I’m back after a long hiatus! The virus situation in Korea has stabilized considerably in the past month, so I’ll be able to work from the office again starting on the 27th. My friends and I have placed bets on the first day that there will be no new cases in Korea; I have my money on Buddha’s birthday, which is April 30th. Despite the circumstances, I’ve had to say goodbye to a few friends who were forced to go home because of the pandemic, which was a bummer. 

Seoul’s parliamentary elections just passed, so the streets have been full of campaign trucks with dancing volunteers. Every day for the past couple of weeks I’ve been woken up by the sound of zealots screaming into bullhorns near the train station. 

Korea’s Democratic Party swept the elections. With the exception of a couple of ritzy neighborhoods (like Gangnam), most of Seoul votes blue. 

Cherry Blossoms

I have never been in Seoul during the spring, so I didn’t know to expect cherry blossoms! They are absolutely beautiful, and have completely transformed the landscape of the city. They only last about two weeks though, and are on their way out now. 

Here are some miscellaneous pictures of Seoul’s spring scenery!

Changdukgung Palace

Last weekend, I visited my favorite palace in Seoul twice! The first time, I toured the secret garden, which includes a pavilion and an elevated Joseon dynasty era library. 

The second time, I joined my friends who were dressed up in traditional Korean clothing, called Hanbok. 

Though there is another palace, Gyeongbokgung, nearby, I like the detail work of Changdukgung better. You can also see signs of encroaching Western influence in the king’s hall; things like European lamp shades, stained glass, and upholstery. 

The neighborhood adjacent to the palaces is a great place to hang out after touring. The architecture is distinct; the traditional village is set against one of Seoul’s financial centers. 

Tutoring 

Recently I also began tutoring math and English! My boss put up a posting on a forum for mothers in a rich neighborhood advertising me as a “certified English tutor” who charges $50/hr, and a few moms reached out to me. The whole situation is eerily similar to the plot of the movie Parasite, and I do have some moral qualms with teaching English abroad, but I’d be a hitman for $50 an hour, so I’m a tutor now. 

One of my students is preparing to apply to colleges in the U.S. and wants help with English essay writing. I firmly believe that you have to read a lot to write well, but I’ve been struggling to think of reading homework at an intermediate reading level that would help her. I assigned a short essay by James Baldwin for homework the first week (thanks Natalie!), but if anyone has a favorite essay or poem they’d like to share, please let me know! 

I’m not sure whether or not I mentioned it earlier, but I’m also volunteering with a North Korean refugee who is learning English to find a job in the U.S. It’s been good for me to practice resume writing and interview questions too, and the student is a really fun guy. Though I’m sure it goes without saying, I didn’t know what to expect when I started teaching, but the word “refugee” somehow prevented me from imagining the goofball they assigned me to. His profile on What’s App is a picture of him drinking beer while riding a camel, and he’s the most motivated of all my students. 

Karaoke 

These days I’ve been going to karaoke a lot with my friends. There are coin-operated karaoke rooms on every block in Seoul, and generally songs cost about 50 cents, so it’s a great way to decompress for not a ton of money. 

One of my favorite things about Seoul are the entertainment options. As much as I like New York, generally going out was purely consumptive; you eat or drink or maybe shop for too much money. In Seoul, it’s easy to have an incredible night out for less than $20; between karaoke, arcades, bath houses, and the like, nightlife here is very vibrant. 

Biking on the Han River

One of the most popular spring activities in Seoul is to ride bikes by the Han river. After renting fixies for a couple of hours, it’s traditional to eat chicken and beer (a combination that has its own word in Korean) in a tent. You can order food easily to food delivery zones near the river. 

Namsan Tower

Here are some pictures of Namsan Tower, one of the central landmarks in Seoul! I took these pictures in early March, right when China shut down because of the coronavirus. The air was distinctly clearer than usual. 

That’s pretty much it for this time! I’ve been staying pretty busy recently, and I realized a couple of days ago that I’m already halfway through my six month contract with Medidata. I’ll have to start thinking about getting another job (or begging for sponsorship soon), which has been stressing me out. I do think that it’s ultimately probably a little bit better to be job-hunting here instead of the U.S. right now, but I have a lot to learn about the job market. 

Talk to you all soon!