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Continue reading β: A High-Schooler, Delivery Driver, and Hagwon Teacher Walk into a Vaccination Center…
On Saturday, the director picked up the foreign teachers at my hagwon and drove us to the vaccination center, which seemed like some sort of general meeting area that had been cordoned off into different sections for the vaccination process. The vaccine roll-out did not go smoothly as planned, as…
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Continue reading β: CafΓ© Review: DAWSt Coffee
Korea has a lot of cafΓ©s. They are literally on every corner, and seem to be popping up even in the midst of a pandemic. That’s the case for DAWSt Coffee, which opened in December of 2020. This was actually the second cafΓ© of the day, and the one I…
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Continue reading β: CafΓ© Review: Geronimo CoffeehouseGeronimo Coffeehouse in Yangju (Gyeonggi-do) is an absolute must-visit. They took what looks like an old warehouse and transformed it into a massive, two-floor coffeehouse with a full menu, lots of flowers, and a lot of charm. What makes it an unique experience is that some of the seating in…
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Continue reading β: CafΓ© Review: Greem CafΓ©, aka Cartoon CafΓ©Please note: as of February 2024, the Yeonnam Greem location is no longer in business. There are still locations in Jeju, Pohang, and Gangneung. My friend Nora took Mary and I on a super exciting trip for my birthday back in January. Up first was a stop at Greem CafΓ©,…
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Continue reading β: What Happens When a Student Tests Positive for Covid
Back in March, myself and the other foreign teachers at my hagwon had to submit to a Covid test mandated by the government. Not too long afterwards, the government withdrew their order to test all foreigners and decided to test only those “foreign workers at high-risk workplaces, such as those…
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Continue reading β: Book Review: “If I Had Your Face,” Frances Cha
“I would live your life so much better than you, if I had your face.” Nestled in the beginning of this debut novel is the line from which the title was drawn, and it asks some impossible questions from its characters. The first time I started reading this, I couldn’t…
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Continue reading β: CafΓ© Review: Coffee ClassWhere does a barista go for good coffee? Well, technically I go to Starbucks by my work most mornings and get a grande iced blonde roast latte with an extra shot (whew!) unless there’s an interesting seasonal drink. It’s not my fault, really: cafΓ© culture here tends to start at…
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Continue reading β: Nari Park μμ£Όλ리곡μBack in October (my gosh, has it been that long??), my friend Ola and I visited Nari Park in Yangju (μμ£Όλ리곡μ). It’s a little off the beaten path (don’t plan on being able to pop into any cafes or restaurants in the area) but absolutely worth it for the amazing…
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Continue reading β: School LunchWhile explaining a lesson that involved the story of two students running for class president, one only having a motto and the other having actual policies, I asked my students to think of policies that they would want to implement in their schools. I gave the example of free lunch.…
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Continue reading β: Coronavirus in Korea, Part Two
I am obviously not an expert on Covid-19 (and neither are you) but thought Iβd give some more information on how Korea continues to handle the novel Coronavirus. The first wave of the deadly virus hit the southeastern city of Daegu first, in February. The outbreak was linked to a…
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Continue reading β: CafΓ© Review: Ob-La-Di
Tucked away in a building just off a side street in Uijeongbu is Ob-La-Di cafΓ©. My friend Nora and I had no idea what we were in store for when we popped in one Saturday, and were excited to find out that not only does the cafΓ© serve coffee but…
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Continue reading β: Taking a Cat to Korea: Merlin’s Story
When I noticed that the director, putting my bags into his car, was a little careless in tossing my backpack on top of the purple pet carrier that Merlin was hiding in, I realized something was off. As it turned out, the director was never informed that I would be…
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Continue reading β: CafΓ© Review: Orange Elephant
UPDATE: As of sometime in 2022, Orange Elephant has been closed. Situated north of the downtown cluster of Uijeongbu cafΓ©s (of which there are enough to caffeinate a modestly-sized writing group), and next to a beautiful park, is the Orange Elephant cafΓ©. When my friend and I visited, there were…
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Continue reading β: Book Review: “Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982”, Cho Nam-Joo
“Thatβs what I am: gum someone spat out.” In 2019, the film βKim Jiyoung, Born 1982β swept Korean cinemas to mixed reviews. Not surprisingly, this tale of an ordinary woman in her 30s polarized audiences among gender lines: the women loved it, and the men hated it. But why? I…
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Continue reading β: Night Shots of UijeongbuI left my apartment for the first time in three days to go to the McDonald’s that’s a five minute walk away. I took these shots along the way. And yes, there are that many convenience shops within such a small radius.
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Continue reading β: Coronavirus in Korea (μ½λ‘λ19)I remember a guest coming in towards my expected flight date and asking me if I was worried about Coronavirus. I said no. At the time, the virus was mostly constrained to China, affecting me only in that my chosen flight path would have to have me transfer somewhere other…
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Continue reading β: Medical Exam and Immigration: The First StepsLast week the other new teacher and I went to the local hospital for our medical exam. In order to get an ARC (alien registration card), you must pass a medical exam. Before we were allowed into the hospital, a nurse standing outside in a face mask, gloves, and a…
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Continue reading β: From Baltimore to Seoul…
On the day I left for Korea, I faced every traveller’s worst nightmare. No, not a long delay or a cancelled flight. I forgot my passport at home. *insert Pac-Man dying noise here* In my defense, I hadn’t slept well and woke up at 4:30. I remember my friend Carin…
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Continue reading β: A Visit to Fishtown & La Colombe’s RoasteryBack in October, I had the amazing opportunity to visit La Colombe’s Philadelphia roastery and their Fishtown cafe with a few of my co-workers. Upon entering the roastery, we had to put on hair nets. First, we got to see some green coffee. “Green coffee” is coffee that has yet…
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Continue reading β: The Bedbug Club: My Experience with The Little BuggersCongrats to Washington, DC, which just usurped Baltimore as bedbug capital of the US! (Warning: there will be pictures of bugs in this entry.) Bedbugs are a big worry when traveling. They can hide in the seams of mattresses and attach themselves to your luggage. They can also be lurking…
Welcome to Koffee & Kpop, adventures of an errant American barista living in South Korea.
Koffee & Kpop 