too. This is all with the purpose of getting into a top university. All in preparation for a country where the work ethic is work, work and more work. Workers maybe contracted to work a nine til five day, but in reality they can’t go home until the boss goes home, and if he’s holed up in his office watching Heroes through sidereel that a good four hours spent staring at the walls.
Contract: 12 months, airfare returned (in stages over the year), rent free apartment, very good wage for the hours I work and in relation to the cost of living, in return for me providing English lessons to what is currently 5 classes a day, five days a week.
Number of times I have been asked if I am Canadian: One.
As many of you will know, my RAF brat bastardised accent causes confusion at the best of times, usually along the lines of “What? You’re from Oxford(shire!)? You sound like you’re a Northerner/Brummie/Canadian/Aussie?” So how it will translate here in South Korea should be interesting, especially if any of the unfortunate souls I teach mimic my accent. Though, hopefully by the end of the year my speech will have slowed down to an acceptable speed for all involved, making me sound less like an express train going through a tunnel, and more like a normal person.
Ok, with the preamble out the way, I can share some of my first impressions and experiences from South Korea and hopefully raise a few smiles along the way.
No comments:
Post a Comment