한국어
Liam’s Life in Korea Part 1
Three Weeks in Korea Since Arriving on October 17
Dodoksan Children’s Forest
The first weekend in Korea had arrived. Since we had just come from Australia’s warm weather, even though October in Korea was considered mild, it felt quite chilly to us. Since it was our first weekend, we decided not to go too far and looked for a playground nearby. There was a big mountain called Dodoksan near our home, and it had a camping site, a suspension bridge, a valley, and even a nature playground—plenty of places to explore!
We decided to check out the Dodoksan Children’s Forest, a nature playground. Since Mom said it was only a 30-minute walk, we figured we could walk there. So, the three of us set off on foot. But the path was uphill and pretty tough. Towards the end, Liam kept asking, “Are we there yet?” which made me a little nervous that he might say he was too tired.
We finally made it and started with sand play, then tried the flying fox. But the wind was quite strong, so we couldn’t stay too long. After about an hour of play, we walked back home. While we were there, Liam met a little girl, just over two years old, and playing together was much more fun than playing alone.
Even though Liam couldn’t speak Korean yet, the kids somehow understood each other perfectly. ><
Since we had been driving everywhere in Australia, adjusting to a pedestrian lifestyle in Korea was still a challenge. We weren’t familiar with the bus system or the schedule, so we decided to walk home again.
On the way back, we stopped by Tous Les Jours for coffee and bread, which was a nice break. But next time, we’re definitely taking the bus!
Grocery Shopping
Korean supermarkets were different from Australian ones. They had a variety of unique items, and there were so many snacks and juices for kids! Liam absolutely loved grocery shopping here.
He would eagerly push the wheeled shopping basket around, grabbing everything he wanted. At first, I was worried that he might have a hard time adjusting to Korea and ask to go back to Australia. So in the beginning, I bought him everything he asked for.
Little did I know that once he got used to life in Korea, he would start loving shopping so much that he’d ask for something every time we went to the store!
Visiting the Market
There was a big market near our house. Since there were so many interesting things to see, we often went there just for fun. Liam especially loved looking at the fresh fish at the seafood stalls. No matter how many times he saw them, he never got tired of it. Every time we visited, he reacted with the same excitement as if he were seeing everything for the first time. It was fascinating to watch!
On our walks, he was also busy picking up fallen leaves. He always carried at least one in his hand. The variety of leaf shapes and colors in Korea fascinated him, so he would carefully collect them and bring them home.
In October, the seafood stalls were full of fresh shrimp. Liam was so entertained watching the live shrimp jump around that he constantly asked to go back to the market. As shrimp season passed, live crabs and then octopuses appeared. Seeing different live seafood depending on the season was incredibly exciting for him.
Since we were always hanging around the seafood stalls, I felt bad for just watching without buying anything. So one day, I bought some shrimp. Back home, Liam was completely mesmerized, touching and observing them closely. And in the end, we boiled them and had them for dinner!
Starting Kindergarten
Liam started kindergarten just four days after arriving in Korea. Our main reason for coming was to send him to kindergarten here and help him learn some Korean.
He didn’t seem to dislike it and adjusted well from the beginning. But compared to his Australian daycare, where he could run around all day, the Korean kindergarten required him to sit through long lessons. I could tell it wasn’t as fun for him. Still, he adapted well, and since they often did drawing and crafts—his favorite activities—he kept going without any trouble.
Taekwondo Classes
Since kindergarten started late and ended early, we found that Liam had too much free time in the afternoons. The house in Korea was small and had no toys, and the kindergarten didn’t have as many active play opportunities. So, we decided to enroll him in Taekwondo, where he could move around and burn off energy. It turned out to be the perfect activity—he learned discipline, followed rules, and got to run around safely indoors with other kids. Plus, it was very cost-effective!
Every Friday was “Jumping Castle Day,” making it the highlight of the week.
At first, when we visited the Taekwondo gym just to observe, Liam said he didn’t want to do it. But the very next day, he started talking about it again and said he wanted to go. So, we signed him up, and he ended up attending for a little over two months until the day before we left Korea. I wished we had started earlier—then he could have done a full three months!
