My name is Jason Ryan and I’ve been teaching and living in South Korea since March 2005. I’ve taught in middle schools, high schools, a provincial education office training center, a national university of education, and now am back teaching in an all boys high school in Seoul.
I blog about life as a foreign teacher living in Korea, and like to post pictures taken with my Canon D400. I also like to blog about teaching EFL/ESL issues and topics.
Kimchi Icecream 
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December 10, 2009 at 5:07 pm
ricki
Hello Jason
You might want to listen to The Current, if possible. They’re doing a segment today on some problem in Korea with resentment and backlash to ESL teachers, re some scandal.
“Foreign teachers, fear and xenophobia in South Korea”.
It’s in the 10 o’clock podcast following news.
There will be a podcast here soon.
http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/
January 21, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Shawn McRae
My name is Shawn McRae, and I am the Media Coordinator for the Wild Women’s Performing Arts Festival (WWPAF). I would like to know if it would be possible for you to include information about the event on your blog, Kimchi Icecream? In addition, I would be more than happy to submit an article about the Festival prior to the event, or perhaps you will be able to attend yourself and write an article after the event? The Festival is currently going to featured in the Groove, Seoulstyle.com, 10 Magazine, SEOUL Magazine and Korea4Expats thus far.
WWPAF is a bi-annual fundraising event that uses visual and aural performances in order to address the issue of gender equality in Korea as well throughout the world.
Proceeds from the Festival are given to the KWAU (Korea Women’s Association United), which is a wonderful organization that works tirelessly to advocate for women’s issues in Korea, including the Korean Women’s Hotline, the Dashi Hamkke Anti-Trafficking Organization and agencies for disabled women. This event is also the inaugural event for International Women’s Day (March 8), which is a day that promotes global awareness, equality and an end to the social ills that continue to exploit, degrade and endanger the female members of our community.
The Festival is going to be held at the beautiful Mong Hwan in Sinchon (Sinchon Station, Exit 2) near the Yonsei University stop. The event will be held on Saturday, February 27 from 8pm-5am.
I would be more than happy to send a press release for the Festival, maps to the venue in Korean and English and a few photographs from previous year’s Festivals. Please let me know if you have any additional questions and if you will able to include our event in your publication.
Thank you,
Shawn McRae
February 5, 2010 at 7:44 am
Charles Montgomery
LOL…
nice.. I just shifted my blog over to WordPress as well…
I’m completely loving it and also went from a darkish design to one of these lighter ones..
Looks good, man!
June 25, 2010 at 4:19 am
Andrew
Hi Jason,
I’m Andrew Dunkle and I currently serve as the senior editor of GoOverseas.com. We are contacting you with regard to your blog, which the editorial staff at GO! Overseas has selected as one of the top blogs related to teaching abroad. As recognition of your outstanding writing skills we are delighted to include your blog in a select list of websites covering the ESL industry. We select only the most exceptional blogs that meet our exacting standards and we hope you feel a sense of pride that you have been recognized for your efforts. You may view this list on our website here:
http://www.gooverseas.com/teach-abroad-blogs
On that page you will find an image badge that we have created specifically for the teaching blogs we feature. We welcome you to display this badge on your website to let your readers know that you have been recognized as an outstanding blogger.
Thank you for all the high quality content you have contributed to the global online community. We look forward to continuing to read your stories. If you have questions about GO! Overseas please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Warm regards,
Andrew Dunkle
August 17, 2010 at 1:29 pm
frankdoeschina
Glad to hear that you’re going to be coming to China to teach. Pretty awesome that you’ve been teaching in South Korea. I’ve thought about doing that more than once. Where in China are you going to be and when do you get there? Are you teaching at a primary school, middle school, high school, or college level? Whatever the level, I’m sure you’re going to love it. Good luck wherever you’ll be.
Frank…losing face
August 18, 2010 at 3:43 pm
kimchiicecream
We’re going to Changsha, Hunan province and we’ll be teaching university. I’ve taught uni before and it’s a blast. Thanks for replying to my comment. Who knows, maybe we’ll meet some time in China.
August 18, 2010 at 3:53 pm
frankdoeschina
Really? I’ll be in the same city…although maybe you know that. What university are you teaching at? I have friends who are teaching at some different ones in Changsha…
November 28, 2010 at 4:28 pm
Dovolenka
Nice article, I keep reading this blog.
January 19, 2012 at 6:12 pm
cute Jojo
wow u live in korea u are lucky ^ ^ I want to finish my university and teach in korea 🙂
July 23, 2013 at 10:14 am
Aaron
All I can say is wow.
As a first generation korean canadian who has lived in canada for 15 years since age 6, its chilling that i’ve felt similar experiences like you in Canadian soil. I was treated like a foreigner, humiliated for my lack of korean skills and taken advantage of within my own group of korean friends in a Canadian highschool. I was so interested in learning my own culture and possibly creating great friendships but that never happened. All because “I was a banana” and didn’t fully conform.
I was so shocked to realize that they can treat people like that of their own blood.
So many things have to change for the korean culture. But with the deeply embedded roots of conformity, nationalism, collective thinking and the huge fear/pressure of rejection for being an outlie/whistleblower/disrespecting elderly still existing (and often brought over to USA, Canada) Its alarming and really scary to think about. I live this constant culture struggle everyday against my parents as well.
It’s not easy being korean.
We are a huge herd of sheep drive to the edge of the peninsula. We are scared; and if we don’t follow the movement of the herd… You dont survive.
But there’s a whole different world and perspectives to be explored out there and beyong