Arrived Successfully!!!

All is right in the world again, as I am back in Korea. This year, I'm living in Yeonsu-dong and teaching at Hambak Elementary School.

I left Pittsburgh International Airport at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday (Thanks mom and dad for getting up so early and driving me there!) I made a quick stop in San Francisco, and then it was right on to Incheon.

I flew Singapore Air this time for my international flight, and it was AWESOME! The food was good, the seats were comfy and the flight attendants were gorgeous. I actually had an entire 3-person row to myself for about 8 of my 12 and a half hours.

Unfortunately, some guy requested to change his seat because he "needed to sleep." They put him in my row. He slept, but he also tried talking my ear off. I didn't want to be rude, but I also didn't want to chat. I was tired and just needed to relax and watch some movies. I did my best to be polite and talk as little as possible.

I arrived at Seoul/Incheon International Airport at about 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. No one was there to meet me, so I took a cab across the newly-finished Incheon Bridge into Yeonsu-dong. My new home is just a 10-minute bus ride from my old home. I was in this neighborhood often last time because I have many friends here.

This time around has been a breeze so far because I know the area, speak the language and have a lot of friends here. It's so nice.

I stayed at Dan's house on Wednesday night, and walked over to my school in the morning. It's about 15 minutes walking distance from his pad.

They were having a special evaluation day by the school board, so the English classes were not in session. We basically just hung out all day. I also did the meet and greet with the other teachers and administrators.

The school is beautiful. They just finished repainting and remodeling some of it, including an incredible turf soccer field. The teachers and administrators were all very welcoming, and the two other native speakers were very nice as well. Both of them have been here for about 2 months and it's their first time in Korea.

Then I found out where I live. It is the same exact building as Dan and Colin. What are the odds? It's pretty incredible that I visited this building all the time last year and now I live here. Weird, but awesome.

On Thursday night, I went to Vicky's house and watched the SK Wyverns game with her dad. Her mom joined us a bit later. Vicky had to work until 9 p.m. Unfortunately, SK lost and are down 3-2 in the Korean Series.

After she arrived, we went and met some friends. Jess is leaving Incheon in a few days, and Eli is leaving next week. Also, it was Jess' birthday. We celebrated with a bunch of people at Go Bar. It was a good time.

I don't have to work today. They want me to rest, which is very kind of them. I have to get some essentials for my house, anyway. I also have to get some pics printed out for my alien card and medical checkup, which will take place on Monday.

Overall, everything is going really well. I like my house, got to meet my friends again and I'm looking forward to starting work on Monday. I think it's going to be a good year. Check back a little later for pics from the trip and pics of my new apartment!

Job Offer Accepted!

I got good news in the form of an email from my recruiter. First, the background story.

I was concerned about where I would end up next time around, because my recruiter informed me that the government was suspending bringing in new teachers until the new year because of the H1N1 flu that is spreading around. It seems to be Korea's idea to combat the spread is to isolate everyone and everything. In the last month, a bunch of high-profile provincial festivals and events have been canceled.

The good news email came last night, with a job offer from the principal of Hambak Elementary School in Yeonsu-dong. The latest I can arrive is Oct. 19. My assumption is that is the day they want me to start teaching. That means I'll most likely be leaving America on Oct. 16 or 17 in order to get back in time (remember, they're 13 hours ahead).

There are a lot of good things about this new move. The money is the same, but the hours are better. It's a standard work day, rather than afternoon and evening hours. There's more vacation time, more sick days and even days listed for "special leave."

Also, Yeonsu-dong is where all my friends live. That's not something to be overlooked. This past year, I found myself forced to take cabs home because the bus to this neighborhood stopped by about 10:30 p.m. If I got out at 9 p.m. and got on a bus to ride right over there for dinner, we still wouldn't be sitting down to eat until 9:30 p.m. at the earliest. We'd have to rush through dinner if I wanted to catch the bus home. So most times, instead of riding a bus home for 900 won, I had to pay 4,500 won for a cab. Just a hassle.

Now, I'll be on a different schedule from my friends since they're all still at academies. But being in the same areas makes splitting cabs and hanging out easier. It should be easier to relieve some stress.

