Living and teaching in Korea creates opportunities to learn a new culture and speak a new language. With this experience arises the chance to make life-long friends across cultural barriers. Like every encounter living abroad, you have to put yourself out there and do what the "Romans do in Rome" and as in Korea..."Do what the "Koreans do in Korea."
Read MoreTags: Korean culture, Korean language, hanging out with friends in korea, learning Korean, cultural experience, teach in Korea, friends in Korea, Korea friends, cultural activities, cross cultural experience, meeting Koreans, friendship, Meetup, korean friends
Deciding where to teach English in a foreign country can be a daunting task. When deciding where to teach, there are many pros and cons to consider. Having worked in Korea for over three years now, I have found numerous reasons why I love this country so much . Here are the top 5 reasons why you should consider teach abroad in Korea.
Read MoreTags: Korea, food in Korea, hiking, friends in Korea, history of Korea, cultural activities, Transportation in Korea, hiking in south Korea
Tags: food in Korea, friends in Korea
Hopefully while living in Korea, you will get to experience a Korean wedding. It is extremely different from those that I have gone to in the West. Typically, weddings in America and Canada are all day events. Weddings there consist of the ceremony, dinner service, and then drinks and a party to round out the night. When I went to my first Korean wedding, it was a shocker. I think in total, the wedding ceremony was 25 minutes. Here are a few reasons why it is like that and here are some expectations when you do go to a Korean wedding.
Tags: Korean culture, south korea, events in Korea, cultural experience, Good times, friends in Korea, year in Korea, Weddings in Korea
The friends you make in Korea are probably friends you’ll make for life. Most expats who have lived and taught in Korea can generally agree that Korea bonds friendships in special ways. It has something to do with the Asian factor, the shared teaching experiences, or the adventurous learning moments. The Korean experience shares similarities with the well known term ‘the traveling bond’, yet the major difference being that your friends in Korea are more than just friends… they have or will become your Korean family.
Tags: teaching in Korea, foreigners in korea, friends, family in korea, friends in Korea
Living and teaching in Korea has been quite an experience; I’ve taken the opportunity to try many new things and I’ve grown as a teacher and an individual over the past year. I would encourage anyone who’s ever thought about teaching, to spend a year in Korea with Chungdahm Learning. Of the many new things I’ve gotten to experience, here is a list of the top 10 things I’m going to miss dearly.
1. The Easy Lifestyle. Anyone who has lived in Korea as an English teacher will tell you that the lifestyle is pretty easy going. As a Chungdahm teacher, you’ll teach an average of 6 hours per day and with CDI, you won’t start work till about 4pm. This means that you’ll have the whole morning to do, see and explore. Also, depending on your interests, you can take up a class and learn something new; there’s taekwondo, muay thai, Korean classes, beach volleyball, amongst many others. I tend to frequent coffee shops like Cafe Bene, where there’s free wifi, and catch up on what’s going on in the world. With so much free time on your hands, there’s so much to get into.
Tags: teaching in Korea, ex-pat life in Korea, life in Korea, friends in Korea, year in Korea, saying goodbye
One of the things I found myself wondering about when I moved to Korea to teach English is what the holidays would be like. Granted holidays can range from the big boys like Christmas, to the ones we celebrate just for the excuse to party (hump day anyone?). Lucky for me and you, Koreans LOVE to party, so most holidays here are celebrated and always a fun time. This past weekend we ventured into Seoul, Gangnam to be exact, for Tomatillo’s Annual Cinco de Mayo party. It was definitely one of my favorite days in Korea and I know that for as long as I stay here, this is where I’ll celebrate Mexican independence.
Tags: a year in Korea, free time, food in Korea, partying in Seoul, friends in Korea, entertainment in Korea, Gangnam, Relaxing in Korea, Margaritas, Holidays in South Korea
Jeju, like a lot of communities and cities in Korea, has a tight-knit foreigner community. As English teachers in Korea, we try to get together for events, dinners, nights outs, and whatever else we can plan. Even though I have made a special effort to get to know some locals and make some Korean friends, at times, it is really nice to spend time with fellow native English speakers that often share the same culture, foods, sense of humor, etc. One event that I have fallen in love with and attend every chance I get is the Jeju Furey Beach Volleyball tournament.
Tags: teaching in Korea, events in Korea, friends in Korea, sports in Korea
Having lived in the largest city in New Jersey, I’ve learned that to survive in Newark, street smarts is a must. However, as an expat living and teaching in Korea, I am incredibly content with how honest and sincere Koreans generally are. Living in Pohang I’ve heard many stories of expats losing their ID cards, wallets, phones and other personal items and continually getting these (often expensive) items back unharmed. It’s taken me awhile but, I’ve finally let my guard down and I’ve come to expect a certain kindness from my Korean neighbors and friends.
Tags: Korean culture, friends in Korea, Activities to do in Korea, religion in Korea