aclipse, Author at Aclipse

02 May

Transportation in Korea

Transportation in Korea: Top 8 Ways to Get Around

One of the best features about living in South Korea is the affordable and accessible transportation. Whether you need to move across town, or travel to the other side of the country, there are so many options.

Short distances:

1. Public Bicycles

It’s not uncommon to find public bicycles available across the country in major cities. Usually, you can download an app onto your smartphone and then link a bank card to pay for the ride.

You’ll have to scan a QR code on the bike, and it will unlock automatically. Many of these public bikes are equipped with baskets attached in case you have something to carry. It’s a great way to move around the city while also getting some exercise. Conveniently, you can also check the app to see where the bikes are located. Depending on your location, you can expect to find some bike lanes, making your ride safer and more comfortable. Here’s a “How To” on renting bikes in Seoul City.

2. Electric Scooters

Similarly to bike rentals, you can also opt to travel by electric scooter. Some of the more popular choices are GCooter, Beam, and Swing. The scooters can travel up to 25 kilometers per hour. Typically, if you don’t link a valid Korean driver’s license to your account, the recommended speed limit is 17 kph. I think this is a great option for days when the weather is nice, because you can ride with friends and it’s so much fun! You can find some general regulations for e-scooters here.

3. The Bus

The bus network in South Korea operates in all cities and even in smaller villages and towns. The bus system is fairly easy to navigate, but can become difficult if your Korean is limited. Still, downloading navigation apps such as KakaoMaps or NaverMaps will help you get from point A to point B with ease. Just scan your T-money travel card (which can be purchased and reloaded at any convenience store) and you’ll be on your way!

4. Subway

The Korean subway system is praised for its efficiency worldwide. Subways are available in the five major cities consisting of the Seoul Metropolitan Area. This includes Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, and Incheon; Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, and Daejeon. It’s possible to buy a single journey ticket with cash, but you can actually save money by loading up a T-money card, and use it for taxis and buses as well. Subways operate from 5:30am to 1am the next day. Try to remember basic subway etiquette like waiting for passengers to exit before loading the car, not sitting in seats designated for the elderly or pregnant women, and not eating inside of the train cars.

5. Kakao T

Similarly to Uber and other ride services, South Korea uses Kakao Taxi for its private transportation services. If you are in a rush and don’t have time for public transportation, this could be a great option. You can download the Kakao Taxi app which has English services and an intuitive interface, making it easy to navigate directions. Using the app can also provide peace of mind to foreigners as then you can track the taxi route and make sure you have an estimate of the fare before taking the trip.

Long distances:

6. Airport “Limousine”

The airport limousine bus is a lifesaver for people traveling to Korea with loads of luggage. These buses are spacious and comfortable, and will take you closer to your final destination if traveling outside of Seoul. If you are leaving from the airport, you can purchase a ticket at the stands outside of the terminals. If you are headed to the airport, you can download an app to reserve a ticket in advance. The bus application to reserve tickets doesn’t operate in English yet, but it’s quite simple to screenshot the app and translate using Google Translate or Papago in order to purchase your ticket.

7. Express Bus and “Intercity” Buses

These buses are cheap, reliable, and operate in all cities and towns. These buses can take passengers from one city to another, which is the best option for weekend trips to take part in amazing activities like paragliding, bungee jumping, ATV, or botanical gardens!

8. KTX Bullet Train

KTX, Korea Train Express, is one of the best ways to travel between cities. You can expect a quiet and smooth ride while taking in the beautiful landscape of the country. The high speed train travels at an astounding 305 kilometers per hour and interconnects popular travel destinations. You can download the Korail app to purchase tickets. If you don’t feel comfortable booking on the Korean app, you can always use a service like Korean Train to book your ticket. You should expect to pay a bit extra in this case, but it does make it easier to book or later change your ticket if need be.

With so many affordable options to travel these days, seeing different regions of South Korea has never been easier!

Alexandra Skouras is from Pennsylvania, USA, and has been living in South Korea since April 2021. She studied Biology and Spanish during college but decided to embrace her love of travel and cultural diversity through teaching English in other countries. After spending one year teaching in Madrid, Spain, she decided to move to South Korea, and since then has been teaching Chungdahm April in Sejong. Her favorite part about teaching is connecting with students and seeing how much growth they can achieve in just a short period of time. Alexandra describes her Korean life as the perfect mix of comfortable and exciting, and is passionate about encouraging other people to take the leap of faith and try something new.

27 Apr

LifestyleTeachingBy aclipse

A Day In the Life of a Hagwon Teacher

3 Years and Counting!

Before moving to Korea, I really had no idea what my daily schedule would look like. Of course your schedule will depend on your unique school, but most elementary school hagwons operate similarly. So, if you are curious about what a day in the life of a hagwon teacher teacher looks like, this blog post is for you!

When I first arrived in Korea in at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, I only expected to stay for one year. I met so many hagwon teachers, most of whom had been living in Korea for several years. I would tell them I only planned to stay for one year, and their response was always the same: “That’s what you say now, but just wait…”

I didn’t believe them.

