The BIG Question: Korea or China?

Should you go to Korea or China to teach? It’s a tough question that depends on your priorities and circumstances.

To give you some background about me: I’ve taught in Korea for nearly five years, and I’m currently doing my second year in China. I started out teaching at language academies in Korea, then took a job teaching subjects (Science, Social Studies, English Language Arts, Math) at an elementary school whilst pursuing certification. Once I finished that, I ended up heading to China from Korea. China was *not* on my radar at all but a good opportunity came up—so I took it!

I’ve noticed that a lot of misinformation gets tossed around about both places, so I wanted to spell out many of the differences that I’ve noticed.

I’ll write about Korea and China in general as much as I can, but in essence I’m comparing Seoul to Shanghai. I spent most of my time in Korea either in or around Seoul. Even when I didn’t live in Seoul, my entire social life was there. I’ve traveled around China a bit, but I live in Shanghai. I do talk to people who don’t live in Shanghai regularly.

I’ve taught EFL and I’ve taught at an international school.  I’ll try to cover both—although I haven’t taught EFL here in China. Again, I am regularly interacting with people who do.

So Many Activities In So Little Time!

I am still alive! I have been very busy these past few weeks. In Korea, it's currently monsoon season. It has been raining every day, and it's likely to continue to do so until around late August.

That hasn't kept me from being active, though. I've still been able to get out and do things, such as:

Playing Kickball

Picture of us after the game!

A few folks from the BSSK group decided to meet up for a kickball game! It was a gloomy Saturday, almost rainy, so not many people showed up, but it was still fun nonetheless.

We met up at a field near Janghanpyeong Station, line 5 and by exit 6. The neighborhood is full of middle aged Korean men lounging and hanging out. Why the strange location? Well, that field was free to rent. I could see why because it smelled of manure at times.

We played our game with a certified kickball ball, then ate lunch together. 



Volunteering

Making play-doh art with Mapo Gaon

Last weekend, one of my friends invited me to join him at the place where he volunteers. The organization is called Mapo Gaon. He helps disabled children in a particular area in Seoul once a month. I agreed to join him.

Their job was to pick up local disabled children from their home and bring them to a space, where the children and their helpers do activities together for a few hours. I thought it was very interesting and it was nice to meet the children. I also got a chance to practice my (limited) Korean.

At Yeouido Park

Afterward, we had some drinks at an Outback Steakhouse and had some drinks at Yeouido Park. It's a nice setting at night time. Many folks sit on mats and have a night picnic.

Salsa Dancing

Chicken Ginseng Soup and French Toast ... A Food Post?

This week has been a good one in regards to food. I've cooked some good meals and had a chance to try out some soup at a famous restaurant in Seoul.

The front entrance of Tosokchon

After doing some shopping, I decided to try out a restaurant with some folks. The restaurant is called Tosokchon (토속촌) and it is located in northern Seoul, a couple of streets down from Gyeongbokgung station (line 3) exit 2. Walking straight out of the exit, it's about two streets up. After a left turn onto a small street, the restaurant is located a little down on the left side.

Tosokchon is famous for its chicken ginseng soup, or samgyetang (삼계탕) in Korean. Samgyetang is a soup dish of a whole chicken, stuffed with rice, cooked in a broth with Korean ginseng. There are many varieties, but this is the main idea of the dish. Aside from it being very delicious, this soup is also said to cure and prevent illness. It is even consumed in the summer months to restore nutrients lost in the heat.

After arriving, I ordered a simple dish of samgyetang, which comes with tea and few sides including cabbage and radish kimchi. They also give you a shot of a ginseng liquor. The soup itself was great and filling. The sides were good too. The ginseng shot was pretty strong and wasn't tasty at all -- but this obviously isn't the point! The experience set me back 15,000 korean won, or $13.28. Not bad!

The restaurant has a touristy feel to it, since it's aesthetically nice and they had a host dressed up in a hanbok (Korean traditional dress) seating people. It's also a restaurant where the patrons sit on the floor to eat. That's something that looks cool from a touristy perspective, but it can get uncomfortable. In any case, the food more than makes up for it. I would definitely recommend this place to others.

The Korean Medical Check

So, What is this Check and Why is It a Big Deal?

Korea brings in thousands of new teachers each year, and the government wants to make sure that they are in general good health. There is an idea among the locals that if left unchecked, foreigners could easily spread diseases to the Korean population. Also, like in other countries, they don't want the recent arrivals to become a drain on the medical system.


As a result, all those coming to Korea on the foreign language teacher (E2) visa must pass a medical screening in Korea at a government-approved hospital. Then, the results are taken to immigration to apply for the Alien Registration Card (ARC), which is the national ID Card.

Long story short, if the teacher does not pass the exam, their E2 visa is cancelled and they are ordered to leave Korea at their own expense.

So, what sort of things are they looking for? Here is a clue:

Click on the picture to read the form in detail

The above is a snapshot of a form all prospective teachers must fill out while in their home country to apply for the initial visa, which goes in the passport.

If an applicant checks "yes" on any of those questions, they will be denied the visa.

Of course, you could always lie on this form, which is why you must get checked at a hospital within 90 days of your arrival to Korea.

The big things that will certainly get you sent home are: HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis and illegal drug use.

There is also a big stigma against emotional issues, such as anxiety. Admitting such a problem will cause a rift, even if it doesn't impact one's teaching ability. They also test for common anxiety medications.

So, last week I completed my own medical check at a local hospital. I did mine at the fancy Ajou University Hospital. It was a fairly large hospital and it was impressive with state-of-the-art facilities. It came with a price tag: 120,000 Korean won or $111 US dollars. Medical checks typically cost around

Time to Go!

So, tomorrow I finally fly to Seoul! So, how will the process go? Let me explain:

Still trying to sort out my luggage

1. Pack all my bags -- One suitcase, one mountain backpack, a small carry-on bag and a large purse
2. Book a shared van to the airport ($47! )
3. Get my paperwork in order -- my recent medical treatments, papers for dad to mail/turn in, bring extra documents for the school in Korea, etc.
4. Say my goodbyes
5. Head for the airport early in the morning (leaving around 5:00am!)
6. Board two flights and arrive in Seoul
7. Find a guy holding a sign with my name on it
8. Get a nice ride to a hotel in the city I'm working in
9. Hope I don't get sick again, fail the medical, then get sent home :-)

I hope it's a smooth ride, with no airport hang ups and that I'm able to find the guy at the airport! Fun fact, last time my school also sent a guy holding a sign with my name on it, but I couldn't find him. Instead, the guy stopped the one other black girl who happened to be on the plane. We looked nothing alike, of course. As I was frustrated with the new currency and trying to use the phone, that girl approached me and asked me if I was [my name]. "Mmm.... yeah there's a guy over there looking for you." Funny, but I was relieved.