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Gift-giving in Korea

Gift-giving in Korea is a strong tradition in Korean culture. If you ever invite Korean friends to your home, you’ll notice that they will always bring you some fruit, dessert, a drink, or sometimes all of the above! Of course, gift giving on special days (holidays, birthdays) is a must. But what about giving a gift to your director/principal and Korean coworkers when you arrive?

We recommend something small from your home country. A souvenir, something symbolic of your home town, local region, or just your country in general (maple syrup from Canada, for example). Here are some gift ideas you can consider for your boss, head teacher, and Korean coworkers:

The Boss (director/principal):

  • A bottle of wine or other fancy drink: something that can be used as decoration. The more expensive it looks, the better (it doesn’t have to actually be expensive)!
  • A tin of fresh coffee: ground or unground will work. It’s surprisingly hard to find good stuff in Korea!

Your Head Teacher:

  • A big jar of multivitamins: vitamins in Korea are not nearly as strong, and Koreans are very health conscious.
  • A jar of delicious, fresh honey: as always, the more expensive something looks, the better.

Your co-teacher(s):

  • Because you are probably not sure how many co-teachers you will have, the best option is to get something that can be shared by multiple people. Some candy, a box of chocolates, a selection of nice tea to put in the teachers lounge, etc.

Of course your friends and family members will be eager to receive little trinkets from you when you come back home a year later. Here are some ideas:

 

Chinese_seal_and_paste

Personalized Stamp

A Personalized Stamp

  • You can get their name engraved on it…. in Korean! Or, you could be sneaky and write something totally different. They’ll never know!

A Magnet

  • Cliché, we know, but you can find some pretty hilarious ones!

An “Engrish” T-shirt

  • Engrish refers to grammatically incorrect variations of English, often found in East Asian countries. An Engrish t-shirt would be the ultimate gift and you won’t have trouble finding them. Anyone who has spent time in East Asia will know that the shirts you find here are shirts you cannot find anywhere else.
Animal hats!

Animal hats!

Animal Hats

  • Keep an eye out for the ones that have long “paws” that hang down to your waist. Hilarious!

Metal Chopsticks

  • Korea is the only country in Asia that eats with stainless steel chopsticks. Korean chopsticks are also flat, like the handle of a western fork or spoon, rather than round or square like other Asian countries.

Cosmetics

  • Interesting fact for you: the most popular item tourists want to purchase in Korea is beauty products. Some of the popular brands include Skinfood, Etude House, The Faceshop, Missha, Innisfree and Nature Republic.

Phone Covers

  • Cell phone cases are a dime a dozen in Korea, and they come in the strangest shapes and sizes. You’ll struggle to find such a variety elsewhere! You’ll find them everywhere- vendors on street corners, markets in the subway station, or for a larger variety, you can visit the popular shopping districts in Dongdaemun, Myeongdong and Itaewon.

Soju

  • Interesting fact #2: Soju is the top selling alcohol brand in the world! Who wouldn’t love to have that checked off their list.  Maybe stock up on some yourself, as the price of Soju at home will be at least triple the cost of what you can get it for in Korea.
Korean socks!

Korean socks!

Socks

  • Whether you’re looking for PSY’s face, flags from different countries, or just plain ol’ cartoon characters, there’s something for everyone!

 

 

For those who have been in Korea for awhile —  what would you add to the list?

 

What I Wish I Knew BEFORE Coming to Korea

What I knew of the world changed during my first few days, weeks, and months in Korea. I did my research, but there were a few things that I missed. This is what I wish I knew before arriving in Korea:

Shopping in Korea

Shopping in Korea

1. Clothing

Saying that Korea “gets hot” in the summer is like saying that Antarctica can be chilly sometimes. The humidity can be so strong sometimes that it feels like you’re swimming through the air. It’s thick, muggy, still air, and it is VERY hot.

And then, there’s the winter. Korea has 4 seasons, people. Spring and Autumn are AMAZING… but they are short lived. The summer is muggy and humid, and the winter is nail-biting cold.  Make sure you bring enough clothing to last throughout the year!

This list should help with what to pack and what to leave behind before your move to South Korea.

2. The “tidiness” of your apartment

Maybe not this bad, but you know...

Maybe not this bad, but you know…

Have you heard about this yet? If not, then read carefully: tenants are not required to clean the apartment before they move out.

Even if you’re replacing another foreign teacher, it’s likely that they won’t clean up much for you. Hard to believe? Just wait – you’ll probably leave without cleaning it either! We’ve heard stories about kimchi mold growing in refrigerators, spiderwebs in the window sills, and almost everyone has a horror story about bathrooms. Suffice it to say: mentally prepare yourself. You will likely spend your first 48 hours cleaning. DEEP cleaning. Get ready to go shopping for cleaning supplies when you first arrive.

3. Your boss

Checking out the curriculum ahead of time? Meeting your coworkers? Shadowing some classes before you start teaching? Yeah… probably not going to happen… teaching in Korea can best be summed up in the phrase “rolling with the punches”…

To start off with a good teaching relationship with your boss, we would advise you to bring a little something for them. It can be something from your home country or even a snack with a cup of coffee. This will mean more than you can imagine.

