I love living in Korea, but, when vacation comes around, I prefer to get as far away (culturally and geographically) as the wind and my wallet will carry me.  For a break from Seoul life, Nepal is a slam dunk.  Everything is drastically different- culture, people, food, scenery, religion, souvenirs, you name it- in a wonderful way but one that also makes you grateful when you get back to comforting old K-land.  It’s the perfect balance of serenity and madness, space and crowds, spice and smells.  Nepal is intoxicating, exotic, unique and dirt cheap… and only a $600 flight away.  So, what are you waiting for? 

So it's sweltering hot outside. More than sweltering- Korea is a full-on “Dutch oven” of smelly, torturous air that makes going on a walk more like going for a wade. Well, when the hot gets tough, the tough knock back a cold one. And if you didn't know already, the thing that makes Korea the best country in the world is the freedom to drink beer everywhere. And I mean everywhere. Here are the cool spots to break out the bubbly- starting from the ones you know about to what may surprise you.

You’ve made it to this website, so maybe you’re teaching in Korea already; maybe you’re in your parents’ basement trying desperately to find a way out of your minimum wage job as a competitive eating competition attendant.  Either way, your mind has been opened to the world and you could as easily hop a plane to Saudi Arabia as South Korea for your next job.  Well here’s some advice from someone who has literally been around the world teaching and can give you information on a representative sample of teaching jobs and locations.

In a country of 99% sameness, that has suffered the slings and arrows of foreign invaders multiple times; xenophobia is going to rear its ugly head.  We know these stereotypes are out there, so let’s enjoy them with this picture book of anti-foreigner stigma. Authors note: The topic of this article can be an incendiary one.  I am not interested in starting a public debate; I merely wish to represent this controversial issue from a humorous perspective.  If you do not have a sense of humor, I suggest you do NOT read this article.  Any controversial comments will be deleted, burned, buried, and then danced on.

So, you’ve been in Korea long enough to get over your noobish public transport exuberance and you are now a wee bit frustrated with the shove-happy masses.  If the last crotch-elbowing ajumma pushed you over the edge, these simple subway games (both on subway and off) can help you overcome that subway slump.

So, you’ve just stepped off the plane and you’re looking for some advice.  Well, you’ve come to the right place.  Possibly not to live for the next year, but that’s your business.  Here are some points that will help you step safely through the cultural minefield.

So, you’ve secured a job in Korea (or you’re considering, or commiserating) and you’re wondering what a Korean apartment looks like.  Let me take you on a journey to your blurry-eyed, jet-lagged arrival in Korea and answer some questions every foreigner has about their new abode.There is a huge variety of apartments in Korea- on one end of the spectrum, the uber-Western style complete with bathtub, and on the other- the kind where you have to cook on top of your washing machine.  Since we all know what a Western apartment looks like, I’m going to focus on the most Korean of the Korean.

So- you’re thinking of starting a new job in Korea and you’ve come to the age old question: public or private school?  Start with our totally scientifically accurate personality quiz and see what’s best for you. 1) I feel best:

Welcome to teaching in Korea!  If you’ve just arrived at a hagwon, you’re sitting in front of a pile of one hundred different books with a class full of students staring at you.  If you’re in a public school, perhaps you are using your God-given talent to warm your office chair.  Either way, these simple tricks will get your foot in the door of your students’ minds.