Some food for thought (with some news)

So, Alex and I have finally confirmed our trip to Indonesia! We will be flying to Sumatra on the 29th of July, just after my birthday, and we plan to see/do as much as we can, like: see the Sumatran Tigers, see Orangutans, attempt rain forest hikes, relax in Bali and if at all possible - go to Komodo island to see the Komodo Dragons.

Right, so you jealous now? Let me dampen it slightly by saying a one way flight to Sumatra is costing us more than my return flight to London last year. On top of that we still need to book accommodation, flights within the country and budget for costs in an over (tourist) populated Bali. Who am I kidding, that doesn't dampen anything - we are going to Indonesia, bitches! :) Will give you more details about it as I get them...

{Side note: Just to put the photo in context quickly: I thought all the text was getting boring and wanted some colour. It was taken at Kyeong Bok Palace in Seoul while I was on my field trip... :) Ok, you can carry on reading...}

While I am here, I would like to take a moment to say how glad I am that I came to this very averagely beautiful country. Yes, I said averagely beautiful because it is by no means a stunner, but then again if I was looking for beauty I would have ventured towards Thailand or possibly the Seychelles - coming back to my point, I have learnt so much about people, culture, manners, South Korea, myself and even my country over the past three and a half months and I am very grateful! Let me elaborate.

Firstly, crime is non-existent here and that is an amazing advantage of living in Korea. It is almost a surreal feeling being able to walk around the child filled streets after dark, being able to leave your bicycle unlocked outside the store while you shop and leave all your windows open while you stay in a neighboring town for the weekend, and let me add - there are NO burglar bars, alarms or high fences. You might be thinking that anywhere in the world is better than South Africa in this regard, but you are wrong! Even though SA is crime-stricken and you honestly have times that you can fear for your life in a house all alone in the middle of Johannesburg - crime is bad everywhere. I have not yet visited a place that I would feel comfortable to put my most expensive belongings in the middle of the street, then go for lunch and come back to find them in the very same place - but in Korea, I do.

Second, the food is amazing. When I arrived I thought it was over, the first site of Kimchi had me checking the cost of flights back home and getting used to the school food has been tough (cause it is bad - really bad), but overall the food is phenomenal! If I had to list my favourite meals now, I would have to put at least 5 Korean dishes in my top 10. Maybe one day I will elaborate, but for now, my point is made.

Third, the people are different here. There is such a strong sense of community which even as a waygook (foreigner), I feel very much a part of. The language barrier means nothing when you are being welcomed into your favourite dakgalbi restaurant, people try understand you even though you can only explain yourself using a total of 10 words and when I return from a weekend of drinking and debauchery in Seoul - there is no need to try explain what I did, because someone saw me and the entire school already knows. That actually, is a little unnerving - hmmmmm. Anyway.

Lastly and possibly most importantly is that this trip to Korea has allowed me to actually relax and get to know myself. I have fallen more in love with my amazing girlfriend and hopefully life partner, I have found direction and I have had time to start understanding what is important to me. Family, friends and moments - not money, fast cars and an excess of things. I hope that i have only pricked the surface with this journey as I feel there is still a lot to learn!

In closing, I would like to once again mention the amazing people I have met in Korea - all the other native teachers, the restaurant owners, the musicians, the hipsters, the South Africans, the Irish, the Korean teachers and even the asshole bus drivers - you guys make this place an experience!


For those of you who read this blog, I hope you enjoy it. If you would like any specific information on anything to do with Korea, or just about me - please ask. Also, I would love to hear your thoughts, so please leave a comment or five in the box below...

(Love to all in South Africa) :)