4. Your class schedule

You might receive that the day before you start teaching, if you’re lucky. Most of us receive it THE DAY we start teaching. Make peace with the fact that Korea is a place where people do things differently, and you are the one who need to fit in with their culture. Be flexible, be adaptable. Roll with the punches.

5. Cell phone

If you have a cell phone that you want to bring along, you need to make sure that it is compatible (2100mHz WCDMIA) and unlocked (check with your service provider). To get a contract in Korea directly through their service providers (Olleh / SK Telecom), you’ll need to have your ARC (Alien Residence Card). This will take 3 – 6 weeks to get from immigration.

6. Restaurant Etiquette

You will probably sit on the floor. When you arrive, wait to be told where to sit. Don’t start eating until your boss has taken their first bite. Don’t tip in a Korean restaurant. The waiter might just run after you with the change. Don’t pour your own drink in the company of an older Korean. It is the responsibility of the senior person at the table. Hold out your cup with both hands as they pour for you. And dear god, don’t blow your nose at the table.

7. Public Transportation

Seoul has one of the most extensive public transportation systems in the world. The subway is clean, it will take you almost anywhere, and every subway station is right underneath a city bus station. There are also taxi’s available, and they are not nearly as expensive as they are at home.

Seoul Subway Map

Seoul Subway Map

8. Internet

Kotatsu-tastefulTNWhen you arrive at the airport, you can connect to WiFi while you wait for your next move (someone picking you up, or a bus). If you’re lucky, internet in your apartment will still be running from the teacher before you. Most will have to wait to get internet set up at home.

Don’t worry though, most coffee shops (they are everywhere) will have WiFi available. This is usually the easiest way to Skype with family/friends, check your email, etc until you can get internet set up at home.

9. Alcohol consumption

Drinking in public is legal. Weird, right? And AWESOME.

10. Learning Korean

Being able to speak Korean might take you a while. There are a variety of Korean courses available, as well as language exchange programs where you teach someone English and they teach you Korean in return. Learning to read Korean is a lot easier than learning to speak it. You can do it in less than an hour! Seriously!

11. Homesickness

It’s unavoidable. Moving to Korea and adjusting to the life here is adventurous and exciting, but you’ll have your fair share of shocking experiences. Homesickness comes and goes. Make sure you establish effective communication with those at home, whether through Skype, or a cell phone. Be sure to plan an adventure (in Korea) quickly – within your first 8 weeks if you can! Korea is filled with quick weekend getaways, and the extensive bus/train system makes it easy to leave on a Saturday morning and come home on a Sunday night. Hikes, 4D movie theaters, festivals, beaches, temple stays… the list goes on. You can meet people on Facebook groups in your area, or you go to Meetup.com to find people with similar interests as you.

12. Showers… and your bathroom in general

It’s most probably not going to be the way you expect it to be. Your shower is basically your whole bathroom. Traditionally, the shower head is right over your toilet. It takes some time getting used to, but hey, it’s an adventure!

13. Your age

Koreans are 1 when they are born, so when you arrive in Korea, you are instantly 1 year older in age. Yay!

For everything else, here’s Adventure Teaching’s Comprehensive guide on South Korea!

Let us know what we’ve missed!

Hagwon vs Public School

Hagwon vs Public School

So, you’ve decided that you want to teach English in Korea. Now you need to decide: hagwon vs public school?

We will try to help you by providing the details you need to make an informed decision.

 

Hagwon: 

  • Several foreigners will be working with you
  • Typical working hours are afternoons through the evening (1pm – 9pm, or something like that)
  • Ages: Elementary and Middle school
  • Curriculum: It depends on the school, but it is usually pretty structured
  • Training: You might receive short orientation when you first arrive
  • Size of classes: 10-15
  • Paid vacation: 10 days, and you might get some National Holidays
  • Salary is set according to the teacher’s experience and education
  • Round-trip Airfare
  • Health insurance will be split 50/50 with your employer
  • A studio style apartment that might be partially furnished – housing allowance provided if needed
  • Severance bonus upon completion of your contract
  • Hiring Season: throughout the year

Public Schools:

  • You will likely be the only foreigner in the whole school
  • Ages: Elementary, Middle, High school
  • Typical working hours: daytime (8:30am – 4:30pm)
  • Curriculum: Government provided. Youwill need to supplement the lessons with your own material though
  • Training: 3 day orientation provided
  • Size of classes: 30+
  • Paid vacation: 15 days, as well as National Holidays
  • Salary is entry-level (2.1 mil won/month) if you’re a 1st year teacher
  • Round-trip Airfare
  • Health insurance – split 50/50 with your employer
  • Studio style apartment, partially furnished – housing allowance provided if needed
  • Severance bonus with the completion of your contract
  • Hiring Season: February/March and August/September

 

For more information, find below two more in-depth articles:  

– Types of Teaching positions in South Korea

Hagwons vs Public Schools