We all know it’s hard to start new things. But it can also be difficult to pick up old things again too. Toastmasters, for me, was one of those things. It’s an international organization aimed to promote public speaking and leadership growth, among other things. I first joined around 2016, and I think I just kind of attended the club without much thought.
For me, Toastmasters was one of the ways I met new people to practice Korean. Frankly, I had no interest in speaking English or giving speeches.
It wasn’t until 2018-2019, almost two years later, that I really got into Toastmasters, but that’s a different story.
Four-year comeback
It’s been a while since I attended a meeting – the last time was before the pandemic, before I left for Canada. My ‘home’ club is in Gyodae, an area close to Seoul’s Gangnam area.
The first thing I remember is how early the meeting is. It’s at 10 AM – actually 30 minutes later than it used to be, which was 9:30 AM back when I attended. Nevertheless, it means I have to leave the house by no later than 9 AM, which means waking up before 8 AM to get ready on a Saturday.
That’s the first thing about this club – everyone that comes to it is a motivated, driven person (or so I find) just simply because it takes a different breed to wake up early on Saturdays to go and give speeches (in a different language no less).
Grumbling, I get ready and head out, armed for the one hour journey with a podcast.
The journey
The trip honestly isn’t that bad. It’s just one transfer, and the route is nice and scenic.
I think it’s actually around 40 minutes, but it’s a little closer to an hour if I miss elevators, don’t get lucky on the subway transfer, walk slow, etc.
I transfer from the Gyeongui Line (경의중앙선) to Line 3 at Oksu Station (옥수역). This station is one of my favorites. It’s not underground (hence the natural light) and has a cool walkway that connects the two lines, complete with a street food stall that fills the air with delicious smells.
The meeting
Okay, this place was packed. It was my first time going back in a long time, but there seems to be even more people than before. The meeting is held in a massive café but it was completely filled to the point where there weren’t enough seats.
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I’ll write a more full post about the meeting in detail some other time, but like always, I had a good time. There’s something about seeing so many people gathered early Saturday morning, working hard, that gives you a kind of energy.
If you want to meet (Korean) friends, Toastmasters is one of the better ways to do it, in my opinion. As someone who went from zero friends to many, attending all kinds of meetings, clubs, and gatherings, Toastmasters (particularly Gyodae) remains one of my favorite places. The people are all super friendly, everyone’s here to practice their English, and you get to meet people of all kinds of ages and professions.
For those serious about settling in or living well in Korea, meeting all kinds of people is a must.
The people I’ve met at Toastmasters have been some of my closest friends, mentors, and more, and I’ve received no shortage of help from them. Some of them have been like my family away from home, so I can wholeheartedly recommend any wandering souls in Seoul to visit. You’ll be welcomed for sure.
If you want more information on how to attend, leave a comment! The club meets every Saturday at Ediya Cafe in Gyodae at 10am.
What is Second Round (2차)?
Usually, the members go out for lunch after the meeting – it’s a common concept known as the second round (2차) in Korea. Many gatherings have progressive ‘stages’ that continue on, and each one is known as a round.
For example, the meeting is the first round. Lunch is the second round. Coffee might be the third round, and so on. In the past, we’d sometimes get to the eighth or even ninth round, drinking well into the night..
But today, I had lunch plans.
After the meeting, I met up with a good friend of mine and we headed nearby for lunch.
Garlic and Pepper
Restaurant Info
We ordered a basil pesto pasta, and a pomodoro. All in all the food was okay. It’s not somewhere that I’d make a special trip for, but if you’re in the area and want a quiet, cozy place to have brunch it’s nice.
After lunch, we stopped by at the café next door.
Momentum Cafe
A couple hours went by pretty quickly, and soon enough it was time to go home.
The rest of the day was spent cleaning and reorganizing the house. A cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind, after all. I like to spend at least an hour or two on the weekend keeping my house clean, since I have very little time during the week.
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