American expat Anna works as a high school teacher in Incheon, South Korea, a country she finds to be very beautiful with friendly people. Read her interview to learn the steps she took to get a good teaching job in Korea, her cost of living observations, and some of the things that have made an impression on her as a foreigner living in Korea.	Anna

-Where were you born?

I was born in Saint Paul, MN, USA. I've lived in Minnesota my whole life.

-In which country and city are you living now?

I am living in Incheon, South Korea.

-Are you living alone or with your family?

I am living alone.

-How long have you been living in Korea?

I have been in Incheon for four months.

-What is your age?

I am 25 years old.

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Korea?

I got a teaching job in Minnesota right out of college when I was 22. I loved teaching at the high school I was at, but didn't want to stay in the district. I decided that last year would be my last year in the school district. Once I determined that, I realized that this may be my last opportunity to live somewhere else before I settled down in a Minnesota school district for a long time. A lot of my friends traveled abroad right after college, and I regretted not doing something similar at that time.

As I was researching living and working in another country, I originally thought I would move to London. I studied abroad there in college and am a bit of an anglophile because of it. However, I knew it would be difficult to find a job, and even more difficult to find affordable housing and a job that would pay me enough to pay off some bills I had at home. I started looking a bit more at teaching jobs that would pay well and were located in a country I would like to visit. South Korea came up over and over in my research. There is a huge demand for native English speaking teachers in South Korea. The schools will pay for the flight, housing, a settlement fee, and similar wages to what I was making in Minnesota. I've also always wanted to travel in Asia and hadn't yet had the opportunity to do so, so I decided South Korea was the place for me.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a work permit?

It was not difficult. I had to send my passport and some paperwork to the nearest Korean embassy (in Chicago) and it was done within a week or two.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?

I bought traveler's insurance for the first month I was here because my Korean insurance did not kick in until after my first month of working. It was not difficult to get traveler's insurance and as far as I know, I have decent insurance here in Korea. I have not had to use my insurance, but I'm told doctor's visits and medications are very inexpensive with insurance.

-How do you make your living in South Korea? Do you have any type of income generated?

I teach English at a boys' high school. I make about the same wage as an average Korean. It is fairly easy to find a teaching job in South Korea. They are in desperate want of native English speakers to teach English. Generally the minimum requirements are that you have a four-year degree from a college or university, and are a native English speaker. Because I am a licensed English teacher with experience I make more money than a native English speaker without experience or a degree in English or education.

I found a job within my first month of looking for one. I turned down a few positions before accepting my current position. A lot of private schools in South Korea will try to scam native English teachers so it is important to do research before choosing a school or recruiting agency.

I did a bit of research on Dave's ESL Café. There are job postings and forums on the website that are helpful. I ended up going through Canadian Connection, a recruitment agency in Canada. I had heard about them through a friend of a friend and I would definitely recommend them to others.

-Do you speak Korean and do you think it's important to speak the local language? Please add your thoughts on local customs and whether it's important for expats to respect/observe local customs.

I do not speak Korean at all. My abilities extend as far as "hello" and "thank you". Normally I think it's a very good idea to try to learn the local language. Many of my friends have made an attempt to learn Hangul (the Korean alphabet) or a few phrases, and it is a lot easier going out with them because they can usually order in restaurants, etc. Also, I know my co-workers and my students would really appreciate it if I knew a bit of the language. For me, I feel like I haven't had enough time to devote to studying Korean. I love learning new languages and there are a few that I would like to learn in the next few years, but because I'm only planning on staying here for a year and because I probably won't ever need to know Korean again, I have not put in the effort to learn the language. As one of my friends who worked abroad a year ago told me before I left, the language is probably the best "souvenir" you can take away from a country. At times I feel incredibly guilty about not learning the language. I rely either on gestures or Koreans' limited English skills to get my meaning across. I shouldn't rely on Koreans to always speak my language, but sadly it just happens.

Even though I have not learned the language, I do think it's important for expats to respect local customs. I try to as much as possible, but I know I still make mistakes. Respect is very important in Korea. Usually that respect is shown through bowing or giving and taking things. I try to bow as much as possible, but probably don't bow as low as I should or as often as I should. Also, when receiving a gift, one should take it with both hands. Sometimes I forget this during the awkwardness of receiving a gift from a Korean (they love to give small gifts all the time). But I think most of the Koreans I know realize that I'm trying to learn and respect their customs and appreciate that. So as much as possible, I think it's important to learn about and respect a country's culture.

However, there are some things I will not adapt to. For example, I am a vegetarian and have been for over five years. When I first ate lunch at my school, many of my co-workers gave me a hard time because they felt I was not eating enough. One of my co-workers told me "when in Korea, do as the Koreans do". I told him I could adapt to most things but this was a moral issue for me. It took months of explaining, re-explaining, and translating for them to finally stop pestering me about eating meat. So as long as you're not compromising your values, I think it's important to respect local customs.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?

