It's Official, I am moving to Korea...In 2 Months

Korea, here I come! I have officially accepted the position in Ulsan. It feels weird to type that actually.

Let's backtrack a bit so you can get the full story. I think we left off with me being neurotic and wanting to hear back instantly (haha). I was hoping to hear back Sunday night my time, as it would be Monday morning there but had no such luck. Monday evening I ended up picking up a shift at work until midnight and afterwards checked my email of course with no news. I was okay with this and had thought at that point that maybe the other interview she had went better than mine and I was going to have to continue my search. At around 1:00 AM I received an email stating that the director wants to work with me and a contract was attached. At this point I had to go onto my actual computer because I just didn't believe that it was true. Silly of me to think the email application on my phone would lie to me... Anyways, I read over the contract and was quite pleased with everything and knew (more so) that I really wanted this job and was going to accept. At this point it was now close to 2:00 AM and had no one to tell! It was killing me a little bit. I made sure that I messaged my Momma over Facebook because she would be getting home at 7:00 AM as she works nights and I knew that if she wasn't the first person I told, I would be in trouble! Funny enough, my Dad was one of the last people I told (Sorry Dad!).

As far as I know now, My contract runs from November 12, 2012 to November 11, 2013. November seems far away right now, but I am sure the next ten weeks are going to fly by. There is quite a bit I need to do to prepare and people I want to see before I go! Currently I just have to wait for my Criminal Records Check to come in before I can do anything else to get started on preparing documents to get my E2 Visa. I will be sure to keep everyone updated with this process and anything exciting that happens!

Side note, I treated myself and bought an e-reader which came in the mail today. I LOVE IT. It is going to be great for travelling.

Waiting Game 1 : Emma 0

I usually consider myself a pretty patient person, but waiting to hear back if I got a position in Korea is killing me. I have become a crazy person checking my email constantly to see if I have received any good news. I can't sleep properly at night either because it's day time there and I am always thinking I am going to get an email through the night. This has all been happening even though I know its the weekend, even in Korea. I have been trying to send good energy into getting the second job I interviewed for. Hopefully it works :)

Ulsan?

I had the interview with the director of a school in Ulsan, South Korea tonight. I think it went really well and after talking to her I REALLY hope I get the job! It sounds like it would be great. I know I said to cross your fingers for me earlier, but now cross your toes too! I have good feelings about this!

Another Interview?!

It's after midnight and I decide that I should try to get to bed considering I have to work at 9am tomorrow morning. However, being as neurotic as I am, I have to check my email every time I hear my phone buzz. No response yet from the job in Gimhae, BUT another contact of my Teacher Representative emailed me with a job opportunity in Ulsan, South Korea. Ulsan is also on the coast and is very close to Busan (Yay!). Again this job would start early November, working hours 1:30-8:30 pm. The only "catch" is that I would have a roommate to live with for my accommodations. The roommate would be Korean, but also teaching English. Yes, this might have a downfall when I want to be "alone", but I feel like she would be great to have around as a resource and someone to spend time with. I heard from my interview last night that it is easy to get bored and lonely and having a roommate would definitely help with that. Maybe she can even teach me some Korean!! Anyways, I have the interview tomorrow night at 11:30. I am going to have to nap when I get home from work so I have more energy! Haha. Maybe I will experience what a traditional interview will be like (talking slow, only lasts 5 minutes). Now I am completely wired and excited, sleep will have to wait.

Interview Time

I have come to realize that the process of using a recruiting agency and getting an interview is very different in Korea than here in Canada. I am working with a company called Teach ESL Korea. So far they have been great to me. They are so helpful in explaining all the details of getting my documentation ready and things I need to consider. I have a Teacher Representative, who I work with that helps me with the above, and a School Representative who I talk to almost every day via Skype and he gives me possible jobs and sets up interviews. When I talk to Scott, its interesting because it seems like he is doing a million things at once. I can hear conversations going on in the background and multiple phones going off and he answering them, it seems crazy to me but it's how he works. Unfortunately the job in Andong, did not work out as the school decided they wanted to hire someone who is already in Korea. That was a bummer, but understandable considering the cost of flying a student to their school. At first I was disappointed but then was a little relieved because of the reading I had done about the place stated how it is a little secluded and travelling out of the city can be a little difficult and time consuming. Scott gave me a couple more options he had for me and he contacted the school with my resume and introduction video that I made. Last night I had an interview at one of the schools, It is for a place called Kids College, in Gimhae which is 30 minutes away from Busan. Considering I really wanted to go to Busan to begin with but heard it is very difficult to get a position there, I was ecstatic. The interview was very casual and lasted for about 40 minutes. Apparently this is unusual for an interview for a teaching job in Korea. Usually they interviews are quite formal and last maybe 5 minutes. My interview was with the current foreign teach who's position I would be taking over. She was super nice and gave me a lot of information about life in Korea. I also liked that she didn't sugarcoat it for me. She flat out said that it is going to be challenging especially for the first few months. The hours are 10-6 and mornings are with Kindergarten students (aged 3-6) who are the most challenging, and the afternoons are with Elementary students (aged 7-11). She explained that breaks are not likely, and that the students especially the young ones can be a lot to handle, but you have to keep your cool and control and make the best of it. In the end she said that she would put a good word in with the directors. I really liked her. So now it's just the waiting game. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Oh Mark Twain, how wise art thee!

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain

It actually began quite some time ago, but it's starting to get real. Undergraduate degree...CHECK. TESOL Certification...CHECK. Application to teach ESL in Korea...CHECK. I have been given an opportunity to interview for a job in Andong City, South Korea. It is pretty close to Daeju and would start in December. This would give me a sufficient amount of time to tie up loose ends and sort everything out. My only setback is that Andong is a smaller city compared to others in South Korea. Its population is under 200,000 which can be seen as big, but compared to Seoul's 10,000,000, it is small. Not that small is a bad thing, its just the ability to easily travel the country. Andong does have outlets to travel such as the bus or train, but can take a good chunk of the day to travel to cities such as Seoul or Busan. Also, I am not sure how many other foreign teachers there are there. I would really like to go somewhere where there are other foreign teachers to have someone who can relate to you and knows what you are going though. A support system. I am still researching and thinking about it, so we will see what happens. Sometimes all this seems surreal but it feels right. I feel like this is the path that I want to take. That is what matters.