Intro: An American in Korea

"An American in Korea" is a blog spin-off of an older blog I had started (www.teslinkorea.blogspot.com), chronicling my thoughts and experiences in Korea.

About Christopher:

I come from a suburb of Chicago. 

My home town has a strong Christian handle with plenty of churches. 

It's not diverse at all. 

Pretty much everyone is white, save a few minorities: black, asian, hispanic. When I was in high school, you could count the number of minorities on your two hands. Needless to say, I grew up underexposed to the myriad of cultures and peoples in the world, so I also grew up very curious.

I eventually went to the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, having become a born-again Christian just a couple years earlier.

I'm very thankful to my University for great opportunity and exposure it gave me. I began going to a Korean church, there, called Covenant Fellowship Church (CFC). It is a Korean church. The Pastor is Min Chung, and I loved it so much, I became a member and joined their small group. 

This was my first deep exposure to anything resembling asian culture --- and from there I realized I wanted to travel the world and learn about new cultures and people.

After graduation, I was able to travel a bit to Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. I enjoyed every second of it.

When the time came for me to be dragged back to reality and get a job, I decided to teach English in Korea, having had some exposure to the culture already. They pay well enough and I had University debt. My goal was to pay off my debt and eventually teach in a poor country when I wouldn't need the money, anyway.

(I'm still paying that debt, sadly - haha - but also, I've fallen in love with Korea)

I arrived at Incheon International Airport in October of 2007 to teach English.

This Blog is an avenue to share my thoughts, experiences, and theories. I want you to taste this culture - and give my experiences to you.

Maybe you are curious about Korea.

Maybe you've been here, and miss it.

Maybe you're thinking about coming.

Maybe you just like different things.

Whatever the case, I hope to make this blog for YOU. My goal is to provide unique insights and perspectives that I consider my treasure - things that not everyone gets to hear, see, or know about.

If you have any suggestion to help me attain that goal better, contact me at:
chrispalasz@naver.com

 THANK YOU to Korea for the opportunity to experience and be a part of the things you have to offer.