The 10 BEST things about living in South Korea.

As many of you know, my time here in Korea is quickly coming to an end. I am actually pretty sad now and not too excited to go back to America. (I mean duh. Do you watch the news?) I can already likely see myself going back abroad whether it be back to Korea or another country. Any who, before I leave I wanted to make the top 10 things I appreciate/like/love about living here. So without further adieu…

 

1. Easy work life: WOW! I knew that coming abroad would be a pretty big change as far as work life was concerned, but I didn’t think it would be as easy as it was. Don’t get me wrong, I had some days where the kids were on another level of rowdy but as far as actual work life, things were a breeze. As a foreign English teacher you either co teach with another teacher (normally a Korean teacher) which means you all may split the class time 50/50 so essentially only teaching 20 minutes or less at a time. Or, you may be like me and teach the entire 40 minute period, but even that is light work. The most I actually teach in a day is maybe 4.5 hours. The other time is spent at my desk, surfing the internet, chatting with friends, or blogging. Now there aren’t too many places in the states where you will get such a relaxed schedule. In addition to this, our dress code is relaxed AF. Some days I choose to dress up in business casual but you literally can come to work in jeans and tees. (let’s not forget we also wear slides/slippers while indoors) I can honestly say I haven’t been stressed from work or overwhelmed.
2. HEALTH insurance for the win: If you are in the States you already know the gamble with health insurance. Most people my age no longer work in standard companies. We are either entrepreneurs, working in start-ups, or contractors. Often times, being in positions like these don’t allow you to automatically be afforded a healthcare plan. I had to buy into a plan which I actually lucked up on. I hated paying that monthly premium but I was secure in knowing that if I needed it, it was there. As a teacher overseas you are provided health insurance. As far as how the premium is paid, I am not 100% sure but I doubt it was $250+ a month that I was paying back home. To top that, you can literally walk into any clinic, doctor’s office, eye doctor or whatever and be seen instantly. I think the longest I have ever had to wait was maybe 10 minutes because I came when the staff was just coming back from lunch. Now I will say, depending on the type of office you may get a super quick scan from the doctor, given a diagnosis (or prognosis whatever the word is), given your prescription, and sent on your merry way which sometimes makes you feel like you weren’t throroughly examined. But I have only experienced this at the ear, nose, and throat doc and he was usually correct in what I had at the time so it was ok. Now, my favorite part is the cost. In the States, depending on your plan, you pay a copay before being seen. After you are seen, you may then be billed for additional services not covered in that type of visit. In Korea, you pay AFTER you are seen and everything is paid for at once so no subsequent bills are coming in the mail. When I went to the ENT my cost was about $4 plus a $3-$4 prescription. When I went to have x-rays of my wrist after injuring it I paid $30 which included speaking with the doctor,  x-rays, a 10 minute heat therapy session , 15 minute cupping session , a 10-minute sports massage, plus them wrapping it and giving me a brace. When I had my wisdom teeth pulled (they only take two at a time) my cost was $40 plus a $5 prescription. Finally when I went to the eye doctor I paid $100 for an eye exam, 7-months of contacts including a set of colored ones, and new glasses which were cut and made in 15 minutes. I could go on and on but I think you see what I’m trying to say here.
3. Did someone say SERVICE?:  *In my best Oprah voice* “You get a free thing, you get a free thing, everyone gets a free thing!” That’s right, in many businesses getting something free is always part of your purchase. When you go to certain restaurants you often get free side dishes with your meal. When you go to any cosmetic store or skincare store, you always get free samples too! My favorite cosmetic store often has a promotion where you pick a number 1-5 and get an actual bag of free stuff based on the number you choose. 
4. Guns are illegal and crime is low: When I first told people that I was moving abroad, there main concern was my safety. I can say that I have never felt more safe than while being abroad. The main reason why is guns are illegal, dangerous crimes are not common, and Koreans are very HONEST people. I’m not saying Koreans are saints but I never had to worry about anyone robbing me, breaking into my apartment, pulling a gun on me, getting hit by stray bullets, etc. All of these things are actually giving me some anxiety about moving back home. I see and hear stories everyday and I’m just floored that things have gotten so bad back home. The most you will hear here in Korea is about men being pervs or some type of sexual assault, but it’s still not very common. You can literally leave your belongings, step away to go to the bathroom or somewhere, and can trust that your stuff will still be where you left it. I know a girl who recently left her bookbag with a new MAC laptop in it somewhere, and she was tracked down via a card in her bag and her belongings were returned. WOW! I’m not saying this doesn’t happen in America but it’s not as common. I did have the one run-in with the lady at the gym, but that blew over and I never had any issue after.
5. Transportation is super efficient: Having a car here is not a necessity because you can get anywhere by bus, train, or taxi. The transportation system is very efficient, very cheap, and runs pretty smooth. There is an app for everything to make things even easier. To get to Seoul from where I live, I pay about $5.50 to take an express bus which takes around 1 hour to go straight to Seoul. If you need to go anywhere far you can take speed trains that are also pretty cost efficient and low on travel time. Regardless of where you need to go, you can get there without breaking the bank and without too many issues. 
6. Cheap international travel: Of course this is probably my favorite because…well I like me a good vacay and for the low! In this year alone, I will have gone to 8 new countries (not counting Korea). The flights vary in price but have been significantly lower than traveling from the States. I have seen the Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam, and I will finish with the Maldives next week! I mean who is gonna pass up cheap flights to destinations you probably would never see otherwise? Not me.
7. There is actually a diverse expat (foreigner) community: While moving to certain areas of the country will have you feeling as though you are all alone, there is actually a large number of foreigners scattered around. Yes, most of them are in Seoul or Busan, but the point is they are here. The program I am in has around 60 foreign teachers in our city alone so you can always find someone to have normal convos with. More and more foreigners are also opening busineses here so that is helping as well. Not to mention there are several large American military bases in the country and you can find almost anything American around them. So if you’re willing to do a little traveling you can always find a little piece of home. (Even if it’s not the U.S.)
8. Aye y’all got free wifi? Yes we do!: So wifi (or weefee as I call it) is EVERYWHERE in Korea. I know it seems wifi is almost any where in the world now, but surprisingly it’s not. Furthermore, Korea is said to have the fastest connection in the world. (I think they are being extra on that but it’s still great nonetheless) Wifi is so accessible that my friend has survived being here almost 2 years without phone service. Yea…let that sink in!
9. There is always something to see or do: I have been here basically a year and there is still so much I won’t get to see and do. There is always a new and interesting cafe popping up and I live for a cute cafe. Also, Korea is the home of festivals. I have never seen or heard of so many random festivals in my life. I literally saw a sign for a wax corn festival. ( I have soooo many questions about this) You can also city hop. You can get from one end of Korea to the other in 4 hours by train. So the possibilities are endless. Hopefully I’ll be back and I’ll be able to see and do more. 
10. Food delivery is super clutch: I know in the states we are used to having certain food delivered but Korea takes the cake. My eyes were opened when I learned about McDelivery (McDonald’s delivery service). You literally can have anything on the menu (within a certain price) brought right to your door. Almost all local restaurants deliver and the majority of fast food chains do as well. They even deliver rain, sleet, or snow. Now delivery guys drive like maniacs and will run your over on their scooter in a heartbeat…but at least the food is getting delivered right? I mean we gotta eat! 

