seoul – Dina Daily

5 reasons to move to Gimpo

Posted on 310930 Thu+00:002018-06-28T19:58:09+00:00+00:0006b+00:00Thu, 28 Jun 2018 19:58:09 +0000 2017 by DinaDaily

Since I have gotten a lot of positive feedback from my last blog 10 things to buy when living in Korea, I have decided to stick with the lists!

When I first thought about moving to Korea, I knew that I wanted to move to Seoul. I am pretty sure that most foreigners want to live in Seoul, if they are going to make the move here. However, after spending my first 6 months in Korea, I moved to Bucheon (Which is still one of my favourite places to live in Korea). A year after living in Bucheon, I found an amazing job in Seoul so I decided to move back. I knew then, that I was over with living in Seoul.
I am now living in Gimpo and I am loving it! So I will try to convince you to explore Gyeonggi-do with, 5 reasons to move to Gimpo.

New city.

Gimpo is very big. But the part of Gimpo that I am in is brand new. This area has only been open since 2015 and I moved here in 2016. A brand new city is great because there are constantly new things being made because the city is still developing. When I first moved here, there was not that much to eat or do here. However, now there are new things popping up all the time and it is great! It keeps things interesting! Whenever a new building is made, I am so excited to see what will be opening. (I am praying for a dog café now)
Apartment.Guys, my apartment is…AMAZING! I can not tell you how much I like it. When people ask me about my living situation, I am so excited to tell them. I also love having people round so I can show off!
If you are new to my blog, you might not have seen my Seoul apartment tour… my tiny apartment tour… my shoe-box tour.
If you haven’t got the hint yet. my apartment in Seoul was extremely small. If you don’t believe me, please go and check it out here.
However, my apartment now is big, spacious, new, pretty and perfect! I will just leave this picture here as evidence. (Can you see Aurora lurking?!)
Quiet.

I am such a light sleeper. I wake up when I hear Aurora drinking water in the other room. So leaving in a 24 hour city was really hard for me. Even though I was not living on a main street, I would wake up in the middle of the night to the sounds of passing cars, people walking by and phlegm spitting ajusshis .
I love that Korea never sleeps, but when I am sleeping I want the world to tiptoe. Here in Gimpo, if I close my windows, I the sound of a few passing cars won’t wake me up. Even though I live on the busiest street in my area.
I know that this might change as the underground opens and more people move here, but I am more than happy now!
No foreigners.Now, this is a hit or miss. For me it is a hit. However, I will break down both and hopefully convince you that this is a good thing. Before I get into it, I want you to know that there are places near by which have big foreigner communities.
Now let’s get into the reasons why I think it is good to live in a place where there are hardly any foreigners around.

A. You can improve your language skills.

People around here are very good at English, but if you are serious about learning Korean, it is excellent when you’re immersed into an environment where people will probably try to speak to you in Korean and appreciate it more!

B. You can learn more about Korean culture by making more Korean friends.

While I know that you can still make Korean friends in Seoul, a lot of people get comfortable and just make friends with foreigners, or Korean people who have been abroad and are very well cultured. So, moving out of Seoul, you are more likely to meet people who want to teach you Korean culture, as opposed to them wanting to learn more about western culture.

C. You are easily recognised so you get a lot of free things!

Now, I am not sure if this is just a benefit I have been spoiled with, but because I’m recognised so much, owners of restaurants, boutiques, and corner shops are constantly giving me free things! Just before starting this post, I went to the corner shop to buy lemon water, and the worker gave me a lollipop! (This guy gives me something for free every time I go into the shop haha!) Who doesn’t like free things?!
Separating work and play.
When I lived in Seoul, it was very tempting to go out everyday after work. It meant that personal time and work was slowly merging together. I was meeting friends more and more often after work and it made me exhausted the next day.
Living a bit further away from Seoul, where all my friends live, means that I don’t go to Seoul when I finish work, unless it is a day where I finish early.
Rather than meeting friends everyday, I am able to spend more time with my fluff baby, or just by myself. But I am still close enough to Seoul. It just takes me 20 minutes from my house to Hapjeong, or 40 minutes to Gangnam, by bus! It is excellent!
So, I have been able to focus my weekdays on work and resting, and my weekends are free for play!

