The time I fell in love with England in the middle of summer
An invitation to British daily life and travel

I spent two years on a working holiday in the UK, adjusting to the unpredictable weather and unfamiliar language.
Ahead of returning home, the special four months spent in England unfold with stories of daily life and travel.
I stayed with a British family and experienced the ordinary yet special daily lives of British people.
I had a barbecue party in the garden with my neighbors, a garden party to celebrate the Queen's 70th birthday, and taught Korean to British students at a school in Wales.
Every day spent in England was a joyful and happy time, experiencing the unique lifestyle and diverse culture of the British people and naturally learning about British culture.
It was also a time when I could adapt to English and slowly grow into a Korean teacher.
On a trip to Rome, Italy, where I escaped from my daily life in England, I experienced a different culture, friendly people, and a hot summer.
Just before returning home, I had a great time with my Korean family who came to the UK and had a great time wrapping up my two years in the UK.


The author's stories of everyday life in Britain are all the more interesting and relatable because they are ordinary stories that could happen to anyone.
Just as our lives are made up of small, shining pieces of everyday life, the small, insignificant everyday life in England brightened up a part of my life.
In the middle of summer, the time we fell in love with England, the story of the radiant everyday life in England is enough to pique our curiosity.
You can also feel the excitement of traveling in Europe by reading travel stories about England and Rome, Italy.
Join us on a journey into the exciting story of Britain.

My two years in England were a time when I could slowly grow as a Korean teacher, adapting to the turbulent and unpredictable weather and the difficult and unfamiliar language.
The book contains stories about Alex and his family, whom he met and became lovers with while studying abroad in Tokyo, stories about neighbors he enjoyed afternoon tea and garden parties with, and episodes about Koreans he met in London.

--- p.9

In some ways, it is not a story about a huge event or a very special experience.
But I believe my stories of everyday life in Britain will be more interesting to read because they are ordinary stories that could happen to anyone.
Our lives are made up of little shining pieces of everyday life.
The small, everyday things in England have come together to brighten up a part of my life.

--- p.11

As someone who really loves London, I was always hearing negative things about London from people around me, so it felt really good to meet a neighbor who also loves London.
Her husband also didn't like London, so she and I were the only ones who loved London at the barbecue table.
Still, I was a little relieved to have met someone who understood my feelings.
I sighed in relief, thinking, 'Wow, I'm not the only one who's into London.'

--- p.23

I want to meet different people.
As the nightmare of COVID-19 draws to a close, I miss parties, reunions, and bustling gatherings with people.
We may not understand each other perfectly, but that may be why we become better friends.
We fill the unknown parts with curiosity, respect the shining parts, and affirm each other.
At the end of spring, when summer is in preparation, red roses bloom in the flower beds.

--- p.28

Although many of her friends are British, she also has friends of other nationalities, so she seems to be exposed to a variety of accents.
As you converse, you may find yourself switching from the British English accent you learned from your British school teacher to an American English accent (or an English accent from another country).
It was amazing.
Often times, we don't notice things like that until someone else discovers them.
Alex also has a regular hair salon he's been going to since he was a child, and one day the hairdresser asked him, "You have an American accent today? Have you been to America?"
Alex was very shocked and guessed that we might have passed each other on while talking.

--- p.37

Alex's house also decided to hold a garden party to celebrate the 'Platinum Jubilee' with the neighbors and enjoy afternoon tea together.
A garden party following the last barbecue party? Just when he was thinking it was romantic, Alex frowned.
He was an introvert, the complete opposite of me, who welcomed meeting new people and talking to them, and he complained a lot.
In fact, it wasn't just that he was introverted and hated parties.
(That may be the biggest reason) He said that it was obvious that he would have to become a 'waiter'.

--- p.54

It was a bright sunny afternoon.
It's a well-known fact that British people love to talk about the weather, but it really hit home that day.
The phrases “What a lovely day” and “I’m so glad it didn’t rain” were exchanged dozens of times.
When the sun was briefly obscured by clouds, I shivered from the cold, and when the sunlight hit my face again without mercy, I couldn't even open my eyes.

--- p.63

Especially, kids who like BTS or K-pop idols study harder.
The speed of writing Korean is much faster and the speaking is already good.
However, there are many students who take the class for reasons other than liking K-pop.
Some students took the class simply because they liked the Korean language, while others came because a friend asked them to.
Although different grades came together for different purposes, we worked tirelessly to create a classroom that included all children.

--- p.90

I don't know who said British people have no emotions.
On the outside, they may seem a bit cold and tend to put up a lot of walls around others, but if you get to know them slowly, you'll find that they are warmer, kinder, and more affectionate than anyone else.
“It’s so hard for me to say goodbye like this,” said Teacher Vicky on the last day.
“I will miss you so much,” he said in a sad voice, which made my heart ache.
A bouquet of pink flowers was neatly arranged in a vase and placed on the windowsill.
As long as the flowers remained in their place, I was able to deeply cherish a precious sense of belonging to a small Welsh village.

--- p.103

When I first went to Japan as an exchange student, I was shocked by how high the cost of living in Tokyo was, but England was even worse.
Usually, if two people drink a glass of cola at a restaurant, it costs 6 to 9 pounds each, and a meal menu costs about 15 pounds, so the total is almost 40 pounds, which is about 60,000 won in Korean currency.
In Korea, a meal could easily cost 6,000 won, but here, you can barely afford a cup of coffee or cola for 6,000 won (4 pounds).
Instead, the prices of ingredients are very cheap.
Vegetables and fruits are cheap, and meat is also very cheap.
So in the UK, the culture of cooking at home is stronger.

