Yasaka Pagoda {Japan}

After visiting Kiyiomizudera Temple, we decided to just wander back down and see what we could find. On our journey we ran into the Yasaka Pagoda. I'm so glad we had the time to just wander because this pagoda was no where on our list, but it was such a great find. 

Yasaka Pagoda is 46 meters tall and is located between Kiyomizudera Temple and Yasaka Shrine. You can pay to go inside the pagoda, but we chose to just wander by and snap some pictures. 

The pagoda is located close to the Higashiyama District so I recommend taking a stroll and seeing what this district has to offer. Matt and I had a nice time stopping in some of the shops and just taking a break from the rush rush rush. 

I'm so happy we decided to just walk around. If we hadn't put the map down and just walked- we never would have seen this! 

So what about y'all? Have you ever found a wonderful place that you were not expecting? 

Basic Information: 

Cost: 500 yen (free if just walking around) 

Hours: 10:00-4:00 

Happy Thursday Y'all! 

{Linking up for Expat Diaries -Chelsea and Rachel- and Treat Yo' Self Thursday- Nicole}

Finding the Balance: Expat Diaries

Dear Expats- 

I want to ask you a question, and I want you to be honest with me. 

How do you find the balance? How do you balance your obligations and life back home with your expat lives? 

Right now, it seems like I am being pulled in two directions. 

There is the Alex that just wants to cuddle up back in Georgia and stay there forever with my family. Go to tennis matches and school fields trips and family dinners and birthdays and weddings and game nights with my family. Just be with my family and never leave. 

But then there is the Alex that wants a passport filled with stamps. To take pictures of foreign and wonderful places. To try new foods. To hear different languages. To not settle. 

So how do you balance? 

Right now, I am having some severe expat guilt. I am having older sister guilty. Daughter guilt. Grand-daughter guilt. Shoot I'm even having Daughter-in-law guilt. 

I feel guilty for being here. I feel bad for not helping out back home. And it is honestly making me sick to my stomach. I feel stressed. I feel selfish. 

How do you know when to stop exploring and to just settle? 

{Linking up with Chelsea and Rachel} 

Let's Talk About Korean Students

Today I wanted to talk a bit about the stereotype of Asian students. 

When I was at university, I had the opportunity to be both a Teaching Assistant and an English reading/ writing tutor to both domestic and international students. Within those small jobs, I noticed a difference between what we would call the mainland students and the international students, specifically the Asian students. I really felt like the stereotypes were true. 

I will admit this was a big factor for Matt and I when we decided to take teaching jobs here in Korea. I was under the impression that we would get to Korea and into our classrooms and life would be perfect. We would have great lessons, and our students would be perfect and respectful. They would always listen and would be diligent workers. 

I am here to tell you that is not the case! 

Before coming to Korea, I was a middle school teacher at a school in Hawaii, and my Korean students are more similar to my Hawaii students than I thought they would be. I thought I would come up with a list to show you how similar Korean students are to American students. 

Korean Students: 

*Are still obsessed with their phones and will try to sneak them during class 

*Are still kids, so they will lose interest in your lesson 

*They still talk to their friends during class (but unless you speak Korean, you will have no idea what they are talking about) 

*They still sneak gum in class 

*They still drag their feet when it comes to doing work 

*They can usually be bribed with candy 

*Don't come to class prepared (i.e. no book, no pencil, no eraser) 

*They still complain about doing work 

*They still try to copy off each other 

*They still want you to give them the answers 

*They cram for tests 

So what I've learned is that Korean students are just that- students. They are kids, and kids will misbehave. They will talk in class. They will drive you crazy. They will put off doing work. For us, it's a little different because we don't speak Korean, so I don't think our students take us that seriously. Also, we teach at a Hagwon, which is the school they go to have their day school, so by the time they get to us they are exhausted. I also think they don't take our class too seriously because it's just more school, and we are more like class fillers. 

I wanted to write this post because I wanted others that are thinking about teaching in Korea to not be blindsided by stereotypes. Kids in America have their own problems. It is safe to say there are different pressures in Korea than in America. In Korea, the pressure to do well in school. Like an insane pressure that I don't think my students back in Hawaii could understand. But in Hawaii, some of students were dealing with the pressure of drug and alcohol abuse. They were dealing with absent parents. 

If you are coming to teach, just be aware that the kids here are still kids. The perfect classroom does not exist. But it's still a pretty great adventure. 

