They say that bad things happen in threes. I don’t know who “they” is or how valid this superstition may be, but it seems that it has proved quite true for South Korea recently. As if teaching uncontrollable, kicking, screaming, hair-snipping orphans (not to sound insensitive) was not enough for me, there has been a …
Month: May 2009
I cannot believe it has been an entire year since my Contiki trip across Europe. Not only was it one of the best months of my life, but I made some friends that I know I will keep in touch with for my entire life. I was so fortunate to be able to spend some …
Yes, I did it- spent yet another day in Myeongdong picking up some more “necessities.” As I’ve previously posted, the Korean fashion scene paints a picture for the commonly used phrase, “Beauty is pain.” I have to admit, I admire the high heel-clad women of all ages forever sporting the trendiest threads. The male perms …
I’ve mentioned before how much I enjoy teaching higher level kids. It’s a hell of a lot less frustrating and much easier to determine success, especially in classes like Medical Center, where focus vocabulary is on various illnesses and symptoms. The children attending SEV this week were from the richer area of Seoul, and many …
In 2008, Seoul was the second biggest city in the world with a population of 23,800,000 people. Despite it’s size, it’s crime rate is extremely low, thus being one of the safest places to travel. For one, no one is allowed to own a gun. Most police do not carry guns, or so I have …
One thing that sticks out about Seoul is that it is so dynamic. One neighborhood may find you feeling as if you’ve stepped back to ancient times where a few subway stops down the line will have you surrounded by PC bangs, neon, and other urban vibes. This has become even more evident to me …
In the past, I’ve heard people say many things about how to know a country’s culture. One of these said ways is to play their sport (“Dhani Tackles the Globe“). For anyone who knows me, they would say that this would be a joke for me, as I do not have an athletic bone in …
For the first time in three weeks, I was able to remain sleeping past 8am. Thank you, soju. Last night, a large group of my co-workers went out for a night in Hyewah, a university neighborhood of Seoul. As previously mentioned, nights out in Korea usually entail bar hopping and this night was no different. …
My morning schedule primarily consisted of my teaching Physician’s Office class. In this class, students are taught particular vocabulary, dependent on their English level. For higher level students, I teach the various muscle groups of the body and various reasons for going to the physician’s office and the components of a physical. Instruction is then …
In making a run to the 7-Eleven a few days ago, I was introduced to an interesting Asian product while browsing the cosmetic isle: double eyelid tape. These strips are used by Korean females (and more recently males) to do simply what their name implies- create a crease in the eyelid. This came across as odd …