Teacher Blog

It's an inevitability of living abroad that the expat community is constantly fluctuating - most of the foreigners here in Korea are English teachers, whether in hagwons or public schools, and are serving a standard one-year contract. Many don't renew, for whatever reason. Other become mainstays, and form the backbone of the ever-changing local foreign community. It's not only foreigners that shape the family of expats living abroad. Some of the strongest forces in the community are locals whose passion for English and new friends keeps the spirit alive. These are some of their faces. I'll hopefully keep this page updated as I take more pictures. I'd like to create a running photo album of all of the people who have helped make Pohang into what it is for me.

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A former US Peace Corps Volunteer, Jonny Finity has been traveling since 2003. He has written for The Roanoke Times, Twende (an upscale East African travel magazine), and The Matador Network (the world's largest online travel magazine). Having lived in DC, Maine, Kenya and Spain, he now teaches high school English in Pohang, South Korea.

Read Jonny's blog here.

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I feel still the way a runner does after he’s crossed the finish line and has slowed, muscles clumsily unbunching as he commands them to stop the pace that has so dutifully brought them there. The pullback: one foot reaching to the ground as he leans backward, anchoring himself firmly to the road instead of the future he’d been headed for. The other foot comes down in a jarring, halting step, and after a few more beats he is quiet. Then he stands, hands on his hips or dangling to the side, glancing over his shoulder as his chest works the bellows within him. It’s this moment, heart rumbling, brain buzzing, lungs gasping, when you begin to feel the world again. And here I am, standing in the road with the dust and grit gathering round my ankles, wondering if I didn’t lose anything back there or if I shouldn’t just start again. The sun slams down on me, heat rising up like curtains from the ground, glaring at the trickles of sweat that wind uncomfortably down my back. The longer I stand the more aware I am of my shirt gathering at the armholes and slowly pasting itself to my spine. Then breeze picks up and relieves the pressure, coolly breathing life back into me. In this moment, standing at the top of the stone steps leading up from the river, that I wonder which way to turn for home.

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As her college career in Michigan came to a close and the world outside started looking hungrier, the threat of a life of predictability of began to settle around Sarah Julian's shoulders...Until she realized that the apocalyptic economy at home was the greatest graduation gift she could have hoped for! Now, here she is teaching upper Elementary and Middle School English for CDL in the southwest side of Seoul, where daily life is a kaleidoscope of motion, kimchi comes with everything and opportunities to expand ones horizons abound. Check out her blog to read about Sarah's daily adventures in Korea!

Read Sarah's blog here.

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For some strange and inexplicable reason, Monsoon season has arrived late this year, demurring it’s usual June arrival and instead holding out for August. As it goes, the rain seems to come for days at a time, falling out of the sky as if five-day benders are completely normal, and when I stare, giving me the “why-the-hell-are-you-looking-at-me-that-way-for?” face. Our typhoon came Wednesday night, which was fitting, for me. One of the surest ways of marking the passing of time here is watching your friends’ contracts expire, and on Wednesday, two of my most favorite people surrendered to the forward motion of their years here. The day outside went by innocently enough, although I got wind that a storm was coming from Josh, whose plane back to Seoul left early, just in case. After work the rain started again, but lost in my own thoughts, I did not expect the caterwauling that woke me at 4 am. The light in the sky and the force of the wind devils crashing into each other turned everything to a noisy dishwater gray- yellow confusion. Things went on like this for a few hours, the wind running around drunk and reeling into things. Around 6:30, its emotions seemed to have worked themselves out though, leaving trees laying lonely in the streets and sending the fronts of store signs and parts of buildings swirling on half hearted handfuls of wind. In the morning light the trees seemed to have sustained the greatest injuries; besides some superficial damage to the outsides of buildings, it seems that Mokdong was spared! I’ve heard there is another coming though, so I am off to buy some water, wine and candles to watch the next in style!

