I think Monday's 1am interview went ok! But, having an online "Skype" interview is difficult enough but more so when the interviewers ID is "Cynical and Cold".

Broken!

She seemed ok and I wouldn't publically say anything more about my impression of her but I favour the first position which is purely based on my "Gut Instinct".  This may have been clouded by the fact that I had a couple of internet connection problems which were so bad that I couldn't even make out the questions, I had to stop the interview at one point and reboot my router.

The interview questions were again mainly around the fact that the children are really badly behaved... when i thinkk back to my school days and the number of teachers who were disrespected and abused by students that it is wonderous that they didn't leave the teaching profession altogether, probably some did.  So classroom management was the hot topic of this interview, there was also a question on teaching grammar and also questions about my strengths, which i think I handled well.  Cynical and cold said that she would let me know by 30th Jan at the latest.. so again more waiting!!!

We are still plodding away with the house sale... it is so frustrating. Time is now really critical. we need to be able to book tickets and with the iminent price hike in mid to late feb any delay seems that it will impact us negatively also. I feel quite stressed about it, not knowing is very annoying.

Great WeEkEnD!

We had a really good weekend! 

We went to the joint Birthday party of our best friends 2 eldest kids at the funky playhouse in Cambridge.  Afterwards we went to their house for dinner and the kids enjoyed playing on the Wii while we chatted.  Sunday was, of course, church and this week was Bi Bim Bap day also New year so we enjoyed the food and a game of "YUT", which is always good fun, even if just to be amazed about how excited the girls all get about it!  

The game board is really confusing and it is also fun to see the confusion on the faces of the non-Koreans that are playing!




These are the things we are really going to miss... OUR FRIENDS!!!  We maybe approaching our last week in the UK....


It is now 0:45am and I am waiting for another interview...  I am a bit dubious the interview will take place as it is a National Holiday in Korea today (New Year).... I AM SO TIRED - But have been to sleep!


Will update soon!

Interviews!

Just a quick update as it's very late! I have been on a business trip
for 2 days but i scheduled a post for each day I was away!

I have now had 2 agency interviews and tonight i had my first
interview with a school! The school is an elementary school in
bundang! The interviewer was the co-teacher and she seemed impressed
and she seemed to like me! I think it went well! I hope to hear from
her soon but this weekend is harvest festival. So a few days public
holiday in Korea she said she will call me anyway so fingers crossed
until then!

The house sale seems to be going ok! They have asked for some more
documentation which we were able to send them straight away! So more
fingers crossed here!

I will try to post a more detailed update soon!

--
Sent from my mobile device

Nearly resulted in serious injury!

Sunday night we moved a wardrobe downstairs, one of the many things we have sold this week.  I was holding the bottom and on the 3rd step from the top when Gong who was holding the top of the wardrobe said her neck hurt, she was unable to hold on and suddenly I found myself being pushed downstairs... fighting to stay on my feet, as I knew that if I fell backwards I would be seriously injured.
I have a couple of minor injuries sore foot, sore leg and a cut on my hand. But needles to say I have found the quickest way to get a wardrobe downstairs... you just need a wife to let go!!! 

Finally DID IT!

Finally handed in my resignation Yay!  feels great!!!!
Unfortunately my boss was ill today so I was unable to hand it to him personally but email had to do.  He said he was disappointed and wanted to talk, but I explained the reasons in the letter so it is really just a process thing.  not sure how much notice I can work - house sale seems to be going OK and we are on target for an end of the month move!!

a car for the Gifted And Young!!

I am away on a course for the next two days - but have prepared a couple of short posts - to fulfil my desire to post everyday and to fill you in on what I have done over the last couple of days.  The course will be my last official outing with Audi and I will get to drive the R8 and RS5 Coupe.  However I 
will be travelling there in a bit less style and 'understated luxury' in a very effeminate Fiat 500 1.2 Lounge  in white with a beige interior, the build quality is shockingly bad, when you press a button on the dash the whole dashboard moves and the driver information dials odometer and speedometer are pretty much unreadable (if I remember I will post an image for your amusement)...  

It is definately a car for the Gifted And Young!!

The Chosun Ilbo: Do S.Koreans Really Want Reunification?

For today's post I have decided to post an article I read recently in the Chosun Ilbo: See the  original article here the article is in its original form.  No permission was sought to post here.

