SEOUL, KOREA - March 5, 2000
I've just recently completed the first month of my 12 month contract. There are so many things that I've yet to discuss about the school, and the new living situation.
Well, first of all, now I have my own apartment. Its 1000 times better than the hasook situation. If you've read previous posts, I had been living in a hasook situation for four months, it was small room, but dinner and breakfast was free, so overall it was worth it. I also had one of the best locations in Seoul and in my opinion, the best location for a room in that area. I could see in two directions all of the comings and goings of the nightlife on one of many streets in the area.
Once I signed a teaching contract, the school assisted in finding me with an apartment, they supply the key money up to $7,000. Anyone not familiar with the key money system, you have to make a rather hefty deposit on an apartment, to which the owner invests it anyhow he likes during the duration of your rental agreement. Meanwhile, you also pay a monthly rent. When your rental contract is complete, then you receive the key money back. There is always a risk though, but the institute I work for supplies the key money, and its much easier for them to get it back then a foreigner on his way out.
Anyhow, I had to pay alot of money for it, but I am renting the most expensive apartment of any of the other English teachers at my institute. It isn't much more, but it is the most expensive. Actually I'm quite happy there. I have three very large windows in two very large rooms, plus a small room just big enough for bed and such. Its actually much too large for me, and probably the largest place I've lived in in almost five or six years - although compared to my parents house, its really really small. But its all comparitive.
The school. Actually I was really reluctant to sign any contract, but eventually signed this one. Its all adults, mostly from many of the nearby universities. Unfortunately it is split shift - which means I work in the morning and again at night. I was extremely reluctant to sign any contract in Seoul. But once I visited this particular school several times, I met many teachers who had been working there for four or five years, plus a few who were even married to Koreans. It was a complete shock compared to my school in Pusan, where hardly anyone finished their one-year contract, and there was a constant revolving turnover in teachers. Also, things seemed to be extremely professsional, and the students were much more interesting, as many seemed to have been abroad or had interesting interests, as compared to my Pusan school where it was different kind of student.
For those not knowing how Korean Institutes work. They usually have anywhere between 6-12 students sitting around a long rectangular table. Everyone is facing each other, and the main objective is to have being practicing and conversing in English. I'll go into all much more another day. Not much time now.
Next Journal Entry in Seoul:
March 20, 2001
You can email me at:
Wintermoon2@yahoo.com