Thank you to everyone who has contacted us via Facebook, email and the comments section! It’s great to talk to new teachers who are excited to come to Korea and hear which questions we need to answer on our site. With that in mind, we’re changing the format of Teach Korea Tips from a blog to a more direct Q&A site. With this redesign you’ll be able find the answers to your questions about coming to Korea without searching for the right blog post.

If you have any questions we haven’t answered here yet (we know there are a ton!) please let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page so we can make this page as complete a guide to teaching in Korea as possible.

• Am I qualified to teach in Korea?
• Do I need to have a TEFL certificate?
• How much money can I really save with a job in Korea?
• Why teach ESL in Korea? (instead of Japan, China, etc.)

• How far in advance do I need to apply?
• How can I make my resume stand out?
• Should I apply to private schools (hagwons) or public schools?
• What should I expect during my phone interview?
• What needs to be in my contract?
• Where do I look for a job in Korea?

• Which kind of Korean visa do I need to get?

• Do I need to speak Korean?
• How much money do I need to bring to Korea?
• What is a Korean workplace like?

So the poll questions didn’t change this month – unfortunately, February’s hack attack and subsequent WordPress re-install wiped out the poll results up to that point. Therefore the number of votes shown below are much lower than normal.

(For readers outside of Korea) Which Korean foods have you tried and enjoyed?

• Bibimbap (mixed rice, egg and veggies) (67%, 22 Votes)
• Kimchi jjigae (spicy kimchi stew) (55%, 18 Votes)
• Pajeon (green-onion pancakes) (55%, 18 Votes)
• Galbi (grilled beef ribs) (52%, 17 Votes)
• Samgyeopsal (grilled bacon / pork belly) (39%, 13 Votes)
• Dak galbi (spicy grilled chicken) (36%, 12 Votes)
• Doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) (33%, 11 Votes)
• Han-woo / Han-u (Korean beef) (21%, 7 Votes)
• Samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) (18%, 6 Votes)
• Hanjeongsik (fancy Korean tableful of food) (18%, 6 Votes)
• I’ve never tried any of these (6%, 2 Votes)

Total Voters: 33

I’m not sure if there’s a correlation between how many Korean restaurants serve these dishes, but the top five or six seem like the sort of things most Korean restaurants in other countries would serve.

__________

What will you miss about Korea when / if you leave? (readers in Korea – select all that apply)

• The public transportation (74%, 14 Votes)
• Cheap medical service (63%, 12 Votes)
• My friends in Korea (63%, 12 Votes)
• Reduced living expenses (63%, 12 Votes)
• The low crime rate (63%, 12 Votes)
• Lots of things to do (47%, 9 Votes)
• The Korean idea of service (47%, 9 Votes)
• The jimjilbang (42%, 8 Votes)
• Kimchi – ’nuff said (37%, 7 Votes)
• The street food (37%, 7 Votes)

Total Voters: 19

While the number of voters was lower, there’s a big logjam at the top. I’m a bit surprised that ‘public transportation’ wasn’t higher, considering how it goes seemingly everywhere.

___________

This month’s poll questions:

For readers in Korea: What’s your one wish for Korea?

For readers outside of Korea: Are you planning a trip to Korea?

Either way, visit the main site to vote! (If you’re reading this in your RSS feed or on another website, click here to visit chrisinsouthkorea.com and vote).

© Chris Backe – 2011

This post was originally published on my blog, Chris in South Korea. If you are reading this on another website and there is no linkback or credit given, you are reading an UNAUTHORIZED FEED.

Author’s note: There’s bound to be updates to this month’s events – keep checking back for more information and new events! If you have an event you’d like to plug, comment on this post or contact me with all the details. Please follow a few guidelines for the maximum benefit.

February 26-March 12: Internal Affairs – Joel Bewley solo painting exhibition

As part of his continued exploration of the enigmatic theme of duality, Joel Bewley continues his visual and conceptual journey in his second solo show Internal Affairs. As the title suggests, the works presented deal with the interior struggles which individuals confront daily either consciously or sub-consciously. This struggle is visualized through the use of a dark gray palette off-set with blindingly bright orange swathes, patches, outlines, and other various visual elements throughout the images; in other words the mythological battle between light and dark. Bewley’s use of mass-produced and easily recognized product labels hint at the banal commonality of these struggles, and suggests they may not be as unique or deeply interior as one may initially think, and in fact may be universal to the human experience.

Laughing Tree is in the Haebangchon area; til March 5th, it’s open from 4pm-9pm. March 6th-12th, it’s open by appointment. See more details at laughingtree.com.

