All articles by BGarcia

Contrary to the title of this post let me make a disclaimer: no, I have not defected to North Korea; however, I did have the privilege to step a few feet into North Korean territory (while escorted by the toughest looking South Korean/U.N soldiers you’ve ever seen in your entire life) during my trip to
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Pohang: City by the Sea and “Love Motels”

Just an hour north of the aforementioned historic Gyeong-ju lies the city of Pohang, a destination for many tourists (not of the Western variety mind you) that exudes a unique charm. The beach of said city was surprisingly clean (I for one am accustomed to the litter-ridden sand of Atlantic City, Virginia Beach, and the
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Gyeong-Ju: Ancient Temples and “Foreigner Celebrity Status”

I was fortunate enough to travel (5 hours) southeast of the Korean Peninsula to the wonderful cities of Gyeong-ju and Pohang (the latter to be described in a later post. . . trust me, the stories are worth the wait). Around twenty other English Village teachers as well as our wonderful coordinator were also in
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Dorm Video

Below is a link to a “dorm tour” video that I recorded. Note the awesomely futuristic entrance doors that you have to swipe through to get to the elevator. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACCoShMnoxk
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Plastic Surgery & Absent Childhoods

Disclaimer: My last post left everyone with the promise of more frequent updates. . . ooops. Hear me out readers, I fully intended to divulge all of the experiences I have had and expose the juicy “secrets” about Korean society that my students told me. However, I found myself caught in an (internet-less) weekend trip
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Wonderful (and Odorless) Students

My first week teaching English to college students at Dankook University (as part of my 3 week internship that precedes my 4 week academic program) has been nothing short of an amazing and enlightening experience. I teach from 9 to 4 in two-hour blocks. Each two hour block ends with a new rotation of students
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First Impressions and “Seoul Searching”

  The 14 hour flight to Korea was surprisingly short; I was able to sleep at least half the way, and it was super comfortable. If only. . . In all seriousness the flight crew was extremely polite, and once we touched down immigration/security were accommodating and helpful in getting me to the meeting area
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