Here I am two years later, just about to renew my contract for a third year. They were right.

After School Hours

I work from 12pm – 8pm, Monday through Friday, since hagwons are after school programs. This schedule is great because I have enough time to be productive in the morning and finish work early enough meet friends afterward. I think it’s really important to carve out a part of the day dedicated to yourself. If not, you’re just living to work and can’t fully enjoy the experience of living in Korea!

Sacred Mornings

The first part of my morning ritual is a combination of journaling, reading, and meditation. This quiet time sets the tone for my whole day. I’ve filled several journals with my experiences, and know I’ll reflect on how much my experience here shaped me as a person. I’m fortunate enough that my gym is right next door, so morning workouts are easy. It’s also convenient to complete all the errands I need to do during the day.

Arriving at Work

Every morning my coworkers and I arrive at noon. (Although usually we bump into each other at the neighboring cafes while picking up our morning Americanos). The first hour is dedicated to class preparation. We grade students’ online speaking homework, review lesson material for the day, and make any necessary printouts. Working at April English means I don’t have to do much lesson planning myself. I simply review the classes online and always feel prepared.

Lunch

Our lunch break is from 1pm-2pm. I usually go home for since I live within walking distance, but sometimes we visit a nearby restaurant. We return at 2pm, and the teaching day officially begins at 2:40pm! Students sometimes arrive early, so those 40 minutes can be used for extra prep. Or you can just relax and engage with students. (Though quite honestly, they often prefer watching English television on Netflix before class!) Before classes start, I always try to spend a quick minute alone in the break room. I remind myself of the influence I have on my students’ lives. Each day is an opportunity to make a huge impact, so I always make an effort to be the very best version of myself as a hagwon teacher..

Block Schedule

The class schedule is broken up into 6 blocks of time. There are six, 40-minute classes with a 5 minute break in between. We have a few breaks throughout the week to to finish all of our grading, and just to reset. Working with kids all day is incredibly rewarding, but it can also be challenging at times since they are so high energy! Here’s a great read of what classes are like in Korea vs. America.

Time to Unwind!

The teaching day ends at 7:05pm. We use the last hour to submit grades and tie up any loose ends. Getting accustomed to the April English curriculum can be a bit overwhelming at first, but once you get used to it weeks go by quickly! Now when the last bell rings at 7:05pm, I almost always find myself wondering where the day went. After classes end, I go home for dinner. I do some meal prep at the beginning of the week. But, admittedly, I often resort to using delivery services since it’s so affordable, accessible, and fast here! Sometimes I’ll have dinner with friends or coworkers after work, and it’s really common to have some beers to unwind and relax after a long day. The life of a hagwon instructor ain’t so bad!

19 Apr

FoodLifestyleBy aclipse

Top 5 Korean Dishes

“We” Culture

Korean food has become popular all over the world in recent years. The growing trend of K-pop has led to even more interest in Korean culture.

Food has an important role in Korean history as a result of social and political changes throughout the centuries. Every province has its own dishes and ingredients that are unique to their own region. If you travel around Korea, you will be become accustomed to the various meals you should indulge in. For example, Jeonju is famous for Bibimbap and Jeju is famous for Black Pork.

Korean meals predominantly include rice, vegetables and meat. Each meal includes side dishes known as banchan and toppings such as gotchujang, sesame oil, kimchi, doenjang and gotchukaru.

Korean food is an important part of Korean culture and is usually consumed in large groups to promote ‘we’ culture. It’s common to share food from various dishes and order meals for the table to share. Koreans enjoy eating together, and it is popular to see restaurants buzzing every night with plenty of customers.

Samgyupsal

Samgyeopsal barbecue is probably one of the first dishes you will try when attending your first school Hweshik (company dinner). It is a very popular dish in Korea, and there is an abundance of restaurants selling it across the country.

You usually grill unmarinated, raw slices of pork belly (essentially uncured bacon) is grilled tableside, until all the fat drips off the pan. It is typically wrapped with lettuce or perilla leaf, spicy soybean sauce, grilled garlic, and fried kimchi.

Be prepared to drink soju while eating Samgyeopsal! Soju is a clear alcohol is made from rice, wheat and barley. It is customary to drink shots of soju while eating out samgyeopsal as it’s considered a way to cut the fatty taste and have a good time!

Bibimbap

Bibimbap is a really popular dish among foreigners, and is usually a meal a Korean would recommend you to try when first getting accustomed to Korean food. Most Korean food is spicy, so when eating bibimbap you can add as much, or as little, gotchujang (red pepper sauce) as you like.

You can order it in a dolsot (a hot stone bowl) or a regular bowl. The traditional dolsot bowl is fired up hot, and sizzles food as you mix the ingredients together. It creates crusty rice at the bottom of the bowl while you indulge, creating a nice crispy treat at the end!

Ingredients in bibimbap include rice, beef, assorted marinated vegetables, gotchujang and a fried egg on top. There are numerous local variations of bibimbap throughout Korea, be found in Jeonju, Tongyeong and Jinju to name a few.

