I’ve been getting a little frustrated with teaching lately. Part of the reason is my students’ growing disrespect: – One boy in my blue class actually pulled out a Harry Potter book (in Korean) and started to read in the middle of a lesson. – A gold class student lied right to my face...
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Why travel by ferry when there are other options? Cruises. Flying. For me, it comes to comfort. Ferries take a little longer, but there’s more amenities on longer trips, like table tennis. And even if the ride is longer than a few hours, the overall commute is just… well, easier. Consider someone in Seoul...
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Completely unrelated to this entry is an event that happened today. You know what I’m talking about, English teachers, or anyone who’s worked abroad… the dreaded “in OUR country, we do things this way” or “this is part of OUR culture”, as if Korea has a license on certain cultural values… some would be...
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Health Insurance Just like the Japanese, Koreans enjoy two types of insurance and pension plans: the national plan, which covers all citizens by default, and the employee plan, which is only available for companies that employ five or more workers. As an employee of a small hagwon (학원), I only qualify for the national...
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So I’ve discovered another cross-cultural similarity between Koreans and Japanese: looking the part. So what if you’re physically incapable of climbing a mountain? So what if you have to stop and rest every thirty minutes? You’ve got your fancy gear, don’t you? Your shirt made of the special fabric that sweat only helps to...
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I am a water snob. Even with a Korean bathhouse less than 30 meters from my current living situation, I feel compelled to hop a bus and take a soak in mineral water. What can I say? I feel the difference, just as a wine connoisseur can distinguish your average house red from a...
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The same process repeats itself in country after country; there’s always going to be some kind of bureaucracy. How easy it is to work with the system (or pay it off, depending on the level of corruption). Anyone planning to stay in the Republic of Korea longer than 90 days must apply to a...
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