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The Red Fish Project: A uniquely honest account of living abroad
Home can suck the life out of you. And Andrew would know. After graduating from one of those fancy, elite American colleges, he spent the next year and a half thrashing about in a call centre in his hometown in Canada. Then in a moment of impulsive boldness, he moved to South Korea.
The average person talking about the expat life won’t stop talking about how amazing it is. And that’s a lie. Living in another country can be really hard. And coming back can be even harder. But that’s not a reason not to go.
Through his own story as well as the narratives of thirteen average-extraordinary expats, Andrew presents the ups and downs of living abroad in an honest, punchy, humourous tone. Living abroad isn’t all sunshine and smiles, but because of the hardships, not in spite of them, it’s an adventure worth pursuing.
The average person talking about the expat life won’t stop talking about how amazing it is. And that’s a lie. Living in another country can be really hard. And coming back can be even harder. But that’s not a reason not to go.
Through his own story as well as the narratives of thirteen average-extraordinary expats, Andrew presents the ups and downs of living abroad in an honest, punchy, humourous tone. Living abroad isn’t all sunshine and smiles, but because of the hardships, not in spite of them, it’s an adventure worth pursuing.
244 pages, Paperback
Published October 26, 2015
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18 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Gillmore
2 books6 followersAndrew Gillmore is a patriotic Canadian, die-hard hockey fan, and dry-witted humorist. A philosophy graduate of Washington and Lee University, he spends his time pondering the big questions of life and dancing in the shower.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 16, 2015
South Korea is a unique place in which to live, especially when you’re an expat, in the prime of your life, with limited responsibilities. Most people come here to pay off student loans; some come to travel for a bit while they decide what they want to be when they grow up. A few come to jump-start their teaching career. Some come here with the apparent intention to destroy their livers. A lot of them end up writing memoirs about their time in Korea. And a lot of the time, those memoirs are truly awful. Andrew Gillmore’s memoir of his time spent in Korea breaks away from the deluge of one-sided, cliched and narcissistic drivel. The Red Fish Project stands apart, showing a kaleidoscope of experiences with unapologetic honesty and a dry sense of humour.
The thing that sets this memoir apart from such “gems” as First Contact In Korea by Brian Ward and Seoul Searching by Al Williams is that The Red Fish Project is not just the story of Andrew Gillmore’s experiences as an expat in Korea, but a collection of stories from other expats who have left the soul-sucking drudgery of everyday life to forge adventure in other countries. Gillmore interviewed fourteen expats whose adventures range from cycling through South America to cross-cultural marriage. Each story gives voice to a different aspect of expat life, some of which may be entirely unexpected, and which, at times, were incredibly emotional. Furthermore, the blunt honesty of the novel lends itself to some pretty racy stories, and some quite revolting poop incidents.
Having already inflicted some truly awful expat memoirs upon myself, but with the willingness to give this one the benefit of the doubt nonetheless, I went into this one with low expectations. I steeled myself for the standard fare: first jaunt in a nude Korean spa, first soju hangover, something about being a celebrity because of being an ethnic minority in a homogenous country… As far as expat memoirs go, there’s a certain selection of experiences that are known to be crowd pleasers with the folks back home, but which tend to feel a bit tired after you’ve read fifty travel blogs on the subject. While some of them did make it into The Red Fish Project, however, I was pleasantly surprised with the refreshingly different way in which Gillmore tells them. These “commonplace” anecdotes are a sparse sprinkling in between some truly gut-wrenchingly sad, hilarious, confusing and inspirational stories from the 13 interviewees.
The stories told by the other expats are the true meat of this book, and their depiction of the reality of packing up your life and starting over in a new country resonated with my own experiences. I feel that they would be worthwhile reading for anyone planning to expatriate. Meanwhile, Gillmore’s personal anecdotes serve as illustrations for a series of essays ranging in topic from the failings of modern education to how comfort and convenience lead us to waste our lives away instead of contributing to the world. When you put Gillmore’s thoughts together with the experiences of people he met along the way, this book becomes so much more than a memoir.