Savory Pancakes

Jeon is a flat-like pancake made from kimchi, potatoes, onions, seaweed, meat and seafood. There are plenty of kinds of Jeon, such as Pacheon (scallion), Kimchi Jeon, and Gamja-jeon (potato).

It’s customary to eat it after hiking a mountain trail, and is offered at many mountainside restaurants. Jeon is usually paired with Magkeolli (Korean rice liquor), and is highly recommend to enjoy on a hot summers day. Magkeolli is served in a chilled kettle and is sipped out of a small drinking bowl.

Bulgogi

Bulgogi is simply delicious, and my personal favorite Korean dish. It is a a dish of thinly sliced sirloin marinated in a mix of soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic and black pepper. Bulgogi is usually cooked tableside on the grill or sauteed and served.

Bulgogi is usually prepared with thinly sliced onions, carrots, mushrooms and scallions. It is popular to wrap it up lettuce and top it off with some ssamjang (a thick red spicy paste), and served with rice and grilled garlic.

Over the years, bulgogi has been the star in some more variations such as bulgogi burgers and even bulgogi cheesesteaks.

Sundubu Jiggae

Sundubu Jiggae is one of the most flavorful Korean soups you could eat. It has the perfect balance between spicy and sweet, and the silken tofu melts in your mouth. It is customary to choose the type of Sundubu Jiggae you want, ranging from seafood, beef, pork, dumpling, soy bean, or even mixed variations!

The stew is also commonly topped off with a raw egg, that you crack tableside. Once mixed into the soup, the hot pot cooks and scrambles it, almost like an egg drop soup. This adds flavor to the dish, however you can do it however you like!

HUNGRY YET?! There are so many other amazing dishes to sample in Korea- this is just the top 5 dishes! Check out some of the seafood Giselle ate on her weekend trip to Taean!

Tijana Huysamen, a South African born Capetownian, avid traveler and travel journalist, fell in love with South Korea and its people. After Tijana arrived in South Korea in 2010, she had the opportunity to live in the heart of the Korean countryside. During her time spent in Chungnam province she learned to speak Korean, prepare Korean food and experience the humble nature of the countryside people. After a year break in New York, Tijana jumped at the opportunity to return to Korea again, and is currently working at the CDI Jamsil Branch, in Jamsil, Seoul. Read Tijana’s Aclipse blog to gain a unique perspective on Korea and her shared experiences and adventures both in a major city and in the countryside. Follow Tijana on Twitter @TeeAnni or email tijanahuysamen1[email protected] to request more information on teaching in Korea!

19 Nov

LifestyleBy aclipse

Top 5 Experiences I’ve Had in Korea!

Starting a New Role

It’s been two full years since I began living and teaching in Seoul, and I owe it all to Aclipse. While I’m so grateful for my teaching role, I’m especially grateful for the additional opportunities I’ve had here in Korea. A month after I moved here, I interviewed to become a Marketing Assistant and got the job! My job has been to blog, post photos and answer emails from potential candidates. Being able to show others the beauty and adventure of living in Korea has been extremely rewarding. Surprisingly enough, one of the candidates I helped would become my co-worker at the same branch! This post is dedicated to the top 5 experiences in Korea I’ve had with links to previous blogs to follow.

Top 5 Experiences in Korea

Thanks to my new role, I made sure I was not a home-body! I’ve had all the incentive I needed to get out, meet locals, and try to assimilate as quickly as I could. It’s been my goal to try at least two new things every month, and if I got a chance to get outside of Seoul, even better!

1. Here is my blog post on paragliding in Danyang!

2. Click here to learn about my Yeosu Weekend Trip.

3. Do you have any interest in bungee Jumping in Gapyeong?

4. My ATV Adventure in Taean is not just all vroom vroom.

5. My favorite trip of all is my peaceful Day Trip to Semiwon Garden!

Become a Marketing Assistant!

The greatest part of all is that there is way more things I’d love to add to this list, but its been so hard to choose! And I’m not done- I just extended my contract for the second time! If sharing your story and your experiences is something you’d like to do, let your recruiter know! The team is always on the lookout for people who want to share their experiences.

Oh, and if you’re interested in zip lining, check out this blog here!

Giselle Moreno is from California, USA where she attended the University of California, Riverside. While a student, she always worked with international students and she decided to teach English abroad upon graduating during her third year of university. It was through the experiences of being an English tutor for international students that she felt really fulfilled. She found it particularly easy to get along with Korean students which is why she decided to pursue a teaching opportunity in Korea. She even attended Yonsei University in Seoul for a semester as a study abroad student and fell in love with the city. She is currently working at ChungDahm Learning’s April Daechi branch located in Gangnam, Seoul.

13 Jan

CareerLifestyleBy aclipse

Life After Korea

Goodbye Korea

When I was living abroad I wasn’t sure what life would be like when I finished my contract and moved home. The plan was to live in South Korea for a year, but I ended up extending my contract and living in Busan for almost two years. I knew there would be some reverse culture shock when I moved home but was really surprised by what life after Korea was like.

