The Midnight Runner Korea Podcast. ESL Podcasting In Seoul Korea At Its Finest!
Welcome to The Midnight Runner ESL Podcast in Korea, serving English teachers and expats! Listen to interviews of interest to foreigners living, or planning to travel to work in the great country of South Korea. If you like a story, you can click on the E-mail link beside it and forward it to a friend. Likewise, you can leave me feedback or suggest new stories at baccusboy@hotmail.com. Also, be sure to check out my SightsOfSeoul HD Videos online at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/SightsOfSeoul
Teacher Fired After Catching Swine Flu
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UPDATE from Mark: "Ok, I accepted the principal's offer. I told him if he paid me for the two weeks I worked this month, plus my entire flight home, I would accept.
He agreed to this, and now "Mark" is officially re-hired as of tomorrow. I have to say, I am happy with this outcome, technically I still got shafted a bit, but realistically I think this is my best option right now."
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Not only did he catch the swine flu… he GOT FIRED as a result of it! Click to hear all about it, from how the teacher found out he had swine flu, to his treatment, and his academy’s reaction!
Song Credit: A.M.O.R.I.C. - Only For You
Image Source: archiemcphee at Flickerphotos
Posted by Bassexpander at 9:04 AM |
Saturday, Aug 22, 2009SMOE Cancels 100 Public School Jobs At Last Minute
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UPDATE ARTICLE HERE: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/08/117_50686.html
Comment: This is just HORRIBLE. Basically, SMOE is saying they purposely over-hired because some teachers quit, that half of the instructors quit voluntarily (after they were told they had no job), and that they aren't reimbursing those who paid for tickets.
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After SMOE recently canceled 100 public school contracts within a few days of teachers flying to Korea, Ben from Footprints Recruting sheds some light on what actually happened. Hear about the impact on recruiters and teachers, as well as what is being done to handle the aftermath.
As Ben mentions, several teachers who expected to work in Seoul were instead placed in EPIK, which includes jobs out in the provinces. EPIK "stepped up to the plate" and helped place canceled teachers quickly. I didn't ask him, however, if he thinks this will have a negative impact on teacher morale, and cause a lot of "runners" later in the year? Obviously, Ben and other recruiters are working feverishly to fix a mess that was never their fault. But from a teachers perspective, would you like being shoehorned into a job out in the sticks? One has to ask why SMOE waited until the last minute to drop this on teachers. Surely someone is happy that several unwanted public school jobs in the provinces are now being filled, but sadly, it's at the expense of teachers and recruiters who originally had other plans.
Posted by Bassexpander at 10:36 PM |
Monday, Jul 13, 2009Owning a Motorcycle in Korea
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Three experienced motorcycle riders -- Bob, Chris, and Derek -- discuss anything and everything about owning and riding a motorcycle in Korea. Learn all about what to buy, where to buy, how to get licensed, testing for your license, travel in/out of Seoul, police run-ins, and more!
Posted by Bassexpander at 9:37 AM |
Friday, Jul 10, 2009Free Korean Study at Abraham House
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Abraham House in Itaewon offers free* Korean classes and opportunities to enjoy cultural exchange. Abraham House looks much like a home inside, where teachers and students can socialize comfortably and even use kitchen facilities to teach each other the foods of their culture. For more information, call 02-790-0900 or 010-3274-7007.
*Classes are free after a 50,000 won registration and book fee.
Posted by Bassexpander at 4:07 AM |
Wednesday, Mar 18, 2009Urban Exploration in Korea
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John discusses his website and Urban Exploration in South Korea. Hear about his experiences photographing condemned buildings, abandoned amusement parks, and more.
John’s website can be found at: http://www.daehanmindecline.com/UEseoul/
Posted by Bassexpander at 10:05 AM |
Thursday, Feb 12, 2009Cheating Landlord Gets His Day in Court
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A landlord cheated a foreign teacher and his Korean wife out of their deposit when they moved out of their apartment. What did they do about it? They took their landlord to court, and the landlord eventually had to pay. Hear this wildly interesting story about how the Korean legal system works when a landlord cheats a tenant out of a deposit, complete with stickers on auction items and Matrix-like government bouncers. Note from interviewee: "I forgot to mention during the interview that several times during this process we had to put down deposit money for certain procedures. Something along the line of W500,000 (plus 100,000 for breaking the lock) total. That was returned to us with the collected money."
Posted by Bassexpander at 8:30 AM |
Saturday, Feb 07, 2009Guitar and Instrument Buying in Seoul
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My friend Yvon shares his wisdom as to where you can find the best deals on guitars and other instruments in Seoul. He's closing his shop, "The HUGE" and wants to pass on what he's learned through years of experience. He's also selling off his remaining stock, and is happy to help others find the guitar of their dreams. If you're into guitars, you won't want to miss this podcast!
