Author: Samuel Grguric

There was obviously no way that I could fit everything about what coming to Korea is like in one blog post, so here is a quick continuation of some of the most frequently asked questions I’ve gotten from people about to take the cross continental move! Some of you will be here as early as next week (Oh ma gerd!!!) so let’s get you started:

6. “Incheon Airport is HUUGGGEEEE…how will I know where to go when I land if everything’s in Korean…?!”

Ok, Incheon Airport is where you’ll get your first real lesson on being in Korea: when in doubt, follow the crowd. Incheon IS in fact one of the biggest airports I’ve ever been in, but once I landed I genuinely just followed the crowd out of the terminal, into the little train that takes you around to the front of the airport, kept following people to customs, through customs, and then out the door to baggage claim. There will also, more than likely, be at least a few foreigners on your flight and I know of people bonding and sticking together from the moment they step on the plane. There are also tons of help desks scattered throughout the airport and nearly everyone I ran into could speak enough English to point me in the right direction. Trust me, if I made it through, YOU can make it too:)

 

7. “What can I expect from EPIK Orientation?”

Sheer, ridiculous, awesomeness. You’re going to be super busy from the time the sun comes up until it goes down, and you’ll meet literally hundreds of awesome people, some of whom will become your best friends from the moment you land in Korea. Wayyyyyyyy back long ago (6 months now…what?!) I documented my entire experience at orientation. Keep in my mind I was still totally jet lagged and was more than likely blogging late at night after a long day on a tablet so realize that, while it may not be the best grammar wise, it should be informational on what you can expect!

 

8. “I’m doing my last minute packing *squeals*! Anything that I can/should throw in last minute that most people don’t think of???”

Besides things from the list I made not too long ago, I would HIGHLY suggest bringing:

• Pictures from home. You’d be amazed what just having a pic of your bff up in your room can do for you after a long day when you just want your friends/family with you.

• Snacks and seasonings! I kick myself everyday of my LIFE for not thinking to bring Old Bay and Season All along. There are some things you’re just not going to be able to find in Korea. Sometimes just the smell of the Old Bay seasoning my mom sent me makes my whole day better

• MOOOOVVVIIIIEEESSSS…I actually almost left my Lion King dvd at home when I left because I thought, ‘I can just download it when I get there’, but I am SO glad I brought a physical copy with me. Again, it was pure nostalgia that made me pack the first and last Harry Potter movies along with a few key others, but after a long day just curling up with one does the trick. I took an old CD case and brought about a dozen movies along with me. It didn’t take up any space at all and it definitely helps!

 

9. “Ok be real with me: how much luggage is TOO MUCH luggage?”

Great question. Actually, I came over with 3 suitcases and a laptop bag. This may sound super excessive, but actually my smallest suitcase and laptop bag counted as carry-ons (which totally worked out) and then the larger two were juuuuuuuust under weight limit. I’d say most people come over with at least 2 or 3 suitcases, even some of the guys and definitely the girls since we have to account for things like hair products and makeup. I would say the only limit is how much you can carry yourself. Going through Incheon everyone else will have their own luggage so it’ll be hard to get help when they’re struggling just as much as you are. Know your limits superhero packers!

 

10. “I can’t believe I’m actually moving to KOREA! Any last minute suggestions before I board that plane?”

Honestly, no! Haha I can blog all day about how great Korea is and how many fun adventures you’ll have when you get here. Until you get here though, you’ll never truly understand what I’m talking about or what I mean. Like any trip abroad this is going to be a whole new experience, and if I can give you any advice it’s this:

•   *Don’t be shy, ask ALLLLLL the questions you need answered. More than likely  at    least a dozen other people have the same question.
•   *Don’t be afraid to try and speak the language. The only way you’ll learn is to be        embarrassing and ridiculous at least once so someone can correct you.
•     When in doubt, smile and nod. Turns out that this is in fact universal!
• Make tons of friends at orientation and after. Everyone was new here once and we all know how it feels to be a little disoriented, even lost.
• Go on any and every adventure possible. Who knows when you’ll get an opportunity like this again?

