Mudflats

Korea has great mudflats! 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 dig in the mudflats to collect clams and other shellfish. Why the salt? Many sea creatures leave little holes on the surface of the mud. If you pour salt into the holes, they pop out on their own! You can simply 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! You can steam, grill, or sautee your harvest for dinner. It’s all a part of the mudflat experience. 

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. 

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. 

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 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.

Good-to-know Phrases!

Since I spent my first years in Korea living and teaching in the countryside, knowing Korean was definitely beneficial as there are a lot fewer people who speak and understand English in the countryside compared to those living in one of the major cities. Also, knowing how to speak Korean increases your chances of making Korean friends.  Meeting Korean friends is definitely beneficial as usually they will want to learn from you to help improve their English skills and in return they will be more than happy to help with your Korean speaking skills. Other reasons why you should try to learn Korean is that you have to speak it at the grocery store, in the post office and at the bank.

Below are the most used Korean Phrases you should learn before coming to Korea. Knowing these phrases will make everyday life easier and can often be used to do things and get around.  Also, make sure to notice that some of the phrases vary depending on if you are in a formal or informal setting.

Hello/ Goodbye – 안녕하세여/안녕히 가세요

Saying hello and goodbye in Korean is probably the phrases you will use the most. When you walk in and out of your job it is important to bow while saying loudly 안녕하세여/안녕히 가세요. 

Hello,  안녕하세요, is pronounced An-neong-ha-se-yo, and is used in everyday greetings. However,  when answering the phone,  Koreans say 여보세요, pronounced Yo-bo-se-yo. This is commonly used and you will use it often when speaking on the phone.

Goodbye, 안영히 가세요, pronounced An-neong-hi-ga-se-yo, is used when you are leaving. When you are the person staying, you say 안녕히 계세요, pronounced An-neong-hi-gye-se-yo .

Nice to meet you – 반갑습니다

In Korea It is formally polite to say ‘nice to meet you’ when meeting someone for the first time. You would say it before saying  goodbye and you could bow as you say it. Nice to meet you, 반갑습니다, is pronounced Ban-gab-sub-ni-da.

In a more informal setting you can say 반가와요, pronounced Ban-ga-wa-yo. An informal situation would be friends or a person who is younger.