The Rintrah Perspective

I left Canada on August 20 and arrived in Seoul, South Korea on August 21. I arrived in the island paradise of Jeju Island on August 29. I started teaching English the following Monday. I live on the scenic south side of the island and am enjoying myself. I have been forced out of my comfortable reclusive and semi-hermitic lifestyle.

I almost did not get paid this first month because I did not have my Alien Registration Card. But the good people in the EPIK (English Program in Korea) office were “kind” enough to “decide” to pay me anyway.

I teach in 2 schools. One is a 15 – 20 minute bus ride from my apartment in Seogwipo city. I teach there 3 days a week. The other school is about 90 minutes away by bus. I see the most beautiful part of the island during that bus ride. And I can see Sunrise Peak from my school.

I don’t know any Korean other than how to say please, thank-you, hello and good-bye. I know some names of foods I like. I get lunch at the school and, for the most part, it is good. Rice and soup at every meal. Kimchi is mandatory. The soup often tastes like fish even if there is no fish in it. The fish that is served usually still has the bones in it. Sometimes it is head of the fish.

It is hard to find good coffee. Usually its is instant coffee. Cheese is kraft singles. Spices are hard to find (at least the ones I want.) I have a stove but no oven. A washer but no dryer. And I can see gorgeous Korean women everywhere but have no way of knowing how old they are. Korean women age very well. I was speaking with one women who I thought would be in here mid- to late-twenties. Turns out she is 42 with 3 children.

All-in-all things are quite comfortable.