I work at an English hagwon, which is a Korean cram school or academy. I teach the highest level of 6th graders (elementary school) and first-year middle-school students. This means they are very proficient in English and score very well on English tests. In our school, they spend half their time learning from a Korean teacher, who focuses on the fundamentals, like grammar, vocabulary, and reading and listening comprehension. I’m here to assist with English production: speaki

Bongeunsa Temple is a serene and historic Buddhist place of worship, nestled into the modern hustle-bustle of Gangnam in South Korea. Buddha's Birthday is typically filled with festivals, colorful decorations, and a myriad of people writing and lighting prayers for candles and lanterns. Despite the limitations of the ongoing pandemic, COVID-19, worshipers and observers gathered at Bongeunsa to celebrate and pray for good fortune. An imposing Buddha statue reaches toward the

Perhaps you're living around Seoul and looking for the best things to do here, or maybe you're just dreaming up your exciting post-pandemic vacation! The good news is that I've got a ton of insider information for you. For the past year, I've been working through my bucket list of things to do in Korea. (Hey, it's a hard job, but someone's gotta do it.) I've visited all the popular, highly-recommended touristy places, and in my second year here, I've been combing my way throu

There are two constants in life (in Korea): 1. There will always be another mountain to hike. 2. There will always be a temple somewhere around that mountain. Buddhism has a deep-rooted presence in Korean history, culture, food (like temple food!), architecture, symbolism, and more! Roughly 23% of Koreans are Buddhist. When you visit the temples, you are bound to hear the metronome-like taps of a drum, monks chanting, and otherwise, the natural silence of peaceful mountains a

Ryan picked us up on a main street encased by Korean restaurants and franchises, Korean signage, and an uncountable number of Hyundai and Kia cars. He drove a flatbed pick-up truck, wore his staple beige cowboy hat, and explained how a guy from Texas found himself living in South Korea for more than a decade. The cityscape faded in the rear-view mirror as industry approached. We were alongside commercial trucks and passing warehouses. Ryan made a right turn as we drove parall

Yesterday was officially my KOREA-VERSARY! What an amazing year it's been! I took the leap (or rather the plane ride) on January 7, 2020, and arrived in the Seoul-ish area on January 8th, exactly one year ago. Since then, I've been exploring wherever my feet can take me. I've always had my trusty camera at my side, as well as a GoPro and my phone, and I've been shooting some video, in addition to the million photos I've posted. But I haven't shared any of the videos until now

We finally made it to the DMZ, the buffer zone between South and North Korea! Here are some photos, background, and stories. My two large takeaways from this trip were: 1) Looking at the world map, I'm acutely aware of how close Seoul is to North Korea. Learning that North Korea could easily launch mortars into my location just south of Seoul creates a much more acute awareness, as well as a very sobering one. It is highly unlikely that this will happen, but I have a higher r

There is a Samsung store in my school's building and also three elevators. One of the elevators does not go to the Samsung floor. There are five signs outside, inside, and around this elevator that warn that this elevator does not go to the Samsung floor. Still, people get into the elevator. They push the button to the Samsung floor, and the button does not light up. Because this elevator does not go to the Samsung floor. These people are often confused. Yet, above the eleva

I've been having recurring nightmares for months, but perhaps it's because I've been living a dream? A few weeks after my plane arrived in Korea, I had the first nightmare. I was somehow back in the USA. I wasn't sure how I'd gotten back there, and I wasn't sure how I'd come back, either. There had been some sort of visa paperwork issue that could only be sorted out back in Florida, and I wasn't sure when I'd be able to book my return flight to Asia, let alone what my school

Hey, guys! I'm still here! Do you ever think about doing something over and over again, to the point that it feels like you've actually done it, but really you're just playing the fool? This draft has been sitting untouched for months, and between my struggle with time management, tiredness from the go-go-go nature of life, and the hesitation to publicize political thoughts, this post has had a gestational period that rivals that of a human baby. So, let's finally give it leg