 

Good luck to all of you travelling this week and in the future! If you have any other questions feel free to shoot an e-mail to daebakdayz@gmail.com before and after your landing!

 

Hooray, you’re moving to Korea!!! You’ve packed (or  not), prepared your going away party (WOO, PARTAY!!!), and your family (because even though they say it’s awesome, you know they’re probably freaking out), so now the only thing left is to mentally prepare yourself for actually moving and living in a foreign country for a year or more!

Of course, you’ve probably been poring over every blog related to South Korea in existence, or scouring Youtube for any and all videos that might be able to give you some clue as to what living in Korea is really like. To some extent, all of your researching is going to do you a lot of good, especially the ones about certain aspects of Korea’s culture. But of course, there are some questions you still desperately want answered. Here’s a few of  the most popular ones I’ve gotten in the past few weeks.

 

1. Do I have to learn the language before I get there? How did you learn it? ARE YOU FLUENT YET?!

This seems to be a really popular question and the answers are: no, lots of practice, and absolutely not, respectively. Actually, lots of people (and I mean most people) come over without knowing a single word of Korean and they’ve managed to survive just fine. You certainly don’t have to know anything to get by, but I do suggest learning the alphabet and a few key phrases such as “Hello”, or maybe “Where is ____?”

 

Just knowing the alphabet will honestly help you more than you know, and it’s super simple because the Korean language is phonetic. If you know how the letters and what sounds they make you’ll be able to read any and everything. I picked up on all of my alphabet and key vocabulary on TalkToMeInKorean.com. This site was, and has been, pretty helpful for me because they have different levels of lessons for before you come to Korea and after. That being said, I am nowhere near even conversationally fluent just yet. You can read and study as much as you want, but until you’re around the language everyday and you’re forced to speak it doesn’t do you much good. I’ve picked up on more just being here and listening than I ever did studying on my own.

 

2. Housing?

If you are coming through EPIK (or even a hagwon), your school will pay for your living arrangement. Right now I literally only pay for gas and electric and that’s never more than 25,000 won, combined, a month. Others only pay for gas or just electricity but I haven’t ever heard of those bills being super high either.

 

 

 

 

3. How much money should I bring with me?

I actually conveniently wrote a blog post on this not too long ago here 🙂

 

4. CELL PHONE!!! INTERNET!!! CONNECTION TO BACK HOME!!!!

Ok, not gonna lie I was pretty worried about this myself before getting here. In terms of a cell phone I was one of the 5% who paid up and got a 6 month contracted, pay as you go phone from The Arrival Store. I literally have nothing but great things to say about how quickly the process of choosing and getting a phone went and how helpful everyone was that I spoke to from the Store. They were very friendly and my phone was waiting for me at Incheon Airport when I arrived, geared up and ready to go. If you’re super worried about communicating I highly suggest this method. You don’t have to get a whole new phone either. If you have an iPhone or other popular smartphone you just get a SIM card for way cheaper.

Still, if you’d rather wait, that’s not problem. You won’t be able to get a cell phone until your Alien Registration Card (ARC) comes in, and that takes about 3 weeks. Still, most people just use their phones from back home and hit up the Wifi every chance they get to get online. Wifi is everywhere here so you’ll never be really disconnected, and it’s honestly not bad at all not to have a phone for a few weeks. Alot of people said that it was super relaxing to not have to worry about it all the time, and there’s always Skype and FB for getting in touch with people back home.

In terms of internet, we all heard we wouldn’t be able to get an internet “plan” until we got our ARC’s. Here’s where lots of people will differ: Myself and nearly everyone else that I’ve spoken to in Chungju just bought a 10,000 won router and we’ve had the greatest internet in creation ever since. It took ME five minutes to hook up and that’s saying something as I’m hardly tech savvy at all.

Last, but certainly not least, I HIGHLY suggest you telling your friends and family back home to get an app called KakaoTalk. It’s a free messaging and calling app that works internationally and never charges me for talking to my family back home. It’s perfect for being overseas and still wanting to feel connected to a piece of home.