Linking up with Lost and Travels and Postcards from Rachel for Expat Diaries. 

{If you missed any of my other Expat Diaries just click here.} 

Itaewon My Itaewon

For this month's Expat Diaries, I wanted to share a place Matt and I recently fell in love with. That place is Itaewon. {If you missed any of my past link ups, just click here.} 

Matt and I have had the opportunity to travel up to Itaewon twice in the last couple of weeks. {Many thanks to Korean holidays.} 

I had heard that Itaewon was the place to go if you wanted foreign food and a souvenir, but even knowing this Itaewon was NOT what I was expecting! 

When we got off the subway, I was so surprised to find this hipster like city within Seoul. I love everything about Itaewon! I was picturing a really dirty/ dodgy place where foreigners flocked to find the food of their home country. And while there are a lot of foreigners and there are tons of restaurant, it's one of the coolest places I've been too since moving to Korea. 

I am so happy we live so close to the city. I think this is such a blessing because I'm never too far from my Tex Mex! {This will really help when I'm feeling a bit homesick.} 

Speaking of food, let me show you what I mean: 

{For those that know me well, you will understand this picture perfectly. For those that are just getting to know me, I'll explain: 1. I am obsessed with Bubble Tea.... obsessed. 2. Ben's Cookies were in London and I would buy them all the time when I was living there. I am so happy Korea has a Ben's Cookies!} 

{I'm a sucker for anything with the word Ho in it, but this is hilarious... Ho Lee Chow - just say it a couple of times if you don't get it. :) Plus, you'll see a sign for an Indian restaurant next door.}

{We will definitely be stopping in here.} 

Okay, on to the food we actually ate. On both trips to Itaewon, we've gone knowing exactly what we wanted to eat. I am forever grateful to the expat bloggers who have shared their previous experiences in Itaewon. Both places we ate at were recommendations from Chelsea over at Lost in Travels! I am so glad we listened to her and ate where we did. 

On our first trip we ate dinner at Copacabana Grill. Matt had never gone to a Brazilian stake house, so I thought this would be a perfect place to try our first time in Itaewon. And I was right. This place was awesome. It was 30,000 won per plate, but for an endless supply of beef and salad bar- I would say fair price. I think back home the Brazilian stake houses are closer to $60. This place had such an awesome atmosphere. I loved everything about it, including them playing American top 40 type of music. 

{I love how Matt and the 'meat man' are smiling at each other. I don't know what this meat was, but it was my favorite. Hopefully it wasn't rabbit or something.} 

{They also had this grilled cinnamon sugar pineapple going around.... YUM... YUM... YUM!} 

Seriously, it was delicious. When we were walking around we saw a couple other Brazilian places, so we will probably try one of those just to see, but Copacabana was awesome. 

For our next trip, I again reached out to the twitter community asking Casey and Chelsea for good Mexican food recommendations. I was not let down! For this trip we tried Tomatillo's. It's kinda like a mix of Moe's and Chipotle. And it was amazing. 

{I got the Carne Asada quesadilla with a side of chips and guacamole, and Matt got the Barbacoa burrito. Everything was amazing.  We spent 30,000 won for this meal. I seriously wanted to go back for dinner.}

We have names of other restaurants to try, and I can't wait to go back and keep trying different places! 

Many thanks to those that gave us awesome food suggestions and if anyone has any others please share them! 

I see another visit to Itaewon in our near future for sure. 

{Link up by Postcards from Rachel and Lost in Travels} 

Expat Diaries: Stranger Danger {A Link Up}

It's time for another edition of the Expat Diaries brought to us by the lovely Chelsea from Lost in Travels, and Rachel from Postcards from Rachel. 

So far I have talked about Bringing a Piece of Home with you while you travel, and my Fears and Concerns about moving to Korea. This month I wanted to share a story with you and talk about being safe in the area you are traveling/ living in. 

Last Friday, I was on the bus going to work when an older Korean man got onto the bus and sat down right next to me. I thought this was a bit strange because there were only a few people on the bus, and there were plenty of open seats. I quickly brushed this off and continued to look out the window and listen to my music when I noticed something- I could see in the reflection of the window that the older man was staring at me. {again, that's not too weird if you remember my post about staring} But I realized after 5 minutes had gone by that he was still staring at me. 