--- p.131

The words 'It's greasy!' rose to the top of my lungs at my first bite, but I couldn't show my weakness to Alex, who was sitting across from me, so I pretended to be satisfied and finished the meal.
Alex was the kind of guy who would tell me that the restaurant was overrated and that the reputation of good Italian or French food was just a marketing ploy, so I knew he'd chuckle if he saw my illusions shattered right before his eyes.
That was the only thing I had to avoid!
--- p.137

While we didn't go outside, Britain recorded its hottest day of the year.
The temperature peaked at 30 degrees, but then dropped to 18 degrees the next day with heavy rain.
The rain hits the window with a pitter-patter sound.
When I open the window, I hear the sound of rain falling.
It's the sound of summer.
If you were in Korea, a cool rain would be a symbol of summer.
Being in England, rain is a daily occurrence.
Sunny days without rain are a summer privilege in Britain.
--- p.151

It must be nice to live in Europe.
i envy you.
For a flight ticket costing 200,000 won, you can freely travel from England to Spain, Italy, and France.
Of course, you can also go by train.
His optimistic and easygoing attitude is understandable.
For me, it's a place I'll have a hard time returning to once I return to Korea, but for him, Europe is like his front yard, a place he's been traveling to since he was young, so he doesn't think it's anything special.
Even for him, who has been traveling to Spain, Italy, and France every vacation season since he was a child, this was his first time in Rome, so he was bound to be a little excited.

--- p.168

Alex, a British-born traveler who was also on the trip, was almost in tears when he said, “I’m not built for this weather.”
I, too, have felt the heat every summer in Korea, but perhaps because I was used to the cool summers I lived in England for two years, when I tasted real heat, I felt like I was going to lose my mind.
Summers in the UK rarely exceed 30 degrees Celsius, and even in midsummer, temperatures are often in the 20s or below.
The temperature, which was 17 degrees when I left England, suddenly rose to 28 degrees as soon as I arrived in Rome. The warmth felt good for a moment, but the heat that followed made me feel suffocated and tired.

--- p.186

It would have been nice to reflect on the countless years of prosperity and decline of the Roman Empire here, but the two frail tourists were most delighted to discover a vending machine in the shade.
After purchasing a bottle of water each and gulping it down to replenish our hydration, we happily said, “Shall we go now?” “Okay, I have a rough idea of ​​what this place is like (We got the idea).” After having this simple conversation, we left the ruins.

--- p.198

As we were taking our seats, the Pope finally appeared! When he appeared, we were a little disappointed because from where we were, all we could see was a white dot moving.
As soon as the Mass began, readings and hymns were sung in various languages.
The sun still shone brightly on the square.
At a little after six thirty, the Pope finally began his speech.
It was probably in Italian, so I didn't understand a single phrase, but I was starting to feel a little excited about being in the same room as the Pope.
--- p.211

I was telling an Italian student about my experience in Rome and the kindness of the people there. I said, “Italians are so incredibly kind and friendly! I didn’t know that at all because I was in England.” The student replied, “It’s a well-known fact that in Europe, the further north you go, the more unfriendly and cold people are, and the further south you go, the more friendly and warm people are.”
“And in Italy too, there are a lot more friendly people in the south than in the north,” he added, which was even more surprising.

--- p.225

My second impression of Rome was that “the people were so friendly.”
Most Roman people greeted me kindly with a smile, and answered questions I asked out of the blue with a kind tone and clarity.
The warmth I felt in Rome was so moving that it brought tears to my eyes.
It's hard to have this experience in London, where strangers greet you with "bongiorno" (good morning) just by making eye contact.
Londoners are generally blunt.

--- p.242

I used to hate summer, but after coming to England, I started to love summer.
People who live closer to nature will likely like spring more than winter and summer more than spring.
I want to live with the blue sky and green trees by my side, feeling the changes of nature.
I want to be grateful for the flowers that wake up in the summer heat and love the rain that helps the trees grow.
It's summer, and my favorite blue hydrangeas are in bloom.
It is summer, and the village is dyed fresh after a lot of rain, and then suddenly surprised by the warm sunlight.
We were in the middle of summer.

--- p.246

When I recommend a park tour to a friend who's planning a trip to England, they ask, "Why bother? There are parks in Korea, too."
The parks you experience in London are a bit different from those in Korea.
Korean parks are beautiful, but they are more like well-designed walking paths.
British parks are free spaces where you can walk on green grass and go wherever you want.
You can also enjoy a picnic with your friends by laying out a mat.
You can forget the worries of reality for a moment while immersed in the vast green nature that spreads out like a forest.
A day in a British park with endless possibilities will provide true relaxation and healing.

--- p.285

We went to Bacchus Tea Rooms in the High Street Arcade in Cardiff city centre.
It was a dreamlike experience to be drinking tea and enjoying dessert with my mom, dad, younger brother, and Alex at my favorite tea house.
Because we had eaten ramen and chicken cutlet lunch boxes at a Japanese restaurant before, we were full and couldn't eat much dessert, but the whole experience was meaningful.
After coming to England, I walked around Cardiff city center almost every day for two years.
It was amazing to be with my mom, dad, and younger sibling in a place that felt like home.
The afternoon tea set included two scones, sandwiches, cake, and macarons.
--- p.296

When I actually arrived, the view from the top was more beautiful and impressive than the view from the clock.
The path up to the top of the park was steep, so I complained that my legs were sore, but once I arrived, the vast sky, the dazzling river, and the panoramic view of London were truly beautiful.
It was a breathtaking view that made my heart race.
Under the setting sun, a golden glow was reflected on the Thames River.
It was Alex's parents who recommended Greenwich Park.
I could only express my gratitude later.

--- p.315