My boyfriend, Colin, and I packed up our apartment in Busan, had a goodbye party with all our friends, said some tearful goodbyes, and boarded the plane to leave Korea. It didn’t really dawn on me until the plane was in the air that I wouldn’t see those friends or live in Korea again for a long time, if ever. Although I was very sad to say goodbye to friends and to a city I absolutely loved living in. I was very excited to go home and see friends and family I hadn’t seen in almost 2 years!

Aloha

Before returning home, Colin and I stopped in Hawaii for a week to relax and enjoy having some time off work. Honestly, taking a vacation in Hawaii was one of the best decisions we made! Although it was expensive, it was worth it and definitely helped with the reverse culture shock. It was nice to be in an English speaking country again, but still be on vacation. We got to go to restaurants, grocery stores, bars, gas stations, etc. and enjoy the simple pleasure of talking to people in English 24-7! We did feel a little overwhelmed hearing everyone else’s conversation (it was sort of nice not knowing what other people were saying in Korea sometimes). Not to mention we got to enjoy all the gorgeous sights and beautiful beaches that Hawaii has to offer.

REVERSE Culture Shock

Once we returned home reverse culture shock hit with full swing. Shortly after we got off the plane in St. Louis, I started having wheezing and a tight feeling in my chest – something that has never happened to me before. I had to go to urgent care and was abruptly reintroduced to American healthcare and how expensive it is – Korean healthcare was fast and extremely cheap (with or without insurance). Luckily it wasn’t serious. It turns out my body just was shocked from all the allergens that I was suddenly being exposed to!

It was great to see family and friends that I hadn’t seen in a long time, but also overwhelming trying to find time to see everyone. I felt a little guilty trying to juggle time with family and friends, and was very glad we’d been on vacation- because it really helped with the jet lag. Honestly if I could do it over again I’d say ask a friend or family member to host a “welcome-back” party for you when you return. That way you can see everyone at once, and won’t feel guilty if you need a few days to rest/recharge later on.

(See below – a friend from Cinncinati drove down to see me after we got home!)

Home Sweet Home

Some of the great things about life after Korea are that I realized how easy and convenient it was to do so many things in America. Signing up for a phone plan was pain free, and going car shopping wasn’t bad either. I’m big into rewards programs and coupons, and never really got to take advantage of that in Korea since I didn’t learn much Korean! I also really enjoy going to the gym, and gyms are much cheaper in the US.

(See below – a Friendsgiving party with some friends we hadn’t seen in a long time!)

Missing the Kids

One challenging part about life after Korea was the education culture in America, in Korea it’s very rigorous from an early age. Going from teaching Kindergarten in Korea to teaching Pre-School in America was a hard transition for me. Education culture for kids below 5 years old is much more laid back in America and focused on play and social skills. This was so different than what I experienced in Korea. I had a hard time adjusting at first but now I believe there is a happy medium between the two educational cultures. Kids should be able to play and have fun, but structure and high expectations aren’t a bad thing!

Speaking of education, some of my old students from Korea wrote me really wonderful letters which I’m incredibly thankful for. It’s nice to hear from them and know that they are doing well, and I’m definitely excited to write back!

(See below – an adorable letter from one of my past students.)

Life After Korea

Moving abroad has changed my perspective on a lot of things. I now have a tremendous amount of respect for immigrants and refugees because it isn’t easy to move to another country, especially when you can’t speak the language or have no family to help you. I’m passionate about helping those that are less fortunate, and can understand a small part of the struggle that immigrants face.

Moving abroad opened up many opportunities for me. I was able to save money, pay off all of my debt, and travel to four different countries! I am so thankful for all the amazing memories I have. Transitioning to life after Korea wasn’t easy, but now that I’m settled I’m very happy and love that I have so many stories to share with friends and family. I also can’t wait until I can see my friends from South Korea again!

Monica Russo graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelors in Psychology and is from St. Louis, Missouri. After spending a couple years in social work she decided to move abroad to learn more about other cultures and to challenge herself to live outside her comfort zone. Monica lived in Busan, South Korea for a year and a half and loved her time there. She loves new experiences, hiking, exploring other cities and helping others any way that she can. Her philosophy is work hard, play hard!

05 Dec

TeachingBy aclipse

Teaching in South Korea vs Teaching Back Home: What’s the Difference?

Pros and Cons

In comparing one job to another, there is a lot to consider. Obviously, there are pros and cons and it can be difficult to sift through them objectively. There’s also a lot of personal subjectivity. I’ve loved every teaching job I’ve had, but I hope to shed some light on some the cons you can eliminate by teaching in Korea, specifically with Chungdahm Learning and the Aclipse program. I’ve boiled this down to a set of key points: the students, the environment, salary/livability, and Requirements/Expectations of the Job.

The Students

In my experience, Korean students feel a deep desire to learn and are always putting forth their very best efforts. Of course, there is the occasional student that wants to try your patience more than others! But the difference is that is is not the norm, but the exception. I have never seen such a large number of children so well behaved and dedicated in all my life. Rarely, if ever, do I need to repeat myself more than once. Students work hard and go above and beyond in every task given to them, and at every age. This blows me away.

