I left the jjimjilbang around 7:00 and made my made to Mukho Port to meet the rest of the group. As I mentioned, I’m rather reluctant to sign with organized tours, so this first introduction would be key: would there be any douchebags who had the potential to ruin the trip for everyone? Any...
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It’s been exactly ten months since I landed in Incheon. This weekend was a lot of firsts for me. First time going to a jjimjilbang (찜질방), a cheap place to sleep, probably the Korean equivalent of a capsule hotel (but there are no capsules per se). First time on a Korean island. First time...
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Let me first state for the record: no, I have NOT renewed my contract for another year. As of today, it will end on October 7th, 2011, and I plan to keep it that way. But I have been thinking. Simon and Martina of Eat Your Kimchi have just celebrated their third year in...
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Today is a holiday in South Korea: Buddha’s Birthday. My original plan was to enjoy a temple visit, but the weather did not oblige. So, I sit inside my clean apartment and think of things to write. Once you get out of the habit of blogging, it’s hard to start up again. This past...
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One of my biggest pet peeves about living in Asia is the attention one receives as a foreign resident. Not even necessarily kids yelling “HELLO!” in a crowded area. It comes from adults as well. I’ve had cashiers struggle with the English to explain the cost of something when I’ve asked them in their...
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Of course my title is a bit of an overstatement. Nor is this blog really a rant about how crazy my kids can get at times. Still, I’m a little surprised how disorderly Korean kids (if my students are any indication) can be in the classroom. A few Thai public school kids were “worse”...
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At face value, Korean pharmacies generally offer the same products you see in western nations: multivitamins, Sensodyne toothpaste, first aid supplies… But where we part ways is due to the prevalence of sesame seeds and ginseng, both of which play a huge role in Korean “well-being” (code for health). Ginseng concentrate is sold as...
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…at least in terms of teaching English as a foreign language. In fact, I have (thankfully) not yet tried to devour any of my students, no matter how many invitations they seem to give me. When you’re teaching and want to provoke certain answers, sometimes you just choose questions so ludicrous that students have...
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This one kind of hit me by surprise. As many readers know, I expected to take on two new classes from next week. I currently teach from 13:00-17:40 for my hagwon, then tutor my boss’ son and his friends for an additional half hour Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. All in all, this lets me...
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This blog begins with no plan, no structure, not even a general idea of what I want to say. I read a friend’s blog regarding her first impressions teaching five-year-old Korean kids in Seoul, and I couldn’t help but realize how I was making the same observations she was, but somehow unable to find...
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