Although at first I was a little put off by the humour, feeling that it was maybe a touch overdone in some places, I was glad of it when the book became more serious, as it created a strong balance to the tragedy of some of the stories, and the philosophy and discussion in the essay-like sections. Gillmore is frank and self-confident without coming across as a narcissist, and his approachability makes him an instantly sympathetic narrator through whom the stories of the other expats can be told. Furthermore, he is a culturally aware observer without being imperial about it: instead of imposing his own culture on Korea, or holding his own country as a standard that Korea must live up to, Gillmore compares and contrasts while making a concerted effort to understand the thinking behind the cultural differences. He tries to find a context for the culture clash, through empathetic imagination and compassion, and this balanced view allows him to be critical without being unfair.
The Red Fish Project goes beyond memoir to become an inspirational book that tells it as it is. It examines why we are driven to leave our comfort zone and seek out new lives in places that are difficult to live in. Gillmore tells his own tale, but by going beyond his own experiences through his interviews with fellow travelers, he has created a collection of stories that give a very real picture of what it’s like to go against the flow, and why breaking out of your box can be a life-changing choice. This is an excellent book.
Read more of my reviews at Literogo.com.
There’s a t-shirt in my top drawer that features a bunch of green and blue fish all swimming in the same direction. Battling in the opposite direction, sporting something of a grimace, is a tiny red fish determined to go against the flow. At the top of the shirt are the words Think Different.
The thing that sets this memoir apart from such “gems” as First Contact In Korea by Brian Ward and Seoul Searching by Al Williams is that The Red Fish Project is not just the story of Andrew Gillmore’s experiences as an expat in Korea, but a collection of stories from other expats who have left the soul-sucking drudgery of everyday life to forge adventure in other countries. Gillmore interviewed fourteen expats whose adventures range from cycling through South America to cross-cultural marriage. Each story gives voice to a different aspect of expat life, some of which may be entirely unexpected, and which, at times, were incredibly emotional. Furthermore, the blunt honesty of the novel lends itself to some pretty racy stories, and some quite revolting poop incidents.
Completely nude and resembling the chiselled gods of an ancient tribe, Pete and I strutted into the bathhouse area, a room with maybe a dozen hot and cold tubs and a ceiling stretching up to Olympus.
“Those kids over there are laughing at me,” said Pete.
“You think so?”
“What are the chances a group of fourteen-year-old Korean boys has seen red pubic hair before?”
Having already inflicted some truly awful expat memoirs upon myself, but with the willingness to give this one the benefit of the doubt nonetheless, I went into this one with low expectations. I steeled myself for the standard fare: first jaunt in a nude Korean spa, first soju hangover, something about being a celebrity because of being an ethnic minority in a homogenous country… As far as expat memoirs go, there’s a certain selection of experiences that are known to be crowd pleasers with the folks back home, but which tend to feel a bit tired after you’ve read fifty travel blogs on the subject. While some of them did make it into The Red Fish Project, however, I was pleasantly surprised with the refreshingly different way in which Gillmore tells them. These “commonplace” anecdotes are a sparse sprinkling in between some truly gut-wrenchingly sad, hilarious, confusing and inspirational stories from the 13 interviewees.
At twenty-eight, he felt too young to get married, and Yun Hong also had a dream of moving to the West where life would be grand and perfect. Bill felt that if they were to move somewhere outside Korea, the burden would be on him, and that wasn’t the kind of responsibility he was prepared to assume.
The stories told by the other expats are the true meat of this book, and their depiction of the reality of packing up your life and starting over in a new country resonated with my own experiences. I feel that they would be worthwhile reading for anyone planning to expatriate. Meanwhile, Gillmore’s personal anecdotes serve as illustrations for a series of essays ranging in topic from the failings of modern education to how comfort and convenience lead us to waste our lives away instead of contributing to the world. When you put Gillmore’s thoughts together with the experiences of people he met along the way, this book becomes so much more than a memoir.
Comfort breeds apathy, and if there is something we have a lot of -those of us with college diplomas and brown loafers – it’s comfort… Imagine the changes we could effect if we used our time and resources a little better, if we pushed ourselves out of the comfort we’ve been blessed with and into a world that forces dirt on our hands.
Although at first I was a little put off by the humour, feeling that it was maybe a touch overdone in some places, I was glad of it when the book became more serious, as it created a strong balance to the tragedy of some of the stories, and the philosophy and discussion in the essay-like sections. Gillmore is frank and self-confident without coming across as a narcissist, and his approachability makes him an instantly sympathetic narrator through whom the stories of the other expats can be told. Furthermore, he is a culturally aware observer without being imperial about it: instead of imposing his own culture on Korea, or holding his own country as a standard that Korea must live up to, Gillmore compares and contrasts while making a concerted effort to understand the thinking behind the cultural differences. He tries to find a context for the culture clash, through empathetic imagination and compassion, and this balanced view allows him to be critical without being unfair.