As you can see, Korea is actually a really great place to live. I will miss it dearly although I’m not convinced we are really parting ways forever. If you ever get the chance you should definitely visit my temporary home some day.

As always, thanks for reading and happy traveling.

Travel Review: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Hey folks!

In this post I will review country one, of my three country trip recently. During my first stop I had the chance to visit Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I will tell you everything from where I stayed to what I did. So if this is something you want to know, then continue reading.

One of the perks to teaching in Korea is the two weeks of paid vacation that we get in the winter and then in summer. I decided to take advantage of that two weeks and travel to warmer places. (It’s freezing here!!!) I booked my flights well in advance and did one-ways tickets from each place. After playing around with routes, I decided it was best financially to fly to Kuala Lumpur or “KL” from Korea.

After getting the flights locked down, I had to then search for accommodations. Since I was traveling alone I had to make a budget for what I wanted to pay for each country. I would only be staying in KL for two nights and I knew that staying in a central location was key to maximizing my time there. My first stop for searching is always booking.com for accommodations. I wasn’t really feeling what they had so I headed to airbnb.com. Lately I’ve found that airbnb is featuring more upscale places especially here in Asia, and for way less. I stumbled upon several postings for The Face Suites. I read several reviews and couldn’t believe that such a gorgeous place was so cheap. According to the posts, they were fully furnished two bedroom apartments with an amazing rooftop infinity pool on the 51st floor. You have the option to choose the smaller room for $26 a night or the master for $40 ish a night. I decided to swing for the master room in one of the apartments. So my total for the two nights was only $82. (Still kinda expensive for SE Asia)

I flew into KL from Korea late on a Saturday night and arrived after 11pm. Prior to coming to KL, I learned about a popular ride share app similar to Uber called Grab. I downloaded it before I took off to ensure it would be ready for me to use once I landed. I landed, went through customs, and ordered my car with no issues. (With grab you have the option to pay cash.) I arrived at The Face Suites and followed the instructions for obtaining my key as provided by the owner. Everything was super simple. The place was AMAZING!!! I walked in and was in awe.

After doing a quick tour, I decided to change and head out to a popular entertainment venue in the area that I knew would be closed the next night of my trip. TREC KL is a large two-story entertainment plaza  filled with bars, clubs, and restaurants. Most of the places stay open until at least 2am. Once again, I called a Grab and headed out.

The main reason for me going to TREC that night was to experience a “ball-pit” bar. (Yes, these exist and are becoming popular overseas) The ball pit bar in TREC is called Boogy Boo KL. It’s a small bar but super cute. You basically pay about $2 to get a shot of your choice and then you are allowed to enter the pit.

I walked around TREC for a little longer before deciding to catch a Grab back to the apartment. It was after 2am at this point so I was exhausted.

DAY 2:

The next morning, well a few hours later, I got up to get to the rooftop infinity pool before the crowd came. (and yes it gets crowded up there.) I went up around 8 am to get in my perfect shot! The view was amazing and it’s definitely a selling point for the place.

I didn’t stay in long because I wanted to get in a quick workout in the rooftop gym and then start my full day of exploring. I was on a tight schedule so I had to get moving.

My first stop was to get food and exchange some currency. At the advice of the apartment owner, I headed to a popular area called Bukit Bintang. He also informed me of a free bus that runs around the main parts of the city, including Bukit Bintang. After a short 5-7 minute walk I arrived at the stop for the free bus.

I hopped on for the short 7-10 minute ride (with traffic) to the area. After exchanging currency at one of the stalls, I searched for cheap eats. I came across a cute little outdoor restaurant and took a chance. After glancing the menu, I decided on chicken rice. (which is literally roasted chicken, steamed rice, and clear soup) The total for the meal was about $3.00.

I didn’t stay around to explore much of Bukit Bintang beacuse I was focused on getting to the infamous Batu Caves. Lucky for me the subway station was right across the road from the food place. I entered the station and bought the coin to head to Batu caves. I had previously studied the KL subway map so I knew the directions I needed to go in. I had to take one train to KL Sentral station and then transfer to a train that goes straight to Batu Caves. I had to buy two different tickets for the trains, but they were both fairly cheap. (about $1 or less)

The train to the Batu caves only runs every 30 minutes from KL Sentral so keep that in mind. (all other intercity trains run every 5-7 minutes)

The train ride to Batu was pretty smooth. I had a very interesting encounter while on the train as well. I was sitting next to a younger Malaysian girl when I noticed her humming along to a popular song from my church. I tapped her on the shoulder and let her know that I attend that church back in the states. She was so amazed. We struck up a conversation for the rest of the ride. It was pretty cool to see how God is literally everywhere. (Thanks Elevation Church)

The Batu stop is the last one on that line so it was easy to figure out. The train literally lets you off right in front of the caves. Since it’s a major attraction, you will likely always find it pretty crowded unless you head out super early.  I stayed around for quite awhile literally exploring all there was to explore. I walked the famous steps, stopped and watched the wild monkeys steal food from tourists, and even went inside the public part of the caves.