Oh I definitely miss home and family and friends. I have not had acute bouts of homesickness yet, but there are just small waves that usually pass. Staying busy, making friends, and traveling are the best ways to overcome homesickness.

I was lucky because when I came to Incheon, I had orientation for new teachers working in the Incheon public schools. There were over one hundred of us and we stayed in a hotel for four days. I met a lot of people through orientation who have become my really close friends. I rely on them like I rely on my family at home. I am fortunate to have met so many people at once. Since orientation I have met even more people at expat hangouts in both Incheon and Seoul. I think it's important to become friends with "locals" (in my case, Koreans), but I also think it's important to have some close friends who are expats. For example, during Christmastime it was nice to talk about Christmas traditions and have others realize that everyone is a little homesick at this time. Most Koreans do not celebrate Christmas to the extent that we do in America, so they couldn't sympathize with me during Christmas.

I did taekwondo for two months while I was here. I met a lot of people through the class and it also helped me learn a bit more about Korean culture. There have also been plenty of opportunities for me to get involved in other activities and groups through, maybe it's pathetic to say it, Facebook. I joined some Facebook groups and have invitations to activities all the time. I have also spent a lot of my time traveling around Korea which is a great way to break up some of the monotony of the weekends, meet people, and see a bit of the beautiful areas of Korea that I might otherwise miss because I live in Incheon.

-Do you have other plans for the future?

I plan on staying in Korea for only one year. My contract will be up in August/September 2009. After that I am not exactly sure what I will do. I may travel some more around Asia or Australia. I may try to find a teaching job in Minnesota, I may go to grad school, or I may just sub for the year and save up for grad school and more traveling plans.

My immediate travel plans include Thailand. I will be traveling there in three weeks. I would also like to go to China and Japan within the year. My sister is studying abroad in Spain in a year so I hope to visit her there. While there I would like to tour more around Europe.

So really everything is up in the air for me at the moment. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but I do appreciate that I have so many options.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?

Housing is provided for me by my school. I live in a fairly large (by Korean standards) studio apartment. It was furnished by my school. I have absolutely no idea how much housing costs in Korea because I have been spoiled by my school.

-What is the cost of living in South Korea?

The cost of living is lower than in the United States, but I do not know exact figures. There are some things that are much less expensive here, like groceries, Korean food, etc., but the cost of living is not that much lower than the U.S. As a native English teacher, I make the same as the average Korean, but I do not have to pay rent, support a family, etc., so my wage is quite good by Korean standards.

-What do you think about the Koreans?

Koreans are generally incredibly hospitable and will usually go out of their way to help foreigners. Overall they are very nice people who mean well. Sometimes (where I live) they can be very hesitant to speak English because it is very important for Koreans to "save face" and to not make mistakes. Because of this, Koreans often appear shy when they may not be.

Now, in this paragraph I am completely generalizing and I am not speaking about all Koreans, because as a general rule I really like Koreans, but I will be honest in how they sometimes treat foreigners. Obviously I am a minority in this country, and I feel like I am a minority most of the time. Young children will stare at me. School-age children will yell "hello" to me. Older people will sometimes point at me and often stare at me. As often as Koreans are nice to me, there are just as many who look at me with pure contempt. I'm not entirely sure why this is, whether it's that they don't like that I'm teaching English in their country (Koreans are very patriotic) or because they think I'm Russian (aka a prostitute—there are many Russian women here who work as prostitutes so sometimes my female friends and I will be asked if we are Russian). Sometimes Koreans try to be overly helpful as well. There have been many times when Korean women in restaurants have tried to mix my food for me or show me how to eat something when I've eaten it dozens of times and have lived here for months.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Korea?

The people are generally incredibly kind and hospitable. It is a very safe country. I do not worry about walking alone at night. It is also a very beautiful country; one that I think is underappreciated by many of the western countries. There are impressive mountains and lovely beaches. Transportation is easy to use and it's easy for me to get around in Incheon and Seoul.

I listed the negative aspects above in the treatment of foreigners. I don't like feeling like I'm on display all the time. Some of the Koreans' behavior towards foreigners would be considered downright racist in the U.S.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in South Korea?

If you are planning to teach in Korea, do your research about the school or company you will be teaching with. Go through a reputable recruiter. Get out and see as much of Korea as you can. There are some truly beautiful and unique areas. Become friends with Koreans but also maintain a connection with the expat community. Also, learn to be very easy-going. Koreans do most things at the last minute and planning is not their strong suit. Expect to be told things at the last minute or not at all.

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about South Korea?

I must promote my own blog, Anna's Out of Country Experience: http://imsoboredwiththeusa.blogspot.com.