We've Got Seoul ~ And We're Going

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Hello Everyone!

This is kind of a trial run but I also wanted to put some general information about South Korea & more specifically where we're going on here as I know lots of people have questions. Here goes...

First of all, we're moving to SOUTH Korea. And second, the specific place we're moving to is called Namyangju (possibly Namyangju City, but we'll have to get back to you on that one). Actually I should slightly amend that and say this is where our school is, though it is very unlikely we will be far from the school. Everyone seems to be w/in a 10 minute walking distance or less. *Refer to above map to see location in relation to Seoul.

From the Korea Sparkling website:
"Namyangju is located in the center of Gyeonggi-do next to Seoul. Mt. Cheonmasan, Mt. Suraksan and Bukhangang River make this city a popular tourist attraction for one-day getaways from Seoul. The major tourist attractions are Gwangreung Royal Tomb, Hongreung Royal Tomb, Yureung Royal Tomb, Sareung Royal Tomb, Paldang Resort Complex, Studio Complex, Bamseomdo Island, and Moran Art Gallery."

Here is the official city website address (in English):
http://english.nyj.go.kr/

We will be teaching at a public elementary school in the Gyeonggi-do provence (provence surrounding Seoul) & unfortunately at this point we don't have much more to say about that. We don't know the specific age group, or what type of material we will be using to teach. (Of course, this information would come in handy, but I suppose we will receive it some day...)
Students are usually between the ages of 4 and 18 *Ours our Elementary
All placements are for a minimum of 12 months
30 hours per week *Our contract has us @ 22 & the rest of our hours up to 40 are OT
One month bonus pay on completion of the 12 month contract
Flights are provided by the school
Accommodation is provided by the school
20 days holiday per year (plus 10-15 national holidays)

To answer the question we've been asked many times, I refer to the Flying Cows website:
"How Can I Teach Korean Kids If I Can't Speak Korean?
You will be encouraged to interact with the students entirely in English. This encourages 'Natural Aquisition' of English. It may seem daunting and often the students will not understand every word you say but with the use of teaching aids and your assistant Korean teacher you can make them understand your meaning.
With younger students you will often use flashcards and they will learn largely by repeating what you say and by singing songs and playing games. Students will often understand your meaning without actually understanding your vocabulary. You will find that your tone of voice becomes exaggerated and that you talk slowly and clearly. This will be most apparent to anyone you talk to from home on the phone! More advanced students will understand key vocabulary and you will be working to build on that and to enhance their English communication skills.
A good tip is to never underestimate the power of hand gestures and acting. The students’ Korean names will be very difficult to remember however, this is not usually a problem as most schools advocate giving students English names. If you have a new class you may even have the privilege of naming them."



Some random, though useful & possibly interesting info:

Currency conversion as of today is...
1 KRW = 0.000489465 GBP 1 GBP = 2,043.05 KRW
1 KRW = 0.000801708 USD 1 USD = 1,247.34 KRW

Typical Costs of Living:
1 litre of milk: 2,000 Won ($1.60 / £.97)
1 litre of water: 1,350won ($1.08 / £.66)
1 bottle of Soju: 1,000won ($.80 / £.48) *Soju is basically Korean vodka
20 piece of bread : 2,500won ($2.02 / £1.22)
30 eggs: 3,500 Won ($2.83 / £1.71)
Bus fare: 1,000 won ($.80 / £.48)
Subway: 1,000 Won ($.80 / £.48)
Taxi basic fare: 2,200 Won ($1.76 / £1.07)
Movie ticket: 7,000 Won ($5.67 / £3.42)
Bottled beer in a bar: 5,000 Won ($4.00 / £2.44)
500ml draft beer in a bar: 2,500 ($2.02 / £1.22)
Beer bottled from a store: 1,900 Won ($1.60 / £.92)
Dry cleaning a collared shirt: 2000 Won ($1.52 / £.97)
Basic Korean meal (rice, soup and side dish): 4,000 Won
Korean meat dinner (for one): 6,000-10,000 Won ($4.82 - 8.04 / £2.93 - 4.89)
One month utilities in a small apartment: 40,000-70,000 Won ($32 - 56 / £19 - 34)

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Comments

[Stumpy AKA Melissa Ann Parker Fusco]

Don't leave me!!! :(
Hello Schnekle AKA Jessica Ann Pollnow and Francis William Watts, Once upon a time, This info is very interesting especially the money part. I didn't realize how freaking cheap it is over there. How much are cigarettes do you think? I might need you to get me some of those!! Something similar to marb lights will do. LOL. Any who I hope you guys have a great time and I will miss you both tremendously!!! Love you both and I hope you keep me updated through email or facebook on your travels and everything that you experience!! Love, Melissa (stumpy) The End

[Gwyneth]

love the blog!
but what the heck are you going to do with 30 eggs? XX

[Kim Jong-il]

misses you
I hope you're having a good time! It seems like it since we aren't hearing from you much! Did you two sit on the floor since you had no 'couches' :) Can't wait to see more pictures, it looks absolutely gorgeous. On the first day you taught was it intimidating standing in front of a classroom full of children that don't understand the language you speak and you're considered the outsider? Fran, I hope you didn't crack under pressure! Did you learn all of your student's names yet? Random thought..the movies are cheap, but you might have a hard time following it unless they have subtitles. Everything seems so cheap, I might have to come visit but it's wishful thinking. We've had a lot of thunderstorms here lately, including one that woke me up at 7 a.m. this morning. Not sure whether Mom told you this, but on Friday I was getting ready to go out and I hear this HUGE crash downstairs! I thought someone had broken into the house and I ran downstairs and Grandpa was lying on the floor with a broken bookcase. He did a number on that thing! He took his sleeping pill and was wandering around I guess and somehow dozed off and fell into the bookcase. Books were scattered all over the floor and I ran upstairs and got Mom. Luckily he's okay but he sure is a trooper. Work has been work as usual. I'm not sure whether you heard, Sean C is leaving in 2 weeks. He found another job which is unfortunate because he's a great manager. Ashley A is going to stay for the meantime which makes me extremely happy. A kid (Stuart Holden) that I played Counter-Strike with is playing right now with the U.S. National Team in the Gold Cup. He got called up to play on their B-team and he scored a goal the other day :) Looking forward to hearing some funny stories (especially since Fran has a heavy accent and your assistant(s) are probably having a hard time understanding him). Heading into Queens on Friday, going to stay there till Sunday. Very, very excited. -Big Little Brother