Highlights: There have been so many great moments here but if I was to choose my favourite work based and non-work based it would have to be when I was teaching 1st grade elementary kids. Normally I teach 3rd grade middle school students who at times can be a bit moody, a bit "too cool for school." I'll never forget the fun I had when teaching 1st grade elementary kids! Full of life, energy, enthusiasm! I taught them for 1 semester, and my last day they all brought me little gifts and thank you cards. It really was a tear jerk moment and I treasure that moment because I could tell that the kids really appreciated me and were sad to see me leave!
My highlight overall has to be meeting new people, building new friendships and having new experiences with them. The people we meet here are not always the kind of people we'd socialize with back at home, but we're all here trying to get by and that brings people together. Traveling up and down Korea is great and I love going to Busan, a coastal city, to relax for the weekend. Sun, sea, sand and a little bit of soju. Korea is a fantastic country to travel around and it’s pretty easy to do so with reasonably priced bullet trains linking Busan in the South, to Seoul in the North and Daegu in the middle.
Morning: As I teach 2pm till 10pm, the mornings are pretty important to me! Korea is a beautiful country and everywhere you look is a mountain to hike. I hike for about an hour every morning, partially to keep fit, mainly for the views and tranquility. After that, I'll go home, get showered and head on to one of the numerous coffee shops in town to take advantage of the free WiFi, people watch and prepare myself for the day ahead. Korea is, surprisingly, a busy place; everyone is in a hurry so the two aspects of my morning help me to relax. Waking up early is important especially with the hours I work.
Afternoon: My afternoon is, unfortunately, spent working. I get to work at 2pm and I start teaching at 5 and normally teach right through till 10pm. However, those in the public school system can spend their afternoon eating some great Korean cuisine or get involved in numerous activities organized by the great foreign community here such as soccer, ultimate frisbee, softball or for the more lethargic there is great swimming pools to relax at, movie clubs or just head to a pub, if that's what you fancy! Every need you may have will be catered for.
Evening: Due to the time I finish work many of the activities listed above are long finished by time I get out. That doesn’t mean there aren’t things to do! An evening can vary so drastically from one day to the next. Most restaurants are open late, so sometimes my colleagues and I grab some food or a drink. But, there are many strange attractions here that keep us occupied and are open 24 hours. They are the "Bang’s" (Bang is Korean for Room). Sing Rooms are the most popular, if you fancy a bit of karaoke but don’t want to sing in front of strangers, these are perfect. You and your party get your own private room and Karaoke machine to sing the night away. If you want something a bit more quiet (or romantic) you could go to a DVD Room where you and a friend can watch a DVD in privacy. Next is for the gamers, PC Rooms. Literally 24 hour gaming. You choose a PC, they’re all loaded with the latest games and you go at it! Finally we have the screen golf and snooker rooms. There literally is something new to do every evening.