From October 2007 to October 2008 and June 2010 to August 2010, I taught English in and around Seoul, South Korea. During that time, I wrote more than fifty travelogue essays. If you've stumbled upon this site because you're interested in teaching English in Korea and want a come-with-me account of one young American's experience, then you've come to the right place. Alternatively, if you're a hungry reader looking for some unpretentious first-person travel writing, I hope you find in these travelogues something you care to read. (Start here or here.)
Thinking about coming to teach English in Korea? Check out this FAQ.
If you have any questions, comments, offers for lucrative publication, accusations, or veiled threats, please do email me at alexpollack at gmail.com
My Favorite Posts:
Travelogue #16: Flirtation, Painful Massages, and Language Barriers in South Korea
Travelogue #20: Misadventures in Seoul on New Year's Eve, Part 1
Travelogue #21: Misadventures in Seoul on New Year's Eve, Part 2
Travelogue #26: My Rocky Introduction to Korean Dating
Travelogue #29: How I Ended Up at a Police Station in Fukuoka, Japan at 3am...and Somehow Found My Way Home
Travelogue #33: A Spring Night in Hongdae
Travelogue #42: Your Teacher is a Gorilla.
Travelogue #47: Shabbat Shalom - Jewish Korea on a Friday Night, Part 1
Travelogue #54: What I Will (And Won't) Miss About Korea
My Favorite Posts:
Travelogue #16: Flirtation, Painful Massages, and Language Barriers in South Korea
Travelogue #20: Misadventures in Seoul on New Year's Eve, Part 1
Travelogue #21: Misadventures in Seoul on New Year's Eve, Part 2
Travelogue #26: My Rocky Introduction to Korean Dating
Travelogue #29: How I Ended Up at a Police Station in Fukuoka, Japan at 3am...and Somehow Found My Way Home
Travelogue #33: A Spring Night in Hongdae
Travelogue #42: Your Teacher is a Gorilla.
Travelogue #47: Shabbat Shalom - Jewish Korea on a Friday Night, Part 1
Travelogue #54: What I Will (And Won't) Miss About Korea
18 comments:
"bagel-wrapped hotdog at Einstein's"
ha. college.
Saw your post on the MFA blog, and as a fellow Nonfiction applicant, I'm looking forward to having someone to worry with.
yeah, me too, richmoy. Haven't seen too many CNF applicants on the MFA blog. Also I'm only applying to 4 schools - Georgia State College and University, University of Montana, University of Alabama, and Eastern Washington. Like you, I only chose places I would want to live and where I would want my oldest kid to start school.
Plus, couldn't afford all those app fees and fees to send out more GRE scores!
Are you guys all set on your recommendations? I'm nervous about mine- I'm uncomfortable depending on other people to do things for me. I wish it was all in my hands...but I guess that doesn't make much sense, considering my app will be in the hands of a mysterious admissions committee in the end...
I'm getting VERY worried. Two are done, but my third, an old boss who I KNEW would procrastinate, has not done his yet! I only have about 2 weeks until my first apps have to be in, so I have emailed him twice in the past 2 weeks and I will call him tomorrow.
Right now I'm also worried about my expository writing sample. You guys have to do that for any apps?
It took me a little while (and a little money after I overnighted forms a handful of times), but my recommendations are actually set. My Dean wrote me one a week after I asked her, and I was actually able to pester my old boss and one of my professors over, of all things, Facebook. To say I'm lucky is a complete understatement.
As far as the expository thing, Columbia (cue Seth Abramson...) is the only school I'm applying to that asks for one. I'm also applying to Iowa, Sarah Lawrence, Arizona, Arizona State, New Hampshire, and Hunter. Though I'm willing to make a drastic move, I'm crossing my fingers on Hunter, mostly because it's close-ish to home and an affordable way to be in New York.
No expository sample for Vandy, UNC Wilmington, Hollins, University of Central Florida, or Florida International...
So I guess, judging from past years' results as seen on Abramson's blog, we'll start hearing from schools as early as Feb and as late as the end of March?
OK, guys, I'm getting things done now! My first app goes out tomorrow, another on the 9th. THe other 2 aren't due until Feb and March, but I think I may do them all this week. Otherwise I may keep revising until my sample is tooooo revised.
Secured a last-minute replacement on my letter writer, and found an old college paper on a disk, didn't even have to type it up. Sigh of relief!
Are you done with your apps?
Yep, I'm done...I think. Some random files are missing. Vanderbilt, for some reason, doesn't have my transcript, but they told me in no uncertain terms that it doesn't matter at this point. Basically, if they like my writing sample, then they'll ask about the transcript. 350 people have applied there so far. Oh man...odds are stacked.
Best of luck!
So get this. My letter writer went MIA and I had to find a last minute replacement, which I did easily enough. THEN 2 days after my app had to be in, he mailed it to ME though I had told him on every message and email (about 20 times) that I wanted him to mail it to the school! And he sent me one for U of Montana that was handwritten, and poorly at that. What was this guy thinking?
Yikes, 350 applicants. Anxiety setting in even though I didn't apply there. Need xanax or (preferably) weed.
Are any of your schools accepting yet? I've seen some for Alabama for fiction and poetry but none for CNF. Hmm. 2 of my apps just went in so I'm not expecting to hear for some time. Though that doesn't stop me from checking the MFA blog every 2 minutes or so. Ha!
Yeah, I hear you Tanya. UNC Wilmington has a few CNF admits...so that's making me a little nervous, though Seth says there is no such thing as an "implied rejection" and that it's pointless to predict the school's admit process. So I'm waiting. And waiting and waiting.
Good luck and keep me posted on your waiting game!
I will. congratulations to you for Florida!
Well, at least I got some news....I got a rejection letter from Alabama. 3 schools to go.....
Good luck on those three schools! I hope you get some great news!
It seems like we're reaching a point now where every day a new school is notifying. So any day now...might be best to take a break from the melodrama on the MFA boards haha. I think I ought to do that.
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