 

5. Placement recommendations?

Ok, here’s where it gets tricky, because no matter what your preference is it doesn’t mean you’ll actually be placed there. That being said, here are some of the cities I’ve visited that people seem to really enjoy!

 

 

 

 

If you like big cities with crap loads of people:

-Seoul

-Busan

-Daejeon

-Cheongju

-Daegu

 

If you want to be by the ocean:

-Incheon

-Busan (of course)

-Jeju Island

-Ulsan

 

If maybe you don’t want to be either place but want to be conveniently located for travel:

-Chungju

-Really anywhere in the Chungbuk/Chungcheongbuk-do Province

 

If you LOVE nature:

-Jeollanam-do Province

-Jeollabuk-do Province

-Anywhere down South

 

Unfortunately I haven’t been here long enough to experience more cities, but these are just a few suggestions I hope can get you on your way!

***

Of course this can’t be all of your questions as I know they certainly weren’t all of mine. If you still have any comments or concerns feel free to shoot an email to daebakdayz@gmail.com!

As August draws ever closer, there are tons of things to look forward to: my birthday, the YG Family, SM Town and JYP Nation concerts and, of course, the next intake of EPIK teachers!

In the month or two before your departure you realize that you’re well on your way to actually beginning your journey here in South Korea, maybe even packing, and excited to see where you’ll be placed! All’s going well…until you find out you’ve been placed in a province/city you’ve never ever even heard of, and when you try to Google it the only thing that comes up are big mountains, being famous for a fruit or, worse, not showing up at all. Chances are that once you find out you’re being placed in a rural area you go through 3 stages: disappointment, worry, slight panic. If you’re anything like me your thoughts will go something like this:

 

“Where even IS this place…?”

“Ok well, is it close to anything?”

“Thanks Google, that was super helpful. Not.”

“Ok, but this is fine right?! Like, surely there will be other people to talk to in my city…?”

“…but what if there’s NOT?! What if this is all some kind of cruel trick and I’ll be put in a box in the middle nowhere with no friends, unable to speak the tiniest morsel of Korea…?!?!”

“HOW WILL I SURVIVE?!”

Etc. etc.

Trust me when I tell you, I know exactly how all of this feels. Luckily, it’s turned out that living in a smaller are is nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be, so you can officially stop panicking because I promise you: it’s gonna be okay.

Coming from a relatively large city in the middle of one of the biggest states back home, I was a little nervous and slightly dubious about my placement in Chungcheongbuk-do Province. All I knew was that I was in someplace named Chungbuk which, when Googled, merely provided me with the information that it was landlocked and had lots of nature. Thank you for that. But I wound up being placed in one of the bigger small cities in the province (it’s a thing, I assure you). Chungju is still relatively unknown even to Koreans, but it’s cozy and I’ve actually learned to love the smaller city feel after a weekend in Seoul or other, much busier, cities.

Unlike me, several of my friends have been placed in definitively tiny towns that can’t even be technically called cities. I’m talking ‘population of 30,000 people’ towns. However, I’ve heard of more positive experiences than negative. To get other perspectives on small town life, I asked several of my friends to give me their thoughts and ideas on being away from the big city.

 

My friend Damaris lives in Okcheon, which is a small town about 20 minutes away from Daejeon and she wrote a little to enlighten me on her experience:

    “Okay, so I had initially requested Seoul as my preferred location. I obviously ended up somewhere else. I remember my heart sinking when I opened the email and notifying that I had been placed in the Chungbuk Province. I remember thinking “where the hell is Chungbuk?” my thoughts after a quick Google search, “where the hell is Chungbuk?” Not too much information was given on the province except that the Olympics would be held there. I kept my hopes up and just wished for the best.

“During orientation I found out I’d be placed in Okcheon. There is absolutely no information about Okcheon on Google. Absolutely nothing. So, for someone who had wanted to be placed in Seoul, being placed in the small town of Okcheon was a little scary. I thought I’d be in the middle of rice paddy fields.

