I'm in Busan! I made it and all is well. For the most part. Actually no all *IS* well. I've been here for a couple days now and I've been thrown a couple curve balls that have forced me to adjust my plans and expectations. That said, I'm getting help when I need it (often without me having to ask for it) and I have a feeling everything will work out just fine. So that's nice.
I'm experiencing jet lag, which is making simple tasks, like grocery shopping, just... not happen. I'll get to it, I promise. Then I can start eating like a responsible adult again. For now, I'm just eating tuna and instant-type meals. Quail eggs in a can (those are quite yummy actually). Fried chicken. Kimbap. You know, quick and easy stuff. I bought eggs today, so that's one step up. Don't worry I'll get there.
My job is in Jwa-cheon, which is a rural area. It's about 20 minutes northeast of where I'm staying right now (Jangsan) by commuter train, but about an hour by bus. Seems like the obvious choice is the train, BUT the bus stops right near where I'm staying and the train station (not the subway station) is about 10-15 minutes walking distance, or a bus/taxi ride away. So...
I like Jangsan so far. It seems to have a lot of restaurants and coffee shops. Most of the other expats who I've spoken to about living here all seem to love it. Of course the people who don't live here say it's far from everything (20-40 minutes generally) and I'd be better off living in Jeonpo, Seomyeon, Bujeon, or Gwangan. I'm listening to all the opinions, then will visit all the other areas and make my own decision. So to clarify, I'm not working in a public school. I'm working in a private high school. So I was not provided with an apt, though I am getting a housing allowance. This means I get to choose where I live, but the school doesn't help with the key money/security deposit* and I'll probably have to supplement the allowance to cover rent.
What else has been remarkable? My sense of distance has to be recalibrated, particularly when using maps. In Toronto I could visualize what distance to expect depending on the area of the city I was looking at on the map. I'm learning that here the distances are actually much shorter than I think when I look at the map. It works for me, but it throws me off a bit. So that's interesting.
Anyway that's all that I can think of for now.
Peace,
Angel
*WOLSE (Monthly Payment + Deposit) is a variation of Jeonse in which you pay a certain sum as a security deposit (usually worth about 1~2 years rent) and pay a monthly rent on the designated date of each month. The deposits range from 4 to 20 times the monthly payment amount. It is usual to pay 10% of the deposit when the contract is signed and the balance plus one month’s rent when moving in. The deposit is returned to the renter at the end of the lease period. If the tenant is late with the rent that amount will be deducted from the deposit as will costs for damages, etc. It is occasionally difficult to wrestle the full amount from the landlord/landlady, especially if the lease was signed by an individual who is about to leave the country. Wolse is becoming increasing popular with property owners since they still get money they can invest (although interest rates are lower than they once were) while also getting a steady, non-refundable income from their property. Monthly rents range from KRW 300,000 to around KRW 3 million a month or more depending on location and quality.
-http://www.korea4expats.com/article-lease-options-korea.html-
