What's the Kraic in Korea?

    So here I am typing this blog post at my desk at school the day after Christmas Day, which is an extremely strange feeling for me as I’m not used to working today. You see, in Ireland, the 26 th of December is known as St. Stephens’ Day. Who is St. Stephen you ask? To be honest, I really don’t have a clue. All I know is that he’s another saint that Ireland clings to and that in the past, a few fellas would capture a wren bird , stick him on top of a pole and parade him around the town. Don’t ask me why lads, just another one of those weird traditions I guess! Personally, I like to call it “ Leftover Turkey Day ” because at home, families usually pig out and eat the remaining food from Christmas Day. I’ve been trying pretty hard to stay away from Social Media for the day so the dreaded homesickness doesn’t set in, yet again. In order to distract myself, I’m going to give you an idea of how Christmas is celebrated here in South Korea and why it can be so difficult for a Wester

Hey everyone! Back again to finish the next part of my blog about the Irish stereotyping I've come across while living as a teacher here in Korea. As I have mentioned in Part One of this post, some of this content is pretty heavy going. I just wanted to emphasise that I am not blaming specific people for the actions of those in the past. We live in a different and far more progressive time now. I am neither an academic or historian...just simply tellin' it how it is and what I've lived through! So without further adieu - here's the rest of my ranting! “ Why are you guys obsessed with potatoes? ” www.reckontalk.com Obsessed is a strong word. I think a better word or words would be "extremely fond of".  Besides the fact that potatoes are ridiculously good for you and can basically fit into every meal throughout the day, this food is a strong symbol in Irish culture. You have probably heard or even make jokes about our relationship with potat

Why hello there! You have somehow stumbled upon my blog and I thank you for doing so! As many of you know, I am an Irish expat living out here in South Korea. What brought me here do you ask? I sometimes question that myself, despite having been here for over a year now. What I do know is that living here so far has taught me who I am as a person and what I'd like to do with my life...wow, this is already sounding far too deep already! Since I am part of the small Irish group living out here, it's no Melbourne or Boston - I am constantly questioned about what Ireland is like and have found myself spending my time debunking stereotypes and general myths concerning the little green island. So, I decided to ask my friends and colleagues what knowledge they had about it and turn the results into my first blog post! Here's a run down of the ten most popular stereotypes that came up and I hope by reading this, your own queries will be answered! Anyway - enjoy!  P.S. This po