Teachers Share their Experiences While Living Abroad!

As a lifelong Boston resident and witness to countless playoff collapses and disappointments, I figured I knew it all when it came to sports and the unbridled passion that accompanies them. But, since moving to Korea last May, I realized that I still have a lot to learn about true fandom.

The last week in February was especially nice while teaching English in Korea; the temperature hit at about 40-50 degrees during the day.  Although Spring officially begins on March 20, this first week in March in Korea was a great welcome for warmer weather; I want to say that Spring is in the air!  The past Saturday, we hit 70 and what a glorious day that was for a Pohang Steelers game at the Pohang Steel Yard.  

The Pohang Steelers is a  professional football club based in Pohang, Korea.  According to Wikipedia, they were originally called POSCO, after the Pohang Iron and Steel Company that owned it. The club was founded in 1973 and is one of Korean football's most successful sides.  They are the most successful team in Asia with three AFC Champions League titles.  The Pohang Steelers competed for the FIFA World Cup in 2009 and place 3rd.  Needless to say, this the Pohang Steelers have what it take to compete!!  

Pohang has a surprisingly large community of English teachers and other foreigners from all around the world.  And facebook has been a major link for connecting to other expats living and teaching in Korea.  Earlier this week, a post to a local group “Pohang Legends” was made by an expat about the upcoming game and if anyone was interested in attending the Steelers game on March 9 at 3pm.  I decided that I would go and I met up with others teachers on the day of the game at the downtown McDonalds.  I was excited to see a few other familiar English teachers in addition to hang out with my new friend Denise.  After some chit chat and waiting around for others to arrive, the six of us split up and caught a taxi to the stadium for the game.

That day, I learned a few things:

1.  How to get to the Steelers (home) games.  POSCO is a huge steel company in Korea and POSCO owns the Pohang Steelers.  The stadium is located relatively close to the steel yard and so, if you say , they’ll usually figure out that you’re going to the stadium, especially if you or someone in the group is wearing a Steelers jersey.  

                Park Ji Sung, Manchester United midfielder and Korea's most famous player!