“I was happily surprised to see that was not the case when I arrived. There are about 15 foreigners in my town and we all live next to each other. Half of us live in one apt building the other half live on the one next door. We are a 10 minute train ride or 30 minute bus ride to Daejeon. We have a pretty big downtown area with many places to hang out. Since we have a bus and train station we have to travel anywhere we want during the weekends.”

I really enjoy the small town feel. Many of the locals know us already. I have made friends with some of the taxi drivers, and already received a service taxi ride when I was sick, made friends with the owners of the bars we frequent and love that I’m so close to the other foreigners.

I guess one of the cons is that I have not really hung out with Koreans. Which also means I haven’t learned or made an attempt to learn Korean. Now that I have visited many other areas in Korea, including Seoul, I am so happy to call Okcheon my home away from home. It’s peaceful and homey.

Tip: I would also suggest bringing comfort foods. Being Mexican, I’m glad I brought some of the spices and foods I knew would be hard to find in Korea. It has helped incredibly when going through homesickness. Also, I made the mistake of bringing no pictures. Bring pictures with you!” 

 –Damaris, EPIK Teacher

Another friend of mine is also in a smaller town with fewer foreigners than we have in Chungju. She has also lived in Korea before so her experience is slightly different from those of us who just got here in February.

“I knew where I was going to be living when I moved back to Korea so I was excited to be placed in a more rural area than before!The pros for me are that there is less to do and see so I can focus on more of my personal goals, like saving money and working out!

The cons are that there’re not much to do so it can get boring quickly! So you need to have hobbies or things you enjoy by yourself. Definitely take advantage of the opportunity to meet and make friends during orientation!”

-Tiara, EPIK Teacher

Sacha is in an even smaller town called Goesan where she is now the only foreigner, but as much as she hangs out with us I can’t say that that’s ever slowed her down!

“I was disappointed that I didn’t get my choice of city, then when I knew I was going to be in a country area when I couldn’t even Google my area. Mountains and rivers was all Google had to tell me. I decided then that whatever happened I was going to suck it up because going back home was not an option. So I made sure to bring a bag with supplies and products from home to last me anywhere from 3-12 months depending on how hard I thought it would be to find the item. For example, I brought enough of my hair products and shade of makeup to last me for the year.

I definitely say you have to put yourself in the right mindset and always look at the glass as half full or else you’re going to make your time here miserable. Try your best not to complain and find the little things that make you happy. Be open to meeting new people at orientation because that’s your first and greatest opportunity, I feel, to meet people who are just as new and friendless as yourself lol. Get out and see as much of Korea as you can. If you always wanted to learn a hobby I suggest you use your downtime to start it because you might have a lot of that downtime. Most importantly, make the most of your weekends if you know your weekends are going to be quiet!”

-Sacha, EPIK Teacher

The truth is that everyone’s experience while teaching is going to be completely different, but it’s what you make of your situation that’s the most important part. Don’t let how large or small a city is affect your time here, because it might be the only time you have. I say roll with the punches and love what you have. After all, Korea’s a smaller country than you think, so adventure is always just a bus/train/taxi ride away no matter where you are! Here, have some hot Ian Somerhalder to remind you that:

🙂

With a new influx of English teachers planning to begin their journey here in August or September (or whenever you’re coming!), here are a few things that I, and others, often wish they had brought before coming! If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that you don’t have to pack super heavy to get here. South Korea is different, but it’s still an urban country with a lot of the same resources you would get back home. However, it is in fact a different country so there are a few things that you should bring with you.

1. Deodorant!

You’ll hear from a ton of expats to bring deodorant because you’re not going to find a lot of it, and if you do, it’s going to be off your rocker expensive. A friend of mine found a tiny, travel size Lady Stick in Seoul for $13 and I was just like…no.

2. Warm clothes

It is not going to be summer forever, and Korea is less ‘Frozen’ wonderland and more ‘March of the Penguins’ when it comes time for winter. I wouldn’t suggest too many clothes because more often than not you can buy ones that are more suitable for the weather here where the weather actually sucks. Still, it would be mega helpful, especially if you’re coming in the February intake, to pack enough sweaters, scarves and the like to last you a couple of weeks. This way you have something to tide you over between when you get here and you get your first paycheck to ransack the clothing stores.

