Monday, March 28, 2011
Update
I can't believe it's been almost 2 years since my last post! I checked my stats for this blog a few weeks ago, and was shocked to learn that I still get a ton of visitors! I figured I'd at least update you all about what I'm doing these days, and I could think of no better way to do that than direct you to my current venture: A Texan in PA. It might not be Korea, but I promise plenty of witty posts and tons of adventures!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
How It Ends
This will likely be my final blog about Korea. A little over a week ago, I was fired from my job and was left with some bleak options. In the end, the only one that seemed reasonable was to pack up my stuff and head home. I wasn't happy about leaving the country, but at the same time, I was glad to come back to the States. After paying for my flights to and from Korea (about $1600 total), I ended up just about breaking even on the whole adventure.
I spent the first few days back in Sugar Land adjusting and looking for a job. Believe me when I say this: there are no good jobs available in the U.S.
So what's next? Is this really the end of my adventures? Well, I've always wanted to live and work in Europe, so part of my job search has focused on teaching English in cities like Vienna, Prague, and Krakow. I'm thinking about just packing up my stuff and heading to Europe for awhile to see what's available. I think it will be relatively easy for a native English speaker to get a job, so I'm not all that worried.
Thanks so much to everyone who commented and kept up with me during my months in Korea! You have no idea how nice it was to see that someone had commented on a blog post or to read an email from someone who had questions about Korea. Just knowing that people back home were reading this thing kept me from getting homesick!
If you're interested in following my new blog about life in Europe, it will be up and running as soon as I figure out exactly what I'm doing and where I'm going. The link is: http://texan-in-europe.blogspot.com/
(EDIT: I never made it to Europe, so that link is dead...)
Here are the final pictures from my Korean adventure!
I spent the first few days back in Sugar Land adjusting and looking for a job. Believe me when I say this: there are no good jobs available in the U.S.
So what's next? Is this really the end of my adventures? Well, I've always wanted to live and work in Europe, so part of my job search has focused on teaching English in cities like Vienna, Prague, and Krakow. I'm thinking about just packing up my stuff and heading to Europe for awhile to see what's available. I think it will be relatively easy for a native English speaker to get a job, so I'm not all that worried.
Thanks so much to everyone who commented and kept up with me during my months in Korea! You have no idea how nice it was to see that someone had commented on a blog post or to read an email from someone who had questions about Korea. Just knowing that people back home were reading this thing kept me from getting homesick!
If you're interested in following my new blog about life in Europe, it will be up and running as soon as I figure out exactly what I'm doing and where I'm going. The link is: http://texan-in-europe.blogspot.com/
(EDIT: I never made it to Europe, so that link is dead...)
Here are the final pictures from my Korean adventure!
The best way to combat jet lag is to stay up all night before your flight. One of the side effects is sleeping in airports.
The last picture of me in Korea
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Fired
You read it correctly: I was fired last Friday. What did I do to provoke this action? Was it something terrible? Maybe I hit a kid or some other unspeakable crime? No. I called in sick on Thursday, and for that, I was fired.
Pull up a chair. I'll fill you in on the whole ridiculous saga. As you can tell from my previous post, I was sick last week. I probably had bronchitis or pneumonia, since I've had both and this felt pretty similar. Regardless of what it was, I was getting progressively worse and, by Wednesday, I was feeling awful. After work, I called my manager to tell her that I wouldn't be going into work on Thursday. Now, we don't exactly get sick days here. If we absolutely must miss a day, we are not paid that day and we have to pay for a substitute to teach our classes. It's not a tremendous amount of money, but it does give you a little insight into what it's like to work here. In other words, it's unpleasant.
Anyway, my manager told me to call her early in the morning to tell her again that I wouldn't be coming to work. Why she needed this extra confirmation is beyond me, but I agreed and fell asleep...for 13 hours.
I awoke to the sound of my phone ringing and my manager asking where I was. I explained that I had said I would miss work, and had spent the last 13 hours in a fever-induced sleep. I apologized for not calling, but she was already aware that I'd be missing work.
Instead of going to work, I met my manager at the doctor's office an hour later. She saw how sick I was, which was confirmed by the doctor, who prescribed me tons of medicine. After leaving the doctor's office, I went home and slept the rest of the day. Finally feeling better that night, I called my manager to say that I would return the following day.
After work on Friday, I was fired. The reasons given were that I had failed to notify the office that I would be absent from work on Thursday. They gave me a few weeks to continue working here, but I must leave by May 5th. So, in short, I was fired because I was sick. If this were the U.S., these people would be staring at a judge, jury, and a huge lawsuit for wrongful termination. But this isn't the States and any legal battles are long and generally favor the employer. Basically, if you're an American working in Korea and you have a problem, you're screwed.
