Teachers Share their Experiences While Living Abroad!

      It’s been ten months since I’ve been teaching English in Korea now. One of the difficult things I had to get use to was teaching six hours straight with five minute breaks in between. It isn’t that the job is too stressful or tiring, it’s the fact that I have to teach through dinner time. I’m the kind of person who makes sure I eat all my meals in one day. So, when my stomach doesn’t get its dinner when it’s dinner time, it gets really loud and hungry. Being a slow eater, five minute break each hour is definitely not enough time to get my dinner in.

      I have heard certain branches give up to 15 minutes break in between classes and even provide dinner. Unfortunately, my branch is not one of those. Fortunately, I have learned to snack every hour to tame my stomach. I don’t recommend snacking on chips or junk food because it will definitely catch up to you, health wise. Here’s a list of my favorite “not so bad for your health” snacks that’s available at nearly every convenience store and bakery in Korea, which by the way. is on almost every corner as well.

1. Triangle Kim Bab or Kim Bab: Simply put, this is a snack that has vegetables and/or meat with rice wrapped with seaweed.  The price is good too! Expect to pay only anywhere between 700 won to 1,200 won (70 cents to $1). Personally, two of these will get me through six hours.
   
2. Jar of Nuts: This is a great healthy alternative to eating junk food. Just recently, I bought a liter full of peanuts, pecans, macadamias, almonds, and cashews at Home Plus for 18,000 won. A bit pricey, but the jar will last you at least a month.
3. Sandwiches & Salads: Around the corner from my branch is a Paris Baguette Bakery. Sometimes, right before work I’ll go there to buy some snacks for the day. My favorite is their breakfast sandwich, which has ham, egg, and cheese. Another favorite is their Caesar Salad with chicken. Expect to spend about 2,500 won to 6,000 won ($2.30 to $5.30) here.

I love to eat. While I would not consider myself a foodie, as a teacher in South Korea I am always excited to try new things. Yet, because of this, I am put in an interesting situation when it comes to our working hours. It should come as no surprise that we work different hours (I work till 10:30pm most nights) than what would be expected back home.  I am here to offer a few tips on late night dining options.