At first, it was really funny and I was trying not to laugh, but then twenty minutes passed and he would not stop! It was one of those I know you are staring, and you know I know you are staring... but you are still staring... And again I kinda brushed it off because people tend to stare at me here and I've gotten pretty okay with it. The staring happened until I was getting off the bus. {A good 30 minutes later. And it wasn't just staring, but eyes really wide type staring.} 

And that's where it got very weird, a bit confusing, and a tad bit scary. 

I turned to let the man know I needed off, and he nodded his head and got up. I got off the bus, and he followed me off. Okay... I was thinking- maybe this is his stop. I started to walk towards my school, and he grabbed my arm and tried to pull me in the opposite direction of where I was going. Not forcefully, but enough to worry me. 

Not going to lie, I freaked a bit and yanked my arm away and walked away really really fast. 

And that was that. The man never tried to talk to me, so I don't really know what was going on. Maybe he just thought I was lost, and was trying to help. Maybe he was confused. I like to believe it was just a mix up, but there is the possibility that this scenario could have turned out a lot different. 

And that story brings me to my point: 

When you are traveling {either domestically or internationally) you need to be aware of your surroundings and stay alert. 

We need to have plans in case something happens. We have to have backup plans of our backup plans. 

The world is not a perfect and 100% safe place, but that doesn't mean we have to stop traveling. It just means we have to be smart. 

For this expat diary, I wanted to share with you some things that we do to stay as safe as we can: 

1. Always know where your are going and how to get there- I have a bad habit of letting other people do the navigation {i.e. my friend Jenny basically leading me around Europe}, but if I got separated I would be up a creek. I now try really hard to pay attention to the plan and make sure I know what to do just in case. 

2. Know your address and phone number- This might sound like a duh moment, but I will admit I didn't know our address for the first two weeks I was here. Now we have our address written in both Korean and English in our wallets, and on our phones. I also have the cell number of my boss, and the address of my school. 

3. Understand traffic laws- I am talking about both as a pedestrian and as a driver. In the states, especially Hawaii, I feel like you can pretty much stand in the road and wait to cross. Here, not so much. Everyone drives really really close to the sidewalk, so if you are standing in the road- you will be hit! Just be aware of what is acceptable. No one wants to be a pancake. 

4. Be alert- It's easy to get caught up in the sights and sounds of the place you are exploring, but don't forget to take in the other things that are going on around you. If you see something dodgy stay away. If it's a dark alley... probably don't go down it. I think part of being alert means doing your research. Really get to know the area you will be in. And if it is a bit dangerous, read how you can be as safe as you can. 

5. Have an escape plan- I know this sounds drastic, but if something happens what are you going to do. How are you going to get out of the country, or to a safe place? {This could be referring to natural disasters, or government problems.} Matt and I have a plan of what to do just in case. {Rest easy family- we are prepared.} Even if you are just on vacation- you should have a plan. 

I know this all seems depressing, but honestly, as an expat- this is what I've had to deal with. I feel like if I wasn't prepared I would be really irresponsible. And that could lead to us getting in a bad situation. Travelers already have to deal with the stress of plane tickets, and packing, and missing family- we don't need to add the stress of being lost- or scared- or stuck. 

It is always better to be over prepared than under. 

So what are your thoughts on safety? Is there anything you guys do to stay safe? I would love to hear from you! 

*Note: Dear Family that is freaking out about the story you just read, It was in the middle of the day, and there were plenty of people around. I am totally fine! 

Many thanks to Chelsea and Rachel for this wonderful link up! 

Expat Diaries: Fears and Concerns {A link-up}

Happy August fellow readers! I can't believe how fast 2013 is going! The start of the month brings another addition and link up to the series The Expat Diaries brought to us by Chelsea from Lost in Travels and Rachel from Postcards from Rachel.  If you missed last month click here. 

  

As most of you know, my husband has been in South Korea since the end of May, and I will be joining him on August 9th. As my travel date gets closer, I find myself in this weird wishy-washy state.

I am beyond excited to see my husband after 8 weeks of separation. I am excited to see this new place and be able to experience a new culture. I am excited to have a new adventure with my husband. I know living in South Korea is going to be awesome, but it doesn't make me any less nervous/ apprehensive about leaving the United States.

There are a few things that scare me about moving across the world, and I thought that would be the topic of this month's Expat Diary. My hope is that experience expats could give me advice on how to handle/ overcome these few concerns about moving.

