JUST ARRIVED

Your first few days in South Korea will probably some of the most difficult.  Most likely you will be arriving after an extremely long day or two of traveling.  Culture shock is a very real thing.  You will probably feel a bit excited, overwhelmed, tired, confused, disoriented, dizzy, and anxious.  These are typical feelings when making such a huge change and having to adjust to new and unfamiliar circumstances.  This page will help you have a better idea of what to expect upon arrival and provide you with some important information to help you adjust accordingly. 

Beyond the long flight and the culture shock, teachers are often surprised by their first interactions with their schools.  Please note that the experiences vary greatly from one school to the next.  There is no set standard to expect.  Some schools do a good job making their new teachers feel welcome and helping them adjust.  Other schools only give a minor introduction and leave it up to their teachers to figure out. 

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR SCHOOL?
School owners or school reps are typically extremely busy.  Most of them receive several new teachers each year or have worked with many different foreign teachers over the years.  New teachers usually create a bit of extra work for school owners and reps that already have full schedules.  It is not that schools do not care about their teachers; it is usually that they do not understand the magnitude of transition that the teacher is making.  For many teachers coming to Korea, their move to Korea was one of the riskiest and most challenging things they have ever done.  They receive a much different welcome than they expected.  Things often just seem a little bit un-organized from the teacher’s perspective.

All in all, you should not expect a “grand welcome” or an “excellent introduction to living in Korea.”  It is not abnormal for teacher to be shown into their apartment and be given directions to the school and a time to show up.  At some point, schools will usually take their teachers out to dinner and give them a tour of the school, but they expect that their teachers will figure most things out as they go.  You should make sure to ask questions and for assistance.  Do not just assume that they are going to be answered or that assistance is going to be naturally extended.  School reps often assume you know something if you do not ask. 

Soon after your arrival, you should ask which person at the school will be assisting you in living matters, such as apartment issues, internet, bills, banking, and other everyday type of needs.  You should make sure to get this person’s phone number right away.  Other foreign or Korean teachers at the school are usually one of your greatest assets to learning about their new environment and figuring things out.  Most of these teachers have had to make the same adjustments, so they are able to understand what you are going through.  Establishing a relationship with your co-workers will be a great help during the adjustment period.  Always remember that Adventure Teaching is available to answer questions as well.

You should expect to be a little unsettled for the first couple weeks as you adjust to your new environment.  It takes a bit of time for the culture shock to subside.  Small tasks can be daunting and exhausting at first.  Finding things to eat, stores to buy desired items and ways to communicate can take a lot of time and persistence.   Don’t worry!  This is all normal, just take a deep breath and try your best to relax.  It will take some time and effort to establish your work and living routine, it won’t happen in a couple of days.  Remember to be flexible, and constantly remind yourself that you are in a culture vastly different from your own.  You cannot expect things to be the way they are at home.

Although the first few days can be frustrating and seem to last a long time, teachers are usually well adjusted after the first few days or weeks depending on their personality.  The everyday tasks get much easier and things settle down.  After a short time teachers become well acquainted with the Korean work environment and their neighborhood.  They know what to expect from day to day and they are able to establish their daily routines.  You just have to get over the hump.
TOP OF THE PAGE

APARTMENTS
It is not unusual for new teachers to spend the first few days or a week in a hotel or another vacant apartment.  This is usually done to the availability of the teacher’s actual apartment.  There is often an overlap between a new teacher’s arrival and the current teacher’s departure.  The new teacher must wait until the current teacher moves out of the apartment before they can move in.  Or the school might only be able to begin the lease on an apartment on a certain day of the month which is different from the day of the teacher’s arrival.  It is during this interim period that the new teacher will be staying in a hotel or different apartment. 

Korean apartments are typically left quite messy by previous occupants.  This is typical and acceptable conduct in Korean culture.  Most schools realize that it is difficult for teachers to move into unclean apartments and will make preparations to have the apartment cleaned before the teacher moves in.  Even after the apartment is cleaned by the hired cleaner, it may still be in need of a thorough scrubbing.   Chances are that the teacher will have to do the thorough scrubbing after they move in.
TOP OF THE PAGE

TELEPHONES
Communication can be a difficult and frustrating thing shortly after arrival.  Not having easy access to communication right away can make you feel a long way from home.  Usually the phone line and internet in a teacher’s apartment are not connected.  Almost no schools provide their teachers with a cell phone right away, if they provide a cell phone at all.  When school representatives show you into your apartment, they are usually happy to let you use their personal cell phones to contact your family, but this only provides the teacher with very limited access to communication.
This has been a consistent problem amongst newly arrived teachers, so Adventure Teaching can now help teachers get phones immediately and without any effort.
Click here to figure out how you can get a cell phone before you even arrive and have an immediate access to communication.
TOP OF THE PAGE

INTERNET
Wireless internet can often be found by moving the computer around to different parts of the apartment if the teacher has a computer. 
PC Bongs (or internet Cafes) are located in every neighborhood at a very minimal cost.  These cafes are a great resource for newly arrived teachers who are waiting to have the internet connected in their apartment or do not have a computer.  PC Bongs provide very high-speed internet and are marked by signs that usually say “PC” in English so they are easy to locate.  If you are unable to locate a PC bong on your own, feel free to say “PC Bong” to a Korean in your neighborhood and they should be able to point you in the right direction.
TOP OF THE PAGE

SHOPPING
Most teachers want to buy a few necessary items shortly after their arrival.  Most likely there will be a large home store nearby your apartment.  The following stores are kind-of a Korean version of Wal-Mart or Target.  They will have a grocery store, a pharmacy, household goods, clothing, electronics, furniture  etc.  The prices in these stores are lower than the prices you will find in convenience stores and the variety of items is vastly larger.  These stores or something similar will be very helpful in getting you settled. 
The most popular are:

