TBTEⓒ: The Korean Edition

Coming over to Korea was a spur of the moment decision. Everyone had their respective and earlier-organised plans of home or warmer places to go to and I was one of the handful who had nothing planned by the start of December. On a quiet day at school (read, nearly every day) I did a rough check on my options and found out that travelling to Korea would be cheaper than travelling down to southern Japan (a result of a weaker Korean currency and cheaper flights due to a million connecting flights between Japan and Korea). Quite literally, I booked and finalised my ticket 10 days (which was the last day that I could have my ticket issued) before I planned to fly out.

So like that I'm here in Korea with no grander goals than a simple two:

1) to eat kimchee at least once a day; and
2) to meet up with some of my old students who are now back in Korea and cash in on their respect and reverance for their teacher.

Having it now down to an art form, I met up with 4 of my old students for a night out in Seoul.

So as we sat down for smelly but oh so delicious and sorely missed BBQ pork meat and lots of soju, we reminisced of days gone by.



For me, my old teaching job was a great job for many reasons. For my old students, it may have been a once in a lifetime break from their lives back at home. The chance to just drop everything and live abroad for a year is hard for most people but for most folks in Asia it is even harder, with work and family responsibilities higher than others. It is clearly obvious that the time that they spent in Australia has changed their lives a bit. What is even clearer is that a big part in their enjoyment of Australia was being in my class.





So as I sat their again mooching off the friendship and grace of my old students, I continue to realise how rewarding my last 2 and a bit years were. Especially since how, so far, every time said mooching involves a lot of good food, drinking and great company. I guess it's part of the deal in being TBTEⓒ


Jam Jam recreating how he felt when he was in my class.

Music In My Head: Mr Children - エソラ