[21F/22F] Adventures In Teaching Overseas, Part 1

When you have a mostly useless degree, no real job prospects, and no desire to go into debt to get a Ph.D. what do you do? Leave the country, of course. Especially since Korea is always eager to have native English speakers come and teach English in their prep-schools, and there’s the added bonus that they pay well enough for me to live and pay off some loans! (And hey, traveling the world is awesome. You should all do more of it.)

So I went through the whole process, got a visa, got a contract with a Korean school, got some shots and a check up, packed my stuff. I spent that final summer after my graduation at home, ticking days off my calendar, freaked out and incredibly excited that I was going to go thousands of miles from home *for a job*, while everyone I knew back home alternated between approval, shock, and making stupid jokes about living with ‘most glorious leader.’ (Seriously, if someone jokes about me going to North Korea I will cut you so hard. There are two Koreas! One of them likes us. Learn some damn history!)

Then it happened. It was finally here.

The flight to LAX was boring and stupid, but once I was at LAX I decided to send myself off in style. Three beers, a burger, fries, chicken wings, and cheesecake. If I wasn’t going to be in America for a couple of years, I was at least going to gorge myself on our food before I left. This had the added upside of putting me into a near food coma/drunk coma so when I got on the plane it, and the dramamine, actually override my motion sickness and I slept for a while! Yay! Before I knew it I was in Narita, Japan, waiting for my final flight to Incheon. For anyone who has never travelled internationally by themselves: do it. You’ll have so much fun, even if it’s just visiting a brand new airport in a far off land. Do it!

So I finally arrive in Seoul. There’s a bunch of boring customs stuff, whatever, you don’t care. The long and short of it is that someone from my school found me, put me on a bus by myself, and sent me on my way. My exhaustion and joy at *finally* being here overrode all my other thoughts, but looking back it was super weird that I was given basically no instruction on where to go or what to do. (A recurring theme with the school I worked for.) But I made it safely to the stop I needed, someone else found me and took me to my apartment, and everything seemed to be going great. My job didn’t start for a week, to ‘give me time to get ready and used to Korea’ in my handler’s words. Sure, whatever, I just wanted to sleep. (Another tip: ask more questions of people who know English and are native to the country you live in! Don’t just pass out as soon as you get there!)

After sleeping for basically a whole day, I decided to venture out into the wide world of Suwon, South Korea. Suwon was a suburb of Seoul, which basically meant that it was a giant city unto itself, and it was very obvious how urban Korea was the second I stepped out my door. I was overwhelmed. It hit me that I was in one of the largest cities in the world and I didn’t know a single person, I didn’t speak the language, I had very little money to my name, and basically no idea where to go for anything at all. It hit me like a ton of bricks, all at once. I walked into the first convenience store I saw, bought toilet paper, OJ, and crackers and disappeared back into my apartment. It, uh, got really bad. Really, really bad. Homesickness crushed me into the ground to the point where I contemplated throwing myself off a bridge bad. Yeah. Like I keep saying, prepare better than I did!

There was one saving grace: I had the internet. And in my endless browsing of the internet and hoping my friends back home would stay up until six in the morning just to keep talking to me, I discovered that Seoul had a Craigslist. Immediately my heart leapt. It was insane and desperate, but maybe I could find *someone* who would want to talk to me, help me, hang out with me, show me where the fuck to find more to eat than just crackers and juice. So I slapped a post up as soon as I could “New to Suwon, looking for someone to hang out with” or something similar to that. It was like I’d found a beacon into a beautiful, happy life, and I pinned all my hopes onto that absurd Craigslist posting.

I pretended that I wasn’t *too* interested in my ad. I played Fallout. I read some books. I checked my email every other minute or so. Eventually I my burning hope turned to a dim flame, to an ember, to resigned depression. The sun was setting and it was hot and humid in my room, the A/C mostly didn’t work, and I drifted off to sleep. When I jerked awake, I realized that someone was calling me on Skype- that tell-tale ringing sound pulled me out of my lazy dreams faster than a slap to the face. Even though it was just my parents I was glad to hear from them, from anyone back home, and I answered with joy.

