Joyfully Meryl

Settling Into a New School Year We’re two months into the new school year, and it’s been a busy time. The first few weeks are always hectic, with everyone trying to find their feet — new students, new schedule, new classes, new colleagues. So, it's been an interesting start. This blog is a catch-up on my travels during the winter vacation. In late February, Mbali and I were fortunate enough to travel to Hong Kong and Macau — her third time there, and my first! Ruins of St. Paul's, Macau

Though the school year is not over yet and we’re working right through the festive season, I still think it’s necessary to end the year on a reflective note. This past Sunday morning we woke up to the tragic news of a plane crash in Muan, South Korea. 179 out of 181 people aboard the airplane that had flown from Bangkok were killed in the crash. The Korean government called for a week of national mourning so we’re entering the new year on a somber note. Before writing this blog, I read a news article about some background stories of the passengers who lost their lives. Many were returning from celebratory trips with their families; such as celebrating high school graduations, recovery from cancer treatment and a honeymoon. It was these stories that led me to write about the highs and lows of this year, and also what I am grateful for. For the last few years, on New Year’s Eve, I have asked my immediate family and some of my friends what their pits (lows) and peaks (highs) of the year...

Welcome to the final post of my 2024 Summer Series. We’ve already had our first snow in Korea but better late than never as this series wouldn’t be complete without sharing the enjoyable time my Cape Town visitors and I had over the summer. Part 1 covered the awesome English Olympics summer camp I ran for my students and Part 2 was a tale about my trip to Taiwan to see my brother and his family. My friends, Angelique and Gary, visited two weeks before the second school semester started. Angie had spoken about visiting since I arrived in 2022 and finally, after some saving and planning, she made it happen, bringing her husband along with her. And what an enjoyable time we had! Reunions in Jeju

In the previous post, I wrote about the fun experience of the English Summer Camp. See Part 1 to read all about it.  After the camp, I could finalise plans for my trip to Taiwan. My brother and his family initially planned to visit Korea but when those plans changed, I knew I had to go there. My niece, Caitlin, had just turned 3 and I longed to meet her in person. Unfortunately, travelling to Taiwan is not as simple as other Southeast Asia / East Asian countries. South Africans need a visa beforehand and because I live in Daejeon, I had to make a special trip to Seoul just for the application and visa. Aunty Meryl meets the youngest and cutest member of the Burgess family for the first time.

After almost four months of a hot and humid Summer, the cool breeze of Autumn has finally arrived! Just last week temperatures were still peaking between 34-36 degrees and we were still using air conditioners. What a relief it is to have pleasant weather again. I feel like I have come back to life! I have so much to share! My third summer in Korea  was hectic; the school semester ended, English summer camp flew by, travel plans commenced and visitors from South Africa came and went! So much happened that this will be a three-part series. Let’s get into it!

The Korean summer arrived with a bang! I thought high temperatures would only begin in July but we already had 35-37°C days in June and this past week we've been experiencing monsoon season with relentless rain. Enormous amounts of summer rain mean high levels of humidity. You can shower, walk out the door, and immediately be drenched with sweat because of how steamy it is outside. Let’s not even talk about what happens to a coloured girl’s hair during this season! As we adjust to the unbearable heat and the few weeks left with hot and bothered teenagers, let me catch you up on my third Spring in Korea.  Read more