Also, don't forget that this is my second time around. Much of the first half of my first year was simply adjusting to the culture, job and anything else. even the process of getting their was frustrating at times, not knowing exactly what to do.

This time, I'm practically all set with my documents already. I mailed away my American criminal background check to the Apostille today. I'll get my transcripts and second recommendation letter tomorrow. By early next week, I will most likely have my visa number. That means my plane ticket can be schedule soon, as well. Last time, everything really happened last minute and it was a real whirlwind. I don't even have to go to New York City for an interview this time.

All in all, this elementary school job is looking like a great opportunity. It's a little less time than I expected to be home, but that's okay. I'll have enough time to see family and friends, eat some wonderful American food and then head back to start my new year.

It seems like a quick turn-around, but things are looking.

Here is the website for the school. It's all in Korean.

Last post in the U.S.A.

The zero hour is here as I sit in the Pittsburgh airport waiting to get on a plane. As I said before, my first flight goes to San Francisco, where I'll have an hour-and-a-half layover before jumping on a plane toward Incheon, South Korea.

One snag so far is that I only got my ticket printed for the first leg of the journey. The people at the information desk, however, said I can just go directly to my next gate and get my second ticket there. Let's hope that's how it works. I'm certainly cutting it close for an international flight.

I'll miss all of you dearly and I hope you have a good year. I'll be thinking of all of you while I'm there. Please keep in touch. It's always nice to hear from a friend.

Next time I post, I'll officially be in South Korea! Until we meet again ...

Departing on September 4

I got my plane ticket a couple days ago and confirmed my departure date.

I'll be flying out of Pittsburgh at 9:20 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 4, and heading to San Francisco. The flight will take about five-and-a-half hours, getting me there by 11:44 a.m. Pacific Time.

Once there, I'll have about an hour-and-a-half-layover to stretch my legs, get some lunch and hopefully get a beer. I get back on a big Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 at 1:15 p.m. and take off for the long leg of the journey. For that, I'll be in the air for a little more than 12 hours.

Total trip time, including my layover, is estimated at 19 hours 5 minutes. I figured I could study my Korean language books on the trip over and be fluent by the time I get there.

If all goes well, I should land at Incheon International Airport at 5:25 p.m. Korean Time on Friday in Incheon.

It'll be really nice to get there on a Friday evening. That will give me the chance to check out my apartments and get any essentials I might need. I'll also be able to get a little rest before I start work on Monday.

The best part is having my buddy Dan out there. He thinks he'll be finishing work by the time I'm in my apartment that evening. We already have plans for him to show me around the city a little bit.

I'm sure I'll get a little bit of culture shock while I'm there. No matter how prepared I am going into this, it certainly will be overwhelming to see and hear everything in Korean. If I'm desperate for English, I guess I can just find a McDonalds or Coca-Cola. Good old westernization, making me feel at home. Ha.

There may only be a couple more posts before I leave. If anyone can think of any good travel tips for long flights or spending time in a foreign country, feel free to post them. I'm certainly open to suggestions.

Until then, I'll be eating as much beef and macaroni and cheese as possible. From what Dan says, that'll be hard to come by one I get there. Looks like Kraft and steak for dinner until I go!

Visa Approved!!!

The interview yesterday went very well and I was approved as a "very qualified candidate," according to Jong Heon Lee at the Korean Consulate.

I sat with Lee for about 20 minutes in which he asked me about why I wanted to go and why I felt qualified. He also told me some of the differences between Korean and American styles of teaching.

Apparently, in Korea, the teach or professor traditionally is there to simply lecture. But Lee wants the American style of discussion and dialogue to be applied. He said the times are changing slowly, and he hopes I use the American way to teach.

That certainly makes sense to me, considering they are English classes. I think conversation and dialogue are keys to learning the language.

One interesting thing Lee said is that he interviews a lot of people, but not all are as qualified as he would want. But because people pay money for the background check, Visa application and others things, he feels an obligation to approve them regardless. He said he has to make a note that those people would need a little more training when they get over there to make sure they're suitable teachers.

Fortunately for me, through my English writing degree and conversation with Lee, I was called "very qualified." Hopefully that means I'll be in the classroom right away, ready to teach the kids.