I made my way back onto the train and back to my apartment for a quick shower and change. I was scheduled to do something I wanted to do for a while!!!

I ordered my grab and set out for this special event. It was something I had seen done in other countries and was surprised to know it was offered in KL too. Thanks to a special friend I was finally able to take part. What is this thing you ask? It’s DINNER IN THE SKY!!! Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like. You are seated at a special table and suspended in the air by a crane, all while eating a 3-course meal. Words can’t really explain how awesome it was. Just look at my pictures. (BTW the food was amazing as well)

After dinner, the night was still young so I decided to head back to Bukit Bintang to explore the shopping. In this area you will find everything from high end stores to street vendors ready to bargain. There are even street performers and a night market that comes alive too. The night market is a long road full of street food vendors. You can find a little bit of every taste from southeast Asia for super cheap. The food market stays open from 4:30pm until 3 am!!! WHOA.

I had a few more things on my list before I turned in for the night. First was to get a cheap SE Asian foot massage. There was a really nice looking spa right across from the food market. They offered massages for about $6 for 30 minutes. OMG…that foot and leg massage was so heavenly I asked for a shoulder and back one too for a few more dollars. IT WAS SO WORTH IT!! I was hooked and would end up getting one in every stop of my trip!!

After that massage I was feeling quite relaxed and honestly just wanted to go home and go to bed, but I knew I flew out the next day so I had to get in this last stop!

My last to-do item in KL was to get a shot in front of the Petronas Towers at night. I set out on foot(bad idea after that massage) to find the perfect spot. After some searching and watching others get that perfect angle, I got my picture! YAY!

Now I could officially say I did everything on my list for KL in the short time that I had. I headed back to the apartment to pack and go to bed.

The next morning I was able to get in another workout before taking a quick trip back to Bukit Bitang on the free bus for food from the same place I went the day before. It is a 24 hour restaurant so it was one of my only options at 9 am. This time I opted for the Malay fried rice and a lemon tea. DELICIOUS!

It was back to the apartments one last time to grab my bags and head to the airport. NEXT STOP…SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA! Wheels up!!

 

I hope this review of KL has been helpful although my time was pretty short there. It’s a great city that gives you modern with the perfect balance of traditional Asia. You can opt for cheap eats or even break the bank in one of its fancier establishments. Overall, KL was a pretty fun city. I would definitely go back!

 

As always, thanks for reading and Happy Traveling!!!

I jumped off of a mountain…literally!

Hi folks:

I’m back. In this post, I will talk about my paragliding experience a few weeks back. I know what you are thinking, she’s crazy! But hey, what can I say, I like adrenaline rushing things. Sue me.

I had seen a few of my favorite YouTubers mention this experience here in Korea and it was something I HAD to do. I looked  up the company (Fly in the Sky Korea) and to my surprise, it was ran by an English speaking person.

I rounded up a group of friends and we made our reservation. We were initially scheduled to go in October, but due to wind conditions on our day we had to reschedule for a later date.

Our new date was November 4. I was excited yet anxious about the experience the morning off. We had to take a train to a city called Daechon which was about an hour away from our city. Once at the station, the owner sent a van to pick us up. ( It was 6 of us total)

The ride from the station to the check-in building was only about 10 minutes. Once we arrived, we met the owner Craig. He’s an American who has been in Korea over 15 years and is the only licensed American paragliding instructor in Korea. He was very nice and explained how the process would go.

Once we went over the basic instructions, we loaded up again to head to the top of the mountain. That ride was about 12 minutes.

There were other people flying that day as well, so our group was split up into two. Of course, I volunteered to go first!!!

I was strapped up in my harness and with my tandem instructor (the man that would be controlling the parachute). My next instruction was to crouch down and start running off the edge of the mountain. (Ummmmm what!!!!!?) My tandem instructor was Korean, but he spoke some English. Once we were all strapped up he yelled GO!!! So I went.

I crouched and literally ran off of a mountain. (You can see the slight terror on my face when I realized what I did in my video from the experience. LOL) Once the ground left me, I wiggled my body into the little seat attached to the parachute, and from there it was smooth sailing.

We flew for about 7 minutes total in the air. Before coming down, the tandem instructor did a few spirals and other tricks with me in the air. (It was scary yet awesome!)

Once we landed, I was unhooked and given the Go Pro camera from the company to have my video and pictures sent to me via email.

Overall, it was a crazy, adrenaline pumping, awesome time! If you aren’t too afraid of heights, I would highly recommend doing this. They have them all over the world. But if you are in Korea, then I suggest Fly in the Sky hands down!! Craig and his crew were awesome and very helpful.

As always,

Happy Traveling.

My Korean Adventure: Apple Picking and Pocheon Art Valley Tour

Hey folks:

I’m back with a new post all about a cute little day tour I took a few weeks ago. Here in Korea, there are many tour companies that cater to foreigners in order to help us see some of the hidden gems this country has to offer. My tour was with a company called Goh Travel Korea. There is also Wink travels and a few others that are pretty popular for random tours.

Since we are in the heart of fall (more like Winter to me because it’s cold here) we decided to take a day trip to an apple orchard and then to two other attractions near the mountains.

We had to meet the bus for the tour in Seoul. (an hour bus ride from my city) Once on the bus, it took about an hour to hour and a half to arrive at the apple valley.