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As her college career in Michigan came to a close and the world outside started looking hungrier, the threat of a life of predictability of began to settle around Sarah Julian's shoulders...Until she realized that the apocalyptic economy at home was the greatest graduation gift she could have hoped for! Now, here she is teaching upper Elementary and Middle School English for CDL in the southwest side of Seoul, where daily life is a kaleidoscope of motion, kimchi comes with everything and opportunities to expand ones horizons abound. Check out her blog to read about Sarah's daily adventures in Korea!

Read Sarah's blog here.

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Life is rough as a travel show addict living in Korea. The cable channels available to me are constantly changing, and although I currently have Discovery, I’m really missing Travel Channel, National Geographic and good old reliable Oregon Public Broadcasting. And you can only watch so much Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern, Adam Richman on youtube without going crazy. What’s the solution? Make your own show. I spent last Saturday filming an episode of Today’s Blog for Arirang TV, the major English language channel in Korea, broadcast in 188 countries across the globe. It was an amazing experience that I hope presents itself again in the future. The focus of the episode… strange Korean food. I’m not sure when it will air, but here is some behind the scenes footage from the shoot.

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Dustin works for Chung Dahm Learning April English in Seoul, South Korea. Having lived abroad before, his passion is traveling and experiencing different cultures, so he jumped at the opportunity to teach in Korea. He thinks working with kids can be a lot of fun, and he's getting to travel in Korea and the rest of Asia. A life-long Portland Trail Blazers fan, the hardest part about being away from home is missing the NBA season, but thankfully he has found a way to watch with NBA Online...

Read Dustin's blog here.

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As the sort-of-proud owner of a scooter myself, I can attest to the following facts about scooters:

1. They are cheap. You can buy a brand-new scooter in Korea for 1,000 USD. I fill my gas tank once a week for 5 USD.

2. They are faster than cars.* Since scooters are often held to few, if any, traffic laws, they can go wherever, whenever they please. Go the wrong way down a one-way street? Cars will pull over. Run a red light? The cops will wave you past. Drive full-speed along a crowded sidewalk during market day? Pedestrians will move to the street.
*Within city limits.
3. They look more dangerous than they really are. I know how #2 sounds, but don't worry Mom! There's order amidst the chaos. After about a week of riding in traffic, you reach a moment of scooter zen, and your role becomes clear like water pouring into a stone-filled glass.

As a resident in and frequent traveler of Asia, I can also attest to the following facts about asian economies:

1. They are cheap. And by "they are" I mean "labor is."

2. They are faster than cars. Ok, that one doesn't make much sense.

3. In spite of - or because of - the frantic, heart-burning pace of the Asian Scooter economies, Asians are careful. They don't spend money just because they have a shiny plastic card that says they can - though they understand the danger (which is why, I suspect, it is illegal for Koreans to gamble in Korea). The memory of poverty is still fresh in their minds. I don't think most Asians want to belly up to an all-you-can-eat buffet with their American counterparts. They're generally happy with their bowl of rice and small helping of side dishes.

4. They are built on a foundation of collective values. You may discount this one as irrelevant, namby-pamby, or idealistic, but let me give you some advice: don't. The Korean word "jeong" [정] - variations of which exist in China and Japan - is difficult to translate, but loosely means "togetherness, love, sympathy, feeling," and just about any other feel-good word that makes you want to give someone a hug. Though much of Koreans' behavior and interaction is dictated by a seemingly draconian Confucian culture, Koreans also feel bound to each other through jeong - not as a burden, but as a blessing. This influences all manner of conduct, including business transactions, conversations, and how to behave in traffic. In my experience, road rage is a rarity throughout Asia. When I zip past a Korean sitting still at a red light, it seems - though I can't be sure - the driver simply thinks "he must have somewhere very important to be."

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A former US Peace Corps Volunteer, Jonny Finity has been traveling since 2003. He has written for The Roanoke Times, Twende (an upscale East African travel magazine), and The Matador Network (the world's largest online travel magazine). Having lived in DC, Maine, Kenya and Spain, he now teaches high school English in Pohang, South Korea.

Read Jonny's blog here.

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With intensives over, it’s time for this blog to get back up to speed.