Alex's Fears and Concerns About Moving to South Korea: 

1. Food- This is probably first because without food- I am going to starve! You are reading about the girl who lost 35 pounds in London, England after only being there for 6 weeks! Seriously, if I can't eat in England- how am I going to eat in Korea. I have heard the food is good. I have met tons of people that have lived/ visited Korea, and they rave about the food. And then my hubby sends me pictures of food that really just looks like blood soup and it completely freaks me out. Trust me- I will be happy to lose weight in Korea, but I also don't want to be starving my whole trip. Now don't get me wrong- I am going to try new foods, and I am going to give Korean food a chance. But I am worried about this.

{image sent from Matt}

2. Crowds- I hate being in crowds. I really do. I don't even go to Wal-Mart all that much because there are way too many people. Don't ask why I am moving to one of the most populated countries, but there you have it- I am really concerned about loosing my personal bubble. When I was in England one of my professors explained that each culture has different views on personal space and what is and is not appropriate. But understanding that fact, and being used to the differences are two different things!

3. Language- There is something a little unnerving about not being able to understand the conversations around you. I don't think this is as big of an issue for me as the food is, but I know initially it's going to be hard to get around. Plus, I don't want to go all paranoid that everyone is talking about me behind my back- there is no need for me to relive middle school.

4. Family- I have never gone a year without traveling home to be with my family. In Hawaii, Matt and I couldn't go home too much, but we still saw our families about every 6 months or so. I talk to my mom on a daily basis, and I can't imagine going a year without seeing my family. I am so glad we got everyone worked out with Skype and FaceTime!

I don't want to sound really negative before I leave on my new adventure, but I think there is something about really facing your concerns and trying to overcome them. I do not want to leave for Korea with this impending sense of doom, but I wanted to share with you guys that I am nervous. And I really think that is okay. Because overall, I am just excited and very thankful that we are getting this opportunity.

If any of you have any suggestions for me, please leave your comments below!

Expat Diaries: Bringing a Little Piece of Home {A Link Up}

This is my first ever link up with Lost In Travels and Postcards from Rachel for their Expat Diaries series! I am super excited because in a little more than a month I'll be joining my husband in South Korea to teach English. I will officially be an Expat! 

The Expat Diaries is a series dedicated to bringing bloggers together to share their travel/ expat stories with others and to get to know other travel bloggers. 

With this in mind, I thought it would be perfect to start getting involved. 

For anyone that is new to my blog here is a little background on my travel experience: 

In 2007, I decided to continue my undergrad career on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, so I packed up and moved over 4,000 miles away from my home in Georgia. 

{If you have never spent a long amount on the North Shore, let me assure you- this is a way different culture than the mainland of America. Trust me.}

In Fall of 2009, I took a break from Hawaii and did a study aboard in London, England. During this study aboard, I was able to travel to France, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. 

In 2011, I returned to Hawaii, with a husband, to finish my undergrad degree. 

Now we are moving on to our next adventure: South Korea! 

Okay- enough of the background...

For my first post, I wanted to talk about bringing a little piece of home with you as you travel. 

If you are going on a long trip away from home, I highly suggest bringing some things to remind you of  your home. Homesickness is a real thing. No matter how excited you are about traveling or relocating, sometimes you just really miss your home. Having some familiar things around you will make your travels a little more bearable on really bad days. {Like when you get lost in a new city, or someone calls you a stupid Haole. -If you don't know what that means... look it up.} 

I love to travel, but I also hate being away from my family, so I always make sure I bring a few things of comfort with me when I am moving. 

Here are my top five: 

1. My Babushka {A blanket I have had since childhood. This blanket is actually a sarong that I got on a trip to the Bahamas. It goes everywhere with me. For real. } 

2. Pictures of my loved ones {I usually just bring prints. There is nothing better than having pictures of the people I love. Just looking at them makes me feel better.}

3. A journal {For me, journaling is a habit that always reminds me of growing up. Plus, I hate forgetting the little details that you think you will remember, but you don't. Write them down!}

4. My pillow {If I am moving to a new place, I like to have my pillow and pillowcase to remind me of my bed back home. I know this is a pain to have in airports, but I can't kick the habit.} 

5. My computer {I know this is a big item as well, and you might think how does this remind me of home. If I have my computer, I can Skype. And if I can Skype, I feel a bit closer to my family.} 

Traveling with these items always makes me feel a little better about being away from home. Having a few comforts helps- it really does. 

Now of course, there is tons more to pack when moving or traveling, but that is for another day. 

Hope you enjoyed my first post with the Expat Diaries link up.