	Emart: http://www.emart.co.kr/index.jsp
	Lotte Mart: http://www.lottemart.com/lim/handler/Index
	Homever: http://www.homever.com/main/index.asp
	Newcore (Kim's Club) : http://www.kimsclub.co.kr/

Your school representative, co-workers or people in your neighborhood should be able to point you in the direction of one of these stores in your area. You will probably want to avoid the big department stores, until after your first pay-check because the prices are significantly higher.
TOP OF THE PAGE

GROCERIES
For quick snacks, convenience stores (Buy the Ways, 7-Elevens, Family Marts, GS-25s etc) are located on almost every corner and sometimes in almost every building.  These stores are a great place to find some snacks, water, and other household items if you need them right away.  The prices are slightly higher than the major grocery stores.  You can probably find a number of snacks and beverages that you are familiar with in these little stores.  If you are at a total loss for what to eat and you need a meal, they sell a large assortment of Ramen Noodles, and all the necessities to make it and eat it right in the store (completely acceptable etiquette).
TOP OF THE PAGE

EATING OUT
You can probably ask any Korean in your neighborhood for a “Kim-bop Sheek Dong” and they will be able to point you to one. “Kim” means sea-weed and “bop” means rice in Korean.  “Kim-bop,” is a form of what westerners would refer to as “California Rolls.”  Of course you can find kim-bop at a Kim-bop restaurant but they also have quite an extensive menu to choose from.  Most people will be able to find something on the menu that they will enjoy, at a very affordable price.  A decent meal will probably cost between 1,000-8,000 won. 
Some popular dishes include:
Regular Kim-bop: rice, mixed vegetables, and ham rolled in seaweed.
Chom-shee Kim-bop: rice, mixed vegetables, and tuna fish rolled in seaweed.
Ya Chay Kim-bop: rice and mixed vegetable rolled in seaweed.
Dong-caus: Pork Cutlet usually served with BBQ sauce and rice as an accompaniment.
Kim-chi Tofu (pronounced: Kim-chee too-boo): A nice blend of Kim-chi served with slices of tofu.
Mandu: A form of dumpling with pork and mixed vegetables
Kim-chi Mandu: same as Mandu, with a touch of kimchi added along with the pork.
Ramen Noodles (la-mee-in): spicy ramen noodles, usually an egg and some mixed vegetables are added.
Bee-bem-bop (Mixed Rice): Mixed vegetables, fried egg, hot-sauce, and rice.  Make sure to mix all of the ingredients together.  You can have this either hot or cold.  Hot bee-bem-bop is usually served in black bowls, whereas the cold is served in metal bowls.

Western Food
Many fast food restaurants are located throughout Korea, although they are more common in big cities.  It is often more difficult to find them in smaller towns. 
Some common restaurants are:
McDonalds
Burger King
KFC
Dominos
Papa Johns
Pizza Hut
Note: There are many Korean Pizza places that offer pizzas for 5,000 won.  This is substantially cheaper than what you will find at the western pizza places. The most popular and widespread 5,000 pizza place is called PizzaSchool.  The pizza is made fast and tastes great too!
Subway
Suji's (Bundang, Gangnam, Itaewon)
Quiznos
Krispy Kreme
Outback Steakhouse
Bennigans
TGI Fridays
TOP OF THE PAGE

BANKING
Be sure to check your mailbox soon after your arrival.  Make sure to give all of the bills left from the previous occupant to your school representative to avoid any confusion.
Most schools pay once a month, for the time worked during previous completed month.  Because you will not be paid until you have worked roughly 1 month, the average individual will need to have access to about $300.00-$1,000.00 to support themselves until they get their first pay check.  The amount you will need is directly related to your spending habits.  Some people are able to live on about $300.00 per month and others who spend their entire pay checks frivolously.  It completely depends on how you budget your money. 

Accessing Money from Home
To access money from home, you will need to make sure that you have a major symbol on the back of your ATM/debit card/bank card (ie. Plus, Cirrus, Interac etc).  If you are unsure whether your card will work at ATMs in Korea, be sure to consult your bank at home, or we can check to see if the symbol on the back of your card will work at ATMs here. 
Also, because some banks charge you a foreign withdrawal fee/exchange fee (usually around $5.00 or more), you might want to raise the amount of money you can take out in a single withdrawal.  If you can withdrawal a larger amount, you will avoid paying this fee over and over.   
It can difficult to find an ATM that accepts western cards.  Many Korean bank ATM’s only accept Korean cards.  If you are having trouble finding a machine that works with your card, you will probably have the most success with an ATM located in a convenience store.  The problem with many of these machines though, is that the instructions are written in Korean.  The store clerks are usually happy to assist you, and respectful of your privacy as well, if you signal for help.  They will help you locate the withdrawal button and select the amount you desire.  Note: remember that the machines will typically ask you how many 10,000 won bills you would like.  So if you push the 10 man won button, it will give you 100,000 won, not 10,000 won. 

Setting up a bank account
The majority of schools will pay you by automatic deposit into a Korean Bank account, which means that you will need to set up a Korean bank account.  Usually a bank will allow you to set up a bank account using your passport, but sometimes they require that you have your ARC (alien resident card) before opening your bank account. This is a very simple process that your school director/representative should help you with. Banking using your Korean bank account is very easy as they provide you with a “pass-book” and an ATM card.  The passbook helps you keep track of all of your deposits and withdrawals, and can be used like an ATM card.  The ATM card allows you to access your account from ATM conveniently located throughout Korea.
TOP OF THE PAGE

Housing	Language	Just Arrived	Health Care	Types of Schools
Deductions	What To Bring	Cultural Sensitivities	Communication	Transportation

TOP OF THE PAGE