Once we arrived, we were given a bag and allowed to pick up to 1kg of apples. (About 4 large apples) We honestly spent most of the time just taking photos in and around the apple trees. (Sidenote: those were the most delicious apples I’ve had in a long time. I peeled and cut them and made fried apples for breakfast a few mornings with some oatmeal.)

We loaded back up onto our bus and headed to our next stop: Herb Island. Herb island is like a mini Disney world centered around all things herbs and flowers. It was actually a pretty interesting and cute place. I would love to go back at night to see the lights. They had everything from restaurants, DIY craft centers, an indoor garden, a bakery with free garlic bread samples, and a Gondola ride.

We started out with lunch in the fancy restaurant and then headed out to explore all we could in the remaining time there.

Our last and final stop, was the prettiest of them all! (and the main reason I wanted to go on this tour) We made our way to Pocheon Art Valley. Pocheon art valley is a natural granite park that was turned into a tourist park. The main attraction is the beautiful valley with water flowing through it.

There are also granite sculptures throughout the park. (Warning: one is a bit graphic but Korea has an obsession with men’s private parts as seen in many of it’s parks. It was weird literally seeing families take pictures together in front of this particular sculpture.)

It was a long yet eventful day. I was happy that I was able to see some things that I otherwise wouldn’t see on my own. These companies are very helpful and the guides speak pretty good English as well. If you are in Korea, you should check them out.

As always, thanks for reading!!! Stay tuned for my next post about me running and jumping off of a mountain in Korea. (Literally)

Happy Traveling.

Travel Review: Boracay, Philippines pt. 2

Hey folks:

So I’m back to finish my review of the amazing island of Boracay in the Philippines.

When I last left you, we had just finished up day 2 with our amazingly cheap, in-room, $12 massages.

On day 3 we had a full day of island hopping planned.

I had done my research prior to our trip to determine what the best excursion was to do in Boracay. These days when I travel, I try to only do 1-2 excursions at the most. I spend the rest of my time just freely exploring and/or relaxing. (After all, excursions can add up and you get better deals just bargaining with the locals for tours)

I learned that the island hopping excursion was very popular in Boracay. Although it is an island, there are many other smaller Filipino islands in close proximity too. My first go-to website to look up excursions/tours is viator.com. I more so use them to see what tours are offered in the place that I am travelling to. However, in my opinion, Viator tends to be more overpriced for most tours. Therefore, I try to find a direct local company for the same tour or I just wait until I get to the place to book directly so I can possibly bargain.

The reviews of the Viator island hop tour were subpar, so I went to my next go to Tripadvisor to find other options. That brought me to My Boracay Guide. I emailed the company directly to get quotes for my group of 3. (My 2 friends and I) They responded very quickly and they were very friendly. Initially we scheduled the island hopping tour and a helmet dive. I had done something to helmet diving before in Mexico but this was a little different and my friends were for it too. The company informed me to bring the cash on the day of the tour and they just asked for my info as far as where we were staying and well… our tour was booked.

The morning of the tour, the company called to inform us of the time that they would arrive to pick us up from the Villa. My friends’ and I had breakfast once again at the Villa and again it was delish. I had the American breakfast every morning which had: eggs, sausage or bacon, toast, and hashbrowns for about $5. I also had fresh squeezed orange juice for about $2.

We got dressed and packed our bookbags for our full day of exploring and as scheduled the guide came to get us on time. We were picked up in a Tuk Tuk (see previous post) and taken to the meeting point for the tour. The guide had us sign waivers, pay our money, and then escorted us to our boat. (we opted out of the helmet dive since we knew the day would be long anyway)

We were mixed in with people who paid for the tour from other companies but our guide was the best! He had water bottles ready for us and he explained everything to us as the day went. We set out for our first island, Puka.

Puka was the one island that I was looking forward to. It was much smaller than I thought it would be though but still beautiful. The part of the beach that we docked at had lots of locals trying to hustle you to buy beach chairs and fruit smoothies during our 45 minute dock time. I gave in and bought a $4 smoothie which provided me with a beach chair, umbrella, and access to a giant rubber duck float. The guy who sold me the things also had someone float me around in the water. I felt like royalty. (LOL)

After I floated for a while, I went back onto the shore and ordered my fresh banana smoothie. It was so refreshing. By this time it was time to get back on our boat and head to our next stop.

Next up was snorkeling. Now, I’m normally pretty chicken when we dock in the middle of the ocean to snorkel. I’m fine when I can ease my way in from the shore. This time however I went right in. The water was so green and clear and warm!!! I did see a few pretty colored fish. I even stayed in the whole time that we docked. I literally didn’t want to get out.

We snorkeled for about 30 minutes then hopped back on our boat to head to the next island for lunch.

We pulled up to a very small island filled with locals and a lot of stray dogs. We were a bit skeptical but that all changed when they laid out our food spread. Our guide had tables waiting for us and we were personally served. The other people from our boat had to go through a buffet style line.

The people in the “restaurant” brought out so much food. We kept saying, WOW! There’s more???

We ate until we were stuffed. Yet, they still managed to bring out a large plate of watermelon after all of this.

After our Filipino feast, once again it was back on the boat to head to an area with two islands that were next to each other.

The first island was Magic Island, which is a popular island that offers man made cliffs for cliff jumping. The island resembles a deserted pirate ship. I’m not brave enough to cliff dive/jump just yet so we opted for the next option.

The next option was Crystal cove and boy was it beautiful. Unfortunately this wasn’t technically apart of our tour (Magic Island was) so we had to pay a $4 entrance fee. Our guide went up to buy our tickets and personally walked us around the cove. WOW!! So its an island with some touristy things on it in addition to two swimming coves (Water caves).

The first cave required us to walk down this very narrow and steep spiral staircase. Once you got to the bottom, you had to walk over some rocks to get to the entrance area of the water. The entrance area was a bit deep so I chickened out, but my friends ventured on. I stayed back and watched.

