Teaching in Asia....the podcast?

I started playing with something new this eveing. I started to mess around with something called SoundCloud. Basically I can produce quick, on the fly podcasts using my iPhone. I recorded my first episode this evening. I talk about my book "Teaching in Asia: Tales and the Real Deal"


SoundCloud seems pretty freakin cool so far.

Take a listen and let me know what you think. if you like this mini-podcast, I will make more.

How Blogging has Kept Me Sane!

Blogging isn’t for everyone. Video blogging is even more “not” for everyone.

When we blog we sit down in front of our computers and pour out our thoughts and feeling on various topics. When blogs first started to emerge in the late 1990’s they tended to be an almost diary style form of online writing. Even in 2012, many people who write bogs follow a similar style.

I began writing blogs in the late 1990’s. My first blog was a fan page for an indie musician based in Canada. I stopped maintaining the site and stopped doing the “blog thing” by 2000. Just a few years later, I was living and working in South Korea and I decided to jump back into my old hobby. It had become so much easier. I could simply write something in Blogger and hit “post.” In the 1990’s I would write all of my web page language in HTML using Notepad on my Windows machine as my main editing tool. I would upload all text and photos using a File Transfer Protocol app called Cute FTP. I thought it was a lot of fun at the time, but it was also a lot of work.

Jump ahead to 2006. I began to make video blogs on You Tube. I now had a blog and vlog presence on the Internet. It was a fun way to let off steam, complain about stuff that annoyed me in Korea, play around with technology and be a little creative.

Jump ahead to 2012 and I have three You Tube channels, two blogs and have tried my hand at podcasting. I would probably attempt to do more, but having a family and “non-online” life luckily keeps me from attempting to take on more.

I’ve been in Asia for almost ten years now. While I’ve been here I’ve made some amazing friends and then inevitably said goodbye to them. Once I became married and started a family I became even more cocooned I my little world far away from home. Sometimes I miss communication with other native English speakers and those who share a similar cultural understanding. Luckily, blogging and vlogging have given me an outlet. They have given me a way to reach out to like-minded folks around the world.

Through this amazing hobby I have been able to share my experiences in Korea, Japan and as a teacher with those around the world who are interested in those very things. Not only have I been able to meet amazing folks from all over the globe, but also I have been able to meet so many wonderful people in person right here in Japan.

Blogging has given me the chance to meet new people as well as share my thoughts, feelings and knowledge.

If you have the ability to read this blog then you have the ability to start your own. I highly recommend it. It’s been lifesaver for me!

Some of the great things you can see while living in Asia...worth blogging about!

Cold Turkey from Vlogging!

It’s time to go cold turkey! That’s right. I have to quit. Well, maybe not quite, but at least go on hiatus for a while. Yup, I just can’t get things done if I keep going at the same pace as I am now.

If there is one thing that I am absolutely amazing at, it is spreading myself too thin. Jumping into too many projects all at once is something I’ve always been a little more than proficient at. Let’s see. What are the various projects I have on the go at the moment?

• youtube.com/busankevin – my main video blog (or vlog) channel that I’ve run for more than 5 years. Videos about life in Asia/Canada/food/ranting/ramblings/travel destinations and more. At least one edited video (normally more) posted each week.
• youtube.com/jlandkev –my unedited, usually uploaded directly from my iPhone vlog channel showing snippets of my every day life here in Japan. Normally I upload 2-3 videos a day. Sometimes more, sometimes less.
• Youtube.com/runcauseitsfun – a new vlog channel all about running. More than a dozen videos about running uploaded since Christmas.
• Running – I have run on average, about 40km a week this year and plan to ramp that up to 60-80km a week soon.
• Blogging – I have this blog (not very active and sorry about that) as well as my “Running to Help Japan” blog.
• Hair brained fundraising schemes to help children in need in northern Japan.
• My BOOK! “Teaching in Asia: Tales and the Real Deal.” The first draft is a hair away from completion.
• Wonderful wife and son.
• Full time job as a teacher at an international school.
• Nothing to add here…..just wanted 10 things…

As you can see, there is a reason I average four hours of sleep a night. Seriously, that is all I normally get and some things are starting to bother me (aside from my ever-present dark circles under my eyes).

I NEED to get my book completed. I am so close to being finished and so excited about that fact that I have to wrap it up ASAP! There is nothing ground breaking about my written work, but I know it will be an entertaining read and have a lot of useful and fun information for those out there interested in coming to either Japan or South Korea to teach.

Originally I intended to have it completed by October and ready to hit the Amazon Kindle store before Christmas. That didn’t happen. Why not? Well, I started to get obsessive about my video blogging once again. That’s the issue with me. My You Tube presence gets me so excited that I forget about all of the other important projects I have on the go. Those important projects get put on the back burner and don’t seem to move forward.

I’ve decided there’s only one thing I can do to make sure I get my first draft of “Teaching in Asia: Tales and the Real Deal” finished, proofread and sent off to some other editorial eyes in the next month or two. The only way is to go You Tube cold turkey! That’s right. No You Tube for the entire month of February. I have done this sort of thing in the past when I was feeling “You Tube” burnout, but this time it’s different. At the moment I am having a great deal of fun with You Tube and video blogging, but I am spending too much time focused on that and not enough time writing.

I have to post several planned videos in the next week or so, but come February 1^st, I will not log into You Tube for a month. In that time I will set aside at least an hour or two each day to work on my book and maybe write some blog posts here. I will also remain active on Twitter. I won’t be going into a tech blackout, just a You Tube hiatus.

