How can I find a friend?

[El Kabong]

miles, why be self conscious about going out alone? People are more apt to talk to you if you're by yourself. Perhaps there is some civic group you could join...I am actually thinking of becoming a Freemason not because I lack friends, I just want to have a deeper connection to my community and expand the group of people I have connections with. I would also suggest going to church, but that might not be your cup of tea....perhaps finding a good coffee shop would suit you.

How old are your students btw?

My students are the usual college age. They range from 18 to 24. Some of the males are back from their military service so can be a fair bit older than you would expect.

I've gone out alone in the past, but it's not so bad in my old city as I know it very well. I kind of know where to go. Here it is quite different. Also, though I can speak the basics of the Korean language fairly well, it can be really hard work in a bar setting. Just as it can be very difficult for many Koreans to strike up a conversation about significant issues in English. It is very hard work.

I suppose it's all about me persevering for the next couple of weeks until my domestic life is back to normal. I haven't lived alone in over 6 years. It feels very unusual having the house to myself. In a way it's kind of liberating. I am sitting here drinking my second type of beer which would be unheard of if the wife was here (I've got all sorts of random stuff), but it does feel kind of empty without her around.

Usually there are foreign communities. For instance, in my old city we even have a community website and there is a network of people. Having become domesticated I kind of fell out of the loop, but it was always there if I needed it. I have tried searching for something similar here, but there doesn't seem to be anything like that. Obviously I could never join a church or anything like that. Just an occasional drinking partner would be nice. Just a once a month thing for when the guys need a little break from the whole domestication thing.

There's bound to be some ex-pats around miles. And don't you teach english? Why not speak English with some of your past students at a pub or something?