Expedition Evan

Last night started off promising at my new favorite little joint Da Bar, but quickly devolved into daydreams of extreme violence.

My buddy Tad and I enjoyed a couple White Russians in the bubble area of Da Bar (covered in plastic and looking over Hongdae) along with some good conversation, then headed to Zen Bar to meet up with some of his friends.  Here’s where the plot begins to thicken…

We threw both of our jackets onto a spare chair and set to enjoying ourselves.  Not 10 minutes later, I swing by to check on our jackets and they’ve vanished.  Poof.  Tad and I both scoured the bar looking for ‘em, but to no avail.  His jacket was a pretty large peacoat, and mine was an Arc’Teryx shell that’s been my go-to jacket for close to 3 years now.  Being that it was 40 degrees out and I was in a ratty old shirt, I was none too pleased.  Tad’s a big dude so no Korean would sport his jacket, and my jacket was too outdoorsy to be fashionable on the streets of Seoul.  There’s a chance someone mistook them for their own, but with both of them being so different I think it’s more likely they were stolen.

I spent the rest of the night playing out slow-motion “300″-style beat downs in my head, hoping to catch the thief.  The righteous fury that would fuel my anger when I saw him in the street would be suitably epic, and would end with me walking away victorious, jacket in hand.  The bartender said it was really rare for a jacket to be taken, so there’s a small chance someone will drop it back by the bar.  I’m not too hopeful though.  At least I’ve got a new one coming in the mail!

I try not to become too attached to material things, but I’ll miss that damn jacket!  So here’s to you Mr. Arc’Teryx shell, may you rest in peace.  And whoever took it better pray that I don’t catch ‘em, because vigilante justice will be carried out on the streets of Seoul…

I remember my time in high school fondly.  I can’t imagine my students will look back at high school with anything less than rage and fiery hatred.

The Korean SAT was last Thursday, and from what I can tell it’s complete madness.  The day after the exam I held a debate about Korean testing methods with my advanced after school class, and they all are deathly afraid of this test (rightly so!).  The test covers 7 subjects, 4 of which the students have a bit of autonomy in choosing.  My SAT covered two: math and a verbal section.  I only teach the 1st year students, but they are already studying for this test two years out.

The test can only be taken once for universities, and there is only ONE day a year that it is administered.  There are no make ups whatsoever.  If you check the article I linked above, you can see the photo of a student suspected of having swine flu taking the test all by his lonesome in an isolation room.  Hell, they even had students taking the exam IN THE HOSPITAL.  WTF mate?  I have to give props to the Korean education system in most aspects, but this is absurd.

When I held the debate the next day my students were all overwhelmingly against the SAT as it stands.  They study until 10pm most weekdays in order to do well on this exam.  I took social dance 5 times in high school.  They have school twice a month on Saturdays.  I played computer games and ate waffles.  Their college admission is a matter of family honor.  My parents just would have murdered me if I didn’t go.  Ok, maybe that last one is pretty similar, but parental intervention certainly isn’t as ubiquitous in the US.  They had police posted at every testing site to prevent parents from causing disturbances, and doctors on hand for swine flu problems and nervous breakdowns.

If you’re reading this from the US, be thankful you don’t have it like these kids!

One of the primary factors behind people coming to Seoul to teach is the money.  There is massive potential to save or pay down debt here.

All public schools jobs (in Seoul at least) offer free furnished housing, reimbursed airfare (I made $350 USD on my flight over here!), bonuses such as paid vacation and a final bonus at the completion of the 1-year contract of a full month’s pay.  Some special situations may differ, but for the most part this is what all SMOE (Seoul Ministry of Education) teachers can look forward to.  Most reputable hagwons offer similar benefits and pay, though they generally have different work hours (more late nights) and less vacation.

If your spending habits are on the frugal side, you can bank at least 60-65% of your monthly paycheck without feeling the pinch.  For most teachers with a basic TEFL certificate salaries start at 2.0 million won.  At current exchange rates, that’s approximately $1700 USD.  Saving $1000 USD a month isn’t difficult at all.  These wages don’t even factor in private lessons, which range from 40k-50k won an hour.  Again, the potential to save or pay down debt here is amazing.

For me, the only temptations I currently have are some new gadgets such as a nice DSLR and a new iPod touch.  Beyond those two items, my only personal expenses consist of food, drink, and my small utilities fee I pay on my building each month.  Pension out of each paycheck is returned to most countries upon the completion of the contract, and my health insurance only costs 50k won a month.  I also have an income tax exemption both here and at home as an American.

Realistically, I think I’ll come out of my time here with at least 15k USD in pure savings when taking into account other projects like my writing.  That’s some serious bank for one year.

If you’re staring down educational debt or wanted to save a large amount of cash in a short time, I would seriously consider teaching English here.

It’s amazing how long it takes to get an internet connection here in Seoul, considering it’s one of the most connected places on the planet.  Without the fabled ARC (Alien Registration Card) it’s basically impossible to get anything.  Luckily, I have mine (complete with goofy grin plastered on my photo), and am now equipped with blazing fast 88mb per second ADSL.  Charter Cable this ain’t.

So updates have been sorely lacking, but I’ll try to sum up what’s been going on to get you guys back on track.  I’m teaching at a coed high school called Dae Dong Taxation High School, which is a vocational school.  The kids are all very smart, and their curriculum includes tax law, accounting, and internet commerce.  They can’t take social dance every year like I did back home!

My apartment is more than adequate; in fact it’s quite large.  I have no idea what to do with all the space considering I’ve been living out of a backpack for the last year.  This whole “personal space” thing is new and exciting for me.  It’s on the 12th floor of a modern building, with a nice bathroom, plenty of closet space, a washer/dryer combo, and a nice big window.  The only downside is the “Jesus Rocket” across the way, a giant white LED cross with strange fins on the side (hence the “Jesus Rocket”) that illuminates my studio apartment in a soft, holy light all throughout the night.

I’ve made some really good friends in the short time that I’ve been here, and I’ve gotten involved in some cool stuff as well.  I now play in an expat soccer league every weekend, I start yoga later this week, I’ve found some hiking groups that I’m going on trips with, I’ve got some language exchange partners off of Couchsurfing, and I’m slowly learning to read the Hangul alphabet.  I’m keeping busy!

Now that I’m online, look for some big uploads of photos and videos real soon.  I’ve got some cool ideas about putting together videos about the craziness that is Seoul, and I can’t wait to share them with you guys.

Stay tuned!