Living abroad should be a rite of passage. It’s so invaluable that there’s no reason to not do it for at least a while. And it’s not enough to just visit another place. You need to live there. And to take it one step further, you need to become a part of that country. What you gain from the experience is something you can’t learn in a book. You can read about it all you want. Someone can tell you about it like in this interview, but the changes it makes – well, you need to do it to really understand… Pushing yourself should be an everyday thing for everyone.
The Red Fish Project goes beyond memoir to become an inspirational book that tells it as it is. It examines why we are driven to leave our comfort zone and seek out new lives in places that are difficult to live in. Gillmore tells his own tale, but by going beyond his own experiences through his interviews with fellow travelers, he has created a collection of stories that give a very real picture of what it’s like to go against the flow, and why breaking out of your box can be a life-changing choice. This is an excellent book.
Read more of my reviews at Literogo.com.
January 24, 2025
An honestly hilarious book about the author's experiences in Korea. I loved it.
July 29, 2016
I’ll always wonder about what life would have been like in Taiwan teaching English, I was intrigued to read The Red Fish Project.
Andrew Gillmore, a Canadian and the author of The Red Fish Project, went to South Korea to teach English and in The Red Fish Project writes about his experience. Andrew Gillmore gives a humorous account about his travels to Korea and about life living abroad. Andrew includes the stories's of other people he has come across during his adventures, people from many walks of life, with different histories and dreams for their futures, whom he never would have met if he had remained in Canada and shares their stories and the impact they have had on his story. I really enjoyed that he added these stories into The Red Fish Project, which makes it unique and special.
The Red Fish Project is well written and easy to read with short chapters which include the stories of the other persons in every other chapter. His story encourages the reader to get up and out of the comfort zone and explore more of this world.
Andrew Gillmore, a Canadian and the author of The Red Fish Project, went to South Korea to teach English and in The Red Fish Project writes about his experience. Andrew Gillmore gives a humorous account about his travels to Korea and about life living abroad. Andrew includes the stories's of other people he has come across during his adventures, people from many walks of life, with different histories and dreams for their futures, whom he never would have met if he had remained in Canada and shares their stories and the impact they have had on his story. I really enjoyed that he added these stories into The Red Fish Project, which makes it unique and special.
The Red Fish Project is well written and easy to read with short chapters which include the stories of the other persons in every other chapter. His story encourages the reader to get up and out of the comfort zone and explore more of this world.
March 20, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first started reading it but it surprised me. I loved each individual’s experiences of living abroad, and the funny stories! I have never lived anywhere other than South Africa but I have a lot of friend who have gone to teach in SK and I have heard all of their stories. So it was interesting comparing experiences. I enjoy the way the author looks at the world, "it's been 570 billion hours since the tyrannosaurus got bonked on the head by a big space rock."
To be honest this book made me a bit sad that I never decided to travel more after studying. I would highly recommend this to anyone contemplating going to South Korea for work or adventure.
To be honest this book made me a bit sad that I never decided to travel more after studying. I would highly recommend this to anyone contemplating going to South Korea for work or adventure.
April 2, 2016
What a brilliant read! I can’t remember when last I laughed so hard reading a book. I think it was in 1997. I really would recommend this book to anyone whether they have travelled, are thinking about travelling or just want to read a book written by someone who has a good sense of humour. I really enjoyed the stories and having done both teaching and travelled to the East, this book was extra special to me. It was well written and honest. Andrew is very respectful when he writes about his friends but he is not scared to throw humour at his own actions and I liked that about the book. Keep writing Andrew, I can’t wait for the next one!
June 3, 2016
A funny, insight fully honest account of living abroad. I really enjoyed this book. Andrew does an amazing job of sharing his own experience, as well as the experience of others. After finishing this book I have come to the conclusion that I indeed need to travel more!
February 27, 2016
A fascinating topic, and something I day dream about, but this one missed its mark for me.
June 1, 2016
It was a really interesting read.Truly gave a very detailed account of life abroad.I myself related to alot of the book having lived abroad.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews