Well, it's been over a month since my last post because I am still waiting for my FBI background check to show up in the mail, leaving my progress somewhat stunted.
But despite the fact that a number of recruiters essentially told me I would not find a job until I received all of my paperwork, I have been able to strike a deal with a private school in the Si-Ji neighborhood of Daegu, SoKo!
This all unfolded after the potential job at a Montessori school fell through due to bad timing. The director needed someone to come in about two months sooner than I was ready to leave. Alas, there is such a surplus of English teaching jobs available in SoKo that this didn't present much of an obstacle. Even despite the throngs of people just like me who are flooding the country for teaching jobs, there are still enough school directors looking for teachers to keep the many recruiting agencies in business.
The job I have taken is for a private academy in Si-Ji, as I mentioned, and I will be teaching 5-10 year-olds, 35 hours a week. All 35 of those hours are teaching hours, which is a heftier load than I was originally looking to take on. I originally set out to find a position that would allow me enough free time to wander the country aimlessly, exploring my head and figuring my life out. But I figured this would be a good opportunity to really commit to living the local life and immersing myself in culture. Work and education, after all, are the pinnacles of Korean culture.
My contract is pretty standard for foreign ESL teachers in SoKo, which means it is basically phenomenal. For working 35 hours a week, I will be given a free, partially furnished, apartment, a decent salary, paid vacation, health insurance, pension, and severance pay.
Not bad.
I will have to buy my own cellphone, which is fine, because I'd really like to invest the $45 a month to get an iPhone, especially since iPhones are actually twice that cost anywhere in America. And I'd like to be able to easily keep in touch with my people back home.
In other developments, I bought a little language guide at a bookstore today and am getting a head start on memorizing the Korean alphabet. I've been told that this won't really be necessary since most Koreans speak at least enough English for me to get by. But I'd like to revel in the confidence of knowing at least some Korean and, though I'm pretty sure I will forget most of what I learn by the time I land in Korea, I at least want to soothe my traveling jitters with some basic language skills.
Oh, and did I mention I'm getting the jitters?
Again, I never cease to amaze myself. Just as I never anticipated having an existential crisis post-college, I never thought I would actually become as nervous as I have for this upcoming move.
But as the steps are finally coming into place with a job, things are beginning to feel tangible and as some of my friends have also graduated college and gone off, I have witnessed from afar the goodbyes that I will also have to dole out come September.
I know that decisions should not be made out of fear, and so I am curbing my fear and molding whatever bits that cannot be curbed into excitement.This is easily done, because there's a lot to be discovered out there.
I am also stalking all of the YouTube videos published by my ESL predecessors. Shaky cameras and all, I'm grateful for the footage of my neighborhood and sample apartments. Thanks guys.
Hopefully my papers will arrive any day now and I won't have to wait as long for my next update.
