I'm pretty sure I never promiced I'd blog regularly, I know how bad I am at that. I just thought I'd share some thoughts with you guys about my first... 9 months teaching in South Korea.
Firstly, I'm amazed it has been that long! That is a long, long time for me to hold down a job. It almost doubles my previous record. I guess I just never had a job I genuinely enjoyed before (or, in fairness, one that I could devote myself to full time without worrying about my education).
My job has been great! I am sure if you have seen anything I have ever commented on you will know how much I love it! I love my students, who are mostly adults and are just wonderful to talk to. I also love my boss, who is actually great! You hear all sorts of bad things about hagwon owners, but this guy genuinely seems to take an interest in us. I have actually had two bosses since I've been out here, the first one wasn't so good, but he wasn't terrible. We got paid, in full every month (even if some of the stuff like pensions and health insurance didn't).
I also love my church. The teaching is brilliant and our pastor really seems to care. I also think it is really great to have an international community that you can fit in with, and to find one that also gives me the spiritual fellowship I need has been so great! Hanging out with Koreans is wonderful (and I do it, frequently), but it is really interesting to meet English speakers from all nations. I mean, there are now people from most continents that I can count as close friends (I think I'm yet to get to know anyone from South America particularly well). I know that some English teachers (especially if they aren't big drinkers) can find it hard to connect to the communities out here, but for me, it has been really great!
I have done so many exciting things while I've been out here. I've got my eyes fixed (LASEK surgery), I've been on busses to beaches and to cities. I have been to an aboretum, I have sung kareoke (or in nore bangs as they call them) more times that I would like to remember. I have been to a sports day that involved everyone else having uniforms, flags, cheerleaders and teams of 50 people, not to mention the giant inflatable Jesuses and a raffle at the end (in which I won a magnetic bracelet, but my friends won toilet paper). I've visited palaces, museums, fortresses and temples. I've had Korean language lessons and Korean cooking lessons. And I still don't feel like I've done enough! I want to do more while I'm here (the slight problem is that my teaching schedule is awful, so I'm often tired).
All in all, it has been a wonderful time! I thank God for this opportunity and I hope that I'll be able to continue to the future. I am thinking that I'll probably try and go home in 8 months or so (for a wedding) and then, who knows? I am thinking about Italy, but I don't want to be focused too much on that! I'm here now, and it's great!
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Hey,
I found my church online. I searched for English churches. Where are you going in Korea? I can try and find out if there is an English congregation there for you if you want? I know there are definitely some in Seoul and there is almost definitely some in Busan. I'm in a small city, and they aren't really all that hard to find.
Honestly, appart from the odd bout (where I go on Skype and moan at friends that I miss them) I don't often suffer from homesickness. I don't know if it is getting plugged into a church community quickly, but I just haven't had it much. The lonliness is not too common either. Occassionally when good friends out here go back home I feel a little lonely, but mostly it is all good! I love my church, the members are awesome and really friendly! And (possibly more importantly) the preaching is great!
Thanks for sharing!! I'm hoping to head to Korea in Feb. How did you find your church? I hoping to connect with others while I'm there. How did you deal with homesickness or lonliness? Thanks!
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