Reach the World – Field Note – Nature

On October 30, 2015January 22, 2017 By Janine PerriIn Culture, Fulbright Korea, Reach the World, VolunteeringLeave a comment

Originally published by Reach the World, October 30, 2015

Introduction:
Whenever I visit a Korean historic site or a souvenir shop, I see lotus flowers everywhere! Lotus flower lanterns, lotus flower pens, lotus flower bookmarks, and lotus flower carvings, just to name a few. The lotus flower is an important symbol in Buddhism, showing that beauty and purity can grow and flourish even in an ugly and foul environment. In Korea, the lotus flower plays a central role in art, architecture and culture.

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Reach the World – Field Note – Food

On October 18, 2015January 22, 2017 By Janine PerriIn Culture, Fulbright Korea, Reach the World, VolunteeringLeave a comment

Originally published for Reach the World, October 16, 2015

Introduction:
“What is your name? Where are you from? Do you like kimchi?”These are the three questions I hear most often from Korean students, teachers, and new friends I meet. Kimchi, or 김치 in Korean, is one of Korea’s traditional foods, made from fermented vegetables and a variety of spices. Kimchi can be eaten as a side dish or as an ingredient in foods like pizza or soup. Many Koreans eat kimchi with every meal!

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Reach the World – Logbook – Korean Thanksgiving

On October 4, 2015January 22, 2017 By Janine PerriIn Culture, Fulbright Korea, Reach the World, VolunteeringLeave a comment

Originally published for Reach the World, October 2, 2015

How far did I travel this week?:This week, my host family and I traveled to Miryang, a small town in the countryside outside of the city of Gimhae. We visited my host dad’s parents for Chuseok. To get to Miryang, we drove down a highway outside of Gimhae and then through the mountains. It took about an hour to get there.

How far have I traveled on this journey so far?:Since arriving in Korea in July, the farthest I have traveled is Sokcho, a beach town in the northeast. Sokcho is known for its beautiful beaches, Buddhist temples, and some of the tallest mountains in Korea. I went hiking and walked along the beach. Now that I am settled into my school routine, I will do a lot more traveling this month.

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Reach the World – Journal – About Me

On October 2, 2015January 22, 2017 By Janine PerriIn Culture, Fulbright Korea, Reach the World, VolunteeringLeave a comment

Originally published for Reach the World, October 2, 2015

Annyeong-haseyo!Mannaseo bangapseumnida!

Hello! It’s nice to meet you. My name is Janine Perri, and I am currently teaching English in South Korea as part of the Fulbright program.

If you had asked me when I was a kid or a high school student what I would be doing after college, I wouldn’t have told you that I would be teaching English in South Korea. I might have said I would be a writer. Maybe a lawyer. But moving from my home on Long Island to a country halfway across the world? It didn’t even cross my mind. So how did I get here?

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Reach the World – Traveler Bio

On October 2, 2015January 22, 2017 By Janine PerriIn Culture, Fulbright Korea, Reach the World, VolunteeringLeave a comment

Originally published for Reach the World, September 30, 2015

Hello! My name is Janine Perri. I am from Long Island, New York, and I studied English and history at Villanova University in Pennsylvania. It’s nice to meet you!

I love learning about new languages, people and places. That’s why I moved to South Korea to teach English to high school students. South Korea is a country in east Asia, right between China and Japan. South Korea is known for its pop music, beautiful festivals, and a very spicy vegetable dish called kimchi.

As a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, I teach English classes for 600 Korean students each week. That’s a lot of students! But we still have a ton of fun. Sometimes, we even play games like Jeopardy, Hot Potato, and Twenty Questions.

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Reach the World: Connecting Korea and America

On October 1, 2015January 22, 2017 By Janine PerriIn Fulbright Korea, Reach the World, School, VolunteeringLeave a comment

A few weeks ago, I received an email from Fulbright about an opportunity to work with a New York nonprofit called Reach the World. Reach the World connects current students and teachers who are abroad with underserved classrooms in the United States, with the goal of introducing K-12 students to new countries and creating engaged global citizens. As of this week, I am officially a Reach the World travel writer!

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