Ten Best Things About Living in South Korea

In a few days, it'll be a total of three years that I've been living and teaching in South Korea.  While it's been a mixture of ups and downs, I can with certainty say that it's been an experience I'm really grateful for.  It started with heavy doses of culture shock (live fish and other seafood in the markets), a continuous bowing to nearly everyone I'd meet and trying to the learn hangul, the Korean alphabet.  But as I'm gearing up to leave this country that has been home away from home, I'm reminded of how good it's actually been living fourteen hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the opposite side of the world.

Here are the ten best things about living (and teaching) in South Korea.

Playing With Mud in South Korea

Of course, if you've taught in the United States and then come to teach in Korea, you'll notice right away that there is humongous difference in the respect teachers get in South Korea, generally speaking.

Really, if you're teaching elementary school kids, you'll know just how adorable they can be.

So, I really like teaching in Korea.  But what's better than teaching these little darlings you ask?? Taking a break from teaching and going on a field trip some where in beautifully scenic, Jeju Island.

On my most recent field trip, I got down and dirty with some clay.  While helping a few students out, the man demonstrating the technique and probably a supervisor or owner in some regard, permitted the teachers to create our own works of art.

Sports Day in Korea

I couldn't pass up the chance to see what would go on at my school during the Sports Day that was scheduled this coming Saturday.  This was something we did when I lived in Trinidad and Tobago more than ten years ago and I was intrigued by a day of fun (and exercise) between teachers, students, parents and even grandparents; really, it's a day for community involvement and fun, fun, fun.  :)

There were several things I was looking for on Sports Day at my school, a classic tug-o-war, an egg and spoon race and relay races.  While the traditional egg and spoon race did not happen, I got so much more.

Life in Korea: How Do Vegetarians Survive Korea?

Initially, I was a little grossed out when the food, a pile of raw chicken mixed with cabbage and other vegetables was placed on the hot plate right in front of me.  I was eating out, celebrating the birthday of a fellow teacher, Kelly. But since I hadn't had any issue finding something that suited my vegetarian diet in my two years of living in Korea, I wasn't worried.

I inquired about what I could get from the menu at a popular Dakalbi place in Shin Jeju, Chun Ton Myun Tong Dakgalbi. And while the Korean women who were a part of the dinner party were busying themselves trying to find out what, if anything, was available for me to eat, I chatted with my friends.

All this time, the food was cooking at our table and it started to smell really good and every so often, a chef would come over and stir things up a bit.  What was I going to do?