On the other hand, American students are often not as motivated or passionate about learning. Motivating them is often more than half the battle. Again, this is not every situation. That would be a gross overgeneralization and would not be fair or accurate. However, a majority of students I’ve personally worked with in the States are not driven in the same way, which I attribute to the difference in parenting styles and culture. We tend to ensure more gradual development in America, whereas Korean students are trying to be the best from day 1.

The Environment

An obvious appeal of teaching in Korea is that you are in Korea. It is such a beautiful country with so much to offer in regards to food, sights, and culture. There seems to be no end to all of the old temples, cafes, and amazing art to be found around the corner of every street! On top of all of these incentives, my commute to work is no more than a 5 minute walk. The people in the school are kind with great dispositions and students are very respectful as well.

ALL teaching materials ARE PROVIDED FOR YOU, by the way. I just felt the need to say that, and to say it loudly. The United States is a beautiful place to live, of course, with a a lot of creature comforts. However, it is very large and everything is miles apart. Everything is extremely expensive to even get to. I’ve always wanted to see new places and try new things, but that just wasn’t on the table for me.

The Pay

While I won’t go into too much detail of my salary, of course, I can say it is enough to cover my expenses and more. This is especially true since rent, utilities and other bills are very cheap and housing is often provided by the school. I’ve been paying off school loans and saving up money while being able to take trips around South Korea on the weekends. Teacher salaries are pretty low in the States, which is makes it difficult with the high cost of living. Between rent, utilities, phone bills, car insurance, health insurance, and groceries, gas, there just isn’t enough left over to really do much of anything. Eating out, traveling, or saving just isn’t a reality on a teacher salary in America.

The Requirements

Lastly, the teaching requirements are both very similar and so very different at the same time. Lesson planning for Chungdahm Learning consists of looking over the provided materials and making sure you are familiar with the topics to be discussed for the day. I often plan games, classroom procedures, behavioral incentives, and extra activities as well. This doesn’t take more than an hour or two a day the way that the curriculum is set up.

Grading is mostly done automatically for you, except for the occasional writing or speaking assignment. A portion of the grading may even be shared with the Korean staff depending on your branch. You don’t get a ton of time off, but the time that you do have is actually off! Its not being used to grade or lesson plan or play catch up or take courses for extra certifications.

In America, lesson planning used to take up most of my days, weekends, and nights. Of course after a while you get the hang of it, but I’ve always been a bit of a perfectionist. On top of this, the grading seemed endless. Considering how large each class is, and the amount of feedback, grading, and filing required seemed endless.

Love for Teaching

At the end of the day, I love to teach in any capacity that I can. Every job will have its ups and its downs. That being said teaching in Korea at Chungdahm Learning has been the best teaching experience I’ve had so far. It is much more freeing, while providing you opportunities for growth at the same time. I am able to earn a living AND enjoy my life. I am surrounded by students that love learning and by people that are helpful, kind and always strive for excellence. As much as I loved my previous positions, it’s going to be tempting to never leave Korea at all.

Alecia Alford is a secondary English education major with a taste for traveling, languages and ‘eating all the foods.’ She graduated from Northwestern State University and spent some time abroad in South America where she learned Spanish and discovered her true love: seeing and tasting all that the world has to offer. Alecia has dreamt of teaching all her life, but was surprised at how inexplicably inhospitable the living conditions were for a teacher in the states. Things weren’t necessarily impossible, but they certainly were not exactly easy, nor were they travel friendly back home. Looking into ways to teach abroad, she was pleasantly surprised at the number of options and opportunities out there that combined her two great passions. She now teaches with Chungdahm Learning in Pohang, South Korea and intends to continue the pursuit of traveling and teaching for as long as she can.

15 Sep

LifestyleBy aclipse

ATV Adventure in Taean

The summers in Korea can be rather hot and humid. While I was born and raised in sunny California, the difference is the humidity. In California are hot and dry. Thus, as the humidity is finally coming in at full strength, I quickly planned a weekend trip to the coast!

Transportation

So more information regarding the transportation, once one arrives to the Express Bus Terminal, there are two bus options for going to Anmyeon Bus Terminal. They are both bus options, however, one is more expensive than the other. The more expensive bus is 20,000won, while the more economical option is 11,000won. The difference between the two buses is the spaciousness of the seats. Obviously, the pricier option has more spacious seats, reclinable chairs and additional leg space. I took a 20,000won bus for my trip to Taean and an 11,000won bus for the trip back. I find that is worth it to pay more for a really comfortable trip.

Mudflat

Korea has great mudflats! Taean has some of them. There, once the tide is low, the waters recede very far back. This is the perfect time to grab a bucket, shovel, and SALT! Many people do digging in mudflats to collect clams and other shellfish. So why the salt? There are some sea creatures that leave little holes on the surface of the mud. They are so easy to get, because if you pour salt into the holes, they pop out on their own! Then, you simple pluck them out and throw them into your bucket. There are so many crabs, too! My friend had to fight two of them that were trying to fight him off. It was hilarious. Everything you collect, you can steam, grill, or whatever cooking style you wish to do, so that you can enjoy your harvest for dinner. It’s all a part of the mudflat experience.

