When I went to Thailand, I went with an open mind. Still, I didn't realize just how different the culture would be from what I was accustomed. From my living conditions to the concept of time and religious influences, my life has been forever changed in a positive way. I was fortunate to ...
It was Saturday, the first day of the school/work week in Oman. Younis, one of my students, came in looking noticeably tan. Of course, Oman is the land of 363-days-of-sunshine-per-year and many Omanis have tan faces, but Younis was usually quite pale. On this Saturday morning, he looked as though he had spent a solid week at the beach. ...
I was standing on the tarmac, waiting to board the plane that would take me further from home than I’d ever been, wondering what in the world I was doing. I was terrified. I was moving to the other side of the world to a place where I didn’t know a single person, couldn’t speak the language, and had ...
I knew, when looking for a position teaching English abroad, that I wanted to live in Tokyo. Having been here for three years now, even knowing it’s crowded, I’m still surprised at just how many people are here. Japan has around 127 million people; of those 127 million, 37 million live in the greater Tokyo area with an additional ...
It was with luck that I found myself in Kyoto, Japan for some professional development during cherry blossom season. After spending ten energy-sapping hours in a conference room, most of the participants scurried back to the hotel to rest up for the following day. Faced with a free evening and a small group of new friends, the opportunity to ...
Imagine strange shapes glowing neon on billboards, bizarre sounds emanating from the hustle and bustle of the crowds surrounding you and the odd smells of foods you've never even heard of, let alone tasted, wafting through the air. This is the sensory overload I experienced upon my landing at Incheon Airport. I was about to embark on a year ...
My career teaching English abroad opened doors of opportunities to see corners of the world many others simply dream of. While the earlier part of my career led me to jobs in countries like Columbia and Malaysia, it was my placement in Barcelona, Spain that opened a window to see so much of the world. (This post is part ...
Sawasdee kah! Or should I say, "hello" from Thailand, the "land of smiles". I’ve been living here for awhile now and each day is a totally eye-opening experience. I’m located in Kabinburi which is a rough, 3 hour cramped mini-van ride to Bangkok and about two hours west of the Cambodian border. It’s a small town where everyone knows ...
The Japanese have come to be known for sharing both a fascinating cultural heritage that spans thousands of years as well as a modern love for technology, gadgets, anime and pop culture. For individuals embarking on a career teaching English abroad in Japan, this dichotomy often shows up in weekend outings and days off spent exploring all that this ...
From chopsticks and sushi in Japan to kimchi and rice in South Korea, I was able to travel around the world while teaching English. My journey started as a volunteer English tutor for a Vietnamese woman who wanted to pass the U.S. citizenship test. She insisted on cooking dinner for me twice a week for the year that I ...
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