Author: Matthew Caracciolo

Korea is a magical place and looking back on my experience teaching in Daegu, I still don’t really even understand it. Going to a new country always exposes a different way of life and culture, which most of the time, is extremely exciting. However, there are definitely a few things every waygookin (foreigner) experiences while in Korea, some funny, some odd, and some extremely annoying.

1. Getting ready for work, going into the bathroom to wash your hands or brush your teeth, and instead spraying yourself with the sink/shower combo.

2. “Teacher, Teacher do you have a boyfriend”- a question asked almost every day by your wonderful students who are extremely worried about your romantic life

3. Seeing couple tees at first and hating it, but slowly learning to love their bold fashion/relationship statements.

4. Blatantly being told you look terrible- Koreans are very open about commenting on appearance, so being told you look terrible the day you forgo make up is a common occurrence, and a swift blow to your self-confidence.

5. “I’m fine thank you and you”- The standard greeting taught in second grade, which students now robotically spit out when asked how they are. I tried to teach a lesson or two on other responses, nothing really stuck; they’re still adorable when they say it though.

6. Blowing your nose in public is considered vulgar- You shouldn’t do this in front of others, strange to get used to, but excuse yourself to the bathroom if possible.

7. Soap on a stick- I’m still not quite sure how I feel about this communal soap, but I guess it’s a pretty good system, and you should feel lucky to even have soap.

8. B.Y.O.T.P- Bring your own toilet paper. Most of the time schools and public restrooms won’t have toilet paper and there’s many times you’ll forget and then you’re S.O.L. It’s always handy to carry some with you, just in case.

9. Accidentally leaving your ondol on overnight – You know you left it on the second your feet hit the floor and start sizzling. It gets hotter than Daegu in the middle of July, and you immediately start opening windows while rapidly searching for your house slippers.

10. Being a celebrity- At first it is awesome having everyone stare at you on the street, want to take a picture with you, and of course hearing the random people scream hello at you. However, after a few weeks you just want to eat your kimchi in peace and not feel like people want to pluck your blue eyeballs from your head and sell them to the highest bidder. It’s just because you are different, and really should be seen as a compliment, but sometimes all you want is to blend in.

(ok this time we pretended we were famous)

I hate packing with a passion. It is the second worst part of traveling for me, the only thing worse is unpacking. Like usual, I waited until the night before to prepare for my adventure to Korea. With about 12 hours left before the flight, my packing method consisted of me throwing whatever I could find into the body bag (appropriately named by my mother because you can literally fit a human inside). I ended up bringing a ton of unnecessary things and forgot some very important items that I needed shipped to me when I arrived. So, in hopes that you will learn from my mistake, here’s some advice on preparing to move to Korea.

1. Don’t wait until the night before to pack

Obviously, if I was reading this a year and a half ago I wouldn’t have listened, but seriously get organized! It’ll save you time and money (over weight charges are expensive!) It’ll also make your last night at home more enjoyable. You can relax, have dinner with friends and family, and try to get a full night of sleep, instead of manically going through your closet and googling Korea’s climate.

2. Plan Ahead

I’m talking like plan ahead for the whole year. Korea has four seasons, make sure you bring winter boots and your bathing suit for trips to Busan. I actually bought my winter coat in Korea, it saved a ton of space in my suitcase and you can find a good quality coat inexpensively.

3. Be wary of sizes

One of my biggest pet peeves about Korea is everything is so tiny! I wear an 8.5 shoe and most stores don’t have sizes that big. I can’t tell you how many times a shoe vendor called my feet “giant” or “very large.” Also, I’d like to say I’m an average American weight and height, but still most clothes wouldn’t fit me. I’d have to do most of my shopping at foreign stores in Seoul, like Forever 21 or H&M, but even still their sizes run small. So keep that in mind when packing, especially when it comes to the basics!

4. Different Styles

Ladies especially, keep in mind there are different styles. In Korea most women rarely wear low cut tops, it is considered “glamorous” (Korean for risqué). However, short shorts are completely acceptable, so leave the deep v t-shirts at home.

5. Remember the Essentials

Korea has most of the same products as America, and even better cosmetics and skin care goodies, I’m now obsessed with Etude House’s BB cream and charcoal nose strips. However, you can’t always find things you thought would be easy to get. You have to hunt to find deodorant and tampons so bring enough for the year or have friends and family ship you some when necessary. I’d also recommend bringing toothpaste, Korean toothpaste has a weird texture and they don’t usually add fluoride. Finally, I bought a set of sheets, so you don’t have to run to Home Plus first thing, an extra-long twin jersey knit set will most likely fit, or at least hold you over until you can find some.