ATV Adventures

The region of Taean has many gorgeous forests and beaches. It’s awesome that one of the attractions in the area is taking A.T.V tours. I bought a 50 minute experience that cost 25,000won. There were different experiences to pick from that ranged in time. I picked the shortest option, but I was not disappointed! I got to go through some rough forest terrain and across the beach. There was a portion where I got to go over several small sand dunes. For me, the forest terrain was muddy and there were many puddles, since it had rained during the night. I loved it! At first, I was worried about my shoes, but by the end of it, I was purposely going through puddles with speed.

Seafood

One can never go to the coast and not enjoy the fresh seafood! After arriving to Anmyeon, the first thing to cross off my ‘to do’ list was eat some marinated crabs! They are called ganjang-gejang and they are raw crabs marinated in soy sauce. There is also a style where it is marinated in a semi-sweet red sauce – both are equally delicious in my opinion. In Seoul, this dish is expensive. However, whenever one visits the coast, there are huge set menus that get one so much seafood, side dishes and always a fish stew. The set I purchased was 70,000won for two people at a restaurant called 딴뚝통나무집. I’ll add the address below.

There are two more dishes that I really enjoy eating when visiting the coast. The first is like a seafood bibimbap called hoe-deopbap(회덮밥). The other dish is like a seafood cold noodle dish called mul-hoe (물회). These are individual dishes. They both only cost 10,000won each. I found it to be an even better deal where I had it, because I had a great beachfront view. The restaurant is called 밧개횟집. I’ll add the address below.

딴뚝통나무집 (crab restaurant)

60-42 Seungeon-ri, Anmyeon-eup, Taean-gun, Chungcheongnam-do

밧개횟집 (beachfront restaurant)

765-81 Jungjang-ri, Anmyeon-eup, Taean-gun, Chungcheongnam-do

안면도수산시장 (fish market)

1249-1 Seungeon-ri, Anmyeon-eup, Taean-gun, Chungcheongnam-do

29 Aug

TeachingBy aclipse

Classroom Management Tips: Kindergarten Edition

Not Your Average Kindergarten

When I started teaching over a year ago, I didn’t know very much about the working culture and educational culture in Korea. When I first started at iGarten, I was really surprised by the amount of workbooks and worksheets kindergarten students had to complete every month.

Kindergarten in Korea is very different than my experience going to kindergarten in America. I remember having naptime, lots of toys and games in the classroom, and many days where we had extra recess time since it was nice outside. Educational culture is very different in Korea, from a young age there are high expectations. The school I teach at has no naps (we teach kids international age 3-8), no toys in the classroom, and has a very structured schedule with 7 classes a day – 90% of which are focused on books or worksheets.

There are pros and cons to any educational culture, but I’ve been really impressed with how quickly my students learn and how motivated they are to do well! That being said, there are some days when students are tired, don’t feel well, or just have a hard time focusing. It’s good to have reward systems in place that motivate the kids and build their self confidence! Instead of giving students candy as a reward or motivator, here are a couple classroom management strategies that have worked well for me and my students!

Green, Yellow, Red

This is a really simple system which is easy to make and use – kids understand it even if they don’t know much English. With my class, if a student isn’t listening well or isn’t following directions etc. I first give them a warning and a chance to stop what they are doing and focus. If this doesn’t work I’ll change them from green to yellow (I use velcro stickers on the back of the faces), if distracting/destructive behavior persists I’ll change them from yellow to red and give a final warning before the Korean coteacher will take them outside the classroom to discuss the issue. When they are on yellow or red I encourage them to do well for the rest of the class so I can change them back to green! This method works well for behavior management and I mostly used it the first few months I taught my class. Now they know what my expectations are and it’s very rare for someone to change from green to yellow or red!

(Pictured below – you can see examples of my green smiley faces and brag tags!)

Brag Tags

My kids really love these! On one wall in my classroom I have a list of my students names, next to their name a Velcro sticker. I have brag tags for several different things – you can find lots of printables online! For my class I use 5 different brag tags: Best Handwriting, Super Speller, Super Reader, Kind to Others, and I’m Responsible. If theres a lesson where the kids are struggling to focus or listen I pull out the brag tags and draw attention to the students that are doing well. This motivates the whole class because everyone wants something positive next to their name! This has especially helped my kids improve their handwriting and listening skills!

Reward Boards & Sticker Charts

I know many teachers use sticker charts, and I used to but I found it to be time consuming handing out stickers to each individual kid, and usually it only motivated students that were already doing well. Sticker charts work well with some students but I prefer to use a reward board that represents the whole class – instead of each individual child. That way the kids help motivate each other and are accountable for each other. The kids in my class all have expressed how much they love ice cream, so I created a reward board with the end goal of an ice cream party! My kids have to earn 50 rainbow stars for us to have an ice cream party. There isn’t a limit on how many stars they can earn in a day, but the stars are given sparingly – only when they are on their best behavior. Stars are given when they all participate, listen well, and work well together! My kids constantly talk about how many stars we have and how many we need. It’s a great visual reminder for them that hard work pays off and something for them to look forward to!

