Hi Everyone, I especially appreciate the honesty of your postings, as I am newly considering becoming one of you! Question....Do all positions require one to sign up for a 2-year teaching contract? Question...are there some 1-year teaching contracts available? Is the pay what you expected? Is it adequate or more than expected? Have you had the opportunity to save and be able to take some savings back home with you when your contract ends? Has it been difficult for you to deal with the language barrier issues? Thanks for your reply! Dee/USA

test match special.  6 nations rugby.  British ale.

I'm also in South Korea, and I miss a lot of the things you do. I miss good English cheese, and good English sausages (I found bacon at costco though). I think though, what I miss most is being involved in the community. Kinda like you were saying above, you will always be on the fringe. Especially if you, like me, don't speak the language that well. I think it's given me more of an understanding of immigrants in Britain though. I really miss thinking "Oh, there is a social issue" and being able to go and volunteer and be able to do something about it. I miss having my family close by (not necessarily living with them, but having them close). I miss knowing EXACTLY what is okay and not okay to do on a bus... I miss shopping in Tescos. I miss having cuisines from around the world to choose from when I go out to eat. I miss being able to cook cuisines from around the world at home! I miss my friends, and being able to hang out with them. I even kinda miss going to those really awful clubs where it was cheep booze because it was a week night and everyone was drunk and dancing (although they're dissapearing from Britain). I miss being able to flirt a little without being stared at. I miss being able to read all the signes and the backs of bottles! Urgh, I'm sure there's other stuff! I've only been here a year, and I'm not itching to leave, but I have decided that when my contract ends (Feb 2013) I'll be going to either an English speaking country or a European country.