yes, interview is short.

So, i had my interview with EPIK yesterday at the Embassy in Ottawa. we (my room mate... she had to drive since i'm only getting my license next week...) left Montreal at around 11 am and arrived at about 12:30. we had lunch and i headed for the interview.

The embassy was nice, a sort of almost non-descript white buildin with a black fence surrounding it. you have to get "buzzed in" by a woman sitting inside. very embassy-ish, just like in the movies... (this was the first time i've been to ANY embassy) anyway, she showed me to a rather large, sparsely furnished, but nicely decorated room. There were a couple of couches and chairs, but the rest of the room was empty. there was Korean art hanging on the walls.

So, there i was, in my nice new suit, sitting in this room, dying of heat because it was like 40 degrees yesterday. Then the consul came in.

"An-nyeong-ha-se-yo" i said to him. he just wanted to get down to business... so we did.

"how did you hear about EPIK?"
"if you are chosen, when will you leave for Korea?"
"where do you want to go in Korea?"
"what do you know about Korea?"
"do you have any Korean friends?"
"what will you get from going to Korea?"
"do you have any experience teaching?"
"when did you graduate from high school?"
"do i have a phone number to contact you?"
"where do you live now?"
"how did you get here?"

That was pretty much it. not in that order exactly, but you get the idea. i didn't really feel like he was listening (and/or couldn't understand) what i was saying.

anyway, it went as well as a 10 minute interview can. i think the interview is just a formality so you don't arrive in Korea and look nothing like your picture. when i answered that i didn't have any professional teaching experience, he said it doesn't matter. At the end of the interview he made sure that he had a way of contacting me and then told me it would be about 2 weeks before i would hear anything. The decision is actually made by someone in Korea, so i guess he has to send my "interview" to them to review... though he didn't write anything down... anyway, i'm praying now... i certainly don't want to have to go through this whole process again... i wonder if i can get my criminal record check back from them if i don't get the job... anyway, i'm not even going to think like that... it's just a matter of time before they call me and tell me to get ready to leave for Korea... keep your fingers crossed for me!