(Pictured below – the chart is quite big so that it is easy for the kids to see and be reminded of.)

Classroom Jobs

Another way I motivate my kids is by assigning classroom “jobs” each day. Jobs such as line up leader and paper passer (for worksheets) are coveted positions in my class. Sometimes if we play a game, the winner will get to pick their job for the next day. Sometimes, if we have a tricky vocab word (one time it was protruding – a pretty difficult word for 6 year olds!) whoever can read it/sound it out correctly gets to pick their job. Other times, I’ll assign the jobs based on who was ready for class first thing in the morning. I make sure each kid gets to participate every week and my kids enjoy any added responsibility that sets them apart from their classmates.

(See below – a couple of examples of classroom jobs.)

Countdown From Ten

The last thing I use, which may not work with every class, is writing the numbers 1-10 on the board. If my kids won’t calm down, or are wasting classtime, I’ll slowly start to erase numbers on the board. This works well to get their attention and the kids will usually say things like, “Oh no! Now we only have eight numbers!” To tell their friends to pay attention. There’s no reward if no numbers are erased and no consequence if all the numbers are erased… but for some reason my kids really respond to this method and it’s a point of pride for them – we’ve never had a day where all ten numbers were erased!

I hope these classroom management methods work for you and your students! It’s so important to have reward systems in place other than instant gratification like candy. From teaching, I’ve learned that kids thrive in structured environments where they know what to expect. It’s always good to have things handy to motivate your students and show them you appreciate their hard work!

Monica Russo graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelors in Psychology and is from St. Louis, Missouri. After spending a couple years in social work she decided to move abroad to learn more about other cultures and to challenge herself to live outside her comfort zone. Moving abroad hasn’t always been easy, but it has always been worth it and Monica loves living in Busan, South Korea. She loves new experiences, hiking, exploring other cities and helping others any way that she can. Her philosophy with her students is work hard, play hard!

22 Aug

LifestyleBy aclipse

Bungee Jumping Adventure in Gapyeong

It’s summer! I really enjoy outdoor activities, trips out of Seoul, and extreme activities. I’ve already explored three caves, rode three bike rails, taken a scenic cable car, river rafted, climbed a few mountains, paraglided and more in Korea’s countryside. On my most recent one day trip, I only had only one activity in mind! I wanted cross bungee jumping off my bucket list! It was a somewhat spontaneous trip.

Gapyeong

After doing some research, I found the place where I could do both – Gapyeong! Gapyeong is only a 40 minute ITX ride away from Cheongryangri Station. The ticket was only 4,800 won one way, so the roundtrip was under 10,000won! Gapyeong is a famous destination for university students or just any group of friends taking a trip out of Seoul to enjoy a variety of outdoor activities during the summer. The area offers quad rides, a rail bike, bungee jumping, ziplining, and various water activities.

Top Land

It took only a five minute taxi ride from Gapyeong Station to Gapyeong Top Land! That is the name of the bungee jumping location. For anyone who purchases a jump while at Top Land, the cost is 40,000won. However, my friend got us a discount online. Thus, my jump was just 23,000won! I would give instructions on how to get this discount, but it is just on a Korean site, so you’ll need the assistance of a Korean friend. Sorry. Anyway, the jump is from a 55 meter tower. The tower is located next to Bukhan River. Their weight range is from 35kg-95kg. They strap you in from the waist.

After paying, one is escorted into a room where one places all their belongings. Have a friend on the ground when you jump! Top Land doesn’t record your jump and sell the footage to you either. Anyway, after dropping off all one’s belongings, one goes to the second floor. There is where everyone signs waivers. Also, they take your weight and give you the appropriate strap gear for your weight. An employee explains how to properly jump. Worth noting! They give you two attempts to jump. If you fail to jump on your two attempts, then you lose your ability to jump and you won’t be refunded! All these details are explained at this time. Next, one takes an elevator up to the jumping platform. There is a line for men and another for women. One by one, people take turns jumping.

Here is my list of jumping advice!

Don’t eat anything at least 2 hours before jumping.
Wear comfortable, casual clothing.
Never look down! Look straight ahead.
Jump on ‘1’, don’t wait for ‘Jump’!! They count down from 5 (5, 4, 3, 2, 1, JUMP).

The experiencing was all about overcoming my own fear and beating that internal, mental battle. The jump itself feels like nothing more than the feeling of going down the first dive of a rollercoaster ride. You feel it in your stomach. It makes you scream. The scream relieves the pressure in your stomach. Suddenly, the experience is over and you have officially joined the bungee jumping adrenaline junkee team!

There are a few places to bungee jump in Korea. The highest one is located in Jecheon’s Cheongpung Land. The height there is 62 meters. Also, the have a ‘Big Swing’ attraction. I’m adding this location to my must visit list.

