Brian Korpics
Recruiting Coordinator
Brian Korpics in his natural environment
I knew the best way to travel was to get your hands dirty in the process. Let’s face it, backpacking is fun and an adventure, but how much of a given country do you actually experience? You meet a lot of similar people staying in hostels, and a lot of the sights you see are more of a backdrop than they are an experience. Also, most of the local people you meet in these countries are just faces. I believe to seek that true experience you have to live and work in another culture.
I got my first taste of real traveling during college when I went with some friends to build houses in a tiny town called Tosagua in Ecuador. It would have been impossible for me to meet the people I did without spending about a month working side by side with Ecuadorians that I have actually stayed in contact with. The people you meet are what really create the unique experience of traveling.
Another path into a new country that I really enjoy is to explore the wilderness. Taipei is a city of contrasts. It is a fast paced modern city with more traditional pockets everywhere you look. More importantly though, you can walk down one of the most densely populated streets in the world only to find yourself secluded in the subtropical mountains a half an hour bus ride later. Backpacking and camping are some of my favorite things to do back home, and now I’ve gotten to experience this in a subtropical setting.
Brian having some fun with his youngest class of students
Teaching has been the most exciting parts of this whole experience. It is like nothing I have ever done before. Having to entertain a whole classroom full of different personalities and still manage to teach them something is definitely a challenge. Although the rewards are just as great; there isn’t really anything I can compare to knowing you have made a positive impact on a child’s life. Also, I am convinced that new teachers learn just as much as the kids do in the process.
Adjusting to life, rather than just a few weeks, in a new country is also a huge adventure. When I first arrived, I would spend a good half hour or so walking down the streets looking for a meal that I could easily point to and be on my way. It wasn’t until a few weeks in when I learned that Taiwanese people really are as genuinely friendly as you hear and that I could have walked up to any stand and smiled my way into something tasty.
The Taiwanese friends that I met in those early days would act as though I was adjusting quickly and compliment me on my chopstick form. Little did they know my hand would cramp up halfway through any meal. I know the rules on swimming, but no one told me to wait an hour after you eat to use chopsticks. Either way, now with my hugely muscular hand I can look back on that time and laugh at my adjustment. Eating habits aside, it’s amazing how far you can come and how much you can learn living in another culture for a year.
Brian making friends with some of the locals here in Taiwan
I would encourage anyone thinking about spending some time abroad to seriously consider teaching. Reach To Teach has placed me in an ideal situation, and it’s hard to think about how much different my time here could have been. When I hear the nasty things some schools can do to their native English teachers it makes me very happy that I don’t have to spend my time worrying about getting paid and job security. I’ve recommended four friends to Reach To Teach since arriving in Taiwan, and I wouldn’t hesitate to do the same again.
I’ll look forward to speaking with you soon.. If you are lucky enough to have me as your interviewer!
Brian Korpics
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