I think I accidentally went on a date on Wednesday night. I mean, I certainly had no idea it was going to be a date when I turned up, and it was never at any point confirmed as being one, but it definitely left me with an “I’ve just been on a date” kind of [...]
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One of my students complained about me yesterday, and I’m shaken by how difficult I’m finding it to be the adult and not let it affect how I am with her. Mainly, I think I’m upset because her complaint was the exact one that I used to make about a teacher at school, albeit when [...]
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Although I think I’ve adjusted and adapted (or adopted) quite well to the whole cultural differences thing, occasionally there’s an incident that leaves me absolutely reeling in disbelief. Not understanding in the slightest, however hard I try. Gobsmacked, shocked, and staring. Unable to say anything other than “Did that just happen?!”. The one that will [...]
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Korean drinking culture is a pretty big part of life here. Whether it’s a group of friends just relaxing over a couple of pints and a leisurely meal, or a group of business men getting fall-down-drunk on soju after finishing work sometime around midnight, the bars here are never empty. Major business deals are hammered [...]
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Damn, this saying goodbye to students thing has seriously caught me off-guard. This is “Beenie”, who left the school very suddenly last week. I’ve taught this girl, one of my oldest elementary students, three times a week since my very first day as a teacher. On day one, she came up to me before the [...]
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A few weeks ago, I spent a great weekend exploring Jeollonam-do, a province on Korea’s south east coast. We stayed in Nagan folk village, which I thought was a fake village to give tourists an idea of what traditional life in Korea was like. I was delighted to discover that it’s a real village, where [...]
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Humidity’s not something I’ve ever really experienced before, and it’s still something of a novelty, as weird as that sounds. I’m from a country where, for a large part of the year, your glasses will steam up when you come inside from the cool air. This morning, however, for the first time (and definitely not [...]
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“Alex, I fell over in my apartment last night,” I groan sadly when my colleague pokes his head around my classroom door on his way past. He looks surprised. He really shouldn’t, not when he’s known me for the best part of a year. His forehead creases in an attempt to understand as he watches [...]
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You Say Goodbye, I Say… Historical Snapshots It Just Makes Me Happy