Many people have asked me what I'm going to do now. I could grovel and beg for my job back and probably get it, but I don't think I want to work for a company that treats its employees with such little respect. Another option is to stay at the school for a few more weeks like they want and then go home. Finally, I could just pack up and leave immediately.
Since I'm writing this while it's still going on, I'll tell you what happened after it's all over. Be sure to see how it all ends!
Pull up a chair. I'll fill you in on the whole ridiculous saga. As you can tell from my previous post, I was sick last week. I probably had bronchitis or pneumonia, since I've had both and this felt pretty similar. Regardless of what it was, I was getting progressively worse and, by Wednesday, I was feeling awful. After work, I called my manager to tell her that I wouldn't be going into work on Thursday. Now, we don't exactly get sick days here. If we absolutely must miss a day, we are not paid that day and we have to pay for a substitute to teach our classes. It's not a tremendous amount of money, but it does give you a little insight into what it's like to work here. In other words, it's unpleasant.
Anyway, my manager told me to call her early in the morning to tell her again that I wouldn't be coming to work. Why she needed this extra confirmation is beyond me, but I agreed and fell asleep...for 13 hours.
I awoke to the sound of my phone ringing and my manager asking where I was. I explained that I had said I would miss work, and had spent the last 13 hours in a fever-induced sleep. I apologized for not calling, but she was already aware that I'd be missing work.
Instead of going to work, I met my manager at the doctor's office an hour later. She saw how sick I was, which was confirmed by the doctor, who prescribed me tons of medicine. After leaving the doctor's office, I went home and slept the rest of the day. Finally feeling better that night, I called my manager to say that I would return the following day.
After work on Friday, I was fired. The reasons given were that I had failed to notify the office that I would be absent from work on Thursday. They gave me a few weeks to continue working here, but I must leave by May 5th. So, in short, I was fired because I was sick. If this were the U.S., these people would be staring at a judge, jury, and a huge lawsuit for wrongful termination. But this isn't the States and any legal battles are long and generally favor the employer. Basically, if you're an American working in Korea and you have a problem, you're screwed.
Many people have asked me what I'm going to do now. I could grovel and beg for my job back and probably get it, but I don't think I want to work for a company that treats its employees with such little respect. Another option is to stay at the school for a few more weeks like they want and then go home. Finally, I could just pack up and leave immediately.
Since I'm writing this while it's still going on, I'll tell you what happened after it's all over. Be sure to see how it all ends!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Korean Sicknesses
I knew that, despite my best efforts to avoid illness, I would eventually get sick in Korea. It happened this week. It started with a cough that just wouldn't go away and progressed to an all-out attack on my immune system.
Let's take a look at some of the differences between being sick in the U.S. and being sick in Korea.
- In Korea, you will see a doctor and receive a questionable injection for any ailment.
- You will receive conventional medicine, such as antibiotics, as well as useless traditional Korean remedies.
- In Korea, your boss will do anything to make you come into work when you are sick. This includes, but is not limited to: begging, threatening, and fining. After all, it's your fault that you're sick, right?
- If you somehow manage to miss work for a day, you will be told that you must return the next day, regardless of your condition.
- This whole process is much cheaper than in the U.S., but it's much more annoying.
As you can probably guess, I'm more than a little unhappy about being treated like crap because I was sick. However, nothing could have prepared me for what was to come the day after I missed work. Stay tuned...
Let's take a look at some of the differences between being sick in the U.S. and being sick in Korea.
- In Korea, you will see a doctor and receive a questionable injection for any ailment.
- You will receive conventional medicine, such as antibiotics, as well as useless traditional Korean remedies.
- In Korea, your boss will do anything to make you come into work when you are sick. This includes, but is not limited to: begging, threatening, and fining. After all, it's your fault that you're sick, right?
- If you somehow manage to miss work for a day, you will be told that you must return the next day, regardless of your condition.
- This whole process is much cheaper than in the U.S., but it's much more annoying.
As you can probably guess, I'm more than a little unhappy about being treated like crap because I was sick. However, nothing could have prepared me for what was to come the day after I missed work. Stay tuned...
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Korean Dentistry
I had an appointment the other day with a Korean dentist. Surprisingly, going to the dentist in Korea is nothing to worry about! I just had my teeth cleaned, so I can't vouch for any of their other services. They do also offer Botox injections. If you're wondering, the whole teeth-cleaning process is about the same as in the U.S. They did put some kind of mask over my face to keep me clean, which I thought was funny. However, no one in the office spoke English, so I had to go with one of my coworkers. So why did I have to go to the dentist?
A few days ago, I noticed a spot on one of my back teeth. Thinking it was nothing more than a leftover piece of food, I viciously attacked it with a toothbrush. Imagine my surprise when, despite several minutes of brushing, the small black spot remained! It was no bigger than a grain of sand, but it was so irritating to look at! I studied it for several minutes in the mirror and decided, with my infinite dentistry wisdom, that this must be a cavity. Wanting to be sure of my decision, I tried to poke various items into the tiny hole. Luckily, nothing worked.
