ekevosu wrote: » I thought it was mentioned on this thread before a few times that once the college can sign a letter saying you have qualified, then that can be notarised and apostilled and you will also have your transcripts as proof, sealed and stamped. The actual degree paper won't be needed in that case if you can't get it until later. Please someone correct me if I'm wrong but I'm positive I've seen posters on this thread in the same situation and been given that advice.
col89 wrote: » This is correct, don't worry about trying to get your certificate before it is supposed to be issued, you can get your college to sign a letter which states that you have finished your course/are still studying and the college will also stamp it with their official stamp to verify that it is legit. I've just started working at my school since Tuesday and I'm loving it so far! It is so unbelievably easy, and the most classes I get on a given day is just four classes (just over three hours overall). The wage is very reasonable for it, too. The only thing I'm not totally crazy about is the studio I was given, because it has no microwave, toaster, hoover, bins, etc. But the best things about it is the amazing shower (two shower heads - a big one and a smaller one), the great big TV, the air conditioner in my room, and the very stylish/ornate presentation of the entire studio. Oh, and the most annoying thing is having a Korean TV with Korean buttons to flick through, because you're left guessing as to what half of the stuff on the remote actually mean (it was expected, though). I've not done anything sociable as of yet, but I have become reasonably friendly with the fellow teachers and my landlady. Hopefully I will be able to meet some Westerners soon, as I honestly haven't seen any other Western people in the area I live in (I get a lot of strange looks from the locals!). The next thing to do will be to organize a Boarders meet-up at some point in the future, please God.
col89 wrote: » This is correct, don't worry about trying to get your certificate before it is supposed to be issued, you can get your college to sign a letter which states that you have finished your course/are still studying and the college will also stamp it with their official stamp to verify that it is legit.
roosh wrote: » Hey guys, just received word that I have been approved by EPIK so I will be starting in Gangwon in October (around the 20th I think).
roosh wrote: » My recruiter said that my NOA should be sent out by the end of this week, or the beginning of next; I'm just wondering if anyone has any idea what the next step will be? I'll have to go to the consulate to sort my Visa, is there anything else does anyone know?
roosh wrote: » Also, do people know if you can just book a one way flight to Korea, or do you have to show that you have booked travel out of the country?
roosh wrote: » Does anyone know what the accommodiation situation is usually like? I'm not sure if I read that it is very precise about when it is available, as in if I go out a day or two early I might have to stay in a hotel or something.
roosh wrote: » I'll ask my recruiter a lot of questions, but this thread has been wealth of info, and the response time is usually much quikcker.
roosh wrote: » Also, do people know if you can just book a one way flight to Korea, or do you have to show that you have booked travel out of the country? .
Elba101 wrote: » Well my papers have been sent off to immigration :-) Absolutely chuffed it's with a good school in Seoul too (seems so anyway). I'm just wondering what to pack and what I can get over there clothes wise? Are there any places that sell westerner clothes?
cloneslad wrote: » It was a €400 minimum, I'm not saying it would be easy, but it can be done. My school provided me with everything for the apartment, including bedding and electrical items (though I took my own quilt cover with me). For the majority of my time in korea I was able to live on €250 a month (400,000won). I don't think I ever spent more than €600 in a month. Except for when I went on holidays or had to buy christmas presents. I don't drink or smoke so that was allowing me to save more than your average Irish person, and my week days before work were spent running during the winter or at the beach during the summer. Weekends were spent playing some form of sport and going running or to the beach too.
kraggy wrote: » 250 a month? That's 8 eure per day to feed you, pay bills, clothe you etc. What did you eat? Did you have transport costs? Jesus, I don't know how anyone could live on that amount. (I'm not doubting you, just amazed). My bills this month alone were 85 euro. That's just water/electricity/building maintenance fee. I don't pay internet bills or anything else.
red_bairn wrote: » 85 euro!!! jaysus, my bills wouldn't be over 100,000W (including phone) and I get the net.
kraggy wrote: » Yeah, I'm in an officetel and there's a bill that comes from the owners of the building and it includes water gas elevator service of building janitors pay etc The last one came to 122,000. I didn't use the air con that much either. And I don't have a land phone or tv. And I don't pay for internet. I have an iphone which costs 74,000. So this month, my bills came to just under 200,000. I still manage to save around 900,000. But it takes discipline. So yeah, it's expensive.
kraggy wrote: » 250 a month? That's 8 eure per day to feed you, pay bills, clothe you etc. What did you eat? Jesus, I don't know how anyone could live on that amount. (I'm not doubting you, just amazed). My bills this month alone were 85 euro. That's just water/electricity/building maintenance fee. I don't pay internet bills or anything else.