3. Clothes for the summer

It will also not be cold forever, and things like shorts and pants can be fairly difficult for most of us to find . I’m a fairly average/slightly smaller person back home, but this is only helpful when it comes to buying tops. Even then, because I’m pretty chesty and the ‘no cleavage’ rule is a pretty big thing here, t-shirts are really all that I can manage in the finding a top department. Pack enough shorts or skirts or shorter bottoms of your choosing so you’re not struggling too hard when it comes to finding something suitable come May.

4. Shoes

If you have larger feet it is pretty fair to say that you will not find your size in Korea. If you do, it will be a rare find. I’m a size 7 1/2 at home but a 245 here in Korea which basically means my feet are huge here. Pack accordingly, especially tennis shoes and comfortable walking shoes because you’ll be doing a lot of that. Also, for ladies, I wouldn’t worry about bringing dressy heels because you take your shoes off when you get to school anyway, which means your feet will probably just be in pain from the walk and then you have to wear them back home. Save room in your suitcase and bring maybe one pair for when you’re going out. Trust me on this one.

5. Converters/Power sources

These are going to be incredibly important because basically everything in our world is technology which means at some point all of your electronics are going to need to be charged. You can get any converter when you get here as they’re plentiful and super easy to find. However, if you’re just landing and don’t have time to get to a store I’d suggest just having one on hand to at least charge your phone.

6. Update your E-reader (and iPod) before you head out!

One of my most emotional moments before coming to South Korea was realizing I couldn’t bring my entire bookshelf with me. In fact, in order to be under weight limit I had to leave all but one Harry Potter book behind and that nearly killed me right there! I mean, how do you choose just one?! So, as my friends suggested, I got a pretty cheap e-reader, plopped down in front of my bookshelf and got to work. Obviously I couldn’t afford to buy every book that I already owned in hardback, but I got all of my comfort reads and enough extra that I knew I could make it through both the 16 hour plane ride and any moments when I just felt like curling up with my favorite fictional characters. I suggest you update your e-reader before you leave home because you can actually physically see the books that you love and want to have with you. Once you’re so far from home it’s easy to forget the names of your favorite works.

Lots of people think of their favorite books, but hardly any of us think of our iPods. Once you’re here you will have virtually no idea of what music is popular back home so you should definitely stock up on new music before hopping the plane. Updates will come few and far between once you’ve settled into your new life, but it will be super helpful to not have the same 10 songs on repeat while you’re traveling across the country.

7. Comfy clothes you can’t live without

It’s one thing to have a good book to curl up with, but what is the point of having your favorite blankie and book with a cup of hot chocolate beside you if you don’t have your favorite sweatpants to complete the look?! This doesn’t sound like it should be all that important, but you are going to have rough days as with everyone else in the world. After those rough days you’ll probably want a bit of home comfort, and those sweatpants and old college t-shirt you stole from your best friend back in 9th grade can do wonders.

8. Fitted sheets

Ok, chances are you are not going to know your bed size before you get here, but having sheets and even a blanket with you can really help when you move into your new place. Here in Korea they don’t really do sheets. It’s more of a bed cover(?) that you just lay on top of your mattress and then a blanket. This is comfortable enough, but it’s just not the same as having fitted sheets on your bed that…well, fit! People tend to move in your sleep (unless you don’t which is both impressive and slightly creepy) which makes that bed cover slide all over  and sometimes you don’t care and sometimes you’re not down with that. I brought over sheets and a blanket in a space save bag and it came in especially helpful during winter and took up less space than my clothes.

9. Allergy pills and other meds

Medicine is really cheap here in Korea, but more often than not it’s a brand that you don’t recognize  when all you really want is 2 Tylenol and a Zyrtec to calm your raging allergies. Seriously, allergies here are not a game. Everyone at work got them pretty bad this year and the only thing that prevented me from jumping out the window when my nose just won’t stop running was the pharmacy giving me at least 3 different kinds of pills that knocked me on my butt at night. I’d say bring any and all medicine that you’re used to from home, especially allergy meds and painkillers that you know work for you. Of course stock up on any prescriptions you may have as well.