So to sum it up: don't be afraid to go to the dentist. Oh, and despite the fact that I have no health insurance, it only cost me about $40. Not bad!
A few days ago, I noticed a spot on one of my back teeth. Thinking it was nothing more than a leftover piece of food, I viciously attacked it with a toothbrush. Imagine my surprise when, despite several minutes of brushing, the small black spot remained! It was no bigger than a grain of sand, but it was so irritating to look at! I studied it for several minutes in the mirror and decided, with my infinite dentistry wisdom, that this must be a cavity. Wanting to be sure of my decision, I tried to poke various items into the tiny hole. Luckily, nothing worked.
So to sum it up: don't be afraid to go to the dentist. Oh, and despite the fact that I have no health insurance, it only cost me about $40. Not bad!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Korean Wal Mart
I've already posted a few things about shopping in Korea, but I felt it necessary to show you some more of the craziness that is Homeplus. It's essentially Korea's version of Wal Mart, but there are some noticeable differences. Can you spot them?
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
25 Things About Me
If you're not on Facebook (Mom and Dad), you've never seen people fill out one of these little surveys. Basically, it's just 25 random things about myself. Here goes!
1. I miss sandwiches and Diet Coke, but now I love kimchi and Coke Zero.
2. I'm 25 and I still have no idea what I want to do with my life. It doesn't bother me at all.
3. One of my goals in life is to make as much money as I can while doing as little work as possible.
4. Since graduating from college, I've had 6 jobs. I've been a swim coach, real estate agent, personal annuity consultant, substitute teacher, bartender, and English teacher.
5. I really don't want to get married...unless I change my mind. So maybe.
6. About once a month, I stay up all night for no reason at all. I'm weird.
7. I have over $5,000 of my money invested in stocks and mutual funds. Its current value is less than $800. My fingers are crossed.
8. When I came to Korea, I didn't use a cell phone for over a month. I also don't have a tv. Funny thing is, I couldn't care less.
9. I despise: smoking, weird piercings, tattoos, and my stupid computer.
10. I love: sports, beer, girls, and my stupid computer.
11. The last time I paid for music was 1999.
12. I've lived in Texas for 16 years, but I've never been on a horse and I don't have an accent. I also hate country music.
13. I have embarrassingly small hands and feet.
14. I'll probably stay in Korea for another year. After that, I might go teach somewhere in Europe.
15. One of my ex-girlfriends is married. Another is engaged. They are both nurses and look eerily similar. Weird.
16. When I was a kid, my best friend and I argued about who would win in a fight: his dad or mine. My father was a chemical engineer; his dad played football for the New Orleans Saints.
17. I like teaching, but I don't want to do it forever. If I can use it as a way to see the world and save some money though, I'll do it!
18. I can juggle.
19. I've been pulled over 7 times by the police; I've received 4 speeding tickets and a seat belt ticket.
20. I don't blame any president for everything, but I won't give them credit for much, either.
21. I heard about the September 11th attacks in my car on the way to high school.
22. I can watch any sport on tv and love it.
23. Since I received a medical redshirt, I still have one year of eligibility in the NCAA.
24. My favorite shows when I was growing up were: Full House, Macgyver, Saved by the Bell, and Growing Pains.
25. There are 7 people in my family who are smarter than me. I'm not stupid, they're just extremely intelligent.
1. I miss sandwiches and Diet Coke, but now I love kimchi and Coke Zero.
2. I'm 25 and I still have no idea what I want to do with my life. It doesn't bother me at all.
3. One of my goals in life is to make as much money as I can while doing as little work as possible.
4. Since graduating from college, I've had 6 jobs. I've been a swim coach, real estate agent, personal annuity consultant, substitute teacher, bartender, and English teacher.
5. I really don't want to get married...unless I change my mind. So maybe.
6. About once a month, I stay up all night for no reason at all. I'm weird.
7. I have over $5,000 of my money invested in stocks and mutual funds. Its current value is less than $800. My fingers are crossed.
8. When I came to Korea, I didn't use a cell phone for over a month. I also don't have a tv. Funny thing is, I couldn't care less.
9. I despise: smoking, weird piercings, tattoos, and my stupid computer.
10. I love: sports, beer, girls, and my stupid computer.
11. The last time I paid for music was 1999.
12. I've lived in Texas for 16 years, but I've never been on a horse and I don't have an accent. I also hate country music.
