Controversial opinion alert: Koreans don’t speak English well, for all of the time they spend on it. Learning a new language is a mind game, but that means it comes down to acquisition ability and motivation, each complicated in their own right. But I’ve had this post half-written for years, since shortly after I moved … Read more
This is the guide to Asia massages that I’d always looked for online before visiting a new country, but never found. It might sound random, but whilst traveling I’ve always wanted to know if I could even find massages in my next destination, as I’m hunched over a computer for most of every day. But … Read more
After 3+ years living in rural South Korea, I’ve picked up lots of tips for learning Korean quickly, mostly from needing to understand my coworkers. Having moved abroad without even being literate in Korean, I cannot understate how intimidating it can be to try and navigate a new life in Korea without knowing Korean. Unless … Read more
Last week my travel school students, whom I had not seen in three weeks, took me hiking, even though I showed up to their school in my usual work skirt and pantyhose. It may be more accurate to say that I was guilted into hiking by the other teachers, though, since low English level ten-year-olds … Read more
For my friends back home in the US, who seem to read about North Korea a lot these days, the DMZ (비무장지대) is the DeMilitarized Zone which forms a buffer along the border between North Korea & South Korea. None of it actually borders Seoul, but most of it is just a stone’s throw away. … Read more
It’s now been exactly three months since my laser eye surgery in Korea, and I am officially out of the danger zone. *November 2021 update: four years after the initial operation, I started needing a little support in my right eye, but I still don’t need glasses for it. Big ups to Haneul Clinic in Gangnam! … Read more
You’re always growing into different levels of respect in Korea, even if you’re not really growing as a person. The Basics of Korean Social Hierarchy In the US, you have to earn respect in the hierarchy, for the most part, and this tends to result in a more egalitarian view of others. One’s 80-year-old racist and sexist uncle is … Read more
Have you seen a foreigner today? Since moving to rural Korea over a year ago, I’ve seen one every morning when I look in the mirror. I’ve become the foreigner for most people I meet. This new and constant out-of-place sensation has made me seek to understand it, leading me to then research Korean culture … Read more