Almost 6 Months In!

Well I've certainly been slacking here. And that's the understatement of the century.

Hello again. Long time no see. The last time I posted here I was only 3 months into my life in South Korea. At this point we've almost doubled that time. 6 months is approaching fast and that means I will have reached the half way point in my contract with the hagwon I am working for.

Everything here is going very well. I think as time goes on it gets more fun out here and that's probably been a big reason for why I haven't posted in a long time.

However the weather today is wet and miserable and with no concrete plans for this weekend I figured today would be a good time to try and update you with my last 3 months.

One of the big highlights has been paragliding. We went with a tour group who drove us to a paragliding base in north east South Korea (confused?). Paragliding was a lot of fun as we got to see some fantastic views of the Korean countryside while we were up in the air. The trip also involved a night in a pension coupled with a BBQ, drinks, noraebong (karaoke) and a campfire with smores. The next day we were taken to explore some temples and caves. It was a great weekend and it was wonderful being away from the city and breathing fresh air again!

The last 3 months has also seen me visit Hong Kong for a few days during the Chuseok holidays. Chuseok is one of the biggest holidays in South Korea. This is the time when Korean families visit their ancestors homes and pay respect to them. I have no ancestors in Korea so I jumped on a relatively cheap flight to see the thriving, multinational city of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is a very cool place but unfortunately my hostel was one of the worst I've ever stayed in. My taxi dropped me off at the complex at about 3am on a Saturday night. Making my way to the hostel I had to walk through a closed down halal market. Fully deserted except for the numerous prostitutes, pimps and other random men lurking in the corners. I quickly found the elevator to my hostel and checked in. My three nights staying in this hostel were spent largely dodging the ceiling fan that was spinning far too close to my head on the top bunk!

 Fortunately I met another English guy in this hostel and we spent the next day exploring Hong Kong. We visited Victoria Peak which was particularly awesome when we had a beer at the top looking over the city. The next day I visited the Big Buddha statue which involved catching a cable cart across the mountains. Some of the scenery was fantastic!

Back to Korea and I think it's fair to say that this place is starting to feel like home. I am very settled here and still thoroughly enjoy teaching. There are elements to the culture that I still dislike but, on the whole, I have acclimatized to the differences. Besides, the wonderful elements to the culture here shine far more brightly than the negatives.

Kimbap - the food is awesome here

 I'll sign off with something I never expected to say... the nightlife in Seoul is by far the best I have ever experienced. A night of partying in Hongdae or Itaewon crushes anything that Brighton can offer. Even London can't quite reach these heights! I think this will be one of the top things I miss when I go back home but I don't need to worry about that just yet... another 6 months to go!

Club Octagon - sixth best club in the world

Soju. Dangerous. That is all.