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I Moved to Korea for a Year
That Was 25 Years Ago
In the winter of 2000, I left Ottawa, Canada — a city known for its “fun” government buildings, frozen eyelashes, and a nightlife best described as “shhh” — and flew to Busan, South Korea. I didn’t know much about Korea then. I think I said “is it cold there?” when the job offer first came in. (Sorry. I’ve learned.)
I was 23, single, and still recovering from Y2K panic. I packed one suitcase, a Discman, and a dream to stay one year, maybe two, teaching English. A quick adventure. A little international spice before I settled into a regular life back in Canada.
Well. Here I am. Twenty-five years later. Still spicy.
Christmas Alone and Kimchi on Pizza
Let’s get this out of the way: My first Christmas in Korea was horrible.
Not, like, “my-gravy-didn’t-turn-out” horrible — I mean “crying into a can of Cass beer in a tiny apartment while Mariah Carey sings All I Want for Christmas Is You on repeat” horrible. I had no friends, no phone, no hot water half the time, and I was living in a neighborhood where the only other foreigner was the statue of Ronald McDonald.
On Christmas Eve 2000, my boss invited me to his house. I thought it was a kind gesture. Turns out, he just needed someone to help…