After starting Taekwondo, he was so obsessed that he practiced everywhere—even on the streets. He didn’t care if people stared; he would kick and punch as we walked. Because of this, he constantly attracted attention, and Korean grandmas and grandpas would always stop to say something to him. Walking around with Liam meant never having a quiet moment!
After Kindergarten
Near our home, there was a stream where Liam could ride his bike and exercise. Back in Australia, he was really into catching ants, and that didn’t change in Korea. October in Korea had such perfect weather, making it an amazing time to play outside.
After kindergarten, he would take an empty bottle and go to the stream to catch ants, spending hours completely absorbed in his game.
Taking the Subway
Since I didn’t have a car and couldn’t drive on the opposite side of the road like in Australia, I had to rely on public transportation with Liam—walking, taking buses, and riding the subway.
Because of this, Liam got to ride the subway for the first time in his life. At first, he was super excited, but since Korean subways don’t have much of a view outside and the rides can be quite long, he quickly got bored.
As time went on and we took the subway more often, he naturally picked up on the etiquette, like lining up properly. It amazed me how quickly he adapted!
However, Korea can sometimes be a bit disorderly, and whenever Liam saw someone breaking the rules, he would loudly point it out. Thankfully, he spoke in English, so most people didn’t understand what he was saying! 😅
Every Friday After School
From Monday to Thursday, most Korean kids go to private academies (학원) after kindergarten, getting picked up by academy shuttle buses.
But on Fridays, it seemed like all the kids had a silent agreement—after school, they would all gather at the playground in front of the kindergarten and play together for about an hour before heading home.
At first, Liam didn’t know how to ask to play tag in Korean, and I felt bad for him when the other kids didn’t understand what he was saying. He came to me and asked, “How do you say ‘catch me’ in Korean?” I taught him to say “잡아봐!” and he immediately ran back to the kids and used it.
As our time in Korea went on, he became quite fluent in Korean. By the time we were getting ready to return to Australia, he was able to chat and play with his friends entirely in Korean, which made me so proud.
Riding a Scooter
Since we were going to be in Korea for three months, I figured Liam needed at least one fun ride-on toy, so I got him an inexpensive scooter. It turned out to be a great investment!
He used it for his kindergarten commute and for playing outside, and in the end, we even took it back to Australia with us.
Liam’s Favorite Food – Sushi
Liam has always been a huge sushi lover, even in Australia. However, unlike Australia, where there are more cooked options, most sushi in Korea is made with raw fish, so there weren’t many options he could eat.
Still, he absolutely loved that one type of sushi he could eat and would devour 4-5 plates in one sitting, constantly asking to go for sushi again.
Whenever we went to a kids’ café, we often stopped by the sushi train restaurant inside the shopping center. Many times, our lunch ended up being either sushi or tteokbokki before heading home.
Korean Robots… Tobot!
Korea has an impressive variety of robots, and they’re incredibly well-made.
About three weeks before we left for Korea, Liam became obsessed with robots and begged for one. I told him we’d buy one in Korea, so I held off on getting one in Australia, where the options were limited and of lower quality compared to Korean ones.
After we arrived, his grandma took him to a toy store to buy a robot as a gift. But, of course, the thing about these robots is that they usually transform or combine, meaning you can’t just have one—you need the whole set!
So, I ended up ordering the rest online to complete the collection.
As expected, while Liam always played with building blocks and LEGO, the robots mostly became display pieces. 😂
Moving Day in Korea
Korea has so many apartment buildings, and the way people move into them is quite unique.
Liam was absolutely fascinated by the sight of moving day and watched with so much excitement whenever someone was relocating.
Garbage Trucks
Little boys love cars, trucks, and all sorts of vehicles, and Liam was no exception. He was especially obsessed with construction trucks.
In Korea, he got to see something he had only read about in books—the grab hook truck!
At the apartment complex in front of his kindergarten, every Thursday was recycling day. And every Thursday, without fail, was “grab hook truck watching day” for Liam. 🚛
