YA SFF Writer / Frazzled English Teacher
"What do you mean, the air is poison?" I said. "We're in Korea, not China." Veronica shook her head and set down her fork on our makeshift "Christmas Dinner" table, aka a glass table that resembled a tongue on the floor of Nadea's apartment. I got a sinking feeling in my gut, because Veronica always... Continue Reading →
Text Conversation Over We Chat, 9:22PM Kylie: our bus leaves at 7:55, so let's get there at 7:20. not sure how to get from the train stop to the bus terminal Weng-Ching: It says it's just connected I think it's the bus terminal I went to before It's literally just there I'll meet... Continue Reading →
The food is easily my favorite thing about Korea. This will be shocking to hear for anyone who knows me at all. I'm the kind of person who eats peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, mac and cheese, and chicken nuggets on a regular basis. My friends used to joke that my sexual fantasies included swimming... Continue Reading →
"You said you need to lose weight, right?" my date said between slurps of noodles. "I don't think I said that." "Oh." He put down his noodles and went back to the chicken, unbothered. "You said something about how Korean girls are so skinny." "Yes." I poured myself more beer. "That doesn't mean I need... Continue Reading →
I spend a lot of my lesson-planning time laughing at the English textbook that I'm required to teach from. On more than one occasion, I've had to explain to my students that the textbook is wrong, so please ignore every single picture and video that teaches you this very incorrect English. I'm not sharing this... Continue Reading →
5:30AM: I’m a morning person, I tell myself. I like getting up early, I tell myself. Go be an early bird and catch some worms, I reason with myself. I let out a groan of misery and flop onto my back, count to three, and throw my limp body forward into a somewhat-upright position. Happy... Continue Reading →
"Whatever they ask you to do, say yes." This was the advice that one of the speakers gave us at EPIK orientation. Were you invited to a Tuesday-night work dinner where you'll stay out late drinking soju and won't understand anyone? Say yes. Did your principal ask you to teach after school classes and judge... Continue Reading →
Half-Asians have a spider sense for other half-Asians. It's hard to describe what, exactly, makes someone "look" half-Asian. I've met halfies with pale skin and dark skin, straight black hair and curly light-brown hair and everything in between. Yet, somehow, we can always find each other in a crowd. That's why, when a skinny girl... Continue Reading →
Very late PSA: I'm going to Seoul as an English teacher with EPIK next week... ...and sometimes I wonder how I'm going to make friends with my elementary Korean skills. After all, so much of our personalities is conveyed through our words. As a writer and English teacher, the very foundation of my career is... Continue Reading →