When I return in March, hopefully, I’ll have a book close to completion and an accompanying website to promote it! I’m looking forward to getting this big (for me) project wrapped up!

Stay tuned for more!

Teaching in Asia: Private Language Schools

It's been a crazy week so far. A typhoon almost hit us and then crawled away in a wimpy fashion. Also, I had a birthday. Today was actually my birthday.

I suppose I can (this being a special day to let my hair down) let you know what I am working on. I have from time to time eluded on my Twitter account that I am in the midst of a "big" writing project. Well, I am. I am writing a book. more specifically, an eBook that I will be self publishing. This book will be about teaching in both Korea and Japan. I have a lot of experience working in both countries as well as Canada. I have been writing for some time now and have been asking amazing members of the teaching community for information and help on the project. You can expect the finished product this Fall sometime.

My new "Teaching in Asia" series is something that I going to compliment this book. I plan to make dozens of videos in this series. I think it will be a great resource for anyone out there interested in becoming a language teacher in Asia.

Here is the latest installment.

Teaching in Asia: Private Language Schools



Teaching in Asia! I plan to have a new and interesting thumbnail for each video.

Teaching in Asia: The Series

I uploaded my second installment in my "Teaching in Asia" series of videos on You Tube. This series of videos will be about all aspects of teaching in South Korea and Japan. I have a lot of experience teaching in both countries as well as in Canada so it is a topic I am more than comfortable talking about. I also plan to delve into some areas I'm not so knowledgeable about and in those cases, I plan to get some other bloggers/teachers involved.

Yesterday was a very productive day. I shot two more videos in the series and edited three last night, including the one below.

Today is a gorgeous day here in Kobe, but unfortunately, my family is sick so we cannot enjoy it together. I will however sneak out later and shoot two ore videos and have them edited tonight.

I aim to release two to three videos in this series every week. Is it a lot of work? Yes it it, but I have started to find the fun in You Tube again and am enjoying the video making process once again!


Teaching in Asia: Am I Qualified?

Teaching in Asia: Disorganized Schools

I've tasked myself with a pretty large project. I have decided to write some fun and hopefully useful posts about teaching overseas. I have asked a large number of teachers in both Korea and Japan to answer some questions. Once I've received all the interviews, I plan to compile the information into some in-depth blog posts and then later this year, an ebook.

I've been blogging and vlogging for many years now and have received literally thousands of questions about teaching in Korea and Japan. I have made dozens of videos on my two You Tube channels (jlandkev and busankevin) and many of those videos have proven to be my most successful.

I have also decided to get back into making videos about teaching as well. My series "Teaching in Asia" will focus on teaching in both Korea and Japan (two countries I have experience in). I will also look at teaching itself, resources, assessment, methodologies and about getting into a teacher education programs in your native country.



This afternoon I decided to shoot a video talking about a negative experience I had while teaching in South Korea. Not all schools are equal. As a new teacher coming to work in Asia, sometimes finding a great work environment can be a crap shoot.

If you are working for a large franchise operation, one campus may be wonderful, while the other may have a tyrannical manager or unfriendly teachers. Some schools offer great training and a solid curriculum for new teachers while others throw you into the classroom your first day with no truing whatsoever. Some are flexible and some are rigid. Some schools pay handsomely while others may not have enough funds to make payroll.

You simply never know.

Today's video blog is about disorganized schools. There are many!

Angry Foreigners in Korea and Japan

This afternoon I read an article on CNNgo called “12 Rules for Expat Life in Korea.” The link was sent to me by my friend in Tokyo, Hikosaemon, a long time resident of Japan and blogger, who was curious about my thoughts on the topic.

For those of you familiar with my blog, previous to coming to Japan, I lived in South Korea for more than five years.

I have to admit that the article did have a lot of truth to it, and was a bit of a laugh since I had experienced some of the things mentioned. I also have to admit that I found a slight feeling of tongue and cheek “bitterness” to it. That was also something I can relate to in a way.

I want to delve a little bit into the world of the “bitter foreigner.” An entire book probably wouldn’t be able to properly discuss this topic, but I’m going to scratch the surface a little in this post.

After my 5 plus years as a teacher in Korea, I left with a chip on my shoulder (I’m not proud to say that.). There were many reasons I left Korea with a less than positive feeling about the country in my mind. In the same way Korean people (or Japanese for that matter) feel negative feelings when they see a group of drunken English teachers acting like jackasses on a train late at night, I had too many run ins with ill-mannered, drunken old Korean guys. I had more than one employer short change me on pay and basically, should have just moved on a little sooner than I did.

There are many people who move to Asia with great expectations only to become jaded and angry. The reasons are varied and often there are many. Some people are screwed over by shady employers. Some are screwed over in the romance department (something that happens in every country and culture). Some don’t like the food. Some don’t like the cultural belief systems. Some are close-minded. Some have serious inferiority complexes and need someone to blame for their own issues or simply to look down upon. Some angry foreigners are people who simply should have never left their small little hometown in their native country.

During my first year in Korea, a period of time when I was simply in love with the culture and everything it had to offer, I had two young Canadian women in my Tae Kwon Do class. After only being in Korea for a month or two, they hated everything. They complained about the language, the smell of kimchi, the fact that they could not buy Kraft Peanut Butter (which I love btw) and anything else you can imagine. They were angry from day one! Those two ladies were a prime example of people who just aren’t cut out for life abroad. I’m sure that they would be angry in any other country that wasn’t Canada. To be honest, they probably wouldn’t be happy with life in Canada either!

