Getting to Korea, wow.
First off, it was a HUGE SHOCK! regardless of wanting to go for such a long time, there was only so much you could do to prepare yourself. And let me tell you it will well at lest it was for me it’s gonna be nothing like you ever imagined. There are so many many tall buildings! And yes 99.9% things are written in Korean (funny that ae) which is still hard getting my head round. So many cafes and little shops it’s crazy
What they say about getting looked at is well um true. They are not doing it in a rude way at lest most them, are doing it out of curiosity being not Korean is really not common, lets just say 9/10 days I will see only Koreans (apart from at work but that’s different). In saying this there are so many that are so lovey and with there little bit of Korean and there little bit of english things work out good!
Everyone is in a huge rush, cars, buses, taxis and moter bikes/scoters are crazy, it wouldn’t be a normal day here without the fear of getting ramped into but one. They will no wait for you, best to be safe than sorry right? Speaking of taxis they are crazy cheap! In cheongju a 15-20min drive will cost you about $7 which blows my mind.
Shops are open crazy late here, not to mention the convenience stores open 24/7 which is great if you need anything haha.
Work is mainly good, feeling more and more confident each and everyday and the kids are so cute~~
As far as me i’m managing learning everyday getting a bit lonely as of late, but i’m sure it will pass. I am feeling pretty comfortable in my area so it’s time to go exploring!
Response from Travel and Teach Recruiting Inc.
Hi Lindsey,
It is my pleasure to have been able to help you through your situation in order to get you to Korea. Your mother and aunt were also a huge help, as we all worked together to get your visa documents taken care of when you were away. Team work!
As for the teaching, the first month or so is a transitional period which takes some time to adjusted to, especially as you do not have experience teaching ESL. Your TEFL certification will help, but a bit more time and experience in the class will also be beneficial. In the beginning, you might need some extra hours to get things figured out.
That all being said, if you are teaching more hours than you are contracted for, we want to know about this right away so that we can reach out to the school. We always make sure that our teacher contracts are being honored with regard to pay and hours worked. I have sent you an email, so I look forward to your response.