Thanks hun! given me a lot to think about, i guess i want to work for a reputable place that really doesnt take the mic with things like holidays, pay etc, also i need my hols :)

i love this site, great for learning about living abroad and so great for getting insider tips on things, so im really greatful! 

Sounds like so much fun... hostels.. mm maybe gove this a try, if you go to south america, bolivia is awesome, Loki hostel was best place i went and noone can beat bolivia for price :) I am so poor at the minute aswel, in so much debt after my holiday and seriously struggling to find anything in the UK, faster i get into Korea the better xx

Hey! so what are you up to now? loved your 'about me' section"! sounds similar to my nearly getting arrested in Chile in November... Im trying to get out to Korea as soon as possible and could do with some advice about whether to be too picky about a hagwon or public school

In regards to politics, everything seems to be calm. I don't know how much longer I'll be here. I will have a more sure decision after Christmas.

ah, yes, Everland! the 8th wonder of the world. You cannot leave Korea without seeing this great multi-million dollar white elephant!  mind boggling and in the middle of nowhere, that few Koreans know about and as big as Disneyland.  check it out on wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everland    but warning do not go in winter..you will not last longer than 20 min out in the open before frantically diving into the nearest building & cowling in front of a heater.  The "soju" will especially come in handy then!

The silver taxis are the cheaper fare ones in korea as apposed to the black taxis, which are their version of the VIP type.  The "silver" drivers are more dodgy and I found that you can negotiate the fair with them, however you may not end up where you wanted to go or they may not take the shortest route.

Have you noticed how big the young Koreans are (mainly in Seoul perhaps)?  I think they are biggest of the Asian race..and at 5"10" I was dwarfed in the trains, whreas I was a Tokyo "six footer".   Do you think they can become more foreigner friendly?  I was surprised that even after a long American presence, they lack  street signage and have a low level of undestanding of English among the older folk..who by the way are the majority bus and taxi drivers, train station personnel (because it seems the young have all become professional somethings) makes it so hard to get around without a local young helper.

BTW a "PA" is a personal assistant....yeah I know, I had it good. But it was a full on intense program 8am -6PM, 6 days a week over 3 weeks. but did get paid 600,000 WON and airfares & accomodation/food included. But needed degree, teaching quals, working visa. hard to find those.  regards 

Hey,

The contract was a year.. well you get paid for a year, but theoretically it is about 10 months with the holidays and stuff. I wrote wrong when I said 15 months, I just meant we would spend 15 months in China. We wanted to come earlier, so we went to the agents school and taught there for a couple of months before going to HK, getting our work visas then we started the contract on August 15th. We finish 30th June. Also get 5 weeks off in February for Chinese new year amongst other holidays.

Yes, China is very racist against black people. I don't know if it's worse than Korea. I would say it sounds more relaxed here though. Korea is very conservative right?

If you come here to teach, you would teach about 16x40 min lessons a week in a government run school with free weekends and such. In a private school a lot more.. but the pay is better. I would advise against private schools though. I'm sure you know the pay in Korea is loads better!

Six month contracts are not unheard of, but I think with all the paper work it takes to get a work visa, it is not in their best interests to do this. Many people work on a six month business visa.. though it is not legal.

The kids here do the same hours, just about. Start at 7.30am and finish at 11pm ( !! ) but foreign teachers in government schools have sociable hours of around 8-5. My busiest day is 5 lessons. I do two in the morning and three in the afternoon. Most days I have no more than 3. And free weekends! Yay! =]

hi!  really funny stuff.   I can relate to a lot of it having taught at Yongin just south of Seoul last year,  near Everland(o) theme park. Have you been there yet. apparenty the third largest outdoor theme park in the world, yet noone seems to have heard of it.  Have you spent winter in Sth K. ?  it is freeeezzzzzing, it nearly killed me at -12C high for the day.  ducks were walking across frozen lakes and water falls frozen in motion. I prefer a sunny beach! 

Yes, the language is impossible...western tongues were not meant to move in those positions and utter those sounds. I can speak a little French, Italian, Japanese, Chinese & lots of Greek, but Korean..forget it! And the names...I was so glad the school gave them English ones and tagged them!  But poor little things...the English language pronunciation is just as difficult for them, so let's be understanding and patient.

Have you mastered catching a public bus in Korea?  I was warned very thoroughly to not even try it, but brave & stupid me gave it a go...but only once, never again!  Taxis & trains only from now on. But taken for a ride in a "silver" Korean taxi, so have to be wary...unlike my favorite Asian country Japan where you can trust all.

Finally, I couldn't take anymore of the "kimchi" which was compulsory at brkfast, lunch & din.  They say it is "good for you" but the garlic, chilli & ginger cabbage stuff first thing in the day was getting to my European born stomach. But the students were amazingly smart, eager and creative...but I think I had a selected  advanced group because they knew I was an experienced teacher. Geat experience overall & must mention I had a local TA & a PA to assist me.  Is it same for you?  regards Terry

Yea...I think that is the ideal dream for most Americans. To have an US and EU passport, you have the ability to live and work in many of the beautiful places in the world. I think the most ideal way is to find an EU citizen who is interested in getting U.S. citizenship (in that case it would be a mutual agreement). Of course, it is easier said than done but it is something to consider.

No...I would not say that I am sick of Ecuador. Rather, I am just keeping my options open. Ecuador is not the most easiest country to get a visa. I always believe in having a Plan B. I have always wanted to go to Europe. Latin America is nice but Europe (I believe) would be better (in my opinion). I am grateful to have a US passport but to have a EU passport also (that would be perfect for me).

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to be more relaxed and you can make a good salary (that depends on the school). Or you can teach at a university (if you qualify with the new law). The new law says you need to have a master's degree in the subject that you are going to teach.

If you are really considering Cuenca, I would say go for it. Cuenca has it all (entertainment, city life, art,  historical sights/culture, great weather, gorgeous mountains). Just keep in mind that Cuenca is one of the most expensive cities to live in Ecuador. So, if you plan on going there before getting hired, I would suggest that you bring enough money to live on for at least two months.

If you are looking for a relaxed, comfortable, quiet life in a smaller city (Loja population 150,000), Loja could be the place for you. It is deemed as the #1 eco-city in Ecuador and the safest place to live (when compared to city populations over 100,000). As far as convenience, Loja may not have everything but it has enough. Alix (who is living there now) can tell you more about living in Loja if you are interested.

If you are worried about safety, you should consider living in an upper class neighborhood (where it tends to be more safer). Big city vs small town? It is really up to you. There are some cities that fall in the middle but most of them lack several things (like a beach or mall or good hospital, etc..). 

As far as the best work environment, it depends on your tolerance. In the majority of private schools, you will have to deal with spoiled students. It can be quite a challenge to deal with if you don't have the patience. However, they offer the best salary in comparison. Public schools are more easier to manage in regards to discipline but they pay less (a whole lot less). Language institutes is probably best for someone who is starting to teach in a new country. The environment tends