Some foreigners get bitter about life in a place like Korea or Japan over time. They start off happy. They love everything about the place for a few years, but begin to grow cynical over time. They begin to spend more time bitching about the place they are in than simply living life. Often, groups of like-minded foreigners get together and spew negative energy (birds of a feather tend to flock together). Sadly, those sitting around them in various bars, coffee shops and restaurants (Korean and Japanese people) can often understand some of what they are saying. It simply paints a very negative image in the locals’ minds about foreigners and their opinions.

Often, once people form negative opinions about the place they now work and live, they share it. People tend to blog about it. The most negative people tend to scurry around in the comments sections of online newspapers and forums of major English teaching job sites. From time to time those angry people will draw the attention of local netizens, which leads to online flame wars.



Please don’t think that all expats living in Korea of Japan are negative. That is by no means the case. I suppose the reality is that the negative people tend to be the loudest. I was that way too, once upon a time. When you have a chip on your shoulder or are angry, you really want people to know about it. When you are content, you tend to just live life in a happy way. You may not feel the need to climb to the highest mountain and shout about it.

After a few years in Korea I became a pretty negative guy. Now I live in Japan. After a few years here, I am not a negative guy (unless I am sick for too long….that would happen anywhere). There are many reasons why I think things are different. I’m not going to compare and contrast the two countries and use that as a reason. I think there are some other very basic personal reasons why I am not a bitter foreigner.

1. When I lived in Korea I was a single guy. Now I am happily married to a wonderful woman and have a family. I have more important things to think about than bitching about insignificant aspects of life.

2. I am a “family man” in the true sense of the term. I rush home every night after work to have dinner with my wife, play with my son, give him a bath and help put him to bed. I no longer spend my free time in pubs and bars complaining about stuff with fellow foreigners.

3. I run marathons (literally). My hobby of long distance running means that I spend a lot of my free time running and focusing on running goals. Those are all positive things. Running brings joy to my life. I didn’t really run in Korea. I wish I did. I probably would have been a happier expat!

4. My job. Although not perfect (is there such a thing?), my job challenges my skill set as an educator. My jobs in Korea didn’t. Simply put, I am busier and more challenged.

5. My wife is Japanese (and I live in Japan) and she helps me a lot with the day-to-day life things that I wasn’t able to do by myself when I lived in Korea. (i.e. filling out tax forms, ordering things online).

6. I spend more time with local people (Japanese) than foreigners. I’m not one of these “I’m better than other foreigners cause I hang out with Japanese people all the time idiots! Not at all). I sort of wish I had more foreign amigos. I just tend to spend more time with my wife, her family and friends. I also have a neighbor who is a runner.

7. Charity work. For the first time in my life, I started doing some serious charity work. I have combined my hobbies of running and blogging to create the Running to Help Japan project. I am training hard to raise money for Save the Children Japan and their earthquake/tsunami relief efforts.

8. I have no time to be bitter. After reading 1 though 7, you can see that I’m pretty busy! I don’t have time to be negative.


Not all people who come to Korea or Japan become negative. Some do however. Those negative people can be pretty nasty to be around. They are the ultimate buzz killers. My suggestion, if you are around them, change company. Hang out with people who are more positive. Hang out with more local people (indigenous persons). Maybe you can find some positive hobbies. Start video blogging, playing some sort of sport. Cooking and art classes are always a great thing to do and they are easy to arrange. I’ve met people who have learned to play instruments or even get their masters degree in their free time while living in Korea and Japan.

Sometimes it can be hard to live and work so far away from your home. At times it can feel like and adventure and at times it can be a true test of one’s patience. You can make it a positive expeience though. Sometimes the positives come easy, but other times, you just have to work a little harder!


You can follow this "Non-Angry" foreigner on Twitter: @jlandkev

Is the Expat Life a Lonely One?

Today was a great day. Although I have a cold, as do my wife and son, I felt great in other ways. I heard some great news with regards to work this week and am looking forward to a much happier year than last!

I was also happy because of a very touching blog post written by a dear friend who lives in Canada. My friend Lonnie wrote about a group of friends who were thicker than thieves back in the mid 1990’s.

There were a group of us who in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada who were as tight as any group of amigos could ever be. We based ourselves out of a local 24-hour coffee shop and shared more wonderful moments than one could count. Lonnie wrote about our group of wonderful friends and also of our team member who was so suddenly and tragically taken away from us at the young age of twenty-four years. I actually cried when I read his post.

Lonnie’s post got me thinking about friendship. Friendship is something we value so much and I think has been harder for me to find over my many years of life abroad. Correction! No, it hasn’t been hard to find. Good friends have been easy to find in my almost nine years of living outside of Canada. The difficult part is holding on to those friends in an expat world that sees people come and people go.

I lived in South Korea for more than five years and a now approaching three years here in Japan. I can’t speak for other countries, but I’ll at least share my experiences and feelings about living in these two places.

During my years in Korea, the expat community seemed to be fairly close. I first lived in a small suburb of Seoul and there weren’t many foreigners there at all. The few of us that spent time together really enjoyed our experiences in a new country. I think I was drawn closer to these people than friends I had back in Canada because of the fact that we were something familiar and comfortable in a foreign land. For two years that I lived in Ilsan (the city outside of Seoul), I had some amazing friends, but then I moved into Seoul.


