❧  Reading Alex Garland’s The Beach on the Gulf of Thailand 

Alex Garland’s The Beach is a novel about the backpacker’s desire to be authentic, to be something different from the average tourist. While vacationing in the Gulf of Thailand I reread this book, and think about it in the context of my own experiences as a traveler.

❧  The 5 best cities to live and teach in Korea 

A list of the best cities in Korea for living and teaching – and a guide to what to look for, when choosing a city.

❧  Advanced KakaoTalk paranoia tips 

A guide to dealing with the little Kakao Talk 1 that indicates an unread message. How to read the message without deactivating the one!

❧  What to do in your first year in Korea 

How to make your year in Korea a life-changing experience, and avoid the traps that can lead to a wasted year spent drinking in foreigner bars and complaining about Korea.

❧  Coming home, and going back 

Coming home, dealing with reverse culture shock, and applying for university teaching jobs in Korea.

❧  On fear, travel, and coming to Korea 

The fear of travel, and of the unknown – why I first came to Korea, and the two best pieces of advice I ever received for how to travel well.

❧  Love motel review: Pink Motel, Sinsa-dong, Seoul 

I get stranded in Seoul, due to the complete ineptitude that overcomes me whenever I visit that place, and check out the Pink Motel near Sinsa Station.

❧  Korean canned coffee – a reasonably complete guide 

I drink a lot of Korean canned coffees, most horrible-tasting, so you don’t have to. A look at the popular Korean phenomenon of canned coffee.

❧  The Shinchonji/Mannam cult tries to recruit me 

An enounter with some cute female volunteers who wanted me to join their club, and who turned out to be fronts for the Korean cult Shinchonji.

❧  Love motel review: Yeonhwajang Yeogwan, Gujora Beach, Geoje-do 

This is the first in what will be a series of reviews of love motels, in which I take a trip to Gujora Beach, stay at a mediocre motel, and meet the owners, a mother with an incredible singing voice and her sour daughter.