Things are coming close

[sdzero]

I definatly have to take a trip to Asia one of these days.

[Bobtheduck]

I definatly have to take a trip to Asia one of these days.

Yes you should. It's awesome here in Korea. Did you know that Korea is #1 in sending Christian missionaries, beating the US in TOTAL MISSIONARIES sent? My church regularly takes mission trips into surrounding countries (China and Japan at the forefront)

I found a church here called Jubilee, and I love it so far, except for how long winded the pastor is. I have been trying to get to the 10:00 service, but as I hate getting up early on Sunday, I've just gone to the 1:30 service the last two weeks. Someday, I'm going to want to visit that ultra-mega church... I'm not entirely sure where it is, but I'm sure it will be interesting.

I just got my paycheck, and I have to say it felt really good. It feels good to be on my own and with an income and padding money.

I've been into Seoul three times, now. I've gone to Chonglo, Myungdong, Gangnam, and this last week I went to Yongsan (and got ripped off by paying way too much on a firewire port card for my laptop that didn't even work.) Always with exceptions (the cold for one, getting ripped off for another) I've loved my trips into Seoul.

This last weekend, I took my first official trip into Pyongtaek. I got out when I saw the word "Playstation!" and I had to see if, by chance, they had any import (AKA, fully in English) games. They didn't, though... It wouldn't do me much good to buy any game that relies on written language, and I'm even iffy about something like Uncharted 2. I noticed that Korea got the Tales of Vesperia international edition before the US did...

I went to Pyongtaek station and walked around AK plaza... It was extremely expensive, but I ended up buying a beanie anyhow (40,000 won... At least the thing will last me a few years, hopefully, and I REALLY needed a beanie) I found a theater there, and it's actually reasonably priced, so as long as the movie I'm watching doesn't have spoken dialogue other than English, I'm good (though I may actually go in for a Japanese movie, because I may actually be able to pick a good deal of it up)

Except for being sick (I still don't have my Insurance yet) and not having my passport (Immigration took it when I registered for my Alien card) I'm loving it here.

From now on, I'll be updating my website with pictures maybe once a week (though It's been nearly a month since I did last time) so you can check there: http://www.bobtheduck.org

I'll put my most recent set of pics up either tomorrow or the day after.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Sounds like you're having a great time! Are you around other english speaking teachers, or do they place you on your own? How are you doing with the teaching aspect?

[Bobtheduck]

Ok. There are 6 Korean teachers for the older kids (8-14) They all speak English to some degree, some better than others.

There is one other native speaker, and she's from Manchester. She's 48 and has a son about my age.

I'm still getting the teaching figured out. Most of the time, I've just been doing vocabulary using pictures and having them write down the words on a crossword puzzle. I've only tried grammar with the older kids, and then it's been a pain. I wrote on the board once that I was going to talk about verbs. A girl in the class looked it up in her phone and then started... Well, whining really loud. "That's hard! Too hard!" Most of the kids that can speak at all start each class by saying "Game!" or "Free time!"

Free time... I'm sure THAT'S why the school hired me and is paying me more than the Korean teachers, so I can give them free time

I just finished my TESOL course online, but I think I'm going to have to go back through it and study, because it hasn't helped me so far.

In any case, I'm enjoying being on my own finally. I don't ever want to live with my Parents again, and they don't want me to either (well, the responsible part of them doesn't... I'm sure the more selfish part of my Mom does)

One thing I'm finding interesting is the complex relationship they have with North Korea. Most Koreans, at least around my age, want to reunite. I don't think most of them want communism, but the guy I've been hanging out with the most told me that Kim Jong Il is probably close to death, and things won't be the same there once he dies. Of course, shortly after he said this, there was a naval skirmish between the North and the South, so tensions are still really high.

North Korea apparently sides with South Korea in matters between the south and other Asian countries. There is a little rocky archipelago that Korea and Japan argue over, and the person who picked me up from the airport said the reason the North fired those missiles toward Japan and landed in the water is because they're trying to tell Japan to relinquish any claim on Dokdo (those islands) and the east sea (which Japan calls "Nihon Kai", the "Japan Sea") It was a posturing thing, and in support of the south.

The relationship with Japan is a bit complex, too. Taylor (the male Korean teacher my age) said "We like Japanese people, but we hate Japan." It seems that this is fading with the new generation, as there are a number of kids in the school who have a fascination with Japan. The older Generations still hold grudges for Japanese imperialism and the issue with Dokdo and the East Sea just inflames them, for some reason.

In any case, I've only been here a month, so I've got a while longer to learn about this place.

[That Dude]

Hey man, have a great time out there!!! I hope it's rad and that God'll do rad things through you.

[Bobtheduck]

Thanks... at the moment, I just need to figure out the massive issues with money... namely getting it back to the us... It's a huge pain right now. When immigration sends my passport back, and I get my alien card, I'm going to get a new bank account, under my name this time, and I'm going to try to sign up for a second paypal account and connect it to this bank...

The only issue is that paypal asks for "Nationality" and if you put US, it won't let you add a Korean bank. Lame. I may just put Korea, because that's where the bank is I need to connect to to it, and if I'm successful I can just send it from one paypal account to another. Paypal has very low fees, and there won't be any fees on the chase side because it's not technically a wire transfer, it's a deposit.

I already initiated my first transfer, and it was a HUUUUUUGE hassle. DUe to the whole "nationality" thing, I wanted to see if I could get one of the koreans to get a paypal account. I'd give them the cash, they'd deposit it, then send it to my account. This was apparently too complex. I tried with two of them, they ended up talking about it to each other in Korean with frustrated hand movements and such, and they came up with stuff like there was a "Monthly fee" for paypal, which of course isn't true.

They really don't get how much simpler it would be, but hopefully that won't be an issue once I just get my own account. I'll try to get a second paypal account, send the money that way, and not have to worry about it anymore... Instant, painless, no hour-long trips into the main branch of whatever bank every month, no 20,000 won fees on my end and 15 dollar fees on the Chase end... none of that.

If I can set it up...

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Heh... yeah. The relationship between the divided Koreas is a very interesting and saddening topic.

Then add Japan into that mix and you got some crazy stuff going on.

[Bobtheduck]

Let me say that banking in Korea and trying to transfer money is a really huge hassle. In the US, ALL banks can do wires, you can send western union over the internet, and check cards are all internationally recognized Visas or Mastercards. In Korea, you can only send wires in major branches, and my check card is connected a local only credit card company so I can't use it online.

I can't get a paypal account like I was going to try because (most likely) they recognize that my government number is one given to an Alien, not a Korean citizen. Of course, I'm thinking the reason my transfer (when I finally got to KB bank) didn't go through was because my Mom gave me the wrong swift code. I had looked up the swift code for chase and I saw CHASUS33 everywhere I went, but she told me CHASUS66... I'm getting most of my money back on Wednesday, not counting what will be taken in commission, and HOPEFULLY getting to a Western Union location the same day though I won't count on it (of which there are none closeby, and they're all banks so I can't go on weekends or after work... GAH!!!)

Chase's customer service was no help, let me tell you... I was trying to find out what all I needed to make an international transfer, the lady laughed at me and said "your bank in korea will have to initiate that" and didn't tell me anything... I bet she thinks they use routing numbers...