With some amazing friends hanging out in Ilsan, Korea (2002)


While in Seoul, I met another amazing group of guys who were my coworkers at a large school called Pagoda. They were guys from Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the United States. We worked together, drank together, played together and sometimes got into fights together! These guys would have done anything for me and vice versa. I loaned them large amounts of money and they did for me as well. We had each other’s backs in bars fights when rowdy American soldiers wanted to tussle with English teachers and we simply enjoyed quiet nights of watching DVDs together. They were amazing friends. Then I left Seoul. Eventually they all moved away as well.


My amazing group of coworkers and friends I had while living in downtown Seoul in 2004.


I then made my way to Busan, the southern port city in South Korea. I loved Busan. It was far more laid back than Seoul and the people seemed a little more foreigner friendly.

While in Busan I met another great group of people. I lived in a neighborhood in Haeundae called Jangsan that was riddled with foreigners. I loved it there. I even met my wife there. I became involved in music again for the first time since I was spending time with Lonnie and my friends back in that Cape Breton coffee shop. I was playing in bands, open mikes and generally enjoying life. I had a few amazing friends who, again, I will never forget. Then, as normally happens, we all left Korea. We left at different times, but we all left and went our ways. Friends I will never forget but had to say good-bye to.


My great friend Tom just after we ran the Terry Fox Run in Busan, Korea in 2007.


Life abroad, or at least the life I have led abroad is very different than if I had stayed in Canada. If I had stayed in Canada and settled, I would see the same people and have the same neighbors for years and years. I would work with the same people, see the same folks at the same hangouts. I would probably have friends that I would always see on a regular basis.

That simply hasn’t been the case for me as an expat. Most people don’t move to Asia for the rest of their lives. Most people come here for one year. Some even stay for two or three, but long-term folks aren’t so common. I have met many more here in Japan than in Korea, but nonetheless, Asia is a very fluid place where people come and go. Friendships are like that as well in my experience. Friends come and friends go. Eventually you sort of get used to it and harden yourself to the reality, but every once in awhile, it can weigh upon you and make you feel a little sad.

I’ve made so many wonderful and life long friends during my time in Asia. Luckily, with social media, I can keep in contact with these folks, but chatting on Twitter of Facebook isn’t as satisfying as stopping by their house for a Saturday afternoon BBQ. It’s not as fun as meeting at the pub for a beer or coffee shop for a latte.

Now of course, this may not be the experience for everyone who decides to make their way to Asia, but it has been for me, and many others I know.

Don’t get me wrong; life in Japan is wonderful. I really do like it here. The culture, history, food and people are great. Sometimes though, I feel a little lonely. I have an amazing and compassionate wife, a beautiful and silly son and a loving family back in Canada. I have friends here in Japan as well, but I often feel like something is missing.

I suppose this all comes back to my friend Lonnie’s post. His post got me thinking about those wonderful friends I had back in Cape Breton (who have all moved on to other parts of Canada). It then got me thinking about all the wonderful friends I have met and then had to say goodbye to during my many years in Korea and Japan.

The expat life is one filled with adventure and often the mundane. It is colorful and interesting. It is always blog and vlog-worthy as well as challenging. It can also at times be a little lonely (At least in my opinion).


You can follow me on Twitter: @jlandkev

Also, check out my friend Lonnie’s blog.

Kevin interviewed on Seoul Podcast

A very cool thing happened earlier this week. I was invited to be a panelist on the Seoul Podcast. The Seoul Podcast is a show that has been around for a few years. A panel of teachers/new media producers take a weekly look at the politics and culture of South Korea and how it effects the foreigners who live there.

I of course lived in South Korea for several years and now live in Japan. I've been a loyal listener to the show and had built somewhat of a relationship of the host Joe (ZenKimchi.com) via twitter and You Tube. A few weeks ago I listened to an episode where they had qiranger (Travel vlogger Steve Miller) and I was mentioned a few times. I of course am known by some in the Jaan/Korea blogging/vlogging community as BusanKevin. I then contacted the host and as asked to come on board.




In this episode we talk about life in Korea vs. life in Japan and many other things.

Download "SeoulPodcast #110: Is Japan Really All That Great?" featuring ME!


I vlogged about it!

Green Eggs and English

I have to admit that I have been really leased with this week. What has really tickled me pink so to speak is the tremendous number of wonderful people who have taken the time to stop by and read this blog. I have of course spread the word about it through my two you Tube channels, Facebook and Twitter. I’m a little surprised sometimes with some of you great folks who have been following me for a long time on You Tube and were completely unaware of this blog. Better late than never! Welcome to the party.

Recently, on my jlandkev You Tube channel I took the time to promote an American English teaching living and working in Seoul, South Korea. His you Tube handle is GreenEggsAndHamster and he makes some great videos about his day-to-day life as an English teacher in Seoul. As my knowledge of what goes on in Korea becomes more and more second hand, I try to point curious people with questions in the direction of guys like GreenEggsAndHamster who are there, on the ground so to speak.

This is a really cool video he did about the day in a life of an English teacher (in time-lapse). I think it’s really well done!


Again, thank you everyone for stopping by and spending some time on A Canadian in Kobe. There is definitely a lot more to come!

Greener Grass in Japan and Korea?

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. For many, including myself at times, that seems to be true. Some people realize that the "greener grass" thing may not always be true and some never seem to realize that.