August 5 was Derrika’s birthday (which meant a delicious chocolate cake from Paris Baguette at work – side note: Paris Baguette = DELICIOUS). Because Thursdays during Summer 2010 meant full loads of classes for most teachers, she couldn’t really do anything to celebrate. But on Saturday, a bunch of us celebrated in style on a nice boat ride down the Han River in Seoul.

*cue SNL’s I’m on a boat*

It was a nice leisurely party, only minorly hindered by the fact that the Han is really dirty. We saw several dead animals in the water (note, I said animals, NOT fish).

And as the sunset, it was a great opportunity for picture taking:

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Alisa Williams is from the Washington DC area, but right now she's living and teaching at the Chungdahm Institute in Suwon, just south of Seoul. While teaching her students English, she's also trying to teach herself Korean (an awesome challenge) and generally exploring everything Korea has to offer!

Read Alisa's blog here.

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A version of this blog can be found on Language Vine

Get the most out of Seoul in just one Day!

Seoul has enough interesting places to see and experience to keep you busy exploring for a long time. But even if you only have one day, you can certainly get a good grasp of Korean culture, past and present, by choosing the right itinerary. The public transportation system is top notch and the taxis are cheap, making it easy to travel from one side of the city to the other, knocking off the can’t miss sights as you go.

Start your day at 9 am with a tour of the grand Gyeongbokgung. Also referred to as Gyeongbok Palace, it was the largest royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty which ruled Korea from 1392 – 1897. Here you can catch a glimpse of where kings and queens lived, entertained guests and made important decisions.

Next, walk to Insadong, popular destination for both locals and tourists. Insadong offers old Korea, like tea shops, antiques, Buddhist sculptures, ceramics, stationary and calligraphy. You will also find modern Korea, like art galleries, endless opportunities for souvenirs and some great eating. Venture into the alleys in search of traditional cuisine and sample the street food along the main drag. Don’t resist the urge to watch the ggultarae vendors. While this sweet treat is being prepared, they suck you in with their witty banter using English, Korean, Japanese, and whatever other language is represented among the spectators.

From Insadong, walk past Bosingak (traditional belfry and main gathering spot during New Year’s celebrations) to Cheoonggye Square, where Cheonggyecheon originates. Once forgotten and partially covered by concrete and a highway, a popular urban renewal project brought this stream back to life in a major way. A quick stroll will reveal watersides and waterwalls, decorative bridges, art and photo galleries, fountains, murals, statues, live music and a lot of people enjoying nature, rain or shine, in the middle of downtown.

Walk Cheonggyecheon for 20 minutes down to Gwangjang Market. One of the nation’s first traditional markets, it still specializes in silks, textiles and hanboks (traditional Korean dress). But in my opinion, this market is the best place to eat street food. My favorite is bindaetteok, one of the many varieties of fried Korean pancakes. You can also try traditional Korean porridge, mandu dumplings, bibimbap, gimbap tteokbokki and sundae blood sausage.

If you have the time and energy, take a taxi or the subway to the south side of the Han River for a sunset cruise before concluding your night at N Seoul Tower. From Yeouinaru station in Yeouido, walk down to the ferry dock, purchase your tickets and wait for the next boat. The view of the city from the water is excellent, and the breeze brings a welcome relief to the summer heat.

The perfect way to end your day of sightseeing is atop Namsan Mountain, under picturesque N Seoul Tower. Ride the subway to Seoul Station and walk up the steep hill to the cable car, or save time and your legs by taking a taxi. The tower complex has plenty to keep you busy including 360 degree rotating fine dining, casual and food court dining, observatory, art exhibitions and souvenir shops. Or skip it all and simply enjoy the outdoor viewing areas, famous for the locks of love. As a way for couples to wish for eternal happiness, they fasten a pair of locks to the fence and chuck the keys. A tower visit after sundown can be a psychedelic experience. The giant structure alternates colors throughout the night and if you time it right, you might catch a laser show. And when you decide to leave, or they kick you out, I recommend the descent on foot. It’s only about 30 minutes and the viewpoint half way down offers a memorable snapshot of Seoul at night.