I pick up my passport with my Visa stamp today after 3 p.m. That's the last of my obstacles. Next up is a few days to tie up any loose ends here, and then I hop on a plane on Sept. 4.

Heading to the Big Stinky Apple

It's been awhile since I've posted, and with good reason: Nothing has been happening.

As I said before, I was simply waiting for things to move through the process. Well, they did, and I am on my way to the Korean Consulate in New York City tomorrow to take part in a Visa interview.

From what I've heard, it's roughly 15 minutes long and they just want to make sure I'm not insane or have some bad intentions for my time there. Fortunately for them and me, I pass both of those tests.

So I'm jumping on a plane in the morning, getting interviewed in the early afternoon, then picking up my passport on Wednesday with my E2 Visa stamp in it.

I also found out that I'll be getting on a plane for Incheon, South Korea on Thursday, Sept. 4. I asked for a few more days in town since I knew I had to make this NYC trip. It gives me the chance to tie up the last couple of stories for the newspaper and see family and friends one last time before I take the big plunge.

I have been studying my Korean phrase books and work books for the last two weeks now and am very happy about my progress. I can already recognize their alphabet and the sounds the letters make, as well as word construction. So I'll be able to read all the signs and whatnot, even though I won't know what it means yet. I think it's a good start anyway.

I'll update this after the interview and let everyone know what that's like.

So it goes ...

Playing the waiting game

The one thing I've learned throughout the process so far is that, while things happen fairly quickly, much of it ends up as waiting.

It took me only one day to put together all my necessary paperwork, except to get my criminal check authenticated by the state Apostille. Thanks to a mistake by the notary, I got that back and found out it needed notarized in a certain way.

My notary didn't know that and, I think, was still uncomfortable when I took it to her a second time. I lost about five days in the process sending the criminal check out once and getting it back with a note telling me about the mistake.

I can take some solace knowing that most notaries would have made the same mistake. I met someone else who will be in Seoul starting in November. She told me that her notary said the same thing. Fortunately, I went through it already, so she didn't have to lose any time like I did.

Here is the address of my school. Obviously this won't be my apartment's address as well. But I will be in this general location if you're trying to find it on a map.
Okryun-dong 194-42, Yeonsu-gu
Incheon, Korea
Jungchul School
zip code: 406-050

Of course, that is a different story altogether. No online maps are detailed enough for South Korea to show all the neighborhoods and wards. You will find Incheon on there, and that's my city.

My parents and I spent a whirlwind weekend dropping Melissa off at seminary in Virginia, then swinging up to New York to see Jeremy. The trip paid off for me because I got to see Jeremy and Melissa before I disappear for a year, and I also finally found a book store with Korean materials.

I got a beginner's workbook with cd, a phrase and culture book, a pocket dictionary and a book called "Making Out In Korean." There's no doubt I'll be doing the last one the most. Realistically, there is a lot of stuff in the last book that will be useful when I'm out. It has less formal phrases and more that are meant for getting to know people when you're out.

The good news is that my school got my paperwork over the weekend. That means they're reviewing it right now to make sure I'm a suitable candidate. They'll then send me a visa insurance number.

From they're I might have a couple of options. I'll either have to go to New York again to the Korean consulate to get interviewed for my visa, or I'll go on a visitor's visa to South Korea. From there, they'll send me up to Japan to get my visa paperwork completed.

Obviously I'm hoping for the second. If that happens, I'll get to check out Japan and NOT have to pay for it. The New York trip would come out of my own pocket.

That's it for now. Na-jung-e. (That's how it sounds to say "later." I don't have the capabilities yet to type in the Korean characters.)

Jungchul English School

Here is a little bit of extra info about where I'll be teaching.

As I already said, the city is Incheon, South Korea, which is about 60 miles southwest of Seoul. In Incheon, I'll be in the ward of Yeonsu-gu and the neighborhood of Ongyeon-dong. The school I'll be teaching at is the Jungchul English School.

Here is a video of the school taken by one of the teachers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO9trdGlaV8 This is a chain of schools in the country, but I am almost 100 percent sure this is the one where I'll be. Either way, it's an interesting tour. (Ed. Note - Not the same school.)

My plan is to get on a plane on Friday, Aug.29. That will give me a day or so to adjust before starting work on the following Monday.

