The people of Korea are incredibly patriotic. They’re so proud of their country, their culture, and their heritage, that listening to them talk about it is a fascinating experience – and I think it’s also why they’re such good hosts. They want to share with foreigners all the things they love so much about their [...]
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I had a very surreal moment on the way home from work yesterday. It was one of those moments that, no matter how good a writer you think you are, you just know you’re not going to be able to describe in a way that lets people know just how bizarre it really was. Fortunately [...]
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It’s been one week since I smoked my last cigarette. I will always remember that cigarette. I’d sneaked into the toilets at a bar downtown, not being able to wait any longer for a puff. Unfortunately, the niceness and cleanliness of a bar in Daejeon is absolutely no indication of what the toilets will be [...]
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In Korea, the school year starts in March, not September. That’s why if you’d stopped by my school today, you would’ve seen dozens of little people in graduation gowns and hats. Yep, a kindergarten graduation ceremony – really. The pupils are split into two main groups – 6 year olds and 7 year olds (that’s [...]
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The jitters have set in. I try to fill my mind with other things, but I can turn every thought back to that single, shrieking, wailing one. For example. OK, coffee. Let’s have some coffee. Mmm, coffee. Strong, black, aromatic. In a big mug. With a nice cigarette in the other hand. No, OK, work. [...]
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This is my door. Not the most exciting opening there ever was to a blog post, but you know how I like to include all the little details of everyday life, the mundane as well as the interesting. And besides, I am actually rather a fan of the Korean door lock system (oh, help – [...]
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This post started out as a comment on K8′s blog, but it got so long that I felt bad about taking over her blog and decided to just make it a post on my own instead! You can read her post here. Basically, she said that when the school photographer turns up without warning and [...]
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Just a little meme thingy which entertained me in a gap between classes this morning. Usually I use this time to prepare lessons, study Korean, or write emails, but I’m too tired today. This was a nice relaxing way to pass the time without thinking too much and overtaxing my brain! A. Attached or single? [...]
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One of the things I find very difficult about my job is dealing with crying children. I’ve never been particularly good at consoling wailing infants, and in the past have relied upon cuddles followed by uncomfortable “gimme a smile!” type remarks in a silly voice. However, it’s much more complicated than that when the crying [...]
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That soju is dangerous stuff. I went out on Friday night to celebrate the new year with some colleagues, and I had a great night. Terri had discovered “lemon soju”, which, from what I could tell, is to soju what Smirnoff Ice is to vodka. Lemonade with a hint of alcohol, you know. We downed [...]
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You Say Goodbye, I Say… Historical Snapshots It Just Makes Me Happy