 

Now, for the ladies!

1. Make-up

Everyone will tell you that you can just buy makeup when you get here, because Korea is the Cosmetics Capital of the World! While it may indeed be full of cosmetics, unless you are between the colors of Ghost White and Eggshell it will be incredibly difficult for you to find something to your liking. Definitely stock up on all your favorite brands, cover-ups, foundations and other products before you get here because 9/10 you won’t be able to get it shipped to Korea, and the other 1 is going to cost you an arm and a leg to have.

2. Your favorite face washes

Same thing as makeup applies for face wash. Korea has a ton of facial products that will make your skin feel soft as a baby’s bottom. However, I wouldn’t go throwing a ton of these different products on your face when you first arrive. I did that and confused the hell out of my skin. I broke out and then simmered to nothing and then broke out again because I was simply trying too many things at once. I would say integrate into the insanity of Etude House, Skin Food and other brands here slowly. Until then, you know what works for you so stick with what’s familiar in a brand new environment. One life changing decision at a time!

3. Tampons

You think I’m kidding, but I’m not. Korea loves it’s pads and you can definitely tell when you go to any store. There are literally aisles and aisles of different kinds of pads, but hardly any tampons in sight. It’s like playing ‘Where’s Waldo?’ but with Tampax Pearl! I’d say bring a couple of packages worth just in case. To save space my friend put all of her tampons in a Ziploc bag and, to my knowledge, she hasn’t run out yet and we’ve been here since February.

4. Straightener/Curler/Hair dryer

It depends on who you talk to about being able to bring your hair appliances over, and before I came most people said not to bring things like your straightener because the voltage might be too powerful or things like that. Fortunately, I didn’t listen to any of that and brought my Chi straightener with me. It was maybe the best decision ever and I wish I had brought my blow drier too, or at least my curling iron. My straightener works perfectly fine once I plug it into the converter, and the blow drier I bought here just doesn’t do my hair justice. A friend of mine has struggled to find a straightener since she got here that works for her and wishes she’d brought hers over as well. You don’t need to pack every single hair product that you use at home ever, but it’s certainly helpful to have at least one thing that you know for sure can get you those celebrity ringlets you love.

5. Bras!!!

Ok, listen here ladies: if you bring literally NOTHING else in your suitcase, and I mean NOTHING, please pack at least 3 bras and enough underwear to last you several weeks.

“But can’t I find bras in Korea???”

If you are an A, possibly B cups, yes. A ‘C’ cup is pushing it to the limit and I wouldn’t trust I’d find even that. Anything over the smallest ‘C’ is an absolute no unless you search far and wide, over the hills,  through the woods and up the mountain to Mordor. Seriously, Korean women are known to be incredibly small and chest size is no different. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just something that you need to be prepared for if you would like to keep your ta-ta’s intact while you are here without having to order bras online.

***

Hopefully this has been at least a little helpful, but if not feel free to shoot me an e-mail with any other questions/comments/concerns at: daebakdayz@gmail.com!

Just the other day I was talking to a family member and they asked me a very simple question that I, of course, felt obligated to answer in an entire blog post rather than with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. They asked if I’d had to deal with any culture shock now that I’ve survived my Korean ‘Honeymoon Phase’, which is supposed to last anywhere from 3-4 months. A couple of weeks ago was my 4 month anniversary in Korea and, while I do agree that my ‘Honeymoon Phase’ has ended, I have to yet to settle into full ‘Oh my God, what’s happening?!’ culture shock mode. However, there are still a few things that I wouldn’t consider culture shock so much as a simple ‘Not quite sure what’s going on here…’ phase.

