KOREA SOUTH - Expat Contests

Expat Blog Awards 2013

10 Things You Can Only See and Do in Rural South Korea

When most people think of South Korea, they envision Seoul and the neon lights, endless streams of people on a Friday night and some funky hip hop clothes topped off with an Asian face. Allow me to balance your knowledge with a little insight into life on the other side of the spectrum, rural Korea. There are no nightclubs, no theme cafes,...

Expat Culture Shock

A Life Unexpected

I’ll never forget my first night of living in a foreign country. My husband and I had packed up our life in eight bags and headed out for the greatest adventure we’ve had together. South Korea was our destination, and to be honest, I didn’t know the slightest thing about this foreign country. First of all, I will ashamedly admit, I...

Expat Culture Shock

Large Bath Toy or Naked English Teacher?

Living in Korea and not going to a public bath would be a like living in Japan and not eating sushi. I had been living in Korea for almost six months before I had the chance to get naked with some friends. It wasn’t that I was shy; it was simply that the only baths I knew were near my school and I really didn’t relish the thought of...

Writing Contest October 2012

The Beginning of an Addiction in Rome

“Thank you,” the TSA agent said to me as he handed back my boarding pass. I turned around one last time and tearfully waved to my parents, who were standing just across the entrance to security. With my laptop in a grey, plastic bin, I took a deep breath and stepped through the metal detector. One step closer to my new life as an expat in...

Writing Contest March 2013

The Top 15 Places to go on a Date in Seoul

Seoul is full of interesting and unique places to go on a date, places you probably wouldn’t go anywhere else in the world. With so many options to choose from, I’ve narrowed down the list to the top 15 places to go and how to get there. The (Almost) Free Date Cherry Blossom Festival Ah, cherry blossoms! Who doesn’t like...

Writing Contest March 2013

Top 5 Things to do on Geoje Island

I realize that when you hear South Korea, it doesn’t exactly go straight on your vacation bucket list. But after living on a small island off the southern coast of Korea for the last two years, I’ve grown to love it. Korea has such beautiful scenery and the people really take advantage of this seeing as how the majority of the attractions...

Writing Contest March 2013

Top 5 Ways To (Not) Be An Offensive Foreigner In Korea

Teaching English in Korea seems to have become a launching pad, or at least a stepping stone, for so many debt-ridden college grads hoping to find adventure and financial relief on the other side of the world. With these foreigners—including my husband and I—come cultural differences. If your desire is to NOT be offensive to the...

Expat Blog Awards 2013

Top Ways to Look Like A Native in Korea

It can be pretty scary and intimdating moving to a foreign country. Not only are you hundreds of miles from home, but lots of little things can feel so different. The food, the climate, the people and their habits. It's not surprising that tourists and newbies to an area can stick out like a sore thumb with their wide eyes and their open...

Working Abroad

Working Abroad in South Korea

The pre-8am grog: half asleep showers, top-naked breakfast, awkward professional ensembles that may or may not break fashion rules that I certainly don’t care about. This is the inevitability that most of us must face when we choose to work in any kind of office or school or establishment that caters to society’s hours. This is the worst...