After a few minutes in cove 1, we followed our guide to the other side of the island to cove 2.

Once again we had to carefully make our way down a set of narrow and steep steps to enter this cove. This cove was a bit more intricate. We first had to wade though a small pool area and then enter a low tunnel. (But not before having a photoshoot. The lighting was amazing!)

 Once we made it through the tunnel, there was the cove. This was more my speed. (lol) I hopped in and paddled around for a few minutes. The water, once again, felt amazing. You could literally swim out into the ocean. (Sidenote: no, that’s not me in the floaties.)

We met our guide once again, and headed back to our boat to head back to the drop off spot. This was about a 6 hour day total and we only paid…$28!!!!! Like I said, Boracay is cheap. I’ve paid 3-4x that for excursions in the Caribbean that weren’t nearly as good.

Once we made our way back to the Boracay shore, my friends and I decided to stay around the strip to find dinner. We found a cute little spot called Red Coconut. I had a burger and fries with a fresh honey, mango, and mint smoothie. (It was sooooo good) We walked around the some of the shops for a bit then decided to catch a Tuk Tuk back to our Villa. The plan was once again to go out and take in the nightlife, but $12 massages trumped those plans!

The next day was our last day.

Initially we thought we had to check out at 11am, so we hung out at the pool for breakfast and some amazing photos by the infinity pool.

 As the depression set in that we had to leave, we went to the front desk to start asking about our damage from our tab at the restaurant. That’s when the receptionist informed us that they had us booked for one more day!(WHHHHAAAATTTTT) Apparently it was a mistake on their part but hey! We didn’t ask any questions.

We had a late flight so we rushed back to throw on our swimwear, grab our beach bags, and head back to the beach for a few hours.

We managed to snag our same spot from the last time. We were in heaven. There was some rain that day but we slept under our umbrellas until it passed. Once the sun came back out, we jumped in the water. I even walked the shore a little to find the daily sand carving.

After saying our goodbyes to the beach, we headed back home to shower change and prep for the journey home.

I’ll end by saying this: Boracay, you owe me nothing! You were everything I could have asked for and more. So THANK YOU!

As always, thanks for reading and Happy Traveling!

 

 

Travel Review: Boracay, Philippines

Hey folks!

I know it’s been a while, but I’m back with a review of my latest travel destination. As you know, I currently reside in South Korea and we recently had an extended 10-day national holiday called Chuseok. (Korean Thanksgiving plus another holiday I’m not sure of)

I knew in advance when the dates for the holiday was, but I didn’t know as soon as people who were already here. Therefore, I paid a little more than I wanted for the flight since the prices had been basically doubled and tripled to all destinations out of Korea for these dates. I was lucky to even get a seat though because most return flights were sold out.

I went with my two friends who also reside here as well.

We ended up finding a hidden gem for our lodging. The initial plan was to find a resort on booking.com (since you can usually book now, pay later with them) but I stumbled on our resort on airbnb for much less than resorts on booking. (If I told you the price, you wouldn’t believe me anyway) It was a fully serviced resort and it did not disappoint AT ALL!! I have been sworn to secrecy by my friends on the name of it because they don’t want the prices to rise lol.

We reserved a 2-bedroom 2-bath villa overlooking the water. The villa was HUGE and the balcony was even bigger. We could have easily housed 6 people in there comfortably so you can imagine how comfortable it was for only 3!

When I say the resort was full service I mean FULL SERVICE. Most airbnbs don’t have housekeeping services. Not only did we have housekeeping but we also had room service that was so cheap all we could do was laugh once we left. We had breakfast and dinner almost every night charged to the room. In addition the resort had a free shuttle that took guests to the main beach in Boracay (White Beach). There was also the prettiest infinity pool on the premises that changed colors at night and the water was soooo warm.

Now if all of this doesn’t sound amazing, the icing on the cake was the in room massage services that were provided by a 3rd party company. A full-body 65-minute massage cost us each a whopping $12!!!! Yes you read that right, 1-2. We ordered massages two nights in a row before bed. (It was heaven)

Ok, I think you get the point on how amazing the resort was. (and no I still can’t reveal the name)

I need to back track a bit to explain our arrival into Boracay. Boracay is a small island in the Philippines. You can’t fly directly into it. We flew into Caticlan airport. (The smallest airport in life.) We landed on a random runway and then had to take a 10-minute charter bus to the cargo area. It was literally a room with a single carousel for luggage.

Once we got our luggage, we then took another van to the jetty port. We had to take a boat from Caticlan onto Boracay island.

 Once we arrived on Boracay island, we took one more shuttle to our actual resort. (It sounds like a lot which it was, but it didn’t take a long time)

We arrived kinda late in the evening our first night, so we opted for dinner at the resort, welcome drinks, and the pool.

Day 2:

We started the day SUPER early (earlier than I wanted but my friends are early risers and they wanted to see the sun rise!)

After a delicious and filling breakfast at the resort, we put on our swimsuits and set out to see the beach that Boracay is famous for. (White Beach) As mentioned our resort shuttle drops off for free in D’Mall which is the shopping strip along the beach.

We made our way down the strip and WOW!!! The water!!!

We ended up finding beach chairs that belonged to a resort and just paid the fee to rent them for the day. It was only $20 to rent three chairs with umbrellas and side tables for the full day. It was also a perfect spot because it was in front of a restaurant that served us on the beach as well for no additional fee. We spent about 6 hours just eating, napping on the beach, and cooling off in the water. (We even rented a paddleboard for an hour)

After literally spending the WHOLE day at the beach, we took a tuk tuk (a local transportation car that is powered by a motorbike) back to the resort.

It was at this point that we discovered the in-room massage service. One of my friends called the number to see if they had availability within a hour for all 3 of us, and sure enough they did!

