By now, COVID-19 has made its way around the world, disrupting work, school, and social lives. Like so many others, my day-to-day life changed. I go out less, I haven't been on a plane since returning from Bali. In fact, as I write this, I can't help but realize that I would have been waiting…
I'm really happy that my first expat interview is someone I can say is a close friend of mine. We spent our first year abroad together. Sam was a fellow teacher at the Jinju Mirae Center who recently made her way back to the United States after spending a year teaching English abroad. For Sam's…
As most of you know, Jared is not the first friend who has come to visit me in Jinju. When Hannah came, I was still new to Korea and didn't quite know what to do or where to go. But while I've gotten to know my city pretty well, there are still a lot of…
Disclaimer: Christine in Korea is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Since making the decision to move to Korea I have gotten a lot of questions. Some of these questions come…
I still remember my first two weeks of teaching. More specifically, I remember how much of a train wreck I felt like. I always seemed to have extra time at the end of class and I didn't know how to explain grammar structures in a way that made sense, nor did I include enough activities…
Day in and day out, it's easy to lose track of how much time has passed. As each day comes and goes in my new life, I sometimes forget that it's already been over two months since I first arrived in Korea: excited, hopeful, and a little overwhelmed. Now, as I sit in my 4th…
When I first applied to teach English in South Korea I had no idea how lengthy or intense the process would be. While the first few steps went quickly, there were weeks spent waiting before I could progress further. If you have considered teaching English abroad, don't become discouraged. While the process was lengthy and…
After two weeks of teaching, all I have to say is that teaching is hard. Quite possibly, it's one of the hardest things I have ever done. I tried not to kid myself going into it; I knew that my babysitting experience and time as a tutor for other college students would pale in comparison to what…
Continue reading ➞ Adventures in Teaching: My first two weeks as an educator
I'm sure you're expecting that me to say that when I arrived in Korea I was overwhelmed with culture shock. That these last few weeks have been an endless series of events that shocked and unnerved me, or even just caught me off-guard. While for many people, culture shock is common when visiting or moving…
Continue reading ➞ Korean Doctors, Elementary Night Owls, and Culture Shock
Every morning I wake up and the thrilling thought goes through my mind: I am living in South Korea. While it was a long and winding road that brought me here, I know that the underlying factor that ultimately landed me in Jinju is the fact that I chose to major in something I loved, despite the…
