Teachers Share their Experiences While Living Abroad!

Naturally, I have straight black hair that turns reddish brown during the summer. My mom was so kind as to let me grow up experimenting with those orangey copper highlights every kid on the Disney Channel had in the early 2000s. Trust me, I’ve always been experimental with my hair from a young age, especially after getting a horrible haircut that looked like I put my head into a pencil sharpener when I was twelve. After that incident, I taught myself how to cut my own hair and proceeded to not let anyone else touch it for five years. As I’ve grown up, I’ve had long ombred hair, a blunt black bob, highlights for days, and many a box-dye from spontaneous trips to CVS.

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.

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.

It took three and a half days for me to fall in love with Seoul, South Korea. On my way to a summer fellowship in Manila, I decided to make a pit stop to visit my best friend who lives there. I touched down in Incheon, and we made our way on the airport bus to her house which sat right on the southern half of the Han River. The subsequent hours consisted of noraebang and fried chicken, a hike through Bukhansan (I’d never met a place with a national park within not just a city, but a citywith millions of inhabitants), weaving through the countless markets and underground malls, and stunning palaces and museums.

I had the pleasure of working with Matthew Ellis (Matt Teacher) at our branch, and now I will share my interview with him. Matt is an English teacher from Massachusetts and has been teaching for around seven years. His major was English with a concentration in Creative Writing and a minor in Philosophy (yikes!) He has a passion for gaming, culture, and diplomacy. Matt’s family is located back in the States, but he plans to continue here in Seoul in order to get his Masters in Linguistics. Matt says it’s nice to meet you!

On November 21st 2013, I arrived at Incheon airport in Korea. I would soon be heading to Chungdahm headquarters for a week of training, but not without being mesmerized and excited by my new surroundings. Everything was so exciting and new. What I didn’t really understand at that time was just how new I was. In high school or university, there is an idea that freshman just have no clue about what is going on. I have found that true in the real world as well. I myself have grown, but I know that I am not finished growing. When you come to Korea you will feel the same. What is my suggestion? Don’t fight the newness, but rather, enjoy it!

A Smooth Transition

Starting a new job when you’ve not long graduated can be a daunting prospect, let alone when it’s half way around the world in a totally unfamiliar country. By choosing to go through Aclipse, my mind was put at ease. I was assured that I would be provided with somewhere to live throughout my time in Korea, which was one of my biggest worries. The overwhelming mountain of paperwork soon became manageable with the help of my recruiter, Colette. She replied to all my frantic emails in the middle of the night and addressed all of my concerns. From how to apostille a degree to how real estate agents work in Korea, Aclipse had all the answers!

I initially chose Chungdahm Learning, because I could foresee a future where I could professionally and personally grow. Now, looking back on my 4-year journey with the company, I can say that they met all my expectations and offered opportunities beyond what I thought I could experience. 

A lot of foreigners worry about their job prospects post-ESL teaching and how being an ESL teacher for 2-3 years would look on their resume. This is why, I always say it is important to choose a company in Korea that you can grow with so, that you have strong references and are constantly being challenged to grow in different ways. It is important, no matter what you do, to never be stagnant while living abroad and take every opportunity to mold your resume with new skills and insight.