Glowsticks & a boy’s number.
Club Fix in Seomyeon is amazing! Believe the hype.
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I had a wonderful first birthday in Korea! As it was in the middle of the week we just went out for a dinner at Taste In in Deokcheon. After we finished eating the waiters came out with an ice cream cake and everyone started singing Happy Birthday. My friends had planned it beforehand and I didn’t have a clue! I also got some sweet gifts.
Cake and makeup: I need nothing else in life.
Last week in Seoul I came across a dog cafe in 명동. As I had such a great time at the cat cafe, I had to give it a shot.
It was definitely a different atmosphere as the dogs were much livelier than their feline counterparts. They were running around everywhere, from big labs and retrievers to tiny little toy dogs.They were gorgeous, although I didn’t like the fact that they had dyed some of the smaller one’s ears and tails.
It wasn’t as fun as I thought it would be though. There were too many people and sitting on the floor was out of the question. The dogs weren’t exactly housebroken, so there was a lovely aroma of wet dog and pee >.< Keeping dogs cooped up inside is clearly not a good idea.
I love dogs as much as the next person, but probably won’t be heading back to a dog cafe! It’s best to let the pooches roam free, I think.
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Hi!
I work for a hagwon so I signed up with a recruiter (more info here) If you want to work for the public school program (EPIK), then there is a different process you have to go through, which I am not really familiar with.
It was fairly easy to find a job as recruiters do all the searching for you, all you have to do is provide the necessary paperwork. I applied right after university as well and didn’t have any formal teaching experience, although I have worked with kids in an educational setting before.
After I found a school, did the interview, it was pretty straightforward from that point. The process was simple but really time-consuming as my FBI check took almost eight weeks to get back to me. If you work with a recruiter they will usually guide you step by step. Do your research and ask a lot of questions! It helps if you know what you are looking for, ie. age group, location, class size, hours etc.
Living in Korea has been great! I don’t feel like I had to adjust that much as I’ve always been interested in the culture and did a lot of research about the country beforehand. I’ve also traveled a lot so going to new places is a passion, not something terribly intimidating. I do know that it is difficult for others who haven’t been outside of their home country very often or at all.
There is a lot to get used to: different customs, food, traditions, work ethic, etc. Respect is very important and I find that at work, difficult matters are not really discussed directly, so it can be frustrating being an outsider sometimes.
The language barrier is a bit stressful, but I have found that getting around is fairly simple. Most (younger) people speak English and people are generally very friendly and helpful. It also depends on where you are located. The bigger the city, the easier it is to maneuver without knowing the language. I suggest at least learning the Hangul alphabet though. It’s really simple and will help out a lot!
If you are up for completely new experiences and are willing to adjust to a new place, then I’d say go for it! I definitely don’t regret doing so.
Good luck and please ask if you have any other questions!
I went to Seoul again last week and lost my mind shopping in 명동. H&M! Forever 21!
Oh how I love this city.
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If you like vegan food, then you have to check out Loving Hut. As far as I know, they have two branches: one in Haeundae and one in Seomyeon. The menu isn’t super extensive but the food is yummy! I recommend the ‘tuna’ sandwich, pictured above.
Thank you! Busan is a great city, especially when the weather is nice. Just make sure you get a job that allows you to travel as there is a lot to see in Korea! Let me know if you do end up making it to Busan.
From early on, I have noticed there is a strange dynamic between the expats and the Koreans in Busan. I don’t know what the foreigner population over here is, but I know that it pales compared to the one in Seoul. The people I have met here have been mostly teachers, although I do come across the odd German business man or Pakistani student.
I’ve noticed that a lot of the rhetoric among expats about Koreans is really troubling. I’m constantly hearing things like “they always do this” and “they are all like that” and it makes me wonder how being here for two years makes a foreigner an expert on Korean culture and behavior. While I would agree that there is a level of ignorance among Koreans when it comes to the outside world, I feel like I have come across more, almost malicious, ignorance about Koreans among the expat community.
It’s been bothering me more and more lately because some people I know have started cultivating this attitude. They have nothing good to say about Korea because of bad things that have happend to them here, things that would happen anywhere in the world. But instead of taking responsibility for their own actions (many of these things happened when they were piss drunk) they just blame it on the country. I’ve heard things like “Koreans can’t be trusted” with nothing to back up that claim. Or I’ve heard white girls go on about how “Korean men are all perverts” because they think that whenever a Korean guy in a store asks them where they are from it means he wants to sleep with them.
What irritates me the most is that these comments tend to come from people who have little to no knowledge about Korea. They have no interest in Korean culture (don’t eat the food, don’t bother to learn the language) and barely interact with Koreans. I just can’t be sympathetic when I hear ignorant statements. I think the reason I have more Korean friends than not is that I am just not a natural complainer. I can’t participate in it. If I have a problem I get up and do something about it instead of bitching until the world ends.
It just annoys me when people come over here, make a ton of money and live a comfortable life, but then turn around and shit on their host country. I came here because I was genuinely interested in Korea and the things it had to offer. While there have been some down moments, I still know why I am here and am loving every minute of it. I guess I was naive to think that everyone had the same intentions.
I don’t want to sound pretentious. I just honestly believe that if you are making the huge decision to move to a completely foreign country, you should be prepared to deal with the cultural differences that will eventually arise in a mature way, and not like an obstinate five year old.
Has anyone here had the same experience? Or am I just completely wrong?
