Teaching in Korea? What to Expect When You Arrive

If you have traveled to Asia before then you will not experience culture shock, but if your experience with other countries is limited to Canada and Europe then you will be shocked when you arrive.

At first it will feel like a vacation. Everything is new and exciting and different. For some people it is too different and they can't take it. I had a roommate who only lasted 4 months and she never left her room the whole time she was here. Only you can determine if you have what it takes to live in Korea for whole year. I did a lot of research before I came to Korea so that I would be prepared. I hope to give you as much information as possible so that you will feel prepared when you arrive.

Once you have been in Korea for a few months the novelty will wear off and you will either feel like you are home or you won't. My best advice is to get out and see the country while you are still in the initial honeymoon phase. This will help you appreciate the country and culture which will help to relieve the stress you will ultimately feel about halfway through your year here. 

At some point you will feel frustrated with certain things you encounter. Some people get frustrated by everything. This will pass. I repeat this will pass, you just have to stick it out. In my article about what to pack I advise you to bring a webcam so you can skype. If you are close to your family make sure your parents have a webcam, sign them up for skype if they are technologically challenged. Make sure they know how to use it. I practiced with my mom before I left and worked out all the kinks in her computer so she would feel comfortable calling me. Stay in touch with your friends. The time difference presents a challenge, depending on the time of year the time difference will change as they do not have day light savings here.

Make friends with the expats in your area. When I got here the teacher who trained me introduced me to a bunch of people and showed me where the other expats hang out. Seoul, Daegu and Busan are the biggest cities in Korea and there are dozens of bars and restaurants that have English speaking staff. This reduces your stress when you are just trying to go out and get a drink or a meal. Koreans are nice and helpful, but if you don't speak Korean you will have difficulty getting anything. Places like Starbucks, McDonald's and Burger King have English speaking staff, or they speak enough English that you can order in English and they will give you what you asked for.

As a general rule, Koreans are helpful and friendly to foreigners. They love it when you try to use Korean words. They are delighted when you eat Korean food. People will usually ask you if you like Korean food and when you say yes you will have made their day. Koreans have a lot of nationalistic pride. This will come out in all kinds of ways and in various situations. The joke among expats is that everything was invented in Korea. I used my computer in class the other day and it took a while to boot up, so one of my students said it was because it wasn't a Korean computer. Just smile and nod and say "Thats absolutely why." You are in their country and it is only polite to agree that Korea is great even if you think differently. Americans don't like to hear bad things said about America, so put yourself in their shoes when people say things like that.

Now that I have told you how nice Koreans are be prepared for how rude they are. The social mores that dictate behavior in Korea stem from Confucianism. That means that they determine your place in society based on your age, gender and marital status. When you meet someone new they will immediately ask your age, don't be offended, they are just trying to figure out how they should treat you. The same goes for the second question-"Are you married?" 

When you walk down the street don't expect anyone to move aside so you can pass. Confucianism places a high priority on your relationship with friends and family. If you are neither then you don't matter to them. Westerners are nice to strangers, we hold the door for the person behind us, we wait patiently in lines and we take turns. Do not expect that in Korea, it will only lead to frustration and anger. At the train station an old lady will walk up to the counter where you are buying a ticket and will insist on being helped instead of you. Just let it go, Koreans treat the elderly with respect and they will not think anything of making you wait while they help the old person. 

Coming to Korea with an open mind and respect for other cultures will help minimize the culture shock you will ultimately feel. Be aware of the differences and complain to your friends, but keep your mouth shut around Koreans. If you complain they will most likely laugh and shrug their shoulders, thats just the way that things are.

Your apartment might be in a duplex (mine is) or it will be in a building. You might live near your school or you may live far away. You don't have a whole lot of say in this, but it is good to ask ahead of time. The winters are bitterly cold and the wind is killer. If you are good with the cold then a 20 minute walk won't bother you, but if you aren't a cold weather person this may be a problem for you. In my article about recruiters, I advise you to ask these questions before you accept a job. Once you are here there isn't a whole lot that can be done. Only you know what is acceptable to you, remember you will be in this situation for a whole year.

Your bathroom will also be a shock. There is no bathtub or designated shower area. There is a handheld shower head that is attached to your sink. You just shower in the middle of the floor and everything gets wet. It is great for cleaning, but it's a difficult adjustment for some people. Hopefully you will have a window in your bathroom. Even in the winter you will want to open it after you shower to air it out. There is probably no fan in there so if you leave it wet and closed up it will start to smell. And its a sickening smell, so air it out!

There will be a wall device that regulates the water temperature. You have to turn it on before you shower to get hot water. The same device will also heat the water that heats your apartment in the winter. There is no central air in Korea. The water runs under your floor and heats your apartment. There will most likely be levers that control which rooms the water goes to. It gets very expensive in the winter, so beware of running it all the time. The older your place the more expensive it will be. You will also have air conditioners in each room, though probably not in your living room.

Your bed will also probably be horrible. It has been used by countless other teachers for many years. My mattress is dented on one side and I wake up with a back ache every morning. It sits on top of a plastic tray that is on top of plastic pegs that hold it up off the floor. There are no box springs either. All you have is a mattress. There are pads you can buy that you can put on top of your bed. They're intended to be used to sleep on the floor, but I put mine on my bed to minimize my discomfort.

In your kitchen you will probably not have an oven. Most apartments have a two burner gas range that sits on a counter. I know two people who have ovens. They are also very small. Korean food is not prepared in ovens, so they don't really have much use for them. You will also have to hand wash your dishes. Your apartment will have dishes and pots left there by previous teachers. The quality of these utensils vary, but if you like to cook you can always buy better ones.

You will have a washing machine, but not a dryer. You will have to hang everything on racks. This is especially annoying in the summer because it rains all the time. And then in the winter it's miserable because your clothes are washed in cold water and it's below freezing everyday. There are dryers in Korea, but they are not common.