Thanksgiving is a new and exciting holiday for us South Africans. Over the past four years that I have taught in Korea the more I get involved in different cultural events the more I have come to adopt festivities that are not my own. I really look forward to American Thanksgiving, Canada Day, Chuseok, Chinese New Year and Halloween. This is the great thing about traveling, the longer that you live abroad the more diversified and global you become.
Tags: Teach English in Korea, Teach Abroad, Teach in Asia, teaching in Korea, things to do in Korea, friends, dinner, abroad, Activities to do in Korea, Thanksgiving, festive season, groups, friendship
Feeding off the last blog of Savory Street Foods, this list is for all the sweet savory street foods!
Tags: food in Korea, Hof, dinner, cheap goods, what to buy in Korea, snacks in korea, what to do after
Being that there are so many food choices in Korea, being able to eat a lot of it and the best of the best is very much needed. In addition to the traditinal ddukbokki, fish cake, and fried goodies you can find at almost every stand, the special ones on my list for a salty and more filling taste include:
Tags: food in Korea, Hof, dinner, cheap goods, what to buy in Korea, snacks in korea, what to do after
The very first dinner invitation from my student Kyungju was indeed very special; it’s an experience that I will carry with me after I leave Korea and move onto other pursuits. I believe that I am the envy of many of my coworkers at Chungdahm, although no one willopenly admit it. I’m getting to better know my students family; Kyungju’s Dad works for POSCO, one of the top three companies in Korea and her mom Su-Eun majored in Art in college. Kyunju has a younger sister, 8 years old who is just adorable. Our time together is always very special.
Tags: Korean culture, Korean students, dinner, students in Korea, Korean cuisine, Activities to do in Korea, karaoke
Imagine my surprise when my student informed me that her dad wanted to invite me to their house to have dinner with them. I was first of all, I was taken by surprise and two, I was very touched that my student wanted me to come to her house for dinner. Of course I couldn’t say no. She informed that her dad doesn’t have many foreign friends as it’s very difficult for Koreans to make friends with foreigners. He wanted to make friends with me? Hmm.
At first, I had a few reservations about his intentions but after speaking with a fellow Chungdahm teacher, about it, my anxieties were calmed. She informed me that I should be on time and suggested I take something for dessert. My student took my phone number and a few days later, I saw that her dad added me on Kakao Talk. Over the next few days, we corresponded, mostly about my diet. I’m vegetarian, so he wanted to make sure that what they were serving would be okay.
When the Saturday arrived, I was so busy that I ended up being late in meeting them. Plus, I didn’t even have time to grab a yummy dessert from E-Mart. All in all, they were very happy to see me. During the drive to their house, I learned that her dad’s English was pretty good. Apparently, he’d studied in England for some time during his college years. I also learned that he worked for Posco, a huge establishment in Korea. After a short drive to their house, I was introduced to Liana's mom. Liana and her youner sister introduced me to their five pet hamsters. I even held one. While they're in the rodent family, they were especially cute, I even held one of them.
Tags: dinner, invitation, teaching at Chungdahm
One of the newest trends in dining is to eat at a Blind Restaurant. Yes, a blind restaurant where you eat in the dark as if you were blind. There are a few around the world which include Hong Kong, New York, San Francisco, London, and one in Korea. With one in Seoul of the Kongdae area by Konkuk University, it is a popular spot for couples to attend for a new style of dating, but it is recommended for all to experience in order to heighten their senses. As a expat teaching English in Korea, I decided to give it a try.
Tags: Korea, restaurant, dinner, Kongdae, Konkuk University, eat in the dark