I will be making 2,100,000 won per month over there, which equals $2,100. Not only is that more than I'll make here, but I will be living in a single apartment rent-free, which will stretch my money even further.

There are three other foreign teachers at this school giving English lessons. We work anywhere from 2 to 9 p.m. between 27 and 29 hours each week. So the hours aren't that long or demanding. I will be required to do some student-related activities outside of school hours, but I'm not sure what or how many yet.

We get two one-week vacations. One is in the summer and one is in the winter. Other than that, it's just a year of teaching. At the end, we get a one month's pay bonus and the ability to take a month break if I decide to sign up again.

My friend, Dan, has been giving me a lot of advice, and has absolutely no regrets except that he recently bought a car before making up his mind to head overseas. Fortunately for me, I will be able to pay off the CR-V before heading over. That will help me with paying off my student loans, my only debt left.

I'll be about a 10-minute bus ride from Dan, but he thinks it's about four or five miles. That means I'll be well within walking distance. They also have a great subway system over there, which Dan said they use to go into Seoul on the weekends to party.

I'll be speaking with one of the recruiters tomorrow morning at about 8 a.m., which is 9 p.m. his time. He'll be getting off work and I'll be waking up. Go figure. During that time, I'll find out where I need to send my packet of information in order to get my visa number.

Once I have that, I'll be able to get my visa through an interview at the Korean Consulate in New York City. Fortunately, we're making that trip this weekend after Mom and Dad drop Melissa off at school in Virginia. If timing works right, I'll be able to get that done up there, and be on my way home in the middle of next week with my work visa. All that remains after that is saying goodbye.

If anyone has any questions for me, feel free to let me know. If it's okay, I'll answer them on here just in case anyone else is wondering the same things.

Thank you so much everyone for your kind words and encouragement so far. It's certainly fueling my excitement. Twenty-seven days and counting!

Preparing to go

Hello family and friends!

Welcome to the place to find any and all information about my trip to South Korea. I'll take this first post to let you guys know how I came to this decision.

First of all, let me tell you that I absolutely love being a reporter. I think it's what I was born to do. I currently cover Shaler Township, Shaler Area School District and Hampton Township School district. My time reporting on these areas has been wonderful.

I've made a lot of friends and written a lot of great stories. The people in my communities are great, and it will be sad to say goodbye.

There are some downsides to being a reporter, of course. One is that a reporter will never make much money. That's okay for now because I'm doing what I love. The second problem is that many, many papers are dying because they're poorly managed from the top. That's no different than the company I'm leaving. Let's just say I'll be thrilled to tell them goodbye.

I've wanted to travel my entire life and considered teaching English as that avenue since college. My main problems were that I didn't know much about any of the companies that send you, and I was fortunate enough to get a job before I even graduated.

But here I am at a company I don't like and see a chance to go. It turns out my elementary through high school buddy, Dan Sadley, has been over there for four months. So with him as my recon man, I've amassed enough information to feel confident in making my decision.

What better place to go than an Asian country? There are so many things to learn about their culture, language, people and cities. There are very few negatives about the situation.

I'll actually be making significantly more money there as well as living rent free. That will give me a chance to send even more money in to pay off my student loans. That's something I didn't expect to do for a long time.

Teachers over there make nearly three times the cost of living of an average family. Public transportation and entertainment are ridiculously cheap. Working hours aren't too long or demanding, and there will be a host of other native English-speaking countries sending other people for me to meet.

Of course, I will miss all of you greatly. My contract will be for one year. I will get two one-week breaks, but won't be able to come home until my year is over. Even then, it's not far out of the question to assume that I'll consider staying even longer. A year is a long time, however, and much could happen in that time.

Just so you know, the best place to reach me is through crazyruthless@yahoo.com or on facebook. Don't be afraid to get on and try it out. You'll be able to follow this blog on this website or through my facebook page. I'll also post a ton of pics on facebook.

I have about a month left in the U.S. and will update with more details as they come. I'm on the verge of signing with a school in onyeon-dong in the city of Incheon. It's the third largest city in South Korea with 2.1 million people.

Until then, there is still much to do.

Keep checking back for updates!
-Aaron