We talked about nothing, how I was settling in, all that. I lied through my teeth, of course, and even though I was happy to hear from them it was all I could do to keep listening to them talk about this cool flower they saw on their bike-ride the other day. Their voices were just like a pleasant distraction, a calming presence, and less something I needed to actively respond to. I nodded in the right places enough to keep them talking, staying on the line, keeping me sane. While they talked I checked my email, hope springs eternal after all, right?

When I saw that I had a response sitting in my inbox I actually gasped. My parents asked if I was okay, I told them my leg had just fallen asleep, and they went back to talking. I opened the email with a trembling hand.

“Hey! I remember what it was like being new here. It sucked. A lot. Especially if you don’t know anyone. My name is Charlotte, I’m Canadian, and I’d be happy to show you around. I live in Suwon too so I can’t be too far away, you wanna meet up tonight? I’ll be around until seven or so, let me know! Here’s my phone number.”

My heart *leapt* for joy. I made some hasty excuses to my parents and closed the call. A woman! I would have hung out with a man, probably, but having a nice sounding Canadian woman to show me around? Yes! Life looked good again. Looked very very good again! I didn’t want to have to worry about dealing with some creepy dude just so I could go outside and do more than quail in terror, and my prayers had been answered with Charlotte! So. Damn. Awesome. I shot off a reply to her as fast as I could, telling her as best I could where I lived. Within a couple of minutes she got back to me.

“Hey, there’s a park like right across the street from you, right? We can meet there in about thirty minutes?” She was right. There was a park with a fountain just across the street from me, I could actually see it out my window. I told her I’d be there, hopped in the shower, washed my hair, and put on clean clothes for the first time in three days. I felt like a whole new person. (Also, advantage of short hair? Can leave the house with wet hair and it doesn’t matter nearly as much.)

After I was ready I sprinted across the road and into the park, standing next to the fountain. The sun was mostly down, but there was enough light to still see by. I didn’t have a phone yet, or a watch, but I was pretty sure that I wasn’t late. Or was I? Maybe I was and she had already left. Did I miss my chance to hang out with someone? God, was I just going to spend a week in my room contemplating suicide before I went to work? Maybe I should just go back to my apartment. Back to America. I was such an idiot for thinking I could–

“Hello there!”

It took me a minute to recognize the words as english, spoken by a native. I hadn’t heard english spoken like that since I’d left America. I turned and looked at the other side of the fountain and there she was. Charlotte. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t *her*. She was easily a foot taller than me, probably bordering on six six, with long black hair that ran down to her waist. Her legs were so long, and so toned, because with legs like hers why wouldn’t you wear shorts all day? But for how toned her legs were she managed to also look curvy and soft everywhere else. And, guys, really, she had the best fucking smile ever. I may have died and gone to heaven right there.

“H-hi!” I said. My voice sounded stupid and gross in my ears. But she smiled anyway.

“So, I’m Charlotte. Obviously.” She laughed and it was this deep, throaty laugh, a strange but cute counterpoint to her light voice. “It’s nice to meet you. Sorry for being late.

“It’s fine!” I almost yelled. “I, just, uh, I was a little early. Is all. Eager to get out.” I laughed weakly.

“Oh, I know how you feel!” She took my hand in hers, as if it was nothing at all, and tugged me down the park path. “I bet you’ve been eating a lot of crackers and juice, yeah? Stuff that you know what the hell it is.”

I nodded my head dumbly, shocked at how nice it was just to touch another human being. At how nice she was being to me. “H-how’d you know?” I asked. Charlotte shrugged.

“Everyone does it to an extent. Culture shock is a bitch. So I’m guessing you’re hungry?” My groaning stomach was all the reply she needed to hear.
We walked down the streets of Suwon, chatting idly about nothing and everything. We talked a lot about Korea, of course, but we also talked about our lives. What it was like to live in the boonies of Canada versus the boonies of America. How shitty President Bush was. Just, talking. Making friends. It seemed like something I’d never do again, but here I was doing it, and I was feeling way better about life and being alive. Eventually we stopped outside a nondescript door, slightly off the street we’d been walking down. We stepped inside and Charlotte took off her shoes, so I followed her example. Smells I didn’t recognize assaulted my senses, but underlying them all I could smell meat and that’s all that mattered to me at the moment: meat, protein, and something that wasn’t crackers.