This addresses the issue of reunification from a South Korean view point but I felt it was a good article that addressed the basic concerns about reunification, a good entry level article. 

 Do S.Koreans Really Want Reunification?

Sonu Jong

My father, who died 25 years ago, was born in Jongju, North Pyongan Province. He was always proud of his hometown, saying it was the birthplace of many great people. It was a poor town but filled with fond memories and the true home my father wished to make his final resting place.

Three years ago I met a Korean Japanese who moved to North Korea but ended up defecting from Sinuiju close to the border with China. I asked him about my father's hometown, which is close to Sinuiju. The defector said, "About 10 years ago I saw the bodies of people who died of hunger littering a hill in Jongju." That was all he said. For him, my father's hometown was just another part of North Korea that had grown weary of despotism and drought. There was no trace of the fondness my father often talked about.

A friend of my father's from Jongju visited North Korea nine years ago. He was a devout Christian and an avid supporter of former president Kim Dae-jung's Sunshine Policy of engagement with North Korea. He voiced disappointment with North Korea the day after he returned to the South. "Adults in North Korea are the same height as junior high school students here," he said. "Wouldn't it be better to achieve reunification as soon as possible, even by launching a limited attack? Would we be able to stop the chaos there if 1 million Christians rushed over to North Korea and make them believe?" Perhaps he was just rambling. He never said he had changed his political views after his visit to the North, but one thing was clear: The memories he had of North Korea had been shattered. That's when I thought, "Perhaps my father was happier than I am, since he was able to keep his fond memories of North Korea."

How many children of the North Korean diaspora actually long for North Korea as their parents did? Honestly, my image of North Korea is not that different from the picture of the North painted by the defector. My father missed his father and the siblings he had left behind in North Korea, but I am quite nervous at the thought of some strangers from North Korea knocking at my door after reunification telling me they are my relatives. As much as he detested the communism that took away his hometown, my father worried about the blind decadence that could taint South Korean capitalism. But I am more concerned about the streets of my hometown Seoul being filled with poor and disillusioned strangers from the North. My father was willing to spend his entire savings on his hometown, but I am not willing to do that. Compared to my father, I am selfish and cowardly. 

Whenever we talk about reunification, the first thing on our mind is the financial burden South Korea would face. People say that the share price of Samsung Electronics will plummet if the North Korean regime collapses. They say that South Korea's economy needs to grow further in order to be able to feed 23 million North Koreans. They claim that we must accept the reality of North Korea, even though a youngster in his 20s becomes the country's highest-ranking military official overnight, and even if another million people there starve to death again. It all boils down to the same sentiment: "It's still too early for reunification." Really? Or are we just too scared and selfish to take the leap?

I believe that reunification should have occurred during my father's generation, when there were people who really wanted it to happen. We may have been poorer, but there were many more people back then who were willing to share what little they had. If we are more concerned about the share price of Samsung Electronics than we are about reunification, then we will never be able to become one nation.

Perhaps we are unable to achieve reunification not because North Korea refuses to embrace reforms but because it is us who are unwilling to change. It is no use pointing the finger at others. We have to change first.

By Sonu Jong from the Chosun Ilbo's News Desk

Missing Post!

This is where the blog post about the interview / recruiting / experience that at the moment I would rather just forget about would go...  I may post it later but at the moment I want it to remain missing... and hopefully soon forgotten.

Annoying Consultants and PC PLOD!

I am so annoyed today!

The first cause of my annoyance is the realisation that wherever you go  you will encounter some really awkward people that you really need help from, but who you find so totally obnoxious and rude!!!

However, finally I think I have agreed a time for the Agency interview which will take place between 1am and 2am this Saturday morning!! Remember to smile!!!

The thing that really annoyed me was being told that time... "does not wait for me"  




The second thing that has annoyed me today is that the Police disclosure has been returned to me as the need proof of my connection to the postal address I entered on the application form.

Basically, as it takes an absolute AGE to get the details from the information officer at the police, I knew that we will probably have moved out before it comes back to me.  I was therefore so pleased that there was a space on the form to fill in the details if you wanted the info sending to an alternative address! great!  so I thought as I filled in the form! However the form does not say that you need to prove the link between myself and the postal address - I would think that this was an important part of the form.

So therefore I am very annoyed today!

