One of the first Korean words I learned after my arrival to the peninsula was bbali (빨리). Meaning “fast,” it’s a term used frequently and, in my opinion, perfectly summarizes the entire country in two syllables. After all, the nation rose from the ashes of the Korean War in a mere six decades to become …
Standing in line for lunch, a younger student saw my Mignon Faget ring that I wear daily and asked me, “Teacher, are you married?” This didn’t surprise me, as I get this question a lot from the students. “No,” I replied casually. “Well, do you have a boyfriend?” “Nope,” I continued. “Teacher, why? When do …