The next, new adventure: Seoul!

Since January I have been applying to various ESL jobs. I had a few criteria I was aiming for:

1. A salary of around $3000 per month
2. Adult students, 18+
3. Located in Korea or the middle east
4. Airfare and housing paid

I had an interview in January, shortly after applying for a teacher training job in Seoul. This phone interview went very well. I knew I would be working with the woman who was interviewing me--we would be colleagues, so I intentionally strove for a balance of professional and personal. For example, I asked questions about turnover rates in the company, and I also asked if the staff socialized in their off hours. I showed an interest both in the job and in the staff. We spoke for a very long time, and I was thrilled at how wonderful it seemed to go. She told me I should hear from her within a week or two.

So I waited. Nothing.

One important thing I learned from Ukraine is that the world moves at different speeds and urgency doesn't always translate. This is neither good nor bad, just important to note. While America often is very schedule and deadline focused, many other countries have a lackadaisical approach that seems to lack urgency. Knowing this, I was not concerned when I did not hear from them.

For the next month I heard from the woman twice to tell me that the director had not yet made up his mind (great idiom, right?), but that she would let me know as soon as she could. So I waited, but began applying for other jobs.

I've been unemployed since coming back to America. Money runs out, sadly. I had my heart set on the Middle East for a while, applied to several jobs there and waited to hear back from anyone.

I got a job offer from South Korea and Saudi Arabia on the same day. This was unexpected, but it gave me a lot to think about. I know I would like to live both places within my life, both are very appealing to me, so I made a mental list:

PRO - Saudi Arabia           PRO - South Korea
good food                    some of my favorite food
better money                 more freedom
extra plane ticket home      allowed to date
                          friends and family can visit
                          better job

Ultimately I ended up with South Korea, and I am excited about my job! Here are some of the nitty gritty details:

1. 20-25 hours a week teaching TESOL certification courses
   
2. 30 hours a week in the office
   
3. 4 weeks paid vacation
   
4. free housing
   

Additionally, I'll be right on the metro line only 4 stops away from my work. Convenient, convenient, convenient. I am very much looking forward to this new adventure!


_{Miau Miau will get to rack up some frequent flier miles! Ukraine to America to South Korea!}

For now I am waiting on paperwork. In order to proceed, I need to submit a Fedex package consisting of:

1. 3 visa sized pictures (35mm x 45mm)
   
2. my original diplomas (this is very normal for Korea)
   
3. current resume
   
4. 2 official transcripts from each school
   
5. criminal background check with a special signature from someone in Olympia, WA
   
6. signed contract
   

Thankfully a few weeks ago I contacted my schools and asked for 2 official transcripts already. I have all but one of them, and I expect the final ones tomorrow or Tuesday. I need to print the visa pictures, and I need to drive to Olympia tomorrow for the autograph. Beyond that I am finished. They'll fill out the paperwork and I'll make an appointment with someone in the Korean consulate in Seattle.

I could leave in as little as 3 weeks. This is amazing.

New language goals: read and speak Korean. Let's hope it doesn't mean I forget all of my Russian.

Hope you enjoy my new adventures!