A few days ago I posted about my urge to run away but instead making the decision to stay in Korea for another year. Thank you to everyone who messaged me with words of support and encouragement. I didn’t mean to sound quite so emo; even though things are a little rough right now, I… Continue reading Sh*t My Students Write: Part 2
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A Farewell to Fall
A few months back I had my third grade middle school students write acrostic poems. I was blown away by their creativity and wit and stowed the stack of over 200 poems safely in a drawer, vowing to laminate and hang some of them on the wall in my classroom when I had the chance.… Continue reading A Farewell to Fall
An American Expat Thanksgiving in Korea
I love the feeling of a home once the last guest has left a party. The air is warm and cozy and an energy clings to the air, echoes of laughter still ringing from the walls. The few remaining dishes and scattered chairs don’t bother me; they’re a sign of the life lived and… Continue reading An American Expat Thanksgiving in Korea
Fatty McFatterson Goes to a Korean Weight Loss Clinic
This story first appeared in Platform, Daegu’s newest magazine aimed at “reconnecting the people living here with the everyday highlights the city has to offer”. Read the first issue HERE! All illustrations done by the talented Stephen Elliott. Before I came to Korea I was fairly certain the only food they ate here was… Continue reading Fatty McFatterson Goes to a Korean Weight Loss Clinic
The Expat Kitchen: Mushroom and Cheese Buckwheat Crepes
I have found love in Korea! Alright, don’t actually get too excited, it’s not a man (or a woman, or a cat, or anything of the sort). People keep asking me about my love life in Korea and I have to tell them that I think I got more action in the 8th grade.… Continue reading The Expat Kitchen: Mushroom and Cheese Buckwheat Crepes
A Day at Suseong Pond–I Mean Lake
I’d been hearing all about this amazing place, Suseong Lake. “A beautiful lakeside getaway”, they’d said. I pictured a sprawling waterfront, nestled at the base of a lush mountain, with tendrils of water wrapping their way around it’s tree shaded base. I envisioned boats motoring their way across, casting out a small wake and shaking… Continue reading A Day at Suseong Pond–I Mean Lake
Cucina Kaleena: Cooking in an Expat’s Kitchen
In recent months I have sprained my ankle, burned my leg in the second degree, nearly chopped off the top of my thumb, and fallen down the stairs on more than one occasion. “A right walking disaster you are”, is how one friend described me. And it’s true, I really am my own greatest health… Continue reading Cucina Kaleena: Cooking in an Expat’s Kitchen
Tentacles, Rice, and Nudity: The Truth About Culture Shock
This blog has been conspicuously uninhabited lately; logging in today feels like walking down a dark and dusty corridor, brushing off the cobwebs and trying to find the light switch. Usually, my excuse for absence is a lack of time. It’s true that my life lately has been operating at lightning speed with hardly a… Continue reading Tentacles, Rice, and Nudity: The Truth About Culture Shock
Sh*t My Students Write
Kids say the darndest things; that’s a constant across cultures. But add a foreign language to the mix and the often twisted humor of Korean children, and they can cook up some really bizarre comments. I’ll save the funny things my kids say in class for another post, but for now I’ll share a few… Continue reading Sh*t My Students Write
When Tragedy Strikes at Home: An Expat’s Point of View
Living halfway across the world, you would think I’d feel somewhat disconnected from my country. That the happenings there would suddenly feel dim and distant, like they were no longer a reality in my own little bubble of life. To an extent, they do; since I’m not surrounded by American media, and 99% of the… Continue reading When Tragedy Strikes at Home: An Expat’s Point of View
Little Moments and the Happiness of Three Dumplings
When you move to another country, your life is suddenly boiled down to the basics. You are not living the exotic and grandiose life that everyone back home thinks you are just because they saw a few smiling pictures on facebook. Everything becomes a challenge and you suddenly struggle with the simplest of tasks. … Continue reading Little Moments and the Happiness of Three Dumplings
Food Porn: What I’ve Been Eating in Korea
A few months ago, the only thing I knew about Korean food was kimchi. And I didn’t even really know what kimchi was, only that it was pickled and pungent and I probably wouldn’t like it. I told everyone I would lose weight easily in Korea because I just wouldn’t be eating. How very, very… Continue reading Food Porn: What I’ve Been Eating in Korea