Greetings from Mokpo, South Korea! Maybe these are your current questions: Aren’t you worried that crazy Kim guy will invade? Why would anyone want to live there? Do they have even have a McDonalds? At least, these were the types of questions posed to me before I left the States for South Korea in the summer of 2010.
To clear up any misconceptions about life in South Korea: No, I am not worried about Kim Jong-Il, nor are the South Koreans. In fact, they would probably worry more if he didn’t throw a tantrum every few months! I wanted an inexpensive way to see more of this great big world while also paying off some debt. Plus, I lived in Indiana, where life couldn’t have been any more boring. Yes, South Korea does have a McDonalds, and I actually ate it for the 2nd time last weekend. I could write a whole blog about my adventures – and I do, so check it out.
Seriously, though, you cannot beat the lifestyle that teaching in Korea affords you; free apartment, decent work hours, easy work load, and vast opportunities to experience a new culture.
This photo is from the Jinju Lantern Festival. There were thousands of paper lanterns of various sizes, colors, and characters at the festival. The festival included vendors both products and food from around the world, opportunity to make your own lantern and release it into the river, fireworks, and drunk old ajushis (old Korean men). These festivals are an integral part of Korean culture.
Rachael Cullins is a twentysomething American girl living in Dakar, Senegal, with her husband and two dogs. She blogs about her adventures in Senegal and travels elsewhere in West Africa. She will reside in Dakar until summer 2013, when she and her family will move to another foreign post as part of her husband’s career with the U.S. government. In addition to West Africa, she has traveled to France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy and Costa Rica and plans to continually add to that list.