March 5: The Eagles. If you haven’t heard of “Hotel California” or any of the band’s dozens of chart-topping songs, it might be time to turn on your oldies station. They’re still around and kicking up some music – just be prepared to pony up six figures for the tickets. Olympic Park, ticket.interpark.com 1544-1555

March 5: If you need a bit more energy in your music, check out a cheaper show of local musicians SuperKidd, Ynot?, Common Ground, Rock Tigers at Soundholic in Hongdae. Show starts at 6pm.

March 5: Before heading to a show, pick something up from the First Saturday Flea Market, put on by the Seorae Global Village Center. If you have something to sell, registration is free, but must be done by the DAY BEFORE. Call 02-2155-8915 or email [email protected] to learn more.

March 5 and 6 at 8:30 at Bar Carmen: The Ravagers. Created by Blake E. Bolan
Tickets 15,000 KRW 50% of the proceeds will be donated to The House of Sharing.

Based on The Suppliants by Aeschylus, The Ravagers is an exploration of manipulation, control, dissent and humanity. The Ravagers will undergo simultaneous workshops in Seoul, South Korea and Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA with Savage Umbrella. Nearly 20 artists under the direction of Blake E. Bolan in Seoul and Sarah Teich in Minneapolis have been discussing, researching and moving their way through a modern take on the themes. Both companies will perform the material generated by these workshops in March. After the workshops, Bolan will use the material to writ.e a full production which will curtain Fall of 2011 in Minneapolis. Following both performances will be a brief discussion with Bolan, the actors and the audience. Stay after the talk-back Saturday March 5th for a special 10th Birthday party for Seoul Players. Come for the show, stay for the cake. For more information, go to the Seoul Players website – seoulplayers.com.

March 6: Make a resin charm at this resin charm workshop at the Laughing Tree in Haebangchon. Your fearless leader is Dale Meister, a metalworking artist with some beautiful stuff also for sale. Reservations and 15,000 won are required (materials will be provided), so email [email protected] to reserve a place.

March 8th: a lecture on gender advertisements in the Korean context, presented by none other than Mr. James Turnbull of the thegrandnarrative.com blog. If you enjoy adverts and analysis, you can’t beat the insights available here.

March 9th: Santana - another world-class musician coming to Seoul? Two in one month? We might be spoiled for choice if this happens more often. Expect plenty of Santana’s guitar action to go along with another six-figure ticket. Olympic Park,  ticket.interpark.com 1544-1555

March 12 (6pm-10pm): the V-DAY event you’ve all been waiting for. Both the Frills and Thrills Burlesque Group and plenty of other stuff is part of the vagina-loving event. Whether you like them or own one, it’ll be a fun time. Naked Bar & Grill in Hongdae – for more information, e-mail [email protected].

March 12: A heck of a lineup over at Club Spot: Things We Say:, Skasucks, Seoul City Suicides, …Whatever That Means, Swindlers, and the Strikers. 15,000 won gets you in and UNLIMITED FREE COCKTAILS from 11:30pm-12:30am.

March 17: St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated at full-throttle all across Korea. I don’t need to tell you where to find the parties – if you’re in Hongdae, Itaewon, or Gangnam, just follow the other foreigners. If you’d like to guarantee your chances of seeing some beautiful women, the Frills and Thrills Burlesque group will be performing at Roofers on both the 17th and the 19th.

March 19-21: Moses called – he wants his miraculous parting of the sea back. Jindo puts forth the festival celebrating what the waves do – create a 2.8km land bridge that people come to walk. Expect crowds – this is really the only time of the year that this tiny Jeollanam-do area gets on the map. Learn more at http://miraclesea.jindo.go.kr/.

March 26 – KOTESOL Seoul’s 8th annual conference. If you’re serious about teaching ESL, these are the people to hang around. Presenting four strands and 19 workshops, this is one of the best opportunities to meet your fellow teachers / professors in an academic setting. It’s also a great place to pick up new books for those students you work with on the side (not that you do that without permission from your boss and the blessing of Immigration, of course!). 11am-5pm, Sookmyung Women’s University’s main campus, free for members or 10,000 for non-members. For more information, head to www.seoulkotesol.org

March 26 – April 1 – the Tongyeong International Music Festival – a nice town puts forth a wonderful combination of opera, jazz, and plenty of other musical genres. There’s a little something for everyone – from orchestra to children’s choirs. Learn more at http://www.timf.org/main_e.php.

© Chris Backe – 2011

This post was originally published on my blog ,Chris in South Korea. If you are reading this on another website and there is no linkback or credit given, you are reading an UNAUTHORIZED FEED.