It has officially been 7 months since I landed at Incheon international airport. I now have less days ahead of me than behind. I've past the half way point by a month and also found out that when I actually leave Korea I will not have been here for the full year. Sadly I am cutting my year short by 5 days - but with good reason! My PGDE course starts August 21st, so with my remaining vacation days and a national holiday combined I am able to come back a week earlier than this date to get organised.
I'm only just over half way into my time in South Korea, but I already have so many amazing memories - only a few of which I have shared on this blog already. Not only have I been given the opportunity to experience things that I didn't have chance to back in the U.K., I also feel that I have learned a lot about myself. The day I left the U.K. I kept my expectations low, but even if I had allowed myself to have high expectations I think they would have been met.
Moving to Korea wasn't the easiest thing. Yes I've been homesick, yes i've craved food that I've not been able to get my hands on and yes I spent the first 3 months in a weird state of jet lag. However, these last seven months have shown me how being positive and strong make all the little things so unimportant. I no longer have jet lag - just a different sleeping pattern. I still get homesick from time to time but I got the same feeling living in Aberdeen. Yes I still crave that Sunday roast but recently I've had Kimchi cravings and a new found appreciation for Korean food. I've come to terms with the fact that I'm probably going to have the same feelings when I get home: homesick for Korea, another 3 months of jetlag, and cravings for korean food that is nowhere to be seen.
Seeing as I'm past the half way point and have not written about so many things I planned to write about I thought I'd share 5 of my favourite things about Korea so far:
1) Color me rad. Yes I could have done this in the U.K. but it's so much cooler to say I've done it in Korea. 5K run/jog/walk whilst getting splattered with paint. It was such a fun day out and a great way to get to know some of my new friends!
I'm only just over half way into my time in South Korea, but I already have so many amazing memories - only a few of which I have shared on this blog already. Not only have I been given the opportunity to experience things that I didn't have chance to back in the U.K., I also feel that I have learned a lot about myself. The day I left the U.K. I kept my expectations low, but even if I had allowed myself to have high expectations I think they would have been met.
Moving to Korea wasn't the easiest thing. Yes I've been homesick, yes i've craved food that I've not been able to get my hands on and yes I spent the first 3 months in a weird state of jet lag. However, these last seven months have shown me how being positive and strong make all the little things so unimportant. I no longer have jet lag - just a different sleeping pattern. I still get homesick from time to time but I got the same feeling living in Aberdeen. Yes I still crave that Sunday roast but recently I've had Kimchi cravings and a new found appreciation for Korean food. I've come to terms with the fact that I'm probably going to have the same feelings when I get home: homesick for Korea, another 3 months of jetlag, and cravings for korean food that is nowhere to be seen.
Seeing as I'm past the half way point and have not written about so many things I planned to write about I thought I'd share 5 of my favourite things about Korea so far:
1) Color me rad. Yes I could have done this in the U.K. but it's so much cooler to say I've done it in Korea. 5K run/jog/walk whilst getting splattered with paint. It was such a fun day out and a great way to get to know some of my new friends!
2) DVD bang(room). The U.K. really needs to get on this one. Essentially, it is like going into blockbusters, picking a movie and instead of paying and leaving you pay and get to watch the movie in your own private cinema room. DVD bang's are one of my favourite places to go on a hungover Sunday! There are so many choices of movie to watch, from movies that have just been released at the cinema (pirate copies obviously) to really old movies. I don't really have a habit of taking pictures in a DVD bang..so here is a short video to give you a better idea of what it's all about! (watch from 45 seconds)
3) Another thing I love to do in Korea is hang out in coffee shops, mainly because almost every single coffee shop has wifi! I love a good visit to starbucks or costa coffee back home but I'd never go along with my laptop and sit there for hours, this is probably because the chance of their being wifi is very slim! The first thing about coffee shops in Korea is the amount of different chains and independent shops. There are tons! Also the waffles and other "side dishes" or "desserts" as they like to call them are amazing... Finally, there are various themed cafe's from Cats..to bunkbeds..to Sheep! I've not tried out the sheep cafe yet but it's on my to do list!
4) Travel in Korea is pretty cheap (compared to the ridiculous U.K. prices). For roughly £5.00 I can take the bus to Seoul (which takes about one and a half hours). This is cheaper than megabus yet the buses here are in a totally different league. The seats are leather AND they recline. However, the driving here is crazy..so yes it's easy to fall asleep but you'll quite often find yourself being woken up by the driver slamming on the breaks.
5) Teaching English. It would be rude not to mention this as one of my favourite things. I work long hours and finishing at 10pm is annoying. BUUUUT I have some really amazing students. I never dread going into work. The days are long but theres always something to smile about...
So this is a little preview of my life in Korea so far! I love it, and although I do miss home from time to time I'm so glad I've been given the opportunity to experience such an interesting country and its culture!
Hope you enjoy reading,
Love Kirsty
Hope you enjoy reading,
Love Kirsty