to be hugely excited to go to South Korea

[Sassyfrassy]

Ihave been accepted on to a study trip to South Korea to study the use of ICT in Education. It's all paid for and I'm just hugely excited. The way our money situation is right now I couldn't afford to go on a trip abroad if I had to pay.

DH is being hugely kind and has agreed that I can go and he'll take care of our two children. Quite a sacrifice seeing as it's over halfterm in october so dd1 won't be in school.

I just can't wait to go. I find all aspects of travel really exciting, the flight, the hotel, meeting new people and so on.

[duplotogo]

Wow you will have a great time! My brother went there for a short holiday and loved it.

[irishmumwannabe]

Sasssy South Korea is fabulous - you will have a great time. I went to visit my friend who teaches English over there last year and we had a ball.

Are you going to be based in Seoul? It's a really good city loads to see and do.

Have a good time.

[Sassyfrassy]

I think we will be based in Seoul. I've just had the confirmation letter saying that the British Council has approved the trip and that we are going to South Korea. The flight schedule does say Seoul. I'm so excited I just can't bear it. I will be unbearable at work tomorrow =) I'm going to get some chopsticks to practise.

What are the prices like there? Would you say things are cheap, expensive or about the same as here?

[Snobear4000]

You'll love the food,it's so spicy, rich and more varied than Korean restaurants in the west reveal. You'll love it unless you're a vegetarian in which case it'll be a new kind of culinary hell!

Working/studying overseas it THE SHIT and beats being a tourist a hundred times over. Congratulations and from your tone it appears you will certainly make the most of it.

Your experience of the prices there in the shops will depend on recent currency exchange fluctuations. The pound is buying more Won than it was a couple of months ago so you might get lucky.

[Littlefish]

SassyFrassy - I did the same trip about 6 years ago as part of the ITP (International Teachers Programme). It was fantastic! We visited 2 different schools and spent a few days in each. We also visited the British Embassy and had tea with the British Ambassador (sp).

Work dress is quite smart, so be prepared. Also, everyone has business cards, so make some on your computer to take with you. We were asked to teach a lesson in once school (an English lesson), so be prepared, and take a couple of story books with you or something.

The schools were fascinated in the photos we'd brought with us (photos of school, and home). It would be worth you putting them on a memory stick so they can be shown more easily to the whole class. It would also be great to take a short video of your school and class to show on the IWBs.

There was a delicious food called something like Bol Goggi (no idea how you spell it!). It was some sort of salad leaves, which you filled with meat and rolled up to eat.

I'll have a think and see if I can think of anything else useful!

[Sassyfrassy]

Littlefish,

Thanks for that invaluable advice. I think this is the same kind of set up. It's with TIPD, Teachers Internation Professional Development program, all funded by the British Council.

I'll definately get lots of photos to share and put on a memory stick. And sort out some smart clothes and business cards.

Snobear, I'm not a vegetarian and love asian food so I can't wait for that part of the trip. I'll just be there for one week but I think it'll be a quite intensive week. I couldn't really go for any longer as I've got two young children.

[midnightexpress]

You'll have to eat kimchi. I'm going to be the doom-monger and tell you that Seoul is a dump. It's very, very urban - not much green space. But obv exciting to be going somewhere v different.

On the plus side, it can be nice and warm in October (it was about 24 when I was there last at that time of year), and the people are lovely. Also the food.

'Kamsamida' means 'thank you' - it's one of the few words I managed to remember and it works very well in lots of situations .

[Littlefish]

Oh yes, mine was TIPD as well (I knew it was something like that!)

It was absolutely exhausting. We were in school all day, then sightseeing in the evening, plus, we met every evening to help our adviser to write the trip report.

I found Seoul fascinating. Some very western buildings, but then some side streets with very traditional market stalls etc. - a great mix.

I was there in April and it was very, very hot at times.

Oh, just remembered, some of the loos are the standing up/squatting sort. I ended up taking my trousers off and hanging them on the back of the door whenever I used that sort of loo .

[ChippingIn]

Congratulations!!

Seoul is a bit grey/grim - but there's usually something going on in the 'squares' music/dancing, protests (lol) something to see anyway!

There's also quite a bit to go and see and do if you get any time, but I suspect they will have you heavily scheduled!

It should be a brilliant trip