The examples that I have used for this post, is mostly revolving around Gimpo. Since I live here now, it is the best example that I can give. I know that there are many places in Gyeonggi-do which are very different to what I have mentioned. That is expected since Gyeonggi-do is so big. There is a different feeling in every city in Gyeonggi-do. I am sure there is a city for everyone to love!
My point with this post was to encourage people to think about stepping outside of the city when living in Korea! I am sure it will lead to you enjoying your time here more!
(Please remember this is an opinion piece! So please don’t get angry with me!)

If there is something that you would like to read about, please let me know! I will try my hardest to please you!

30 day challenge

Day 4: Star signs

Posted on 314230 Thu+00:002017-11-09T00:02:42+00:00+00:0011b+00:00Thu, 09 Nov 2017 00:02:42 +0000 2017 by DinaDaily

Star signs. Do you believe that you are actually a certain kind of person or have a certain type of personality because of the day you were born?

Well, I’m going to put it to the test by seeing how I similar I am to what my star sign says I should be.

I am a Taurus, so here are some facts that a friend of mine told me about and what I have found online, too.

Strengths: devoted, stable, patient, reliable, responsible.

Weaknesses: possessive, stubborn.

Taurus likes: music, cooking, working with hands, romance, good food and drink.

Taurus dislikes: complications, sudden changes, being rushed, being hungry, loud and aggressive behaviour.

So far, I am torn. Part of what I have found is true to me. The rest, I can argue with. So let’s look into it in more detail.

As far as strengthens go, I am devoted. I am devoted to my bed, songs that I know, my friends, my no work on the weekend policy. But seriously, I am devoted in many ways.

I asked my trusted friend, Felix the Cat, because I couldn’t decide if I was responsible or not, he told me that he thinks I am responsible. So, I guess I am! But when it comes to certain things like, work or important things. I think I am not responsible when it comes to making personal decisions and when it comes to money.

I agree that I am stubborn. It’s my way or the highway for most things when you are with me. I do not change my mind easily. And I agree I am super possessive. So I guess on the weaknesses side, I am very Taurus. But, I do not think that those two things are negative. What is wrong with knowing what you want and caring about things or people enough to be possessive?

I also like music, cooking, romance and good food and drink. But then again, who doesn’t like those things? (apart from my ex on the romance part. Low blow, I know.)

Now, in terms of Taurus dislikes, 100% accurate. Especially the hungry part. If I am hungry, leave me alone for your own sake.

Now, things that I do not agree on.

Being patient is 100% not true for me. I am not patient. I hate working with my hands, unless you include typing or writing with my hands.

And in terms of being reliable, I cannot answer that without being bias. So, let me know if you guys think I am reliable! But again, I guess it’s something that is true when applied to certain circumstances.

What are your star signs? And do you think you are similar to your star sign? Do you think it’s all nonsense? Do you know more about Taurus? Should I stop asking questions? Okay.

Thanks for reading!

Korea, Teaching, Uncategorized

Final week!

Posted on 311531 Wed+00:002016-10-12T06:33:15+00:00+00:0010b+00:00Wed, 12 Oct 2016 06:33:15 +0000 2017 by DinaDaily

So guys, I have been working at this school for almost a year. Finally, my contract is coming to an end!

Although this place isn’t as bad as my co-workers and I make out, I feel like I have been counting down the days until the end of my contract since my second month. With just one week left of my contract, here is a quick review of my time here and what I am hoping to do in the future!

This is my third school in Korea. I must say, I have had excellent days and terrible days. It is so hard to tell which one I had more of. But there is one thing for sure, the staff here are amazing. I have met awesome people and made friendships which I am sure will last even after I finish working here. It’s almost like a little family. There have been dramas but when I think about my last 2 months working here, everyone has gotten along with each other.
We give a lot of stick to our team leaders, but again, I think this is one of the nicest management teams I have had experience with. Not only in Korea but back home too. It’s come to light to me in the last couple of weeks that team leaders have to do things that the director tells them too. The problems are coming from the director.

The whole time I have worked here, I haven’t really had a problem with working. Although I do complain a lot to my co-workers! The biggest issue I had was the apartment. I already wrote a post about that so I won’t mention it much here. You can go and read it here.
I always knew, but it put it in concrete that your home has a big affect on your mood and productivity. I was and still am so unhappy in my apartment that my mood would be down all the time. There was never one day where I woke up and felt happy and in a good mood. I always wake up thinking ‘Well, I better get up and go to work.’ There was never a day where I thought, ‘I want to go home and just chill.’
I also wasn’t getting good nights sleep. Nightmares and hearing traffic outside or the neighbours. My door lock randomly ringing. So many things that distracted me from getting a good nights sleep.