If you’ve got anything left, hit up a noraebang and sing your heart out before retiring for the night. Translated, it means singing room. Chances are there are a handful of these karaoke joints within a stones throw of your hotel.

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Dustin works for Chung Dahm Learning April English in Seoul, South Korea. Having lived abroad before, his passion is traveling and experiencing different cultures, so he jumped at the opportunity to teach in Korea. He thinks working with kids can be a lot of fun, and he's getting to travel in Korea and the rest of Asia. A life-long Portland Trail Blazers fan, the hardest part about being away from home is missing the NBA season, but thankfully he has found a way to watch with NBA Online...

Read Dustin's blog here.

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By the time my plane touched down in old Peking, I had devoured the entire Lonely Planet Beijing City Guide, and was almost more aggressive than the Chinese in getting out of the airport and on my way to 'downtown'. A rather lengthy bus ride, a short stint on the subway and a well-directed walk later, I found myself peering into the dusty doorway of Qianmen Hostel. It was my first look at, and stay in a 'youth hostel', once a 3-story courtyard residence dating back to 1850. I'd decided to stay there on the advice of a friend who knew the Xuanwu neighborhood to be an ideal location for the eager adventurer in me. It was still early, before noon, so I set out to make up for the morning lost to transportation. Outside, the hazy heat hung in every hutong (narrow alleyway) and smothered the city like a giant white net cast over this world capital. As I walked through the steaming smog soup, I had to squint and scowl to sightsee my way down Dazhalan Pedestrian street, a hutong only a few steps from the front door of my hostel, and a flavorful street that quickly became my favorite. This heady hodgepodge of tea shops, silk stores, massage studios, tourist outlets and interesting architecture served as the daily access and return route for all of my urban adventures. With a left turn at the west end of Dazhalan, I was suddenly strolling a modern-looking boulevard bustling with brand name stores and beautiful Chinese restaurants with their radiant red and glittering gold porticos. I stumbled on street car tracks under foot as I feasted my eyes on the fine facades and gaudy gates overhead. My head panned back and forth across the wide avenue as I wound my way ahead to where my gaze grew into a gaping gawk as the stern structures surrounding Tiananmen Square appeared 'out of thick air'. With no particular plan, I was open to wandering, to meandering, to being just one of the thousands of people to plod through this cement desert known as the world's largest public square. It was aptly named, as my insignificant speck of humanity was distinctly felt as I entered this this almost 4800 square feet domain designed to hold more than a million people. Despite being considered a public space, the square was encircled by fences that funneled the crowds through security check points and bag searches, and obsessively monitored by closed-circuit cameras and stringent, serious-faced guards. Clearly not a relaxing place, I kept my pace with my eyes peeled and proceeded with my promenade around this political pavement. With my plan of "no agenda" well underway, my first chance to forge into new frontiers "without reservations" presented itself in the form of a very friendly, excellent-English speaking, Chinese couple. I was approached by this cheerful duo who seemed to think I could give them directions. I was by no means startled or surprised by this notion. Actually, I was rather amused, as this very scene has happened to me countless times all over the world, many of which resulted in rewarding meetings for both parties. Only this time, I apologized and told them regretfully that I had only just arrived in Beijing this morning. They were not the least bit dissuaded. In fact, this travel-talking twosome seemed perfectly content to just continue to accompany me around the asphalt attraction, and within minutes, our encounter had accelerated into an excited exchange of itinerary ideas, other areas to explore, and appropriate adventures for me to seek out -- the first being a Chinese tea ceremony. As a huge tea aficionado, I was absolutely delighted by this suggestion, especially when they offered to escort me and explain and translate the information that would be imparted. After lingering through learning the proper way to hold and behold the fine china (tea cups) , smelling and sampling leaves of everything from herbal to oolong (teas) and lapping up the luscious local life, I realized I had blown my entire daily travel budget on this one exotic experience. Oh well, what better way to integrate than to celebrate with an authentic occASIAN. Besides, I told myself, I'd make up for it by eating street food and haggling for souvenirs. Welcome to Beijing, I thought happily, as I stepped out of the tiny tea house and into the rest of my summer vacation "without reservations".