Did you have transport costs?
cloneslad wrote: » 400k a month x 2 (my g.f lived with me) Here's the breakdown.100k each for bills, though usually came to about 170-190,000. So we got some back to spend for whatever. Bills accounted for: Cable Tv - Hello D- Delux package so we could watch the premier league in English and have discovery channel, bbc entertainment and Knowledge etc. Internet Gas - we used heating from November to February Electricity -we used aircon from July to the end of sept. landline (usually only about 3,000won a month) Apartment fee (bins, recycle, security, communal electricity etc) usually about 70,000per month.200k each for food This gave us 100k a week to do our shopping. Shopping was usually made up of chicken fillets, pork, vegetables, corn flakes, bagles, fruit, bread, milk, pasta, crackers, ham, cream cheese, couple of large gatorades, and all the other usual stuff. we did one large shop on a friday night or saturday morning in Homeplus. Buying large multiple chicken fillets/ pork chops and freezing them seperately to allow us to cook lots of dinners with them. Some other things like bread and milk would have to be bought again during the week. Our school provided us with dinner three nights a week (m/w/f) at 6pm and we'd finish work at 9 so there was no need for a diner on those nights, just cornflakes / toast in the morning before a run, then a bagel before school started at 3:45.We'd then have 100k each for whatever As I don't drink or smoke this was generally spent on getting ice-cream or going to the cinema, playing screen golf, going bowling etc. We'd try to stick to not spending more than 400k each because we wanted to travel then have money for coming home, but if I needed or wanted to buy myself something, then I would do it. when I was in Korea the first time I was speding 90k on Taekwon do and another 80k on the gym each month. These expenses were cut out the second time around as I did a lot more road running instead. I lived on an island, only had to walk 6-7 minutes to work. A bus to anywhere on the island was 1,000won. I had no travel expenses, though we did buy a scooter for 50k (came with a full tank, a helmet and a lock). we only used it for about 3 months, going to and from the beach, but as it was a complete death trap of a thing, we never kept it going once it got a flat wheel.
kraggy wrote: » Ha ha. If you could persuade your girlfriend that she wanted to watch the premier league, I bow before you. Pure skill lol. Seriously though, let nobody coming to Seoul think that they could do the above in this city. I'm not just saying it would be hard, it would be impossible. My transport costs alone are 20,000 per week. Food is more expensive as well. Also, while cooking during the week is fine by me, I like to eat out a couple of times over the weekend. Having said that, it's not TOO expensive. You can get a decent burrito or indian for 10-12,000 here.
cloneslad wrote: » http://www.facebook.com/groups/23316238780/ get yourself on to this group. A fellow Irish teacher is leaving this weekend and there's a going away party for him. It's just the usual getting drunk they do every weekend, but this time there's a purpose. I think they are also having a bar crawl on friday night too. Get yourself a scooter as soon as possible, and a thick pair of gloves / scarf for riding it for the few months over winter.
net86 wrote: » If you fancy coming over to Gohyeon this weekend or any weekend just let me know. The pub crawl for tonight has been cancelled but we do have the leaving party tomorrow night - there are always a lot of us out at the weekends anyway so you will have no problem meeting people here
col89 wrote: » Yeah, that's definitely a great link - I discovered it a while back! I'm not sure if I'm sold on getting a scooter for traveling the whole island just yet because I'm not sure how I'd take to the many roads and heavy traffic, but I'll be looking out for cheap scooters to see if anything good comes up! As for the bar crawl - that sounds like my kind of style. Cheers for the invitation, it's a pity that I've only seen this now! I've got to ask one of the teachers to help me out with looking up the different buses and where which one goes to where, so I'll definitely be meeting up with you at some point in the future! Are you living in Gohyeon, yourself? I'm not sure if I passed the area when I was coming to Jangseungpo on bus, but is there many Westerners over there?! I'm literally the only one living in Jangseungpo. :pac: By the way, how much money would people spend on a night out, whether it's just drinking in some bar or getting a bit of food before/after drinking?! Would people bring out a lot of money, or is the nightlife relatively cheaper than Ireland's?!
col89 wrote: » Cheers for the invitation, it's a pity that I've only seen this now! I've got to ask one of the teachers to help me out with looking up the different buses and where which one goes to where, so I'll definitely be meeting up with you at some point in the future! Are you living in Gohyeon, yourself? I'm not sure if I passed the area when I was coming to Jangseungpo on bus, but is there many Westerners over there?! I'm literally the only one living in Jangseungpo. :pac: By the way, how much money would people spend on a night out, whether it's just drinking in some bar or getting a bit of food before/after drinking?! Would people bring out a lot of money, or is the nightlife relatively cheaper than Ireland's?!
Elba101 wrote: » Hey, I'm moving to Siheung, Gyeonggi-do in about 2/3 weeks. Was told it's quite close to Seoul but it's not! Can't find out too much about it. Does anyone know anything about it? Or is anyone there? Thanks!
roosh wrote: » anyone know what the medical examination in Korea actually entails?
kraggy wrote: » Put it to you this way, it's nothing to worry about.
kraggy wrote: » The urine test is for drugs and certain medical conditions. Also, there is an eye test, hearing test and chest x-ray (for TB I presume). Mine was a joke. They rushed through everything and the nurses were like teenaged girls laughing and giggling at every turn. Couldn't believe they were actual nurses. They rushed me through the eyetest and hearing test. With their laughing I was totally distracted and got a few things wrong and they just laughed and said, ok move on to the next thing. Then they wrote down that my hearing and vision were fine. Put it to you this way, it's nothing to worry about.
