Teachers Share their Experiences While Living Abroad!

While in late February, the world may have looked down on Korea for being the first country outside of China to face a covid-19 outbreak, it didn’t take long for the world to see how the Korean government and people have handled dealing with this pandemic. Now, many world leaders from powerful countries around the world turn to South Korea for knowledge and supplies to overcome the outbreaks being faced in their homelands. My family no longer expresses concern for me being in Seoul, and much like I’ve heard from colleagues and fellow expats, they now advise me to stay in Korea. While I can go down a rather impressive list of reasons why I feel I am in the best country to live in during this pandemic, I will condense my list down to my top three main reasons. 

Now, with the covid19 pandemic, many education systems and institutes around the world have turned to online classes. This has brought up some anxiety amongst teachers everywhere. While some teachers are barely starting their online classes, Chungdahm academies began online classes ahead of the rest. So, I’ve been teaching through Zoom meetings since March 6th. Since it has been a little over a month that I’ve been teaching online, I want to share my top four reasons why I am currently satisfied with teaching Chungdahm April classes online - while still commenting on how this experience compares to offline classes. 

For those who enjoy visiting scenic spots, enjoy nature and like a light workout, then making a stop at Haneul Park should be on your to do list. Haneul translates to sky. It truly fits this park, because one truly has to put the work to rise into the sky in order to get to this location. The park is located in the top of a small mountain. There are three ways to get to the top of the mountain - ride a golf cart, walk the hike or take the stairs. I opted for the hike. While I would of prefered the golf cart ride, I didn’t want to miss out on the chance to enjoy the nature on the way up. Also, there was a long line in order to wait for a golf cart to take me up. I choose the hike over the stairs, because while the stairs look very cool, they look challenging. 

Pilipino people are famous for having an ungovernable amount of pride. From each mixed European Miss Universe, to the screams I heard from the neighbors during any Pacquiao fight,,,not to mention the screams coming from my 4’9” grandmother, to that random shopper your parents run into at the Vietnamese grocery store, pinoys love being pinoy. It is with a sad heart that I must tell you that I....am no different. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a walking blow horn spewing out facts about the health benefits of calamansi and how the inventor of the modern yo-yo was a Pilipino-American.

For anyone living in Korea, or anyone of Asian heritage, people can notice that many have a layered and complicated relationship to Japan. Because of what I learned growing up, I never found myself interested to go there, but by some random chance, I visited three years ago while working at Chungdahm. I met this Japanese person who ended up being my best friend, and I am lucky enough to have seen the things and the people that I have there through and with her. She does a lot of resistance work with both mainland Japanese and Okinawan artists and activists who demand fair rights, justice, and truth. There are so many incredible people creating communities of care and liberation, and I feel so thankful to see what is happening on the ground, giving me a more complex perception of the cultures around me.

These days it is so cold in Seoul! It’s mid-winter and the outdoor activities are limited. If you are an active and adventurous person like myself, then you’ll be happy to know that there is an indoor game and sports experience spot right outside of Seoul. The place is called Sports Monster. It is located at one of Korea’s largest shopping malls Hannam’s Starfield, which is about an hour and a half away from Gangnam by bus. It is significantly faster if you go by car or taxi. There isn’t a direct subway line that goes out to Hannam. So, I suggest planning a trip out there in advance to account for the transportation time it takes to get there. 

"I just don't understand why they do it that way." This was probably my most used phrase during my first month in Korea. It wasn’t my first time abroad, but I was experiencing a lot of new things - like the traffic rules, the banking system and a new style of management at work. My first few weeks in Korea was a time of huge change. It wasn’t just eating kimchi with most meals - in fact the new cuisine was something I really loved about Korea. It was more about feeling out of place and accepting a new way of doing things.

Cheonan is a growing city about 30 to 40 minutes south from Seoul on the KTX. Among many Koreans that I met, it stays in their mind as a small, rural city. But coming from a truly suburban and rural city in California, it is hard to categorize Cheonan as a truly small city anymore, most parts from the KTX station to the Shinsegae mall are pretty urbanized and connected by subway or busses.

When I was living abroad I wasn’t sure what life would be like when I finished my contract and moved home. I planned to only live in South Korea for a year but ended up extending my contract and living in Busan for almost a year and a half. I knew there would be some reverse culture shock when I moved home but I was really surprised by what I experienced and wanted to share that! In fact, one way to help with reverse culture shock is by writing down and talking about your experiences! 

I know what you’re thinking, “What an exciting title!” But trust me this article contains important information to help you navigate a topic that you wouldn’t normally think would be confusing. Recycling and waste disposal in South Korea is actually pretty different than in North America and other Western countries. Prior to moving to South Korea,I had no idea that there were any major differences with trash and recycling but I was very mistaken! Hopefully after reading my article you’ll feel more informed and prepared for the changes to come.