When I was 25 and working in a high stress IT job in Canada, I sought greener pastures. I found them in South Korea (a place that has relatively few actual pastures). I found it in a new culture, new food, new friends and travel. Going to Korea was an exciting adventure for me. Life suddenly seemed (and probably was) more exciting, meaningful, fun and downright interesting. Eventually though, days in Korea seemed much like days in Canada. I woke up in the morning. I made a pot of coffee. I had a shower and shaved. I went to work. I came home from work and made dinner. I watched bit torrents of American television shows. I watched Canadian shows on the CTV and CBC websites before they began to geo-block them (I'm still bitter about that!).

Life became routine and just like living anywhere else. There was a difference though. I began to feel the frustration of the language barrier. Even more aggravating was the cultural barrier. The way my Korean coworkers and bosses thought and conducted day to day business began to drive me nuts! The wonderful shades of green started to become brown. It was time to move on. I went back to Canada. I lived in Ottawa and got my Bachelor of Education. After five and some years of teaching children I became a "real teacher."

It is now 2011 and I am going on my third year of living in Japan. I like Japan. It is definitely a pretty cool place. The history, culture, cuisine and many other things are spectacular. I can honestly admit though that I have never been a Japanophile or "Japanfan." I came to Japan because I met an amazing woman from Osaka and followed her here. She is now my wife.

Life is indeed good here, but it isn't a sparkly, wonder-filled existence for me. I work at a school where I would pretty much teach just like I would in Canada. I wake up in the morning and get dressed just like in Canada. I make a pot of coffee and then head to work. I of course see somewhat stranger and slightly more intriguing things on a daily basis than I might in Canada, but things are quite similar (aside from all the Japanese people).

Day after day though, I get so many messages from (especially teenagers) who are hardcore Japan fans! Often they may not be happy with their state of affairs and want a change. For some reason they believe that all of life's problems will be solved if they can just get to Japan! Everything will be better if I can go to Japan. I won't be bullied, I won't have to listen to my boring parents, I won't have to eat crappy food, every moment of life will be an adventure, etc.

Sadly; bullying does happen in Japan (to a much more evil extent that you can imagine…..massive teenage suicide rate). Parents annoy kids (just like in every country/society in the world). Parents are boring too!

Japan is place. You cannot base it on anime (Japanese cartoons) or manga (Japanese comic books) you have read. It is a place just like the United States is a place, just like Canada is a place, just like Britain is a place, etc. Life isn't perfect here. I like living here, but there are always things I can complain about. Then again, I love Canada, but there are always things to complain about there as well.

Long story short: The grass always seems greener. If you are really stoked to head to Korea or Japan, good luck and have fun. BEWARE though…neither place is perfect. Far from it. No place is perfect and every place has it's own set of problems. Not to be a negative Nelly; all places have positives as well!

I am very happy that I have chosen an "international" life. I have been abroad since early 2002. I have to admit that I often long for my home in Canada.

Although change may be a good fit for some folks, the grass may not always be greener for others!

8 Years in Asia

Next month will be my nine year anniversary of coming to Asia. Now of course there was a one year break thrown in there when I came back to Canada to get my teaching credentials, but I have lived eight out of the last nine years in Asia. This was never my plan. In late 2001, when I hatched my plan to move here, I was working as a software developer in Canada and only planned to come for one year. After that one year, I would head back to Canada, refreshed, travel bug having been fed and resume my career as a 3D modeler. Eight years later I am now a certified teacher and still here!

I spent my first five years bouncing between three cities in South Korea and for the last (almost) three years here in Kobe, Japan.

In this post, wanted to write about the Kevin who arrived in Asia in February 2002 versus the Kevin who lives in Asia in January 2011.


Then (2002): I had a small apartment in Ilsan, South Korea.
Now (2011): I have a bigger apartment in Kobe, Japan.

Then (2002): I was getting pumped up for the World Cup coming to Korea/Japan.
Now (2011): No World Cup this year. Could care less about football/soccer.

Then (2002): Was struggling with crappy Korean language skills.
Now (2011): I am struggling with crappy Japanese skills.

Then: Was single and looking for love.
Now: Happily married with a beautiful son.

Then: Ate out at restaurants most nights.
Now: Eat at home every night.

Then: Eating out at restaurants was really cheap.
Now: It's not so cheap.

Then: Lived in a city with few fellow foreigners and very little English around me.
Now: Live in a city with many foreigners and English everywhere.

Then: Was awe-struck by everything I saw.
Now: Somewhat awe-struck, but not so much.

Then: Was 26 years old.
Now: 35 years old.

Then: I trained in Tae Kwon Do.
Now: I enjoy long-distance running.

Then: Worked from 4:00pm to 10:00pm.
Now: Work from 9:00am to 5:00pm.

Then: Smoked heavily and went to bars several times a week.
Now: Don't smoke, rarely go to a bar.

Then: Kimchi everywhere.
Now: No kimchi.

Then: Was told everyday by locals why Japan was bad and America wasn't much better.
Now: Simply don't don't hear that sort of talk.

Then: Had a crappy boss.
Now: Have a boss that respects me a lot.

Then: Guys desperately tried to show me that they were stronger than me at the gym.
Now: Guys don't even notice me at the gym (they're to busy working out).

Then: Everyone around me spoke Korean.
Now: Everyone around me speaks Japanese.

Then: Wasn't a very productive/responsible person.
Now: Am both!

Then: Thought Korean food was great.
Now: Think Japanese food is great.

Then: Kim Jong-il sucked.
Now: He still sucks.

Then: Traveled a lot around Asia.
Now: Save up for trips back to Canada.

Then: Think about the short term.
Now: Thinking about the long term.

Then: Was a PC guy.
Now: Am a Mac guy.

Then: No such thing as You Tube.
Now: I'm a You Tube partner.

