Korea is oft dubbed "The Land of the Morning Calm"... maybe in years past... Present day Korea is a country that never sleeps, though the morning is generally one of the calmest parts of the day. You can always find somewhere to go or something to do at any hour of the day.
Oddly enough, despite the chaos and cacophony there are places you can go even in the heart of Seoul where you can escape the fast-paced life and revel in the culture of Korea.
Korean people are generally a friendly playful lot. Moreso when alcohol is involved. They take great pride in their country and culture and are thrilled by any effort we demonstrate to learn more about them and their language. Any time I spoke Korean I was constantly befriended and given hugs and arms around my shoulder like that Korean person was my proud long lost brother. They would show incredible pride in ME for learning their language and they would take me under their wing and (because they were often older than me) I would be dubbed "dongsaeng" (little brother). This could occur at a bus stop, in a pub, on the top of a mountain, in a fishing boat, on a bus, literally wherever I was.
Koreans are often looking for a place to unwind and let loose. It's a fun, funny experience. Be open to this.
Korean history spans over 5000 years. 
The maintenance of their culture and language throughout this span of time is remarkable considering the many hostile occupations and invasions they have experienced over time which could account for the incredible sense of patriotism and nationalism that is plainly evident all over Korea.
When you get invited to join a group of Koreans for pretty much anything, go along with them, and go along with it. 
Koreans will invite you all the time to hike, ski, fish or "mountain climb". Be approachable and you'll be amazed at the experiences.
While missing home and complaining about where you are is a normal part of the ex-pat lifestyle, you will often find that those who complain the most are those that exert the least effort getting the most out of their time abroad.
Any country will suck if you never give it a chance. If you get tired of spending your weekends listening to other foreigners whinge, there are alternative diversionary activities to engage in, most depend on where you live, but be assured, there are always things that will make you smile and bring you back into touch with why you started on this adventure in the first place.
Korea has a surprising number of fascinating art galleries and museums.
There seems to be a paucity of information available about the Korean arts scene in English, but if you poke around there are some rewarding gems hidden both in the cities and the countryside.
by Sanmi Fabode, Footprints intern
Corruption in sport is common in this day and age. It does not necessarily have to involve the teams or organizations as a whole but the players themselves being involved with third parties. In the bigger more funded leagues, it is not as rampant because players and employees associated with the organization are usually well-paid and taken care of. Corruption (illegal betting, match fixing) gives the usually low-paid but talented players another means to earn an income from prominent city businessmen, gambling brokers, entrepreneurs and big time criminals/mobsters.
by Dave Harvey, Operations Manager (images are also courtesey of the author)
For those who have spent time in East Asia, they are likely familiar with this holiday as it’s already a national holiday in South Korea, Hong Kong and Macau. Buddha’s birthday is a major event on the Buddhist calendar and is referred to as부처님 오신 날 (Bu-cheo-nim Oh-shi-nal: “the day when the Buddha came”) or석가탄신일 (Seokga Tanshineel: “Buddha’s Birthday”) in Korean. The date however is different depending where you are, and what calendar is followed in that country. For most of our readers they will be celebrating on May 28th, 2012 in South Korea, however it will be April 28th in other parts of Asia.
For teachers in BC, Yukon and Washington State: our friends at International House Vancouver (IH) offer CELTA and TEFL courses. These courses are held in Vancouver BC and packages with accomodation are available.
These teaching training programs are amongst the best out there, check out the various courses and propel your teaching career to new heights!
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