Chopsticks & French Fries - Good Cheer Publishing

Travel & Teach

Samantha Amara's Introduction to Chopsticks and French Fries: How and Why to Teach in South Korea

When I first decided to teach in South Korea, I was so enthralled by the idea that I couldn't possibly think of anything else. I abandoned my daily duties and responsibilities while I daydreamed about the Far East. I began torturing my friends with the details of my Korea plans, telling them over and over how much I couldn't wait to start my overseas adventure. Then reality set in and I realized I was signing on for something more than a long vacation. After all, I was going to Korea to live and work for an entire year. I had a thousand questions so I set out to learn as much as I could.

The only printed material I could find was provided by the Korean embassy and the recruiting agencies, all of which were painting pictures of Shangri-la. Korea's a great place to work, you'll make loads of money and, don't worry, we'd never place you in a school that we wouldn't work in ourselves - that sort of thing. As much as I wanted to believe, the skeptic in me resisted. I knew only one person who had taught in Korea but her stories were ten years old. The other sketchy tales I had heard were, at best, third hand and, at worst, had gone through so many accountings that one had to question how much truth remained. Did that poor young teacher really die from a deadly combination of Korean "vodka" (soju) and raw fish?

I ran out to buy a travel guide for Korea and it gave me a good idea of what to expect as a tourist. However, it didn't give much insight into what might await a teacher. I had about nineteen hours on a plane to shuffle through my expectations, theories and unanswered questions about the Land of the Morning Calm. In retrospect, I admit that most things were not as I expected. And I'm certainly glad I didn't base my final decision to move to Korea on the smattering of information and horror stories that I unearthed at home.

This book is intended to be the companion I wished I had back then. It's a kind of manual for people who have a few short weeks before they sign that contract or board that plane and who find themselves in that same state of confusion and uncertainty. The information in Chopsticks and French Fries reflects my own opinions and impressions along with those of a cross-section of people teaching all over Korea. I interviewed over a hundred of them with a standardized survey designed to elicit information that might help you prepare for your stay in Korea. I hope I've covered most of what you need to know and, if I haven't, try to accept that there are some things you just have to experience for yourself!

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