Lateral Movements

Obviously, I’m still bowing at people. I pretend not to notice when they’re confused. ‘Does this girl have a nervous tic?,’ they’re probably thinking. When people give me change, I bow, ever-so-slightly. When someone says ‘Buen dia’ to me, I give a head bow. When we said goodbye to our Spanish teacher for the last [...]

Busan is one of the few Korean cities that had been on my ‘must-visit’ list for some time. Actually, it was the only one. Despite the many attractions in Korea (LotteWorld, Jeju Island, Dokdo), the only one that tempted me was Busan. This is in part because I lived in Gangwon-do, where the scenery is [...]

Flights between Korea and Japan can be surprisingly expensive, especially given that the countries are so close to each other. Jared and I found flights from Seoul to Osaka for 99,000 won each with budget airline Eastar Jet, but the return journey was almost three times as much. The 18-hour overnight Panstar Ferry came to [...]

No matter how long I have to prepare for goodbyes, I am never ready. Jared and I, we got ready well in advance. Received our final pay packets, sorted our pension, closed our bank accounts, even got criminal record checks from the Korean police department in case we need them later. We gave my co-teacher [...]

Six months ago, I was successfully vaccinated against Hepatitis A. At least partially. “Come back in six months,” Dr. Won told me. “For second shot.” Today, I returned. The waiting room was packed with old women and children. There were shoes strewn about the entryway, and nearly all of the slippers were in use. I [...]

There’s a new watering hole across from our apartment building, so Jared and I went there last night to grab a beer after work. The prices are incredibly reasonable, and while food is available, you aren’t expected to buy any (as you usually are at Korean bars). We sat outside, on a pretty wooden balcony, [...]