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As an American, educated in Canada and now working in the city of Daejeon in South Korea, Kristina Eisenhower considers herself a citizen of the world and consumer of new experiences, especially traveling overseas. When she is not busy teaching high school and training Korean teachers in English through the EPIK program, she can be found trying her hand at cooking Korean food at home, taking a soak in the hot mineral springs and expanding her horizons by exploring all that Korea and the rest of Asia has to offer! Read about her journey right here.

Read Kristina's blog here.

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It was 6 a.m., straight up, and I was on my way to the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall of China. For weeks I'd looked forward to visiting the Great Wall, the most iconic monument in all the land. I'd planned to conquer this wonder of the world at the earliest possible time in my trip, so as to be strong and ready for the 10k hike along this awe-inspiring symbol of Chinese history. That opportunity arrived on day 2 of my excursion. A great day for the Great Wall, I thought as the fast-moving, full morning sun glared through the bus windows. Appealing and authentic as the alleyways and attractions of Beijing were, I longed for a clean and fresh scene full of natural beauty at which to marvel. A day trip into the mountains of Luanping county some 110km from the city center was definitely in order. There was no doubt in my mind that surrounded by nature's veracity and the grandeur of the Great Wall, my second day would be a first rate experience. The tour bus made a couple of stops at other local hostels to pick up fellow tourists. At the third and longest stop, I was staring out the window trying to digest the greasy bag of breakfast they had thrown at me earlier when I was joined by another "woman waller" traveling solo. I held up the paper cup of morning caffeine they had offered (Coke) and asked her if she had already had breakfast. She smiled. "Yes. I knew better." she said, nodding in the direction of my crumpled McDonald's bag tucked in the seat pocket in front of us. Her voice, in just 4 words, conveyed a confident, savvy attitude. Her accent had a lively lilt and was resonant with British brilliance. Her name was Penny and she was in Beijing by herself for a brief holiday after conducting a bit of business in the Shanghai area. Penny was an interesting woman with inspiring stories and so we rode along sharing our adventures in travel and our 'wanderlust in waiting', until the bus had finally reached today's desired destination. I was silent on the ascent to the watchtower where the hike would begin. I wanted to feel the awe rising inside me and absorb the aura that was enveloping me. Slowly twirling 360 degrees, I took moving, mental snapshots of the magnificence and magnitude that could never be captured with a camera, and then proceeded up the path to step foot upon the Great Wall where I was 'on top of the world' in every way. Far less touristy than other sections of the Great Wall close to Beijing, the Jinshanling stretch of wall wound along the ridge of the mountain range like a tame, yet thrilling roller coaster route in disrepair. The trail was steep and several sections of the stone corridor were crumbled and collapsed making traversing it more trying. Parts of the path had dissolved into rubble and many areas of the edifice were overgrown with grass and plants. The periodic watchtowers were in various states of deterioration with some having been stripped of their bricks and their steps in ruins. However, undulating through this stunning terrain with its spectacular scenery under the summer sun made for an exhilarating and exquisite experience. It was truly a "wonder-full" day!

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As an American, educated in Canada and now working in the city of Daejeon in South Korea, Kristina Eisenhower considers herself a citizen of the world and consumer of new experiences, especially traveling overseas. When she is not busy teaching high school and training Korean teachers in English through the EPIK program, she can be found trying her hand at cooking Korean food at home, taking a soak in the hot mineral springs and expanding her horizons by exploring all that Korea and the rest of Asia has to offer! Read about her journey right here.

Read Kristina's blog here.

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Our trip to China was jammed full of lots of awesome adventures so we had to break up the posts into 2 parts, Beijing and Shanghai. Beijing was the first part of our trip and boy was it awesome. Thanks to some friends of friends, we were allowed to stay in a couples apartment while they were visiting their family, so the above picture was Danny in front of the apartment building. It was a huge place that could have fit our whole Korean apartment in the living room, so needless to say, we took advantage of the REAL couch and flat screen TV. As soon as we got to Beijing on Saturday morning, we dropped our stuff off at the apartment and headed out for our first experience: a Beijing bike tour.