13. I have embarrassingly small hands and feet.
14. I'll probably stay in Korea for another year. After that, I might go teach somewhere in Europe.
15. One of my ex-girlfriends is married. Another is engaged. They are both nurses and look eerily similar. Weird.
16. When I was a kid, my best friend and I argued about who would win in a fight: his dad or mine. My father was a chemical engineer; his dad played football for the New Orleans Saints.
17. I like teaching, but I don't want to do it forever. If I can use it as a way to see the world and save some money though, I'll do it!
18. I can juggle.
19. I've been pulled over 7 times by the police; I've received 4 speeding tickets and a seat belt ticket.
20. I don't blame any president for everything, but I won't give them credit for much, either.
21. I heard about the September 11th attacks in my car on the way to high school.
22. I can watch any sport on tv and love it.
23. Since I received a medical redshirt, I still have one year of eligibility in the NCAA.
24. My favorite shows when I was growing up were: Full House, Macgyver, Saved by the Bell, and Growing Pains.
25. There are 7 people in my family who are smarter than me. I'm not stupid, they're just extremely intelligent.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Free Time
My brother asks:
So Alan, what do you do with all your free time?
Well, my time off of work is a little unusual. My workday is from 1:30pm - 10pm, so it's a little different from what I'm used to. Actually, I'm used to not working at all, so I have no frame of reference. Anyway, after work I usually go work out or grab some dinner until about 11. Then I go home and either go right to bed or stay up and play on my computer for a bit. I usually fall asleep before 2am. My mornings begin between 9-11am, where I just get ready for work and play on my computer.
It's all terribly exciting, I know. I've found that the Internet looks exactly the same no matter where you are. Oh, except that here it's blazing fast. I can usually download movies in less than 20 minutes. :-)
On the weekends, I try to find something adventurous to do. I haven't left my city much yet, but I've done a lot here. I find new restaurants and shops, hang out with my friends, and buy things for my apartment. I also spend a lot of time trying to keep in touch with friends and family back home and working on this blog!
It may not sound exciting, but believe me, I manage to turn anything into an adventure. Basically, anything I do can be described like this: Today, I went to the store...IN KOREA! Then, I got a haircut...IN KOREA! When viewed like that, even the most mundane things become fun.
I do plan on taking a few trips around Korea soon, so that will take up some of my free time as well. I visited the National War Memorial Museum, went to a cave a few weeks ago, and I'm also going to the DMZ sometime (what's that? here).
So Alan, what do you do with all your free time?
Well, my time off of work is a little unusual. My workday is from 1:30pm - 10pm, so it's a little different from what I'm used to. Actually, I'm used to not working at all, so I have no frame of reference. Anyway, after work I usually go work out or grab some dinner until about 11. Then I go home and either go right to bed or stay up and play on my computer for a bit. I usually fall asleep before 2am. My mornings begin between 9-11am, where I just get ready for work and play on my computer.
It's all terribly exciting, I know. I've found that the Internet looks exactly the same no matter where you are. Oh, except that here it's blazing fast. I can usually download movies in less than 20 minutes. :-)
On the weekends, I try to find something adventurous to do. I haven't left my city much yet, but I've done a lot here. I find new restaurants and shops, hang out with my friends, and buy things for my apartment. I also spend a lot of time trying to keep in touch with friends and family back home and working on this blog!
It may not sound exciting, but believe me, I manage to turn anything into an adventure. Basically, anything I do can be described like this: Today, I went to the store...IN KOREA! Then, I got a haircut...IN KOREA! When viewed like that, even the most mundane things become fun.
I do plan on taking a few trips around Korea soon, so that will take up some of my free time as well. I visited the National War Memorial Museum, went to a cave a few weeks ago, and I'm also going to the DMZ sometime (what's that? here).
PICTURES!
No explanation needed.
I'm in Korea, remember?
Entrance to the cave
The literal translation of this rock formation is "three weird rocks."
I love the unnecessary capitalization and lack of punctuation, not to mention the blunt attitude.
This is possibly the worst picture of me. Ever.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Korean Chips
What do chips taste like in Korea? Thankfully, not as bad as the cookies. There are some weird flavors, but at least they taste almost "normal."
You will also see the result of tasting too many cookies and chips in a short period of time.
EDIT: The first 34 seconds of the video look blurry for some reason. I tried to fix it several times, but it's not working. The rest of the video looks fine.
You will also see the result of tasting too many cookies and chips in a short period of time.
EDIT: The first 34 seconds of the video look blurry for some reason. I tried to fix it several times, but it's not working. The rest of the video looks fine.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Korean Cookies
What's your favorite type of cookie? Chocolate chip? Maybe Oreo?
Are Korean cookies any different from those you'd find in America? Would I be making this video if they were the same?
Enjoy! :-)
Next blog: Korean chips!
Are Korean cookies any different from those you'd find in America? Would I be making this video if they were the same?
Enjoy! :-)
Next blog: Korean chips!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
