Working out and going to the gym in Korea is a great way to keep fit and stay healthy as a Chungdahm teacher. I go and hit the weights and run at Saemaul Fitness which has 42 branches across Korea. Let’s take a tour of the gym and see what you can expect when you sign up for a membership and pump some iron at your local health club.
Read MoreTags: Health in Korea, fitness, teaching at CDL, working out, work balance
Everytime I get used to my life in Seoul - of all of the benefits, opportunities and experiences - something new comes my way. If you keep up with my blogs, you may recall that I have received laser hair removal and underarm botox while in Korea.
Read MoreTags: Health in Korea, Beauty Products in Korea, Weekend activities in Korea, beauty, skin care
My love and appreciation for banchan began in Canada growing up in a Korean family with a passion for Korean food and continues while teaching with Chungdahm in Korea. Teaching in Korea with Chungdahm is an amazing experience. My students are just wonderful, they love to learn the material and I have so much fun teaching them and interacting with them throughout each lesson. Also, you will really enjoy spending time and going out to eat with your fellow teachers too, and of course, banchan will be involved when you go to eat out.
Banchan, 반찬 meaning “side dish” in Korean, are served as the prelude to the main dish. However, they don’t serve the purpose of appetizers. They add a whole new dimension to a meal and act more as complements and are eaten together throughout the meal. When you eat out, which you will do a lot, expect to see anywhere from 5 to 12 different side dishes, and the best thing about them besides the variety and taste is that you can ask for more once you are finished.
Read MoreTags: food in Korea, restaurants in korea, Health in Korea, Korean food, teaching at CDL, health, banchan
Growing up in Los Angeles, I’d consider myself very health conscious. There is a range to this. LA health can become a parody of itself, with twelve dollar activated charcoal juice and any vegetable you can imagine being “massaged.” Yoga studios charge exorbitant amounts for classes that make you wonder how aligned the practice is from the place it was created. But for each absurdity you encounter when it comes to wellness, there is also gold. While raised in a predominantly Asian and Latinx neighborhood, there was a fruit stand each direction where I could buy a mango bouquet drenched in chili powder and lime as well as decades-old family run acupuncture studios passing down the stunning tradition of cupping therapy. I had the privilege of having access to so much greenery, with mountains skirting through the city, with countless breathtaking hikes that jumped out at you from the freeway. I’d run through the mountains as frequently as I could, so when I got to South Korea, I knew Bukhansan National Park would be my friend. But I was wrong.
Read MoreTags: Korean mountains, hiking in korea, teaching at Chungdahm, Health in Korea, Weekend activities in Korea, hiking in seoul, growing with Chungdahm, teaching at CDL, things to do in seoul, personal growth
Do you want to learn a new skill and get a great cardio workout simultaneously? Feeling stressed from work? Have some extra energy to spend? Come and join me for a kickboxing workout in a Seoul Mixed Martial Arts gym that offers kickboxing, jujutsu (also known in the West as jiu-Jitsu), and weight training.
Read MoreTags: Health in Korea, fitness, pursuing hobbies in Korea, teaching at CDL, health, personal growth
Contrary to getting wisdom teeth taken out in the U.S., things are done a little differently in Korea. For example, I only have one wisdom tooth left in my mouth because I’ve had three previously removed over the course of several months. I have never had to be put under for any of the procedures. Each only took between 5 - 10 minutes, and I only needed to have stitches one time. My situation sounds odd, doesn’t it? Usually, we are used to having them out in one go, but I think that the process I went through is much better than conventional procedures in America.
Read MoreTags: ex-pat life in Korea, life in Korea, dentist, Health in Korea, Healthcare, expat, health, wisdom tooth extraction, dental insurance, teeth
Having spent the last three years living and teaching in Korea, I have grown a strong love for the country. There are just some things here that I will never be able to get anywhere else. There are some things that I enjoy, I hold on to, and I use them to their fullest. This blog post is about the unsaid benefits of living in Korea and will focus on a number of differences, primarily focusing on my experiences between the living in the U.S. and South Korea.
Read MoreTags: Social Clubs, food in Korea, eating healthy in Korea, Health in Korea, Transportation in Korea, Korean food
When you begin teaching in Korea, you will quickly realize upon your arrival that Korea is one of the leading fashion capitals in the world. The Korean influence has been spreading from their Kpop music, Korean movies and dramas, and Korean fusion food. One thing that you will notice in Korea, is that many Koreans try to keep in shape from the youngest to the oldest in Korean society. With all of the soju drinking and Korean BBQs, you would think that Koreans would be so unhealthy. However, this is not the case for many people. In this blog I will write how to sign up for a gym membership. If however want to learn about how to workout in non-traditional gyms, such as at a yoga studio or at a bouldering gym, feel free to also check out Linda's recent blog.
Read MoreTags: living in Korea, living in Seoul, gyms in Korea, Health in Korea, fitness, gym, working out
If you haven’t lived and taught English in Korea for long, you quickly realize how important one’s appearance is. Beauty and fashion go hand-in-hand here. Korea is one of the top consumers for make-up/beauty products for both men and women. Unfortunately, buying all of these things can add up quickly and hurt your wallet. Luckily, if you live in Seoul, you can take advantage of the Han River, surrounding mountains, and numerous parks nearby to stay in shape and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Here are some places where you can workout while living on a budget in Korea.
Read MoreTags: seoul, Korean mountains, hiking, Han river, Health in Korea, bike, gym
Life in South Korea is not for the faint of heart. I slave away for 30 hours every week shooting the breeze with kids and confronting the depressing financial realities of a life with minimal expenses and far too much disposable income. All of these hardships can really weigh on a man’s soul and test his ability to endure, but luckily this weekend I had a chance to rejuvenate my body and mind with a trip to Daejeon's Yuseong Spa. Yuseong Spa (so famous that it has a subway stop named after it!) is a well-known locale among Daejeon residents, and certainly is a spot that any visitor should try to include in their tour of the city. For those of you not familiar with the area and unable to read English signs in the subway, Yuseong Spa can be reached by leaving the Yuseong Spa subway stop through Exit 7.
Tags: Korean culture, Activities to do in Korea, Health in Korea, spa in Korea, Relaxing in Korea