We got on cruisers and headed out on the Beijing (very busy) streets to see the city. Danny and I did a bike tour in both cities and we both agree it was our absolute favorite thing we did. It was just such a great way to see so much of the city in one afternoon. We rode through the tiny alleys and streets of Beijing (the Hutongs) and really felt like we got to see the "real" side of Beijing.

We got to see some really interesting places, some great shopping areas with unique Chinese boutiques, but one of my favorite areas was Houhai Lake. As my Chinese brother put it, it is kinda like Wash Park in Denver but in China! There are shops and restaurants all around the lake (with some delicious happy hour mojitos I might add) and it is a great place to people watch and see the local Beijing scene.


You can walk or ride around the whole lake, which we did, but we also came back later in the week to ride in a paddle boat around the lake. (One tip: if you have been walking basically non-stop for 4 days straight, splurge and get the electric boat so you don't have to do the paddling... trust me, the extra $4 is worth it!! ; )


We saw many couples on romantic dates, we saw about 15 brides doing a photo shoot, and we even found that the Chinese have no problems with wearing speedos to take a dip on a hot summer afternoon. And when I say hot, I mean HOT... July and August are usually the hottest times of the year and with what felt like 100% humidity, I was about to jump in the lake myself.



Our bike tour continued around the lake, through more hutongs, and then toward the end, we even rode around the Forbidden City. The great thing about the bike tour was that we had our own personal tour guide to tell us all about the city so we discovered that there are 9,999 rooms in the Forbidden City and they were all for one man, the emperor. He was the only one who was technically able to live in the city even though it it the biggest palace in the world. Riding around the outside seemed to take forever, so I can only imagine that the emperor must have been a Hide-and-Go-Seek enthusiasts with all of his eunuchs or else he would have been pretty lonely in such a huge place!
As we were taking everything in, we noticed a few differences between China and Korea. One big difference was how casual the Chinese seemed compared to Koreans. Koreans seem to dress rather nicely most of the time, but it was a common site to see shirtless men or really casually dressed people all over China. After coming from a basically "shirts at all times, even at the beach" country, we were kinda amazed at the difference between them.

After being tempted with snake, lamb heart, and yes even the tiny sad little birds below, we decided that a bug would be our best option. (And when I said tempted, I really meant we both made gross faces down the whole street and tried to choose something that wouldn't scar us mentally for life...you know, that kind of tempted) Scroll to the bottom if you want to see what we finally decided on.

The last, but definitely not least, event that I will highlight in this obviously ridiculously long post, is our time at the Great Wall. A site not to be missed while in Beijing, Danny and I decided to rent a car for the day with the help of a new friend, and we headed to Mutianyu: one section of the wall.

Maybe because it was insanely hot, or maybe because God was smiling on us that day, but we were really lucky to come on a day that hardly any people were at the Wall. We took a ski lift up to the wall and got to hike on it for hours... and I mean hike. People always image the wall as a mostly flat wall that you can take a leisure stroll on, but that is not the case. Mutianyu is especially mountainous so we were climbing quite a bit while we were there. I don't know if it was smog or the humidity, but unfortunately the sky wasn't very clear that day but that didn't ruin our experience.
It was just amazing to see such a historic and old place and I am very glad we did it. After we finished our trek on the Wall, the great thing about being at Mutianyu is that you get to ride an alpine slide down the mountain to get back to civilization. Most people I've talked to have said the wall was crazy crowded when they went, so I think we were pretty lucky to have it all to ourselves!
Lastly, after the wall, we headed to the Summer Palace which we were told is similar to the Forbidden city, just more beautiful. I was just amazed that a man with 9,999 rooms needed a summer home to vacation in!
Hope you enjoy the videos of me eating fried scorpion. Danny and I both had 2 scorpions each, and basically they just tasted crunchy and salty...not bad at all ; ) The thing that just freaked me out was when I thought my scorpion was still alive, as you will see in the video, as the tail hit my face when I was trying to eat it. I survived though and neither of us got sick after that so I would say that "bug eating experience" was a success!