Get Connected at the Hub Of Sparkle
The Hub of Sparkle’s community page is meant to be a resource for people looking for information about Korea, people coming to Korea, or people in Korea looking to get connected.
As you can see, this page is very, very incomplete at this point. However, we are always listening for suggestions. If you know a book, a website, or any other information source that deserves to be on this page, please send us an e-mail at hubofsparkle[at]gmail[dot]com and we’ll put it up here as soon as possible.
This page is always a work in progress, and as The Hub Of Sparkle grows, we hope the community page will become more and more useful. If you have a link that you think belongs under one of the headings here, or if one of the links here is dead or no longer relevant, please let us know at hubofsparkle[at]gmail[dot]com
General Information about Korea
Recommended books:
if you know of any more, please let me know
here is one list of recommendations
Recommended webpages:
Galbijim is a really great wiki about Korea that is loaded with useful information.
Expat Advisory is another collection of information about Korea
Learn about Korean movies at Koreanfilm.org
if you know of one, please let me know
Other recommended sources:
Find Hospitals with English Speaking Staff
if you know of one, please let me know
Thinking of Coming to Korea…
to teach?
- here is a good start on the basics of coming to Korea to teach
- here is some advice on surviving your first year.
to study?
- here is a good start with some programs accepting international students
- check out CIEE for study abroad opportunities
to travel? see tourist information below
Thinking of Teaching English in Korea?
job boards
before you sign a contract
documentation
Embassy links…(for Americans, for Canadians, for Australians, for New Zealanders, for The U.K. British Islanders, for Irish, for South Africans)
General Survival Tips as an English Teacher (with a focus on teachers in the public school system) - from Jason Ryan, of Kimchi-Ice Cream
Idea sharing for teachers from Waygook.org
Unfortunate Realities of Teaching in Korea:
Open Letter to First Year Teachers
The English Teacher’s Guide to Korea: Living, Working, and Thriving in Korea Sparkling
by Tony Hellmann, Tom Rainey-Smith, Jason Thomas, and Matt Henderson
Introduction and Contents – http://atek.or.kr/ETG2K/EGT2K-Front_Matter.pdf
Chapter 1 - Korea, Past and Present http://atek.or.kr/ETG2K/ETG2K-Chapter%201.pdf
Chapter 2 – Understanding the Korean Education System http://atek.or.kr/ETG2K/ETG2K-Chapter%202.pdf
Chapter 3 – Obtaining Employment and Moving to Korea http://atek.or.kr/ETG2K/ETG2K-Chapter%203.pdf
Chapter 4 - At Work http://atek.or.kr/ETG2K/ETG2K-Chapter%204.pdf
Chapter 5 – Living as an Instructor in Korea http://atek.or.kr/ETG2K/ETG2K-Chapter%205.pdf
Chapter 6 – Knowing Your Rights http://atek.or.kr/ETG2K/ETG2K-Chapter%206.pdf
Chapter 7 – Travel Inside and Outside of Korea http://atek.or.kr/ETG2K/ETG2K-Chapter%207.pdfAppendix 1 – Survival Phrases for Living and Working in Korea http://atek.or.kr/ETG2K/ETG2K-Appendix%201.pdf
Appendix 2 – Korean Foods and their Approximate Nutritional Values http://atek.or.kr/ETG2K/ETG2K-Appendix%202.pdf
Appendix 3 – Sample Lesson Plan, with All Required Materials http://atek.or.kr/ETG2K/ETG2K-Appendix%203.pdf
Looking for stuff to do on the weekend?
These sites update regularly with information on
movies
concerts
cultural events
The Korea Times Arts and Living Section is regularly updated with upcoming events.
The Korea Sparkling Tourism Korea Events Page
festivals
other travel information
a few good restaurants in downtown Seoul
Looking for Useful Tourist Information?
Korea’s unesco world heritage sites
Gateway To Korea’s archives have some useful schedules and maps.
An introductory guide to Korean food
if you know of others, please let me know
Looking to meet some like-minded people?
An article about ways that expats connect.
Meetup.com’s directory of Korean Cities
Meetup.com’s directory of Groups meeting in Seoul in Daegu, in Busan, in Gwangju, in Daejeon.
A list of Female Bloggers in Korea (May 2009)
A second list of Female Bloggers in Korea (September 2009)
Hobby groups:
- Mountain Hiking: Korea On The Rocks
- Flying: Expat Flyers
if you know of one, please let me know
Travel groups:
if you know of one, please let me know
Food groups:
if you know of one, please let me know
Korean language groups:
OEM Korean Class
if you know of one, please let me know
Misc. groups:
if you know of one, please let me know
Facebook Groups about Korea (that actually plan meetings)
The Hub of Sparkle on Facebook
if you know of more, please let me know
Looking for some of the best online content about Korea?
here are some of the blog posts expats in Korea still talk about:
if you know of something that belongs on this page, please let me know
2008′s “Golden Klog Awards ‘Post of the Year’ Nominees”
- Brian in Jeollanam-do – I’ve Attracted the Ire of Korean Netizen Bullies
- Gord Sellar – Defending the Wondergirls
- The Grand Narrative – Why Lee Hyori’s Breasts are a Metaphor For Korean Celebrity Culture
- The Joshing Gnome – What is Jung and How Can We Kill It?
- Korea Beat – Most-Read Naver Stories of the Week (Weekly)
- Metropolitician - Ajussis Ruin Everything
- Popular Gusts “Protests, public space in Seoul, and cyberspace”
- ROK Drop – GI Myths – The 2002 Armored Vehicle Accident
- Samedi: Korean Temples Series
- Gord Sellar, Roboseyo, The Korean, et. al.: Why Do Expats Complain So Much, and Why do Koreans Get So Defensive?