There’s a local kimbap shop and I think by now the woman recognizes me as the foreigner who doesn’t like pickled radish. It’s a long but narrow shop where I can sit at the counter like an old regular. I also wanted some fish cake broth and guessed: “Can you give me some uh… fish cake water?” “You mean fish cake broth?” “Ah yes. Can you tell me that word again?” “어묵국물.” I was missing the one syllable that made water into broth and I appreciate her congenial help. The shop was the perfect temperature and I took my time eating through the long tuna roll. I asked or really…

Not only do the new subject teachers think I’m ill-mannered, they now also think I hate Korea. Things are going great! At the beginning of our Western meal (aside from one pizza option that had mayonaisse everything else passed the test) the female science teacher, who would later go on to tell C and E they should pick up golf to meet handsome men, asked about me. (Again, people are the same everywhere.) She turned to C to ask if I had a boyfriend to which C awkwardly replied, “I don’t think so”. I chimed in with a vicious head shake and the male science teacher asked why. “Why I…

I again wondered, where she gets this information and what questions could possibly be next-- "Do Americans cry when they're sad? Do Americans feel pain?"

Sunset— and not just from the bus this time. The last light on the clearest day of the month turned Mount Bukhan pink. The river water below reflected the delicate hues of oncoming dusk like the big, soft roses I spotted here not so long ago. In the street lay an abandoned bouquet, a lover’s quarrel? A poorly tied delivery thrust off the careening scooter of a youth? Stories burst in between sidewalk cracks, through busted fences, and over the steam of a good meal. Life is joyous in big moments, yes, but small moments too. Sometimes I need only to stand wherever I am to be blessed. Mary Oliver,…

C told me the landlady called to say she would clean the aircon… eventually. “I’m sorry, I thought she had already cleaned it when you asked months ago… She also asked if you knew of any other foreign teachers and to recommend them to live there.” “Huh? Why?” “The previous teacher didn’t put down a deposit.” “Oooooh. Oh no.” In Korea you can put down “key money” which is a deposit you get back after your lease. The higher the key money, the lower your monthly rent. Average key money for a nice apartment is about 10,000USD or 5,000USD for a small place like mine. There is an option to…

I joined S and her family for an outing to the famed day trip destination of Gapyeong. An hour outside of Seoul, without traffic which was not our destiny, a road lined with beautiful and eclectic cafes leads you to a park famous for its gardens and mountain views. “I think he has better pronunciation than me,” she remarked of her three year old who could sing every word of the Moana theme song and shouted a range of English words like “rubber band” and “scary”. S has been reading to her son in English for which I’m really proud. Her husband, who was a little shy last time we…

I have reached the next level in my relationship with C, after a strange lunch where she randomly updated me about Busan Boy who I frankly never want to hear about again. She told me it seems like both numbers he harassed me from belong to him, contrary to our original supposition that one belonged to his girlfriend. Not so. He has two numbers with two separate sets of photos of him with two different women. So, two numbers for two different girlfriends. I asked her why she keeps checking his profiles.  “Because it’s fun.” “For you!!” I countered. I’m glad my pain could be so entertaining. *Beleaguered sigh* I…

January – June Me: I’m having a hard timeSeoul: July Me: I’m moving out of SeoulSeoul: But wait! Look at the clear air! The students came back! You get vacation! You and your coworkers have grown closer! We’ll open the parks! Life is like that. The last few days I stopped and wondered, am I making the right decision to leave this school? I’ve finally grown comfortable in my neighborhood and with my new coworkers and my students are such a joy, can I give them up? Then I realized, if I asked the school if they would allow a super late renewal, I hoped the answer would be “no”.…