As requested, and on-time, 3 Filipino women knocked on our door for our massages. Let’s just say we were all snoring not even half way through the service. That was probably the best $12 we ever spent.

The plan was to go out and see some of the nightlife on the island (which I hear is pretty popular) but after those massages we didn’t really make it. It was lights out for us since we had a big day head on Day 3!

As you can see this was just a 24-hour period and I have so much more to talk about, but I will stop it here for now.

Until next time…

Happy Traveling.

 

 

 

 

The things you NEED to know before moving abroad!

Hi folks:

So many of you have expressed interest in teaching abroad, and I highly recommend doing it. Cause well…YOLO! Anywho, this post will give you some tips and tricks to help prepare you for such a big move. (at least these are the things I think are helpful)

1. Try to learn some of the language of the place you are going. I feel that Americans are very spoiled (yes I said it) and we think other countries should cater to us even while in that country. Ummmm NO! Do you follow other people’s rules in YOUR house? Ok, well it’s the same concept. Before I came to Korea, I watched a few simple YouTube videos that helped me to recognize and read the alphabet. (it’s a lot easier than people think because they have less letters than us) Being able to read Korean by far has been one of the most helpful things I did. From there, I also enrolled in free online course to begin learning to speak and say some basic phrases. (coursera.com and they have an app)
2. Do your own research before going! In the months before my move, I watched several YouTuber’s vlogs to get a general sense of what to expect. I also read lots of blogs and even reached out to some of the people. Of course, their experience won’t necessarily be yours, but it’s good to have a general knowledge of what to expect. I don’t recommend going in blind, but going in with an open mind.
3. You must be able to adapt easily. Again, moving to a brand new COUNTRY is major. It’s not like moving to a new state. Things won’t necessarily be like what you’re accustomed to. They may do things different. (They WILL) But you have to be a person that’s able AND WILLING to accept this and adapt accordingly. That’s why point 2 is important so you can begin to get an idea of the differences.
4. BUDGET! It’s likely that wherever you go will be cheaper than the country you came from (ex. US to Korea) but don’t let that allow you to mismanage money. You still need to be mindful of what you are purchasing so that you are not scraping pennies well before the next pay period.
5. This brings me to point 5: have backup money just in case! Always have a credit or debit card as backup. You will need to have money with you if you become a foreign teacher when you first arrive since you won’t be paid until a few weeks after you arrive. So you need to notify your bank about foreign purchases ahead of time. I say have about $500-$1000 dollars at minimum when you first come. You may not need most of this but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
6. As I stated in number 2, having an open mind is key! Once you get to your respective country, make native as well as foreign friends. (So native to that country and then people from the country you are from) Having both will help you to survive. The way to make native friends is to participate in school activities (if you are a teacher), go to cultural events and actually talk to people, and go to local restaurants. Surprisingly, it will be easy to find other people from your country. Although the people you meet may not be what you would hang with at home, having someone who understands some of the struggles you face from being away from home is very comforting. You never want to feel alone in a foreign place.
7. This ties in to point 6: don’t be afraid to try the local food. Again, this is where I say Americans are spoiled. YOU ARE IN ANOTHER COUNTRY, THE FOOD WON’T ALWAYS BE THE SAME. Coming to Korea, I knew that my diet would change. But to my surprise, Korean food is really good and healthy. (minus all the rice they eat) Don’t be afraid to go to restaurants and try new stuff or even eat foods with your coworkers. Eating local will also help you to save money. Yes, you can find most of your staple items in a market, but they may be more expensive if it was something that needed to be imported. (This goes for toiletries too). I actually stocked up on certain toiletries before I came because I knew they weren’t available or they were super expensive here. So research this ahead of time too! BUT, if you must have American foods most countries have popular fast food and restaurants. (we have McDonalds, Outback, Chilis, KFC, Popeyes, Starbucks, Subway, Burger King, and I’m sure there’s others in Seoul)
8. Ensure that your cell phone is unlocked before time. Unless you are rich and can afford an international phone plan, getting a local number will be something you’ll eventually have to do. Since my phone was unlocked, I was able to just get a SIM card with a local Korean number and plan. If your phone is not unlocked, you will have to purchase a phone AND plan in your new country.
9. Research the weather of your new country to prepare your clothing. Most likely, your airline will allow two checked suitcases and then 2 carry-ons. Some people pay for the extra luggage too. Whatever your case may be, make sure you are bringing clothing for the weather in your new home. Korea has all seasons so I had to bring a little of everything. (Of course I couldn’t bring everything!) Obviously you can also purchase clothes in your new home, but again be mindful that the sizing may be different. The one things I wish I would have known was that we don’t wear regular shoes at work, we wear new slippers or slides around school. I could have brought more casual shoes for the weekends when I’m out.
10. Pray and GO OUT ON A LIMB! Many times we get so stuck in comfort zones that we hold ourselves back from what could possibly be the best experience for us. People asked (and still ask) are you not scared there? My answer: I feel more safe here than I did in the states. I hear about murders daily back home. Guns are illegal here. Are Koreans perfect people? No! But if you can live a normal life in the states without fear, you can do the same in another country. So don’t let fear stop you from the opportunity of a lifetime. The same things that happen in foreign countries can easily happen at home but it’s not always the other way around.

Bonus: Research the healthcare in your new country! I knew prior to coming to Korea that they had great healthcare and that it was cheap. Therefore, I cancelled my American insurance once I got here.

I hope this post has helped in some way. As always, Happy Traveling!

So you want to teach abroad?? Here’s how!!

Hey folks!
So I’ve had several people ask how I ended up teaching in Korea and was the process hard. In this post, I will walk you through the steps including the info for the coordinator of the program I am employed with. I’m posting this now since most programs will begin the application process this month to come in February. The next one will be around February/March to come in July/August.

Contrary to popular belief, the process isn’t that hard (if you go through the right recruiter). I heard about teaching in Korea (and China) from a few friends that had done it in the past. I knew I wanted to live abroad but I also wanted to get paid in the process. This was the perfect way.

