The rain has been pouring since the predicted typhoon hit a few days ago. It's a bit strange to hear someone say, as if in afterthought, "Oh, and there will be a typhoon later tonight." As my contract in Incheon draws to a close within 21 days, my place has turned into a chaotic mess of documents, work, clothes, and boxes. It's not so much that I've doubled-up on my belongings since first arriving or that packing has driven me insane, but more that I like to throw everything out into the open. When everything's packed up, I feel satisfied knowing I'm onto the next place and next adventure. With the humidity and summertime, the air swells with the cry of the cicadae. Though their song is an annoyance to many, I have always loved the ... read more

During a friend’s wedding, I met a friend of a friend, a cute and charming guy who, at a later date, asked me what I wanted to see in Korea. I replied Jeju-do, Jeollanam-do, and Suwon Village. Since the first two are at opposite ends of the peninsula, he asked me on a date to Suwon Village. I confess that because of the mixed elation and nerves for my date, my view of Suwon Village may be biased. He (I’ll refer to him as GY) picked me up early Saturday morning and we headed East. On my own, I doubt I would have ever made it out to Suwon because my weekends fill up quickly trying to have fun with friends before I leave in September. Fortunately, good timing intervened and I found myself inside a ... read more

After countless palaces and temples in S Korea, Japan, and Thailand, I wanted to see something different. After some research, I found Seodaemun Prison. This historical location was built during the Japanese occupation to control Korean activists. My research also suggested against younger visitors as it holds some gruesome reenactments of what happened during 1908-1945. I was meeting three friends in different areas of Incheon and Korea, so we had a few stops along the way. As a tip for anyone living in Incheon and wanting to get to Seoul quickly using the subway, get yourself to Bupyeong. From Bupyeong, you can grab an EXPRESS BUS to Yongsan. You go up to the Yongsan tracks and choose the side that has the electronic sign reading 급헹 (Express) 용산 (Yongsan). From Yongsan, we made a few transfers ... read more

These are photos from the all-day Lantern Festival that took up blocks in an already busy area of Seoul. There were crowds of people from various countries and the second I saw the diversity, I was in love. There's nothing that makes me happier than being surrounded by cultural hodgepodge. Beautiful women dressed in traditional clothes urged us to experience a 1-hr temple stay (my friend and I refused because we had both done more authentic temple-stays and wanted to see what else was going on). Lanterns decorated the Jogyesa Temple and the streets. As daylight faded, the lanterns glowed, illuminating all corners of the streets. Though we missed it, I recommend seeing the floating lanterns they place in Cheong Geh Cheon River. One of my fellow Incheon teachers posted photos of the floating lanterns and ... read more

I noticed that there were not many photos of autumn in Seorak Mountain (aka Seoraksan National Park), so I'm posting some from a trip last year. A lot of native teachers headed to the mountain in September and early October. By chance, we ended up going the last weekend of October and it was completely different from what other people experienced! I had already seen many of the vibrant red maple trees on the way to the mountain, but when we entered the park, the first words out of my mouth were, "Oh my god. So this is what autumn's supposed to look like." *insert jaw drop* I recommend heading out early (before 11am, at least) because the park gets more and more crowded. Still, despite the amount of people, the terrain is spacious. Entrance fee ... read more