Then: Missed Tim Hortons.
Now: Miss Tim Hortons.


Life is different indeed. I may be still in Asia after many years, but as you can see, life for me in Japan is completely different than life for me in Korea. Some of that of course has to do with the time (2002 vs 2011), some has to do with the culture and of course, some has to do with my age.

Long story short; life was good then and life is good now. I suppose that the life I lead is just completely different!

Happy Reading :)

Being a Musician in Asia

I received an email this evening on my BusanKevin You Tube channel that inspired this post. Someone who is interested in moving to South Korea asked me about teaching and also asked me about how they would find a wind band/group they could play with when they come to Korea. I unfortunately do not know about wind groups since I am a drummer and only played with rock/funk bands during my time in Korea. I suppose some of the key points I', going to make will carry over to any musical genre!

The key to meeting other foreign or indigenous musicians in either Korea or Japan is simple; NETWORKING. The same way I was able to get many subscribers on You Tube is the same way I was able to become a member of several bands during my time in Korea. I got out there and met people. Online we use text, Twitter, You Tube and Facebook. These are of course useful ways to meet folks in Seoul, Busan, Tokyo or Osaka in 2011, but at the end of the day, if you are a musician, I think you really need to get out to the places musicians play and meet them!

What you need to do is find out where musicians hang out. Where do they tend to be? Bars and clubs! Now that might be a bit of a problem if you aren't a big drinkers, but you can always bring a cup of Starbucks into a bar in korea and Japan.

Here is a picture of me playing in a club in Busan, South korea a few years ago.

If you are not sure how to find these places you can take a few approaches. First, if you are a teacher at a fairly big school, many of your coworkers have probably been there for some time. They already have a great deal of local knowledge and some of them will definitely be able to tell you/show you the bars that tend to have live music. OPEN MIC NIGHTS ARE KEY! Once you find out about these places you need to go. Not just once or twice, but often. You also have to be social and get to know the other folks there. Get to know the MC of the Open Mic night. I played in bands in Ilsan (north of Seoul) and in Busan, and this is how I did it! Hang out, chat with all the other folks just like you there and get to know them.

Another picture of KEVIN knockin the skins in Korea!

Bring your instrument with you when you go. You may just want to scout the first one out, but after that, always pack heat! There are often such eclectic groups of artists at these open mics that even if you play the panflute, someone may call you up on stage for a jam.

Long story short, if you are are a musician who has come to Korea or Japan to teach and you'd like to play music, you must network. Find some websites like Busan Haps (if you are in Busan) that might point you in the right direction. Get out of your house and meet people.

As for now, I am currently out of the music scene. The combination of a 6 month old son and an intense work schedule simply don't allow for a late-night lifestyle. In time though, I plan to get back into the mix again. I do miss my drums!


Have fun and good luck!

Following the Rules in Japan and Korea

This evening I watched a video on You Tube by a Japan based vlogger. On his channel YTBulletTrain, Kurt, the vlogger I am referring too, talks about respecting the rules of the country you are living in. He also discussed the fact that as a visible foreigner, you are always being watched.

I thought about how absolutely true this is. Whether you choose to live n Japan, Korea, China or any other Asian country for that matter; you are a guest in that country and therefore should follow the rules. Have some respect! Too many young and sometimes not so young people travel to Asian countries, live for a year or two and metaphorically piss all over the place. They have no respect for anything whatsoever!

Just remember. When you live in Japan or Korea (the two Asian countries I have experience in) you are always being watched. Your actions don't just represent yourself. they represent all foreigners.

I made a video blog about the topic:

I Love You Jimmy Dean

Not to be confused with James Dean of "Rebel Without a Cause" fame, Jimmy Dean is a brand of American sausages. I came across these awesome little fellas a few weeks ago at my local supermarket in Kobe (Port Island Daiei) and stocked up. I bought four or five packs and threw them in my freezer. They are so delicious and totally take me back home in a manner of speaking!


It's quite easy to buy foreign food in this part of Japan. there are so many expats living in the area and Japanese people with an interest in all things foreign that there are many shops that see this sort of thing. I suppose I am pretty lucky for that.

When I first arrived in Asia in early February 2002, I lived in a small city north of Seoul in Korea. When I lived there I was happy about the fact that I could buy ketchup in Korea. As far as other foreign foods went, I was pretty much out of luck. My friends and I would occasionally make the trek into Seoul and the foreign ghetto area, Itaewon. There was a place called Gel's Deli (probably spelled that wrong), which is now long gone(I think). That's where we would buy our very overpriced foreign treats. Now I've heard that there is a much more readily available stock of foreign food goods throughout Korea.

To be honest, I rarely buy foreign food in Japan. I love Japanese food and my wife and I normally cook all of our meals at home. It is great however, to have the option if I want it.

Korean Cuisine at ZenKimchi

I suppose I normally save "shout-outs" for videos on You Tube (and I will do this shout out later in video form), but I wanted to let you guys know about a wonderful website. Now of course I live and work in Japan. I really love Japan as well as the food and culture. The people rock as well!

If you have been following my blog or You Tube (Busan Kevin) or (jlandkev) channels for some time you will also know I lived in South Korea for more than five years. Korea was great too. Comparing the two countries is like comparing apples and oranges though and to be honest, I normally steer very clear from comparing them anyway! There were many things I liked about Korea. The food, the inexpensive transportation and of course the fact that I met my wife (she is Japanese) there as well!