You can find Yvon's website and contact information at: www.harpo.ca
Posted by Bassexpander at 10:33 AM |
Wednesday, Feb 04, 2009TBS eFM "Soul of Asia" Interview with The Midnight Runner
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Listen to an interview about The Midnight Runner with Sara from "The Soul of Asia" TBS eFM radio show on Monday, February 2. We talked about how someone can set up their own podcast, as well as some of the shows you see on this page. For those of you who are curious about microphones, they used Sennheiser 421's. I'm not thrilled with their brittle sound, myself.
Posted by Bassexpander at 2:36 AM |
Friday, Jan 30, 2009Life in Korea as a Teacher in 1984
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Many native English teachers have been in Korea for 5 or 10 years, but few have been here as long as Thomas. Way back in 1984, Thomas began his teaching career at a private high school in Kyungju. Listen as Thomas talks about his experiences as one of the few foreign teachers in Korea at that time. Learn about his homestay experience, how he met his wife, how their bi-racial son was treated in school, and much more!
Song Credit: Ben Hammond - No History: www.benhammondmusic.com
Posted by Bassexpander at 7:19 PM |
Monday, Jan 26, 2009Unpaid Teacher Takes Boss To Labor Board and Wins
Download this episode (30 min)
Have you ever worked for a school, and found that when payday came, the boss either forgot, or refused to pay you? It happens a lot at private academies in Korea. Today we talk to a teacher who didn't put up with it, and instead, took his boss to the Korean Labor Board. What happened? He won! Listen and learn about his experience. If you need to contact the Labor Board, you can do so by dialing 1350 on your mobile phone (yes, just 4 digits), or click here: http://www.korea4expats.com/article-labor-board-commission.html
Song Credit: Ben Hammond - Something New : www.benhammondmusic.com
Posted by Bassexpander at 1:35 AM |
Monday, Oct 20, 2008Giving Birth in Korea as a Foreigner
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I talk with Victoria and her husband Steven as they discuss giving birth in Korea as a foreigner. Hear their experiences, both good and bad, at two hospitals in Seoul. They also give their suggestions on things to consider if you are planning a birth in Korea.
Song Credit: Cantinero - Lights Went Out
Posted by Bassexpander at 5:24 AM |
Thursday, Sep 25, 2008Gina Agency on Insurance in Korea
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I am re-posting this interview, which was done in Sept. 2008. When the parent Mypodcast hosting site did some updates, it was lost. I have now uploaded it again after finding the original file on my hard drive. Some of this information is time-sensitive, as with insurance, things always change. Even the AIG name is going through a change. If you'd like to contact Gina directly, call 82) 02-794-7414, 82) 02-793-6903 (Office), 82) 011-9873-7415 (Mobile) or e-mail: ginajun@kornet.net
Posted by Bassexpander at 4:51 AM |
Friday, Sep 12, 2008On public school & UNI jobs in Korea
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Bibbitybop covers tons of ground discussing public school jobs. We also get into the transition from a public school job to a position at a university. With stagnant salaries, increased workloads, and shortened vacations, is a university job worth leaving a good public school job for? Bibbitybop from the eslcafe weighs-in on his thoughts on many topics. Bibbitybop worked in the Korean public school system for 2 years, and moved to a university job this year. I also share some of my own thoughts on the topic. Every situation is different, but perhaps our discussion could give you some things to think about.
Song credit: Free Love by Derek James
Posted by Bassexpander at 10:50 AM |
Sunday, Sep 07, 2008Why Get an F-5-9 Visa in Korea?
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Wayne discusses his experiences with upgrading to an F-5-9 visa. What is this visa? What does it offer long-time foreigners in Korea? Listen and find out! Wayne also discusses the KEI-TEFL program and KEISIE Graduate School programs. For more information, see: http://www.koredinco.com
Posted by Bassexpander at 9:10 AM |
Thursday, Aug 28, 2008Is there life after teaching overseas?
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Have you ever asked yourself what job you might get after going home? Do you fear whether your overseas teaching experience will be considered worthwhile by future employers? How about for those of us married to people of other nationalities? Do you wonder how your foreign spouse will endure the culture shock of living in a new country? We’ll explore these questions and more as we talk to Jeff in Canada via Skype. Jeff worked in Korea for several years, and then returned home with his Korean wife in tow. How’s life going for them? Find out!
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Stewardess talks about hagwon study to get her job. Note: Please see my YouTube videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/SightsOfSeoul
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