The Uljin Red Snow Crab Festival (붉은 대게 축제) kicked off this weekend in the small fishing community of Hupo (후포).
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The Uljin Red Snow Crab Festival (붉은 대게 축제) kicked off this weekend in the small fishing community of Hupo (후포).
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This weekend wrapped up the Uljin Songi Festival (송이축제) in my corner of Korea. Uljin is famous for three things: big mushrooms, snow crabs, and unstable nuclear reactors… little bit of hyperbole. In any case, the festival was a good chance to stay in town for the weekend and chill with the locals. The...
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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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