I initially wanted to go through  EPIK  (English Program in Korea) which is probably the most popular option that people seek. I did some research via the Dave’s Esl cafe website. It posts job openings for Korea and China. You then contact the recruiter to start the application process. Now choosing a good recruiter is all trial and error. You will get some who reply and some who won’t. You will also learn quickly that some recruiters only look for certain skin tones. (I’ll let you assume on that one but don’t let it stop you)

My first recruiter was staffing for the EPIK program. He was recommended by others but we quickly didn’t mesh well. He would schedule things for me at unreasonable hours and then talk down to me when I couldn’t make the online interviews. He eventually dropped me as an applicant. (Thank God!) I wrote in a forum that I am apart of on Facebook (Brothas and Sistas of south Korea) and also found that several other people had run ins with him too. A girl in the forum messaged me and told me about the program she went through (which is the one I ended up in!). In the meantime, I also sought out one more recruiter just in case.

The program that the girl suggested was in a city called Cheonan (about 1 hour by express bus from Seoul) and it is run through a Christian college here. (It is not apart of the EPIK program) I had to first contact the American recruiter ( Martha Wilson: pastormom1985@yahoo.com) to get the application sent to me via email. She instructed me to get a copy of my undergrad college degree, get that apostilled, get an FBI background check, get that apostilled, and of course complete the application. EPIK asks for the same things in addition to two sealed college transcripts and a 120-150 hour TEFL or TESOL certificate (which I completed online after purchasing the class on Groupon for around $40). Luckily the program I ended up going with provides an in person TESOL class which is more useful even after I leave Korea. (so you won’t need to do the online one if you go through my program)

Once you get a copy of your college degree you send it off to the secretary of state in your respective state (regardless of where you attended college) to have it apostilled. (Some states may have a different office that apostilles but NC is the secretary of state in Raleigh) You can go online to get whatever forms you need and find out payment info before sending it off. The turn around was less than a week.

With the FBI background check, you have two options: go directly through the FBI’s site (which takes up to 10-12 weeks) or spend a little more money to go through a 3rd party to have it done within a week. Once you get the background check, you have to then send it off to D.C. to be apostilled. (I believe it’s through DOJ but I don’t remember. This is where you use GOOGLE lol) There is a fee for each step just FYI. I know the 3rd party background is around $50 but the apostille is only like $10 at most.

In the process of gathering all of this, I sent my application back to Martha. We then did a Skype interview. Once she approved me, I had to mail all of the documents I collected to the Korean recruiter. The documents are used to issue your E-2 visa which allows you to work and stay in Korea for the year. It takes a few weeks (up to a month depending of when things are sent) to get your Visa number issued.

At this point, I had was offered the job and signed my contract to work as well. (this was also sent to issue the Visa) I then received my Visa issuance number from my program coordinator in Korea and from this point forward Martha was no longer needed.

Once you receive the visa issuance number, you must fill out yet another form to send to the respective place to have your passport officially stamped with your visa. (I was a bit nervous sending my passport in the mail but it worked out with no issue). The visa is about $40 and I had to send it Georgia along with return postage. The turn around here was about a week as well. At this point the only thing left was to schedule my flight.

The program I ended up going with did flight reimbursement (which is pretty standard now). So I paid for my flight initially and once I arrived they reimbursed me in my first paycheck. (another reason why I love my program because I have heard horror stories about people not receiving their money back or being paid on time).

Now for the deets on pay and housing.

We receive about $2100 a month (2.1 million KRW). Our housing and utilites are paid for. (We pay our own internet and phone bill though) I live in a studio apartment which is actually has loft and still has a separate small bedroom too. (my view is amazing. I live in the downtown area of my city). Health insurance is included and the insurance here is very good and SUPER cheap. (to get my wisdom teeth pulled will be less than $100) I try to send about $800-$1000 to my american account per month and keep about 1 million KRW in my Korean account. (that is more than enough if you budget properly and yes I travel around on weekends sometimes.) Once you complete your one year contract you are also given a $2,000 severance and a $2,000 pension. (So an additional $4,000) For every full year that you renew your contract your pay increases and you add another pension and severance bonus. (So after two years you would take an additional $8,000 plus your monthly salary) So as you can see you have the chance to save a good chunk of money.

My program did a 1-week orientation when we arrived which also included taking us to the office to apply for our Alien registration cards. (this is like your Korean ID but is needed to pretty much purchase anything in which you need to be billed.) They also set up our bank accounts for us. (And again we are paid ON TIME)

After our 1-week of orientation, we started our 4-week TESOL (teaching english to speakers of other languages) program. This certificate is recognizable in Asia, so we can pretty much teach English all over Asia now. (remember I also have my online TEFL too) so I could probably come home and become an ESL teacher as well.

Once TESOL is complete we begin teaching officially. (However, depending on when you do intake, you may start teaching then go back and do your TESOL. It varies but EPIK does not provide the in person class so you are basically thrown into the fire once you arrive.) Although TESOL was long, it was very helpful and made me more comfortable when I actually started my teaching.

We are required to teach 22 hours per week but have to be present at school for 40. (The down time is called desk warming since you are in your office/at your desk during this time mostly) The typical school day is from 8:30-4:30 (may vary by a few minutes depending on your school) The teaching is pretty straight forward. We use a book to help us as far as the lessons go. The students also take English class other days of the week, but I see most students only once per week. (6th grade 2x). We are off for all Korean holidays and also get two weeks off in January and two weeks in July. You are only allotted 6 sick days per year though. If you need more, they take it from your other vacation time. (Still a pretty good deal if you ask me. Also we are so close to other countries like China and Japan that you can still fly out for a weekend trip for only $200 or less)

I’m very thankful that I chose the program that I did. (Well God chose it for me) They have made this transition thus far pretty smooth. (yes there are hang ups here and there but they always get resolved) If you aren’t a person that can easily adapt at a moment’s notice, this may not be the thing for you. Koreans tend to be very last minute people at times and you have to be able to adjust.