 

1. Hide and seek with shoulders! But mostly hide.

In Korea, for whatever reason, showing your shoulders is not a thing. Like, don’t try it. It’s a cultural taboo that you can get away with in big cities like Seoul, Busan and, to some extent, Daejeon, without getting too many sideways glances. But try that in smaller cities like Chungju and all bets are off. People already stare at us as foreigners but if you want to see REAL staring, just show a little cleavage or even half a shoulder to know what true scrutiny feels like. I have become queen of the cover-ups, shawls and creative ways to cover the entire top portion of my body. What’s truly bewildering, however, is the fact that you can show basically as much leg as you want with no consequences at all. I’ve seen some scandalously short things worn to work and out in public. Like, if-you-sneeze-the-secret-will-be-out short. Yet no one bats an eye. Huh.

2. The “Korean Surprise”

During orientation the “Korean surprise”, along with what to expect from your co-teacher, are two of the most common things you’ll hear about. It’s pretty harped on, but until you’ve actually experienced it you have no idea how real it is. At least once a day we are subjected to a “surprise!” in the form of unexpected visits, random meetings for things we had no idea even existed, or food that, for some reason, needs to be immediately consumed. My absolute favorite “Surprise! Also, holy crap!” award goes to the time that we were relaxing in the office during a rather lengthy post lunch break. We were so relaxed that two of us were actually laid out across several chairs, the other two leaned so far back we might as well have been laying on couches, and our Head Director walked through the door with no warning at all. Our reaction was instantaneous, so instantaneous that the two laying on the chairs literally fell over in their haste to get up and greet him. He whisked through the office with all the authority of the President of Panem and was gone before we had any idea what had happened. His visits are never planned.

I think the greatest part about the KS is the assumption that we know exactly what’s going on because they may have briefly mentioned something that one time at 8 PM on a Monday night 3 months ago, and of course how could you not know what the rest of us know? At first, with my A type personality, it was incredibly difficult to handle these random moments when I pride myself in always being prepared. Now, I’ve learned to simply go with the flow. Our most commonly used phrase is now, “I have no idea, just go with it.”

 

3. Heels EVERYWHERE

I have seen some impressive things in my time, but NONE surpass the time I saw a woman HIKING in heeled boots like something out of an anime. The best part, this is not a rare occurrence. Women in Korea take a lot of pride in looking good all the time, and apparently making yourself look taller is no exception. These heels aren’t just one or two inches by any means. Some girls will literally subway surf in 4 inches or taller, dressed to the nines in the summer! Places I wouldn’t even dare to  attempt wearing heels (for example, anywhere in Seoul) have women who not only walk like they’re on a cloud, but RUN across intersections in them with children, friends and/or shopping bags in tow. Not gonna lie, I’d like for somebody to take the time to teach me their skills because, oh my God.

 

4. Same sex affection

It’s safe to say that Korea is fairly conservative when it comes to even the idea of homosexuality. ‘Denial’ would be a more apt description for the country in general when it comes to homosexual relationships, though that’s certainly not everyone’s view in the entire country. With such a common viewpoint of anything other than heterosexuality being wrong, I’m often surprised at the amount of affection that happens between men and women of the same sex. Grown men will interlock fingers because they’re close friends, even go so far as to kiss each other’s cheeks in public. Women will do the same thing and all of this is considered normal. Our boys at school, no matter their age, will lay on top of each other, grab each other’s hips and even kiss each other on the lips in the hallway with no one making a fuss. The first time I saw two of my boys kiss each other I was in complete shock. I looked around so quick my head spun just to see how much damage control I was going to have to do knowing that everyone must have witnessed it. What I saw was a crowded hallway full of kids who didn’t even blink. Again, shock. This is in the same country where a Gay Pride parade completely stopped because protesters were sitting down at the front to prevent them moving. Yet two boys in a crowded hallway found in that moment that they cared for each other enough to allow a kiss to pass between them. I just wonder what the true difference is between these fifth graders, two “straight” men holding hands on the street, and two homosexual ones who have to battle during a parade to be recognized.