I am a huge....HUGE....fan of Korean food. This love for Korean grub is something my wife and I have in common. Unfortunately, unless you can get to Korea town in Osaka, Korean restaurants in Japan are a bloody fortune to eat at!



For all of you who live anywhere and have an interest in Korean culture and food, I want you to take a long look at the site zenkimchi.com. This site was started by Joe McPherson several years ago and has grown into the premier Korean food website out there. Joe has become somewhat of an expert on Korean cuisine and a major force in promoting it outside of Korea. He now even has a team of writers creating content about Korean food in America and elsewhere.

The Zen Kimchi website has grown from a personal blog about Korea to THE place to go for information about where to eat Korean food and about Korean food itself.


The site contains the ZenKimchi Food Journal. This has news, information about different food and a lot more. My suggestion; take a few house and just get lost in the site. There is so much to explore!



An example of some of the awesome information contained in the Food Journal section is Korean Food 101.



The ZenKimchi Korean Dining Guide is exactly what you think it is; lots of information about restaurants that serve great Korean cuisine.



ZenKimchi Adventures is Joe's blog about life in Korea and life as a Korean food writer/podcaster.



You also can't forget Joe's podcast, the Seoul Podcast. With more than 100 episodes in their catalogue, this is the ideal podcast for English teachers in Korea or aspiring English teachers. I suppose it is also great for anyone with an interest in current affairs in Korea as well.


Simply put, if you are interested in Asia and specifically Asian food, this is a great site to spend some time on. If you live in South Korea or in Japan and plan to travel there, you need to check it out. The site just keeps getting better everyday and the amount of content is constantly growing.

Seoul, 3rd Worst City in the World

Apparently, according to a new Lonely Planet reader poll, Seoul, South Korea has been given the dubious distinction of being the 3rd Worst City in the World to live in! I thought this was particularly interesting since I lived in downtown Seoul (3 locations) between 2004-2006.

One quote from the Lonely Planet poll of the worst cities to live in described Seoul:

It’s an appallingly repetitive sprawl of freeways and Soviet-style concrete apartment buildings, horribly polluted, with no heart or spirit to it. So oppressively bland that the populace is driven to alcoholism.’

Now, I have to admit, that I did indeed have a few bad experiences while living in Seoul. I once was hired by an illegal private school. They claimed to be above the board and seemed so, but when immigration started sniffing around, I had a bad feeling and quit. I also had a few run ins with some rather unsavory drunk men. For the most part though, my time in Seoul was rather enjoyable. The night life was great and I made a lot of wonderful friends there.

Eventually though, due to a company transfer and general claustrophobia, I opted to move to South Korea's second largest and much smaller city, Busan. Busan was far more relaxed and friendly. Like Seoul (or any other Korean city), it didn't particulalry look nice, but I liked it.

Does Seoul deserved to be dubbed "The 3rd Worst City in the World"? Probably not, but I think Korean people and the government should take notice. Poor treatment of English teachers and discriminatory attitudes and legislation towards non-Koreans living in Korea is coming back to bite them in the ass. This is now a world where English teachers who are ripped off by crooked private school owners or mistreated by drunken men on the street can quickly spread their opinions via You Tube, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc. I suppose those in power in Korea need to start thinking more about foreigners who come to live and work in Korea. They should be extending more of an olive branch as opposed to marginalizing them!

I don't think Seoul is that bad of a city, but many (and I mean many) teachers who leave Korea, leave with a huge chip on their shoulder. The city doesn't deserve this sort of rating, but I am not surprised that it got it!

Hatred Towards Teachers in Korea

I've been following this story for years. Although I had many wonderful years in South Korea, I have to admit, I had experienced some negative sentiments myself while I lived there.

This is an interesting story from CBC's "The Current".

From the The Current website on this show:

Korea English Teachers

Dann Gaymer has been living and teaching in South Korea for three years. And like other English teachers there, he's watching his back. That's because of what some view as a growing anti-foreigner sentiment in the country... a mood that foreign teachers say is being fueled by a group known as The Anti-English Spectrum.

On its website, in flyers, and through other activities... the teachers say The Anti-English Spectrum is spreading negative, hateful information about them and they believe the group's message is gaining traction.

Now local police are investigating an anonymous death threat sent to the Association of Teachers of English in South Korea. Dann Gaymer speaks on behalf of the group and he was in Daegu, a city in Southeastern part of the country.

Korea English Teachers

We requested an interview with the Anti-English Spectrum through the group's website... we did not hear back. We heard from Younggoog Park is Minister-Counsellor of Public Affairs at the Korea Embassy in Ottawa shared his thoughts about the group.

For Andrea Vandom, the activities of the Anti-English Spectrum and the changes in her visa requirements were unacceptable. So much so - that she left her teaching job in South Korea. She has also launched a constitutional challenge against the government's visa requirements on the grounds they are discriminatory. The HIV and drug tests that are mandatory for all foreign teachers, are not required by law for Korean teachers working in private schools. Andrea Vandom was in Irvine, California.

Korea English Teachers

Of the 20,000 foreigners teaching English in South Korea, an estimated 5 thousand are Canadian. Steve Snowball was one of them. He's a Canadian who used to teach English in South Korea. His extra-curricular activities in the country landed him in jail for six weeks. We heard from him.

Ben Wagner says stories of carousing is what gives many foreign English teachers in South Korea a bad image. But he also believes that anti-foreigner sentiment runs deeper than that. Ben Wagner has lived in South Korea for 15 years... he is a law professor at the Kyung Hee University Law School. He has raised his concerns over discrimination against foreigners with the country's National Human Rights Commission. He was in Seoul, South Korea.