6. Technology and Things

One of the smartest things I did when I first moved to Korea was download the Google Chrome add on, Media Hint. By acting like a VPN without slowing down your internet speeds, it lets you watch Netflixs and Hulu without any problems. It came in handy because I didn’t have cable on my TV and I could stay up to date on my favorite TV shows back home.

7. Money and Passport
Before you leave order some Korean won (about $200) from your bank. Most banks can get it in one business day and it’ll be one less thing you have to worry about when you first get there. Along with making sure your visa and passport are up to date, head to Walgreens and get about ten passport size photos to keep around. They come in handy when applying for your ARC or visas when traveling outside of Korea.

8. Things to Remind you of Home

Getting to your empty apartment can be extreme shock for many people, including me. Putting up pictures of my friends and family helped soften the initial blow. Also, I bought some of my favorite American foods I thought I might have a hard time finding in Korea. It may sound weird, but believe me a box of Kraft Mac and Cheese or a taco night with friends can stave away homesickness for at least a little while.

When the email about my English teaching placement in Korea arrived, I was extremely disappointed. Like most other EPIK applicants, my first choice was Seoul. Knowing almost nothing about Korea, it is easy to fall into this “Seoul mentality.” You start to think if you’re placed anywhere other than Seoul, it’s going to be a year of roughing it in a tiny, mountainous, rural village. Even after I Googled my placement city, Daegu, and found that it had a population of almost 3 million people and was the fashion capital of Korea, I couldn’t help but still be upset. However, after one short year in Daegu I realized I had lucked out. Here are my top reasons why I’m happy I wasn’t placed in Seoul.

1. It’s cheaper.

Living in any major city can get expensive. While Korea is relatively cheap, I definitely saved a lot more money than if I had lived in Seoul. Everything from the cost of food to the cost of utilities is less expensive when living in Daegu, and it’s nice to have the extra money for trips or to send back home.

2. It’s easier to get around.

Seoul is overwhelmingly big. I’ve lived in a large city my entire life, but the second I saw Seoul’s subway map I wanted to break down in tears. Getting around in Daegu, with its two subway lines, was such a breeze. It was also a smaller city with a central downtown, so my friends and I would meet for dinner a few times a week with little planning. I feel like if I lived in Seoul, I would have seen my friends less because it would take too much effort to get anywhere. And let’s be serious, it’s hard enough to venture out from your warm apartment in the middle of winter to meet for BBQ even if it’s only a 15 minute bus ride.

3. You want to get out…in a good way.

Living in a smaller city does sometimes mean there’s less things to do, but that also encouraged me to get out and see other cities. I would leave Daegu at least one weekend, if not two, a month.  I was able to snowboard on the soon-to-be course of the 2018 Winter Olympics, visit the green tea fields of Boryeong, and swim with sharks in Busan.  Seeing other cities enhanced my experience in Korea. If I had lived in Seoul I would’ve been less likely to travel around Korea as much.

4. Trips to Seoul are like mini holidays.

Getting out of Daegu was a necessity, so weekend trips to Seoul seemed like short fun-filled holidays. I remember one weekend I ventured up north with about 10 girls for a weekend getaway. We crammed the weekend full of touristy things, drinks, dancing, and of course a wonderful rendition of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” at a noraebang (karaoke rooms often found throughout Korea).  Trips like these to Seoul were definitely some of my favorite memories.

5. A more true experience.

Living in Daegu was difficult, but I felt immersed in the Korean culture because of the challenges I faced. There was a language barrier in Daegu because English speakers were harder to find, but it made interacting with locals more interesting. Some of my favorite meals were ordered by hand gestures and I still have no idea what I ate half the time. Yes, there was Western culture in Daegu, but it was limited. In Seoul, you can travel to Itaweon and feel almost like you’re back in America, which is nice when you’re homesick, but can skew your outlook of Korean culture. Think of it this way, if someone born and raised in Korea moved to Washington D.C. or New York for one year, would they really have a well-rounded idea of America? Not being placed in Seoul is not the end of the world, like I had thought, and it actually gave me an authentic glimpse of Korea.