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Writer's pictureAngel Martin

The Great Escape Day 3: Myeong-dong

This is the day, now is the time. I've mentioned before, I believe in the Reasons and Madness post that the school I am currently at is closing, before the end of my contract. This is the second time that I have had a contract terminated before completion within 9 months. Needless to say, I'm not so sure how long I will be able to stay in Korea right now. I have been trying not to think about it for a while, but I need to come up with a plan. It was for this reason that I decided to spend the entire New Year Weekend in Seoul so that on Sunday, I could finally go to church.


The bible says, "worry for nothing, pray for everything" (Philippians 4:6). I have a very interesting take on prayer, but that is another post for another day. I have been wanting to find a church that I felt comfortable in for a long time. I have even based my job search around the proximity of a Catholic Church, but I have yet to go.


Myeong-dong Cathedral is nestled in the midst of shops, hotels, and restaurants. Myeong-dong is a huge shopping area and draws many tourists. The church isn't all the large considering that it is a cathedral; trust my I have been in my share of Gothic cathedrals. There is an English mass at 9 am every Sunday and English confession before if you are interested.




Funny Story: Growing up I was often teased for being a Black Catholic. "All black people are Baptist", kids would tell me. I defended my denomination on the one argument I knew I would always win: TIME. We are in and out in 1 hour, faster if the priest is interested in the game on that day.


Fr. O'Malley, no that's not his name, but I noticed an Irish lilt in his sermon, beat my home parish's record with a 38-minute mass! It is my goal to one day be fluent enough to attend and understand a Korean Catholic mass, or even just go and know all of the prayers and rites. Finding a Catholic Church in Korea isn't hard, there is a fairly large Catholic following, but finding one with an English mass will keep me from straying too far away from Seoul.


After praying for everyone that has been affected by the recent happenings at work and also for peace and guidance, I wondered around the different shops spending a little of my hard-earned coin frivolously.


The market was bustling this morning! I thought about going to Gwangju to Jeon Alley, but I had another plan for the day. There was a coffee shop not far from my hotel, but it wasn't open today. I figured if I walked a few meters in any direction I was bound to find a Starbucks. So I wandered around the market until my leg got tired, ended up back in Myeong-dong!




I settled in with my Venti Latte and set to work looking for a new position. Wish me luck! If you are interested in tips for job hunting in Korea, I'm an expert at this point lol. I'll do a separate post about that later.


By the way, a portion of the proceeds from all the BTS branded food, beverage, and merchandise goes towards the Beautiful Foundation, which supports career and educational programs for underprivileged youth in South Korea.


Do you have any questions about job hunting in Korea, especially teaching gigs?

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