I hope this post has been helpful for those considering moving abroad. If you have any additional questions don’t hesitate to contact me!

Happy Traveling.

 

Korean School Lunch vs. American Lunch

Hey folks!

So I am almost finished with another full week of teaching in Korea. Things are actually going really well and the kids seem to like me.

In this post, I want to talk about the Korean school lunch experience versus American ones and also show you some of the meals I have had so far.

So, when it comes to Korean lunch the kids first go wash their hands. They then walk together with their homeroom class to the cafeteria. Once they get to the first station, they grab a spoon, a set of chopsticks, and a tray. (Everything is stainless steel/metal)

From there, they walk up to the window where lady one serves the rice, lady 2 serves the main dish, lady 3 serves the side dishes/desserts, and lady 4 serves the soup of the day. As I mentioned in an earlier post everyone eats the same meal so the students do not choose what they want. Everything being served that day goes onto their tray. (I’m assuming if a kid has allergies the lunch ladies know and handle it accordingly.)

Each lunch consists of: rice, a main dish usually with protein, kimchi (or some variation), soup, and another side or dessert depending on the day.

I typically eat with the other teachers that speak better English.

Students (and teachers) are allowed to second helpings of any of the dishes by simply going back up to the window. Once a student is finished, they must show their tray to their homeroom teacher to ensure they are eating properly. I have seen teachers tell students to take a few more bites of food before being excused. (So yes eating properly is important here)

Students take their empty (or almost empty trays) to the food disposal area. The first bin you place your spoon then the second your chopsticks. Next, there is a food waste bin. Before you walk up, you scoop all remaining food into your soup bowl then dump it all out in the bin. You then place your soup bowl and tray into the last bin.

So, the thing I LOVE here is that no drinks are served during lunch. (not even water) This way students are actually filling up on food and not drink. After they clear their trays, they can get a small cup of barley tea (which is popular here and very refreshing.) The tea is served at room temp or sometimes warm and without any sweetener. (It’s actually not bad.)

As you can see, Korean school lunch is different from American school lunch. Kids in America have choices, can drink during lunch, and can opt not to eat. Furthermore, I haven’t seen any of the students here actually bring lunch. Everyone eats the prepared lunch.

Thanks for reading and Happy Traveling. ✈️

I’m officially an English teacher!

Hey folks:

So it’s been a few weeks since my last post and I wanted to update you. As you can see, I’m still alive! The last few weeks have been busy but I’m still enjoying my time here in South Korea.

I believe I shared with you all that I was in a 4-week training program (TESOL) to help prepare us for teaching foreign language speakers English. I completed the program in August 25 after passing 3 mock teaching lessons. We had a complete graduation ceremony that day and even received certificates in real diploma folders.

Later that same day, we met with what’s called the “Head Teacher” of our respective schools. As you know, I was assigned to two schools so I met with two teachers that day. A head teacher is typically the liaison you work with in your school and at times teach with. Both of my head teachers speak pretty good English, although at times there are some words they don’t know.

That brings us to the current week of August 28! August 28 marked my first official day of class. I teach at my main school, Seonjong Elementary, on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I go out to Cheonan Upsong Elementary on Tuesdays only.  In both schools I only teach 3-6 grade. In Korea, they begin English lessons in 3rd grade unless their parents pay for them to go to private academy early on. (Academies can cost around $1500 per month!)

So what was day one like??? Well, I took the bus to my school which has it’s own labled city bus stop. There are 6 periods in each day and school starts at 8:40am with first period beginning at 9am. Each period is 40 minutes. On Mondays, I am with the 3rd graders only and for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th period only. So I have a LOT of down time on Monday especially since we are required to be at our desk until 4:40pm.

During my classes that day, I had three different sets of students. Since it’s the first week I simply did an “All About Me” presentation so that the students could learn more about me. They were so excited from the moment I walked in. These kids will make you feel like you are Beyonce. Everytime they see me in passing they giggle and say HELLOOOO. I can’t tell you the amount of times I had to say hello in one day.

I did the same presentation for all classes (and will do it 1000 more times this week. LOL)

Now for day 2! This school is out in the countryside of our city. So I had to take a subway then a taxi to get to it. Thankfully, we are paid extra if we have multiple schools to help cover our transportation costs.

This school is A LOT smaller than my main school. There is only one class per grade with no more than 13 students in a grade. Therefore, I will see all of the 3rd – 6th grade students in the school on Tuesday when I’m there.

My day started with teaching 3rd grade for 2 periods, so 80 minutes. Of course, my “All About Me” presetation wasn’t THAT long so I actually taught my first full English lesson. It went VERY well. The kids seemed to pick up on the key words and phrases and they enjoyed the game we played as well.

After that, I had 5th grade for 2 periods, 4th grade for one, and then I didn’t see my 6th graders because they had a test. So just like Monday, I had a lot of down time until 4:40 pm.

Now for the question you all want to ask (if you could): Did I eat the lunch??? Yes! As a matter of fact I did! Korean school lunches are pretty good. They are prepared daily by the cooks and everyone eats the same meal. Each meal typically has: soup, kimchi, rice, a meat, and veggie. This way, kids don’t get a choice and it’s a guaranteed balanced meal. Drinks are not served with lunch either. Students can drink warm barley tea AFTER they are done. Juice is not a big thing here either. (So I expect to lose a few pounds over time) A really cool thing, is that you can also get seconds and students must show their teacher their tray before they are excused to leave to ensure they eat. See some pictures of my lunches from Day 1 and 2 below!

All in all, my first few days have gone well. The kids are really cute, they say hello to me 5 million times, and all of the Korean teachers say WHOOOOA when they find out I’m really a lawyer since that’s a well respected profession here. I hope you enjoyed this update.

Happy Traveling.