Of course, it was better than I expected. If you’ve never done Korean BBQ you’re missing an awesome experience. They bring you a veritable feast of side-dishes, pickled veggies in delicious variety, seaweed salad, kimchii, and more than I can possibly remember. Then you choose a meat you want to cook on your own personal station, and they bring it to you, raw, and you cook it right there on your little stove. It is amazing. It was the best meal of my life. I’m reasonably sure I said like six words to Charlotte the entire time as I shoved a week’s worth of food down my throat. Later, after I’d finally stopped, I sat back and smiled.

“Better?” Charlotte asked.

“Jesus, yes. That was incredible.” I said. Everything was feeling better. I was full, sure, but I had more energy than I’d had in days. My mood was improved. Life seemed bright instead of a dull grey. I smiled and smiled and smiled at Charlotte.

“Awesome! I wasn’t sure you’d ever stop.” She said, laughing. She poked my belly out of the blue and I burped. “See? You ate *so much*!”

“Shut up! I saw you eat almost as much as me.” I said, blushing.

“Ah, true, but I have to fill all this hollow space in my legs.” She said, slapping her thigh to emphasize the point. For a moment I was fascinated by the redness spreading across her thigh where her hand had made contact with the thigh.

“Well I hadn’t eaten in three days, so, shut up, ya jerk.” I shot back.

“Oh, you Americans, so defensive. So angry.” She chided me.

We bickered like that for a few minutes more, until Charlotte got up to pay the check. I protested that I had money, but she literally ignored me and walked away to go pay. She said something about it being tradition for the old people to buy for the newbies, and I’d get my chance. More than anything, I was just embarrassed I’d eaten so much and she was insisting on paying for it. I tried to apologize when she came back.

“No. Shut up. It’s fine. This is why I took you out, I know what it was like to be you right now. It’s fine. Just help someone else out when they get here, okay?” It seemed so reasonable, all I could do was nod.

“So!” Charlotte pulled out her phone and looked at it. “It’s almost 11,” that caught me off guard, we’d been here for almost three hours, but it felt like ten minutes, “unless you wanna go out drinking tonight, we should probably call it a night.”

“Oh.” I felt my heart sink. Charlotte was so nice, and it was nice to be out with someone, and I didn’t want to go back to my room just to sleep and face another day alone.

“By which, I mean, of course, that you should come hang out with me, eat some pizza, and watch bad Canadian movies.” I know. You’re all immediately thinking “Netflix and chill?” Right? Well, yeah, I sure as hell wasn’t. I just wanted some company, and sitting around relaxing with such a fun and beautiful woman sounded great.

“Ha, yeah, I’m down for that. Maybe not pizza though. Maybe not food ever again.” I said. Charlotte gave me that smile that I couldn’t help but look at again.

“You’ll change your mind when we get back.” She said.

One great thing about being in Korea is that you have to walk. You walk everywhere. Partially, it gives you time to talk to people you’re with, and partially it’s great for managing to stay in shape. While Charlotte technically lived in Suwon, it was a good two mile walk from my apartment to hers. Not that I really cared, our conversation was so fun and relaxed that the time passed by quickly, and I found myself liking her more and more. This day was turning better by the minute.

The apartment building Charlotte lived in was generic, one of many in a long line of apartment buildings, but she had the added advantage of having more space than I did. She somehow managed to end up with a closet! So lucky. I took off my shoes and stepped inside after Charlotte. She turned, smiled at me, then pushed me up against the door leaned down and kissed me. Instinctively my hands reached up, really only to her stomach, and pushed her away. A look of horror came over her face.

“Oh, fuck, shit. Did… fuck, I thought you were… Christ, I am so sorry.” Charlotte struggled with her words.

“No! No, no, god, Charlotte. Wow, no.” I said. I hadn’t been actively thinking of Charlotte sexually, but it was clear that she had been thinking of me like that, and now that she’d pressed the issue, yeah, I was *down*. “Come here. Please.”

The horror on her face melted into concern. “You’re sure? I… don’t want to pressure you.”

“Come. Here.” I growled.

