Making some extra money in Korea

Because I'm a foreigner, that is not a Korean citizen, it can be hard for me to earn some extra money in Korea. There are of course some options for foreigners. The number one and most popular option is to teach English or Chinese (Mandarin/Cantonese) in Korea. This is very attractive to many people from around the world. Some international students here also teach Koreans a foreign language. Koreans are very competetive and want their children to have the best upbringing and education. And that is why some parents sent their children to a language school or hire a private teacher. The price for this may be very high, but some parents don't care. All they want is the best for their children to succeed in the Korean society. The most popular languages are English and Chinese. The reason why teaching those languages to children and adults is popular among people from around the world is because of the benefits and the payment. Although the payment is from average to very high, the benefits are very good too. Benefits such as paid plane tickets and paid rent for your appartment. Korea is also attactive because it's a different environment and a totally different cultural experience. Korean culture is becoming more and more recognizable and known in the world.

Click on this link for information about teaching in Korea:
http://www.thewaygookeffect.com/2010/09/ask-waygook-salary-and-cost-of-living.html

As a foreigner some things can be easier to get than a Korean citizen. Two of those things are being booked by a modelling agency and testing products for large companies. I've experienced both. I've modelled for a company and had to act as a busy businessman. I didn't like it at all, because modelling doesn't suit me. It did paid well, about 150.000 won (95 euro).

I've also tested out a new Samsung phone that is to come out in a couple of months. It was a questionaire and I had to compare the Samsung phone with the Iphone 4. Testing out the phone and saying what I thought of it and what could be improved etc. It was a nice experience and it only took about an hour and a half. I've received 45.000 won (28 euro) for it.

But of course it's all about the experience.....right? ;=)

Korean Folk Village / Asia Song Festival

Saturday morning we went to a Korean Folk Village in Yongin, a city about 40 km outside of Seoul. That was about a two hour drive with the bus, because there was a traffic jam and we had to change a bus. We end up waiting for about 20 minutes to end up in the other bus. I went there with a teacher and some students that actually showed up at a Saturday. It was an interesting beautiful place to visit and it was nice to be in a calm area. Seoul is a very fast city where calm and quite are considered strange words. I could only stay for about 2,5 hours, because I had to go to the Jamsil district. The Asia Song Festival was about to start and I still had to get my ticket. The Asia Song Festival was promoting the G20 Summit that is to be held on the 11th and 12th of November. It was of course free for foreigners ( thank you mayor of Seoul), but I had to show my passport to receive the tickets. I made a copy of my passport and went to the World Cup Stadium. Yeah, it seems like every major event is taken place over there. But it's a very nice venue. No complaints over here. I went there alone, but I was meeting Dieuwke, a Dutch girl later on. When I went to get my ticket, this girl told me to show her my passport. I told her I got a copy of it and she looked at my picure. To be honest, it was kind of darkened because it was a copy. And she kind of laughed. I could not believe she actually laughed. She gave me my ticket and I felt kind of weird. I wanted to talk to her about it, but I soon noticed she only knew a couple of practiced sentences she had to know for the day. Afterwards I looked at my picture and thought it was kind of funny. I laughed laughed hysterically. Dieuwke and I saw a lot of people gathering for something so we went in line. For 1000 won (66 eurocents) we could get a pillow of the G20 with a blanket in it. It was a great bargain. And the money goes to Unicef. We also received a flashhlight to use in the stadium. Dieuwke and I walked towards the entrance and there was a guy with a lot of bags talking Korean. We both said at the same time 'is it free?' I don't think we could've been any more Dutch at the time. The main reason why I wanted to go to the festival was that Jackie Chan was the president of the festival. I thought he would show up. But unfortunately he didn't show up. But many famous Kpop and other Asian superstars did show up. Boa, Rain, Lee Seung Chul, Kara, 2AM, AKB48, Joe Cheng, Jane Zhang, Michael Wong, Bie the Star, 4Minute and Beast. I only knew 4Minute and Boa. I enjoyed myself that day. I had a VIP ticket to sit somewhere in the front, but Dieuwke had one in the back. I went to sit next to her, because it was very boring sitting alone. The view from that place was not bad. The only thing that bothered me was that we were sitting. Everyone was sitting. I like standing when I'm at a concert. But overall, it was a very fulfilling day.