Not getting enough sleep, paired with teaching classes of 19-52 students in the morning, is never something that I will get used to. Yes, the classes I taught were fun and sometimes interesting, I don’t think there is anything that makes teaching 52 students okay. It’s draining. Sometimes there are good schools, with kids that actually want to learn and enjoy your classes. But most of the times, we had terrible schools with children who swear, don’t take part in class and constantly talk over you.

Overall, as much as I complain, (and I know I complain a lot so I have mentioned it several times in this post!) I enjoyed working at this school. I am only sad to leave the amazing teachers I have met working here.

So the future?

Well, as you guys may or may not know, I studied Journalism and I still want to be a journalist. Unfortunately, finding work other than an English teacher in Korea is hard. I am looking for journalism jobs and I am hoping to blog more. I wish to make a living out of my blog, but I know I still have a long way to go.

I have taught for over 2 years now and I know it is not a career that I want to continue doing.
So, if you have any journalist friends in Korea, please let me know and let them know about me!

This coming week, I am going to be busier than ever. But after I finish working here, I am hoping that I will have enough time to blog more!

Until then, wish me luck and stay tuned!

Korea, Uncategorized

2016

Posted on 314131 Fri+00:002016-01-08T05:37:41+00:00+00:0001b+00:00Fri, 08 Jan 2016 05:37:41 +0000 2017 by DinaDaily

Well, 2016 has started! We are on the 8th day and it is my sisters birthday! Happy Birthday Dalia!!

I’m sitting at my desk at work. I’ve finished my assignments for the week and I thought, this is the perfect time for a blog post.

But I have no idea what to write about.

I feel like this is the issue with me and my blog. I don’t have a solid ground. Nothing that I can constantly write about. No category that I can continuously write on. Nothing that I feel passionate about enough to make the theme of my blog.

In 2014 and 2015, I focused mostly on blogging about my dates and the crazy experiences that I had. While it was good for my blog traffic wise, dating is draining. I found myself dating people just for the sake of hoping to meet someone to settle down with or an experience that I can write a blog about.
Of course, like most people I know, I had bad luck with dating and it was probably because I was looking for someone to love me. But I also didn’t like what I was doing to people. I felt bad for the few people who I only continued dating just so that I could write a blog post about them. I was aware that I hurt two people in specific. They never found my blog… at least I don’t think they did… but when I was fed up of dating them because I was never really interested in them, I realised that I was doing the same thing that some guys have probably done to me.
I know and those of you who follow my blog or know me personally know that I was extremely hurt by one person in particular in 2015, The Model. Even to this day I feel hurt when I think about him. I feel as though he hurt me more harshly than I have hurt a few guys, but it doesn’t make me any better than him. I wasn’t considering the guys feelings. I was selfish.
After The Model, I didn’t really make many posts about the people I’ve dated. I actually went on fewer dates and chose the people who I considered dating more carefully. But the main reason why I stopped was because I was ashamed to show guys who I dated seriously my blog.

When I am dating guys they often ask me what my hobby is, I tell them writing of course and eventually it comes out that I have a blog. They always ask me what my blog is about, funnily enough I don’t think they would appreciate me saying ‘Ah you know, the normal things like the guys I date and how weird they are or how in love with them I am.’
When I was dating The Model, he asked to see my blog and I couldn’t show it to him. I wanted him to know everything about me but I knew that I had written about him and even worse, other guys. He probably would have been okay with what I wrote about him before he tore my heart out. But anyway! My point is, I wanted him to see my blog, I valued his opinion and wanted him to be a part of everything that I did. Although I don’t update my blog as regularly as I should, I love this blog. It’s mine.
Even after The Model, I wanted to show my blog to other guys but I knew I couldn’t. Even adding each other on Facebook was too risky.

Did I just go off topic??

Anyway! I want to change my blog. I don’t know yet what I will change it to, it will probably still be personal but just not about dating. I know you guys loved it but it’s hard now! I promise that I will try to find something just as interesting to write about. And I value all of your opinions so much. I hope that you will make suggestions and give me feedback on the things that I write about so I know what you like!

On top of new topics, I am also going to try to blog more consistently. To start, I will post every other Friday. If I am stuck for ideas, I will make a silly post haha! I just have to get into the habit of posting at certain times.

So! Let’s get this show on the road! I have 3 and a half hours left until the end of today, unless I get told to do something else. If I can think of something I will start planning the new blog! Give me suggestionsssssss!

Thanks for always reading guys! I really appreciate it!