She lunged forward and picked me up in one smooth motion, shocking me with her strength. Clearly Charlotte worked out. I should have guessed she had, but I’m dense as hell sometimes. She held me up by my ass and I wrapped my legs around her waist and my arms around her neck. We kissed hard and deep, nothing graceful about it, nothing soft or gentle. All raw need. Charlotte turned us away from her door and carried me through the apartment, into her bedroom. I broke off the kiss to let her see where she was going, but I nibbled her neck the whole way. I’m nice, but not *that* nice.

When we got to her bedroom Charlotte tossed me onto her mattress, and I bounced a few times before settling there. I giggled at the bouncing, and how strong she was. My giggles were abruptly cut off as Charlotte stepped forward, bent down to the mattress, and tugged my skirt off my hips and tossed it over her shoulder. Before I could process that I was suddenly without my skirt, I felt the warm air of her apartment on my exposed lips, panties discarded somewhere over Charlotte’s shoulder. This was usually when anticipation was built, that moment of stomach churning need before they finally went down on me, that moment of letting me hang–

Charlotte didn’t have time for that shit. She locked her mouth onto my pussy and started licking my clit. My hips bucked in surprise and pleasure, I moaned her name. This was *not* how my encounters with women had usually gone. (Granted, I wasn’t particularly experienced here.) Charlotte was taking and apparently didn’t really care how I felt about it. Her tongue worked circles on my clit as she pushed one, finger inside me. Then two. Then three. It stunned me how easily they all went in, how wonderful it felt to have her inside me like that, how much it felt right for her to be treating me like this. My hips jerked against her face and I was afraid I was going to give her a bloody nose. I rubbed my nipples, I pulled her hair, I licked my fingers. I had no fucking clue what I was doing. As quickly as it’d started, I was cumming. I grabbed Charlotte’s head and held her in place, arching my back up, screaming something in some language that was possibly english.

I relaxed. Charlotte moved away.

“Fucking *hell*,” I gasped, “that was amazing.”

Charlotte smiled that stunning smile at me. We kissed and I tasted myself on her.

“Now it’s my turn.” I said. I laid back on the mattress and started tugging at her shorts. She quickly got the hint and stood to take them off. God, her pussy. Her hair was lighter, and neatly shaved and I could have looked at it for hours. Maybe later. Not now, though. Charlotte laid down next to me, and kissed me softly.

“Nuh-huh.” I said. “Get on top.” Charlotte smiled.

“Like…?” She gestured at my face.

“Yeah.” I smiled back at her.

Charlotte stood and stripped off the rest of her clothes, and I was pleasantly surprised to see she had a tattoo on her of a rose on her left breast. And, also, you know, happy to see her stunning breasts as a whole. She climbed up the bed until she was squatting over my face and slowly lowered her pussy to my mouth. I could feel the heat from inches away as she came closer. I closed my eyes as her lips made contact with mine, and immediately my tongue snaked its way inside her. She tasted like, I don’t know, like Charlotte. It was sweet and salty and smoky and somehow reminded me of sunshine and exercise and gentle laughter. That’s insane, right? Whatever.

Charlotte played with her breasts while my tongue pushed inside her vagina. I brought a hand up to toy with her clit, and soon her hips were rocking back and forth in a quick pace. Unlike me, Charlotte wasn’t much of a noise maker, she mostly made quiet little gasps and squeaks, clenching her legs around my skull and pulling my head closer. Her pace increased and I became less active, finger on her clit notwithstanding, as she fucked herself on my tongue. She lasted as long as I did, which is to say not at all. Thankfully, not long at all, because her hips were moving so fast and I was pulled so tight to her that I wasn’t sure if I could keep breathing for much longer. But Charlotte gave a louder gasp, and collapsed forward, her arms trembling with the effort of keeping her upright. Her legs shivered around me as she went totally still.

“Well.” She said.

“Yeah?” I asked.

“Yeah. That was, yeah. Good.” She said. We both laughed. Charlotte scooted down my body and laid next to me in the bed, wrapping an arm around me. She licked my face a little, cleaning her fluid off me, and we kissed. Soft. Slow. Happy.

My stomach growled.

“See? Told you you’d want pizza.”

Source: reddit.com/r/gonewildstories/comments/49zp9h/21f22f_adventures_in_teaching_overseas_part_1