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How the Hagwon Industry in Seoul Broke Me

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  I sometimes look back at the girl I used to be back in December 2020. We were in the thick of a global pandemic, but I was so happy. I just graduated with honors from university, and received the prestigious Fulbright Grant. I was so cocky and full of it. However, Covid-19 delayed the grant start date and I was left with an awkward 8-month hiatus and nothing to fill it.  I decided to go back to Seoul, South Korea to teach English because it just seemed like the most whimsical experience ever. All of the odds seemed to be in my favor for the smoothest time of my life: I’ve studied abroad there before, they were seemingly doing well with covid restrictions, I have family and friends there to help me, I speak Korean, and I am familiar with the culture. What could possibly go wrong? The first 8 months of 2021 were absolute torture, yet they were the most critical and life-changing 8 months of my life.  When I first arrived in Seoul, I was contracted with an English School (...
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Fight the Virus, Not the Asians

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As the Corona virus  spreads throughout the world, as does xenophobia and anti-Asian racism.  I have personally felt this at my university and while traveling.  When I went to Puerto Rico this past week for my Spring Break, I drank some water and choked which caused me to involuntarily cough. This caused everyone on my flight to immediately go to the bathroom to wash their hands or wipe down their seats. It truly was a mortifying moment for me and I was conscious to never cough again on that flight.  As humorous as this may seem (and trust me, no one loves to use humor as a defense mechanism than I do), I can't help but notice why everyone on my flight assumed I had the corona virus . Why would I be on a flight?  It's because I'm Asian. Most likely.  I'm on several Asian Facebook  groups (who post memes or travel tips, etc), and there are many stories about fellow Asians all over the world warning people about certain countries to visit during t...
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