Wherever you decide to jump, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you make it out to one of the locations and take bungee jumping off your bucket list while living and teaching in Korea!

Gapyeong Top Land

Address: Gyeonggi-do, Gapyeong-gun, Gapyeong-eup, Bukhangangbyeon-ro, 1044-15 KR

Hours: 9AM – 6PM

Phone Number: 031-582-5372

13 Aug

RelocationBy aclipse

Getting Recruited as a Couple to Teach in Korea

Setting the Stage

About 6 months after my boyfriend Colin and I started dating I asked him if he’d be interested in teaching abroad. I’d always wanted to live abroad and I knew he wanted to travel as well – I was so excited when he said he was open to the idea of teaching in Korea! Almost a year later we moved to Busan. I’m so thankful to Aclipse for making this all possible and finding a school where we could both teach and work the same hours. Moving overseas as a couple has a lot of perks, and I have been so thankful for this experience! Having lived in Busan for over a year, I’ve met lots of single people, people who started new relationships while abroad, and other couples who moved abroad together. Regardless of your relationship status, living abroad is an unforgettable experience. I’m especially grateful I was able to share these memories with Colin.

(Below – a picture of us when we visited the colorful Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan)

Partner In Crime

Life overseas has been emotional at times, and I was sad to say goodbye to friends and family knowing that I wouldn’t see them for at least a year or even longer. But having a built in support system is amazing – despite everything else changing it was nice to have someone from back home who was going through the exact same experiences. We navigated the language barrier, culture shock, trying new foods, and starting new jobs together. Neither of us had been teachers before and it’s been really nice working together and sharing ideas for our classes!

(Below, us visiting Beomeosa Temple with some coworkers/friends and some cute cookies we got at school!)

Making Connections

Aside from the cultural differences and adjusting to working a new job, we also had to furnish an apartment. Having two people to share the cost of bills, groceries, and household necessities has allowed us to save more money than we would have if we came here alone! Also our apartment is bigger than a single person’s apartment, which has made it easy for us to host holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving – holidays away from family are difficult but much better when you can celebrate friends! (see below – some of our friends joined us to celebrate American Thanksgiving!)

Yin and Yang

Another great thing about moving abroad with Colin is that we both have different strengths. He’s amazing at navigating public transit (I have no sense of direction and had barely used public transit before living abroad). He’s also a great cook and has found lots of yummy restaurants for us to try in Busan. I’m good at budgeting, organizing, and planning. Together we’ve made a great team! We’ve been able to visit some amazing places together!

(Below – we love hiking together, there’s lots of great places to hike in Busan and we live at the base of Jangsan Mountain.)

Support System

Lastly, life as an expat can be lonely at first. It’s easy to meet foreigners in Korea – they stick out in a crowd! But for the first few weeks after we arrived I was jet lagged and spending most of my time adjusting to a new job and unpacking. From my experience, it seems like the most stressful time is the first month after you move abroad. Many of my friends agree with this as well – it can feel a little overwhelming moving your whole life abroad and starting a new job at the same time, all while feeling homesick. Luckily for me, Colin was always there for me and I never felt lonely!

Just Do It!

I would highly encourage anyone who has the chance to move abroad to do it! You’ll learn so much about yourself and other cultures, and have more appreciation for simple things lots of us take for granted. If you get the opportunity to move abroad with your significant other you’ll be even more lucky – I know I am!

Monica Russo graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelors in Psychology and is from St. Louis, Missouri. After spending a couple years in social work she decided to move abroad to learn more about other cultures and to challenge herself to live outside her comfort zone. Moving abroad hasn’t always been easy, but it has always been worth it and Monica loves living in Busan, South Korea. She loves new experiences, hiking, exploring other cities and helping others any way that she can. Her philosophy with her students is work hard, play hard!

Transportation in Korea: Top 8 Ways to Get Around

1. Public Bicycles

2. Electric Scooters

3. The Bus

4. Subway

5. Kakao T

6. Airport “Limousine”

7. Express Bus and “Intercity” Buses

8. KTX Bullet Train

3 Years and Counting!

After School Hours

Sacred Mornings

Arriving at Work

Lunch

Block Schedule

Time to Unwind!

“We” Culture

Samgyupsal

Bibimbap

Savory Pancakes

Bulgogi

Sundubu Jiggae

Starting a New Role

Top 5 Experiences in Korea

Become a Marketing Assistant!

Goodbye Korea

Aloha

REVERSE Culture Shock

Home Sweet Home

Missing the Kids

Life After Korea

Pros and Cons

The Students

The Environment

The Pay

The Requirements

Love for Teaching

Transportation

Mudflat

ATV Adventures

Seafood

Not Your Average Kindergarten

Green, Yellow, Red

Brag Tags

Reward Boards & Sticker Charts

Classroom Jobs

Countdown From Ten

Gapyeong

Top Land

Setting the Stage

Partner In Crime

Making Connections

Yin and Yang

Support System

Just Do It!

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Transportation in Korea

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