Rain, Rain, You're A Pain
Trip Start
Jul 11, 2004
1
2
19
Trip End
Oct 10, 2004
Seoul,
Korea Rep.
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
I've been fortunate enough to get back to South Korea for not only a third, but a forth time, and both as part of the same trip. Check out my other Seoul experiences, in July 2005, and January 2006.
************************************** Update - January 2006 ***************************************
************************************** Update - September 2007 ***********************************
As if 4 times wasn't enough, check out my latest, and 5th, visit to Korea (September 2007 - February 2008), all part of 'The Honeymoon'.
************************************** Update - September 2007 ***********************************
Every exit is an entry somewhere else
- Tom Stoppard
Back again?
Back in Korea. Back in its capital, Seoul. I love this place. If you ask me everyone should experience Korea, its amazing culture and people, at least once in their lifetime. This is my second trip to the Land of the Morning Calm. I first came here during the previous winter to teach as part of a 4 week English language camp for Korean children (check out the pictures and details of that trip here). Back then I was at a loose end, having returned from my round the world (rtw) trip a few months previous. On that trip somebody had recommended to me to give teaching abroad a go. Anything to avoid settling down, I guess. Even though I had no teaching experience whatsoever it was certainly a more attractive prospect than rejoining the rat race at home. So mainly because I had the guts to give it a go, tongue of a native English speaker and, no doubt, because they were stuck for English teachers, I was accepted as an ELT (English Language Teacher) as part of a bi-annual, 4-week English camp in South Korea. I recall being very nervous at the thoughts of teaching but kept reminding myself that it was only for 4 weeks, and hey, how bad could it, or I, be? (the safety net of the 4 weeks was very comforting as most teaching jobs in Korea require a commitment of 6 months to a year). And so I found myself on a flight to South Korea on St. Stephens day (boxing day to the rest of you) 2003 and, as it turned out, I enjoyed my virgin teaching experience immensely, enough to promise myself it wouldn't be too long before I was back honing my ESL teaching skills.
Here & Beyond
And here I am. Except this time I have company. B, her of rtw trip fame, is with me for the stay in Korea, which this time will involve seeing a bit of the country and, of course, a return to the summer version of the aforementioned English camp. We then plan on a week in Beijing after camp before we go our separate ways: B is returning home and I'm staying to do a bit of Christopher Columbus'ing around mainland China. But haven't I already told you that?
Too Wet For Our Liking. This Time
So what of Seoul. Well, it's certainly a lot hotter than it was in January. There'll be no skiing this time around. But it's not only hot: it's muggy, wet (very wet... all the time) and generally uncomfortable. That explains why the summer months are not exactly Seoul's most popular touristy times of the year - not that the city, or country, is a mecca for tourism anyway. We initially spent 2 day, 3 nights, in Seoul and tried to get in as many of the sights as possible between the downpours (see the best of the evidence of this by viewing the accompanying pictures). We're Irish, so we have a high tolerance for the rain, but even we eventually gave up and decided to take our chances and seek out friendlier weather conditions down south. It's gotta be nicer by the coast, right? So we hoped as we boarded the train for the 3 hour trip south to Korea's 2nd city, Busan (see the next entry). But we didn't give up on Seoul altogether. We paid it a weekend visit during a break in our month long teaching duties. It was the weekend of the Korean Independence Day celebrations, celebration marking their August 15th 1945 liberation from Japanese imperial rule. And to boot the weather was much more cooperative, with not a hint of rain. That allowed us to do the touristy thing, complete with visits to Seoul Tower and Gyeongbokgung (the Royal Palace), amongst others. Again, see the pictures attached to this entry for more. And right after that make sure you follow us to Busan. Never know what you'll find there.