Selling our things

We have started to sell our things on ebay, prompted by a weekend offer of free insertion fees.  I don't feel any emotion about selling the stuff at all - I thought I would!

We currently have 93 Items listed for sale. and have so far generated over £500 for our moving fund.  13 items are going to sell  and we have 23 items with bids,  Over £170 to come in the next few days - not bad!

I am still really worried about the sale of the house, I don't know how Ji Gong seems to be able to carry on and sell stuff and  not be at all worried that the sale may fall through. i am concerned.  If it does fall through then there is no way that we can go and we could be stuck here for another year or have to drastically drop the price which would really impact on what we can afford when we get to Seoul.  to be honest I try not to think about it, if i do think about it I feel sick!!!

But I admire Ji Gong, I know she has her heart set on going and if all goes well I will be so pleased that the extra fridge freezer, sofa, wardrobes, beds, desks, chairs, cots, all garden furniture,pushchairs and carseats have all been sold, if it doesn't, then we will be sat on the floor until we do.

Ok! Time for positive thinking!!!

Degree Notary and Apostille

Today I went to see the Notary again who made a specific point of say how can he was being by giving me a discount on Notarising my certificate.

£30 Was just as painful as £50  for just a stamp and a sign! - Oh Well Onwards and Upwards!

This has now been sent to the FCO for the Apostille - which cost me another £36 - They aim to get it back to me in 2 Days - We will see how efficient they are 5 days for a Korean Spouse visa is going to be hard to beat for efficiency!

I read an article on the BBC yesterday that said although Koreans work the most hours they are least productive with their time...  Too much time on Cyworld I guess!  I will link this article when I have more time...

Sorting Stuff, spending and selling!

Spending so far - Update...
So far I have spent £244 preparing documentation to move, there are some pretty big outgoings still to come, such as moving our stuff (well mostly the kids stuff!).


The shipping looks like it is going to be a lot less than we expected a 4m3 (Cubic) Looks like it is going to cost just £700 to ship! - Seems cheap to me.  They will collect from the house and take it to stow on the ship!  So the known costs so far are approaching £1,000. Hopefully the UNKNOWN costs will be LIMITED!

A big decision over whether to take some stuff with us has been made for me by some RATS!  


They have, in the last week since I last went in the shed.  Started to eat and crawl over everything in the shed... and judging by the burrow hole that comes up under the fence and back down under the shed... IT'S A BIG RAT!!!


 I am going to BIN it  know. So taking a carload of stuff to the tip is a BIG  job for next weekend!!!!

It's arrived!

New Korean F6(1) Visa

It has arrived! 

My Korean F61 visa! valid just 90 days after entry
it has cost £55. They asked for £80 but have given me £25 change!
Now at least legally I can go to South Korea!


It is one big tick off the list.  I was not too concerned that the Visa would be rejected ... but there was always a chance and the whole situation surrounding the fact that I didn't have sufficient funds in $CASH$  to meet the minimum requirements and them not being able to confirm exactly what they wanted to see as proof (See post (F-2/F-6/£7K AND BRINGING SOMETHING!) was worrying me slightly!


Red Tape just seems easier and more efficient in Korea and CHEAPER!

Police Disclosure!

Requirement for Teaching Job in Korea: POLICE DISCLOSURE


One of the requirements that I mentioned previously was a Police record check.  I mistakenly thought this was a CRB check, and I was having understanding how to obtain this as it clearly says on the Criminal records bureau website that:


1. You cannot apply for your own CRB Check
2. CRB will NOT accept requests from outside the UK


I asked a friend who had applied last year what he did and he told me he just entered a police station and asked for it.  So that is what I did!


I am now able to write this post with some confidence that I know what I am talking about!


What is required for an EPIK application is a POLICE DISCLOSURE.


This is a transcript of what information the police hold about you.


You need to collect a form, available from your local police station.  Complete your details and enclose photocopies of 2 forms of ID that prove your name, address and date of birth  and a cheque for payment.  I Copied My Driving licence (both parts) and Passport (photo page)

It costs £10!

There are 2 types of disclosure:


> a basic disclosure, this is YOUR police record.
> a detailed disclosure - this is everything the police hold about you from witness statements, phone calls to the police, even CCTV footage of you at a specific time and place.


