When you first arrive in a new country, it’s easy to feel a little lost. When that country is as vastly different from the West as Korea, it’s even easier.
Everything is different, the language is difficult to understand and what on earth is that weird smell?!
Here’s some things that’ll make your life run a little (or a lot) smoother in Korea.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the 5 things I love about Korea. Sure, there’s a lot to love about this weird and wonderful place. But it’s certainly not perfect.
I’ve been living in Korea for a whole year now, and generally I’ve enjoyed my time here. However, like every country, it has its faults. There’s plenty of things I’ve found surprising, gross and downright irritating about being in Korea.
The time has finally come to expose the absolute worst things about living in Korea. Or, more specifically, a few things I’m personally not a fan of. Let’s begin!
24 hours is by no means enough time to explore a new city, but on a long layover on my way to Bali, I gave it a pretty good go. And it went rather well.
So well in fact, that I thought I’d share my itinerary here, to inspire any other passing travellers on their whistle-stop tour of Kuala Lumpur.
Here’s how to make the most of 24 hours in the vibrant Malaysian capital.
When I first arrived in Jeonju almost a year ago, I had absolutely no idea what was going on. I didn’t know where to shop, where to eat or where to drink. And it’s not the sort of thing you can look up on Wikipedia.
It took me several months to identify the distinct areas I now know so well, and today I’m spreading the word. Life for Jeonju newbies will suddenly get much easier!
I’ve located 5 key areas in the city, all of which are worth visiting for different reasons. For each, I have pinned somewhere roughly in the centre (you’re welcome). Read on to find out more.
The following is a guest article written by Jamie Hoyle.
The recruitment criteria for teaching EFL in Korea are simple. Have a degree. Have a criminal record without any brutal murders. Obtain a letter of shameless praise from an old manager or university professor. Wake up at 5am for a Skype interview. Speak English.
Speak English.
I speak English. I speak the most English English there is. I am English. It’s the only language I know. I will teach more people to speak just like me. I’m perfect.
Well, kind of.
The popularity of soju in Korea is unlike anything I’ve seen before. You’ll find its distinctive green bottles at every convenience store, on the table at every Korean restaurant, and resting beside a passed out Korean on almost every street corner.
If you ask me, soju tastes a lot like watered down vodka, and its original “flavours” are pretty hard to swallow. It is also pretty lethal stuff which famously gives you an awful hangover.
But there’s a reason it’s so popular with Koreans and foreigners alike. Soju is strong (about 13%), incredibly cheap (a bottle costs about £1/$1.50) and super fun to try while you’re here. It’s all about embracing the local culture, right?
Thankfully, there are a variety of different flavours to try too – some of which taste better than others. I ventured out to buy as many varieties I could find – there were 8 in total – and got some friends together to carry out a very scientific and not at all tipsy taste test. Here is the definitive ranking of all the the soju varieties I could get my hands on, from worst to best.
As my year in Korea comes to an end, I find myself reflecting on my time in this strange, foreign land. Here I’m focusing on the positive aspects; what I’ll miss most when I head back to the UK. These are the 5 things I love about living in Korea.
I live for food. My life revolves around what I’m cooking, what I’m eating and where, and I spend an embarrassing amount of time browsing the internet for new restaurants to visit or recipes to try. Before venturing to Korea, I researched its cuisine thoroughly, and was eager to get my first taste upon my arrival. Not once did I consider I wouldn’t like it. How wrong I was.
As I sat down with my first ever school meal in Korea, my expectations were high. However, when I took my first bite of the surprisingly crunchy kimchi, my dreams of falling in love with Korean cuisine crumbled before me. Did no one think to mention that kimchi is an acquired taste, to say the very least?!
When a seemingly endless supply of rice and kimchi starts to get you down, there’s no shame in seeking out tasty foreign food in Jeonju, even if it is the food capital of Korea. In this “Get You Fix” series, I will unveil the city’s best restaurants (in my very humble opinion) across the various cuisines. Today’s focus: Mexican food.
Authentic tasting Mexican food is in short supply in Jeonju. More than once I’ve attempted to eat a seemingly appetising burrito or quesadilla, only to find it laden with Korean radishes, pickles or even kimchi! I still experience nightmares.
Koreanised versions of foreign food are to be expected, being in Korea and all. But here are 3 restaurants that have managed to keep the kimchi at bay.
Having been in Korea for over 7 months, now seems like a perfect time to reflect on the pros and cons of working as an English teacher with EPIK (English Program in Korea).
I’ve already given my two cents on what I consider to be the 5 worst things about working with EPIK, so now it’s time for the 5 best. It’s by no means been plain sailing, but there are certain aspects of the job that I can’t deny are pretty great. From the salary to the students, there’s plenty of reasons why so many people apply each year to be a teacher with EPIK. Let’s get started.
