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. 

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!)

Getting Adjusted

In fact, for the first week before teaching training, I said almost nothing to anyone. Looking into so many faces that looked like my own, I was overcome with an odd sense of guilt and nerves. Feeling disappointed in myself for not speaking the language, I was panicked inside that I didn’t learn more about my culture before coming here. Thankfully, a lot of those worries gradually dissipated over time. One step at a time, I achieved some small goals. Ordering at a restaurant — pointing at the menu and all — purchasing something by myself (without the helpful presence of my non-Asian husband), and practicing the little Korean I do know in daily life. 

Bright Lights, Big City

I arrived in Korea with my boyfriend holding my hand to brave this new adventure we sought out together. Back home in South Africa, we lived in one of the biggest cities, Johannesburg, but arriving in Seoul we felt completely overwhelmed by the tall buildings and bustling roads. Seoul was so big and bright when we arrived in the night that we weren’t quite sure where to look or what to do with ourselves at first. Don’t get me wrong, Seoul is a beautiful city now that I’ve had the chance to explore it in a less stressful setting now that I have a phone that works with Korean networks. In addition, I feel a little more comfortable hearing a language that I can pick up and understand the odd word here and there. Having a group of friends wanting to explore Seoul on the odd occasion when the chance permits has also helped to feel a little less overwhelmed too. But after one of these weekends of enjoying a shopping spree, the nightlife or a simple coffee, it is always terrific to journey home to our city in the countryside, according to the locals.

Dumulmeori Park

Dumulmeori is an absolutely gorgeous park. The name refers to where two waters meet, which fits it perfectly. It is located where Bukhangang River and Namhangang River meet. There are beautiful lake views, and a very large lotus flower pond, too. Many people ride bikes through the park and stop for picnics. Vendors sell many delicious street foods. Also, you can buy cute animal-shaped cotton candy. It’s a great spot for a summer date!

The Reference

He let me know that he had worked with Colette at Aclipse and how easy she made the whole process. In my first conversation with Colette, she told me about her experience living and working in Japan and how that led to her career path in recruiting for English teachers. She made it a very easy, step by step process and it never felt overwhelming. I interviewed with her, created my “intro” video, got steps on how to apply for my visa and everything else I could possibly need. Within weeks, I was placed at ChungDahm April in Jamsil, Seoul which was exactly what I wanted since I wanted to teach younger kids.

The Personal Trainer

Now this is what I really want to talk about – my personal trainer. Personal trainers in my area usually run about 50,000won to 90,000won per session. A session is an hour long. I know, it’s so expensive. It can fit into one’s salary as a teacher in Seoul, so it is a matter of how much value one places on exercise. Again, the amount you pay upfront is the deal you get. Thus, one can get about 30 sessions for 50,000won per session, but you have to pay 1,500,000won. So my luck is that due to when I signed up, I can now get personal training sessions for a flat rate of 60,000won per session. Still pricey, but working out is a great addition to one’s lifestyle. The benefits of having a routine workout impact all aspects of health – mentally and physically. Plus, with how cold winter is this year in Seoul, working out gives me something productive to do, so I don’t simply hibernate.

My personal trainer keeps track of my workout. So far she has made sure that I obtained my workout goals in an efficient, effective and safe manner! The personal trainers in Korea aren’t much different than those in the United States. Luckily, most can speak enough English to have foreign clients. They know how to instruct and guide in English pretty well at the gym I attend. 

My first meeting with my personal trainer was about discussing my workout goals, checking the condition of my body (how much body fat I have, how much muscle mass I have, how much water retention I have, etc) and discussing what work I have to do outside of the gym to reach my goal (how much sleep I should get and what type of diet I should be maintaining). Afterwards, we slowly eased into learning some workout exercises. My second meeting with my personal trainer, began with a massage. My PT prepares my body for the workout I’m about to have by making sure the areas I will be targeting aren’t tense. Then, we went into checking how well I learned what was previously taught and building off from that. The sessions I’ve had since then are similar to my second session. After each workout, my PT sends me a review of our workout along with videos that were taken of my posture doing new movements I learned during our session. I can reference them when working out alone. 

Yeosu Ocean Railbike

Upon arriving to Yeosu, I made the Yeosu Ocean Railbike (여수해양레일바이크) my first destination. It is located less than 10 minutes away from Yeosu EXPO Station by taxi. The fare was less than 5,000 won. The price varies by how many people go. The more people, the less it costs: 2 people is 26,000 won, 3 people is 31,000 won, and 4 is 36,000 won. I went during the Chuseok holiday, so the wait time was 40 minutes. Plus, I was unaware that making online reservations was possible! I could have saved myself the wait time. On the bright side, I know better now and so do you – reserve at least one day before!

The rail bike trip itself is 3.5 km long. It takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. The rail bike goes into a dark cave that is decorated with many fun lights. While in the cave it does get chilly, so I recommend a light jacket. Even though it was September and a bright, sunny day, I would have liked to wear a cardigan in the cave. I get cold easily.

Danyang Paragliding

My 90,000 won paragliding experience took place in Danyang County with a company called 패러에 반하다. While it isn’t an exact translation, the company’s name basically is ‘Fall in Love with Paragliding’. Danyang is popular for its breathtaking scenic views, natural caves and outdoor activities. There are plenty of ways to get to Danyang from Seoul. I opted for taking a bus out of Dong Seoul Bus Terminal – it’s the cheaper option. One way is 13,300 won, so my round trip was 26,000 won. It was a 2.5 hour trip. If you are on a budget, this is a good option.

What is an RCMP Check? Essentially, it’s the government police looking into your personal information to see if there is any correlation between yourself and any convicted laws.

The process to obtain one is just as straightforward.

 1st: Head to the RCMP station that is nearest where you live/the address on your identification. Check here for official directions. (Ex: If you live in downtown Vancouver, you have 3 different stations to choose from! Congratulations!)

Or

Visit a nearby Commissionaires Office as their processing times may be faster than visiting an RCMP detachment to apply.

2nd: Before you go, check if you need to book an appointment! (Ex: Places in the interior only offer service one day a week, so MAKE SURE when they offer it and to get in ASAP)

Check here for the hours of most of the interior RCMP stations in B.C.

If you don’t see your specific station within the link, no sweat! Just google “RCMP station (Your city)” and the nearest should come up

Check the Commissionaires Site for their appointment schedule.