YOU NEED THE BASIC DISCLOSURE


I applied for mine on Friday 6th January 2012 - I will post an update when this arrives as no one I asked seemed to know how long it would take

Update to previous post about LeGaLiSaTiOn 

With Reference to point 2. Apostille and the cost of £30!!

While this is true... certain documents will need to be signed by a Notary first. So this has the notary fee as a cost element to it. Therefore it will cost around £70 for the Apostille of a Bachelors Degree.
The notary I used Kindly offered to do it for a reduced price of £30

 This is not mentioned on the Apostille page of the FCO website.  You need to check the type of documents in the "documents we can legalise" section.    For info Click >here<

An Extract from the FCO website...

2) Appropriate certification:

We can legalise original certificates of UK academic qualifications if:

• They have been certified in the UK by a practising UK solicitor or notary public

Or

• They have been signed and certified by an official of the British Council 

We can legalise photocopies of certificates of UK academic qualifications if:

• They have been certified as a true copy of the original in the UK by a practising UK solicitor or notary public

Or

• They have been certified as a true copy of the original by an official of a British diplomatic mission (e.g. Consulate, Embassy or High Commission)

LaSt ChAnCe EPIK and a little more expense

Last night I applied for a job with EPIK through a couple of Agencies approved by EPIK and I have already received a couple of responses from two Agents.  So, although I appear to have missed the official deadline for applications via the EPIK website - I still may have a chance.  As a bonus I have requested the areas that I want to work in; Bun-Dang, Suji Jok Jeon Dong or Suji.

I Just added this to my application email to the agency, expecting to be told that you don't get a choice where to work with EPIK.  One of the agents has sent be details of a couple of jobs in Bun-Dang and Suji Jok Jeon Dong.  One is an elementary school and one is a middle school.  I think this would be ok for me, so I am quite interested.

I also found out that I need to get my degree certificate signed and stamped by a notary before having the Apostille put on it.  This means another appointment with the local public notary at a cost of £50 and then I need to send it to the FCO to have the Apostille attached this will cost £30.

It seems I may need a sealed transcript of my results, this will cost £10.  A little extra cost - see below, but not too bad.  I need to decide on a budget for the move. It would be nice to see the spend against a buget stack on the chart. But the reality is that I don't have a budget, every extra cost is just a bit more pain on the finances, but I don't really have a choice, therefore no predefined budget.

Kind of expected but a bit of a blow!

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your interest in the EPIK Program. Unfortunately, our deadline (December 1st, 2011 18:00 KST) has already passed and thus we will not be able to accept your application for our current hiring period.

 If you are still interested in working in the Korean public school system, we encourage you to apply for our Fall 2012 positions which start in August. The Fall 2012 Application will open on April 1st, 2012 at 9:00 KST.

Thank you again for your interest in the EPIK Program.

 Sincerely,

 The EPIK Team

BACK TO PLAN A!

PaRtY!!!

Had a great night out on 2nd Jan, My friend and his wife were visiting from Spain and I went to his family party, which i have done many times in the past - always a good event.

Will probably be the last time I see him for a while, so was good to catch up!

Now back to the daily grind and realising that the Christmas break has really impacted on the progress of the house sale.

We are now waiting for the buyers solicitor to respond, raise any enquiries and complete any searches.

Our 'Online' conveyancing team has prepared and sent:

1.         Official copies of title including filed plan; 

2.         Contract and transfer deed;

3.         Seller's Property Information Form; and

4.         Fixtures List. 

So far they seem to be working effectively. I am hoping to hear news of progress this week.

2012!!!!!!!!!!!

Well it is now 2012!

Yesterday was 1st Jan and also my birthday! I am now 35! And this
really is going to be a year of big changes, challenges and
opportunities!

I keep having moments of blind panic!

I am moving miles away from my home! I don't have a job (yet)! I don't
have a place to live (yet)! I still have to care and provide for a
wife and 2 children!
I don't have any money (yet)! I don't have a good enough grasp of
Korean (yet)! And when you put it like that they all end with "yet"!

When deciding on a name for this blog i was going to call it moving to
a warzone. While this is technically true it doesn't relate to the
move so I quickly scrapped the idea! And at the moment the possibility
of war is probably greater than ever. But it has never really bothered
me! Am i right to be so blazé about it!

Well I am going to approach 2012 with an open mind and hopefully a lot
of energy... Because I think I will need it!!

--
Sent from my mobile device