I found out about this story from a great website; Brian in Jeollanam-do

Why Teach Overeas?

I’ve decided to start a short little series of posts about teaching in South Korea. I realize that this might not be everyone’s cup of tea and for many of the folks who frequent this blog, irrelevant. I can safely assume that many of you have never been to Korea and probably have little desire to do so, but the videos I have made for You Tube about teaching in South Korea still tend to be some of my most popular. I can assume from the number of people who watch them and leave comment, both good and bad, that there is a definite interest in the topic.
For my regular readers who have no interest in the topic, have no fear. These posts will be made over the next few weeks or maybe months, but the majority of posts here will still be about life in Japan and more specifically, Kobe.



Why Become a Teacher Overseas?

I suppose one of the first questions one must ask before making the immense commitment of moving their life to the other side of the world for a year or more is; “Why do I want to become a teacher in another country?” I suppose there is a different story for everyone out there considering this job choice. There seem to be some common themes though:

1. I just finished university and have no idea what I want to do with my life so I think I’ll become an ESL teacher.

2. I just finished university and want to put life on hold because the real world is scary and I don’t want to face it yet.

3. I owe a lot of money and with only a generic B.A., this is the best way I can think of to pay off the debts relatively fast.

4. I have a desire to travel and broaden my horizons.

5. I already have a great job, but am feeling burnt out and need a change.

6. I have a legitimate interest in the country I’m interested in heading to.

7. I just finished a long term relationship and it ended horribly. I just need to get away from that entire scene.

Of course there are a variety of different reasons why folks head to places like Korea to teach, but in my years there, these seemed like some common reoccurring themes.



Do Your Research

One of the first pieces of advice I give anyone thinking of becoming a teacher in South Korea is, “Do your research!” I can’t stress this one enough. Most of the information you are looking for is just a quick Google search away as well. All of the basic FAQ’s out there are answered on blogs, in You Tube videos and on forums. I will tell you however, before ever posing a question to a blogger or You Tube video maker, attempt to find the information yourself. If through research, you can’t find the answer to your question; then shoot a question out to someone in the interwebs. I say this because on an almost daily basis, I am peppered with questions on You Tube that the writer could have very easily found the answer through a quick Google search.

I am also going to suggest avoiding internet forums. Forums tend to be filled with some pretty bitter and angry people. They seem to lurk around these dark internet places for endless hours, waiting to pounce on “newbs.” They are normally anything but helpful. I always get a kick out of the hosts of the Seoulpodcast who refer to the forums on ESL Café as a big circle jerk. I suppose that can give you an idea that they aren’t always the best source of information. I will however suggest, skimming through them and reading some of the posts already made. Some of the information may be useful.



Teaching in Korea is a Real Job

No matter where I lived in South Korea and no matter how many teachers I met, there was one thing I realized. Many people “working” over there, in no way take their jobs seriously. Remember, this is a real job. Even if you haven’t had a “serious” job working in a company in your native country you must remember that the school that hired you, invested a lot of money in you. They had to get your visa, fly you abroad, put you up in an apartment and pay you! You should treat this teaching job the same way you would treat a teaching job in your hometown or city. In most cases, the more professional you are, the better you will be treated by your employer, coworkers and students.

Of course, this isn’t always the case in Korea. It is not uncommon for teachers to be treated like crap by schools. In some cases, schools treat teachers like cattle who are there only to serve them and make profit for them. They treat you with little or no respect. If you get the vibe that a school you are interested in seems a little too impersonal or “heartless”, you’d better look for a different place to work.

To sum this little point up, act professionally. Don’t come to class in the morning stinking like booze, don’t complain about unpaid preparation work (welcome to the life of every teacher in every country), show up well before your classes start, dress well and try to “play ball”.



Getting Rich

If you would like to work in Korea to pay off debts or start a nest egg, you’ve made a good choice. If you are planning on making lots of money, that probably won’t happen. For some strange reason, probably Korea’s questionable media, Koreans tend to think that English teachers make a lot of money. Many Koreans even think that English teachers are rich! This is laughable. Even with free rent, free airfare and bonus (something all Korean employees get as well), you are still only pulling in a lower to average middle class salary in a country such as Canada or the United States.

Another problem, if you are planning to stay in Korea for a few years or more, is that wages tend not to increase. Wages for Korea now are pretty much the same as they were when I first went there in 2002. A school teacher in a country like Canada though, would receive raises of several thousand dollars a year until their salary capped out.

As a young and single person, the salary in Korea is great. If you are expecting to support a family though, it is good, but that’s about it. Of course, some people who have been there for years have found ways to turn a very high profit, but they aren’t the norm. Again, I have no idea why many Koreans think otherwise.




Long story short, going to Korea is a great move for many people. Sometimes it can be a bad experience for people as well. Once arriving, you’ll soon realize that there is an element of Korean society who is not very impressed with foreigners coming to their country; that aside though, most people are very warm. If you do your research before you come, your chances of finding a job or location that suits will drastically improve. Also, act professionally and treat the culture with respect. You are not better than others because you come from Canada, England, the Unites States, etc. You are just different.

BusanKevin on Seoul Podcast website

A few months ago I won some stuff from the Seoul Podcast, a weekly podcast I listen to. I made a vid about it. I just noticed today that they posted it here, on their site.





Oh yeah...I posted several videos today:




Last night I went with some friends to a rooftop beer garden. It was the first time I've been to one in Japan. It was a great time.