When the COVID-19 outbreak was first reported, the Korean government initiated a communication campaign that Koreans accepted with near unaminity. (You can read about my experience here .) Masks were in full fashion. Streets were bare. Foot traffic ebbed and flowed for a couple months. Businesses struggled. Many people lost their jobs. Other businesses pulled through, like, fortunately, my for-profit academy. Innovative thinking and quick adaptation was a must. Koreans flatte

For about a month, I've been collecting ketchup packets. I've put them all into my candy bucket at work. My friends and coworkers have contributed to the ketchup fund. The goal was to get enough ketchup to not only outnumber the candies, but to also fill the bucket a decent amount. Last week, that goal was met. We've been teaching hybrid online/offline classes. I taught a lesson on gerunds to my low-proficiency middle schoolers, in which they played a game toward the end. I s

During a middle school Zoom class: G: I'm thirsty, but I won't drink water now because it is class time. Me: It's OK, G. Go get some water. G: No, no. There is [sic ] 15 minutes of class left, so I will wait. A: If you don't drink water, your throat will become like a desert. G: Do you mean that I will die?! Me: He means your throat will be dry. G: But there are no deserts in Korea, so I know that if I go to a desert, then I will die. A: So, drink some water now so you don't

Once upon a time, there was a girl who moved across the world and overcame her fears of street photography. Getting on that plane took her 13 years. Steps for getting on that plane: - Discover and embrace who you are - Have a few crazy thoughts to quit your job and leave the country, but push them away for a decade - See where life takes you - Assess if your reality matches your dreams - If your dreams are still bigger than reality, book a flight This is a story about street

It's been much too long since the last time I posted, so here's to things long overdue! The last time I blogged, I reflected on the things I've learned from the coronavirus . I can't believe that was two months ago! I've been in Korea for four months now, and I often half-joke that each month feels like three. Every day is chock-full of learning opportunities. There's a study that explains why summer vacations felt so much longer when we were kids , and subsequently why time

COVID-19 (AKA "coronavirus," AKA "corona," AKA "'rona," AKA "🎶My Corona🎶") ramped up in South Korea just before Valentine's Day, so I guess we really should've been asking people, "Will you be my quarantine?" At this point, everyone is probably sick of hearing about COVID-19, especially since it's even been going viral online. And yet, here we are. In a recent post, I pulled out my medicine-sized soapbox about taking every opportunity to learn something . I'll take this mo

Every day is an opportunity to learn. Even in the most monotonous moments of my life, I challenged myself to learn one new thing every day. I slacked off a lot. But I don't want tooooo, I'd whine to myself some days. It was so easy to let go, to spin back into the cycle of routine, like getting stuck in a whirlpool between the safe shore and the unknown expanse of eternal ocean. Keeping an active mind got me through boring days, sucky days, and happy days. "What did this teac

Back when I was in school, as I took notes very studiously in class, I would just as studiously take notes on any funny interactions between the students and/or teacher. And that has not changed one bit since I started teaching in Korea! This blog post has two parts: Part 1: Korean Superstitions and Why Kids Should Be Hostage Negotiators Part 2: What Dolphins and Teachers Have in Common Part 1: Korean Superstitions and Why Kids Should Be Hostage Negotiators Noteworthy moments

***Update 3/1: As the stabilization efforts continue in South Korea, schools have announced that they will remain closed this week, as well. The streets are quiet, but I am well. People generally seem calmer, though everyone is taking precautions to stay home and practice good hygiene if they need to go out. It's been a great opportunity to relax, sleep, write, binge Netflix, and maintain false promises about cleaning. Ha! If you'd like to better understand the virus, here is

The most common question I get about living in Korea is: "Michelle, what are you eating over there?" It's no secret I'm a vegetarian! (Unless you didn't know, in which case: SURPRISE!) And it's also no secret that Koreans often don't know what a vegetarian is. Korean food consists largely of meat (hence, Korean BBQ and Korean fried chicken -- yes, KFC) and seafood, and meat and seafood hidden in food (which would not be a fun surprise for Michelle). Background/Quick story ti