 

5. The Selfie

On a less serious note, remember what I told you about Koreans really wanting to look good? I’m 90% sure they look that good all the time because of the infinite amount of selfies they take here. Selfies or, as they call them here, selcas, are as common as they come. Back home in the States it’s almost unfathomable to see a random person taking a picture of themselves while just sitting on the bus. Even using Snapchat to take photos back home I’d try to subtly take it while walking or doing some other task so it didn’t look like I was actually taking a photo of myself. Here, there is no shame in doing your makeup and plopping down for what I have come to call a good old fashioned ‘Selfie Session’. Seriously, I have seen girls (and guys! You’re not off the hook here, just in the minority) sitting alone, with large groups, on buses, in restaurants, at coffee shops, anywhere clicking away on their phones taking pictures of themselves. You think at first that they’re not serious, but when you see them start filtering and photo shopping (I have seen it happen) on their phones you know the selfie game is strong with this one.

 

 

 

 

I recently had a friend who lives in the States ask me, “Is that new Psy video with Snoop Dogg real?! Like, is that how you guys really drink all the time?”

Now, before I give you my response, if you haven’t seen the video please watch it first here.

Finished? Ok, now back to our original question. Is there any truth to the way Psy and Snoop Dogg go off on a whirlwind drinking spree somewhere in what I assume is the heart of Seoul? Do people really go that buck wild at restaurants, people fighting Mortal Kombat style while you get obliviously get hammered in the foreground? Are you going to wake up totally hungover wtih Snoop Dogg in your bathtub? No. Or…should I say, probably not.

While obviously some (most) of this video is purely cinematic, the drinking culture being illustrated is absolutely a real thing. South Korea is known for consuming COPIOUS amounts of alcohol, but it’s not because so many of it’s inhabitants are alcoholics, but because it’s so ingrained that at this point it’s not even glanced twice at.

Seeing people passed out in the street on a Tuesday is less common than a Saturday, but certainly more common than I’m used to seeing back home. We once went to a fairly nice little restaurant on a Wednesday night, and as three older gentlemen were walking out one literally just passed out on the floor. From a group of foreigners’ perspectives, this is absolutely shocking. Within seconds we’re wondering if we should call an ambulance, but his two friends (and the management) literally just let him lie there for a moment, assuring us that he was “OK!” and looking mildly annoyed. After a few minutes, his two friends merely lifted him between the two of them and hauled him out the door, laughing a little. Dinner everywhere else in the restaurant continued on as though someone had merely spilled their drink and it was now cleaned up. I was flabbergasted. It was a Wednesday!

I have talked to students who can name more different types of alcohol than I have consumed in my entire life, college included, and I don’t mean middle schoolers. These are 5th and 6th graders who are telling me how to make “So-maek” (a combination of soju and beer), and assuring me that makgeolli (Korean wine) is “not that bad”.

Alcohol is also, more often than not, used as a social lubricant. You’re more relaxed when you drink, it’s how you get to know virtual strangers. It’s expected that co-workers will go out drinking with the boss, especially if you’re new to a job or the boss just decides they want to go out after work. We’ve been pulled into the “our boss wants to take us all out for dinner” more than once, but dinner is rarely just “dinner”. Koreans like to go in Rounds, and dinner is just Round 1. Round 2 varies. Most often it’s noraebang (karaoke), or it’s just another place to drink and THEN noraebang (you’re not going to escape noraebang). The most I’ve ever survived has been 3 rounds, and that was by the skin of my teeth, a wing and a prayer. Others go out all night and then go to work in the morning to which I both tip my hat and wonder at their resilience.

 

It’s also true that drinking here is pretty dang cheap. The tons of green bottles Snoop and Psy are seen downing shots of is soju and it’s roughly 1 US dollar at any grocery, convenience or random store everywhere. It can be a little more expensive at restaurants, but I’ve never seen it cost more than about 3 dollars. Beer is also relatively cheap, an average of 3 dollars a bottle for pretty low stuff like ‘Cass’ or ‘Cafri’. Of course, mixed drinks are going to vary depending on where you go, but, just like at home, there’s always a drink special to be had.

Now, back to that video. While the fight scenes and picking up ahjummas and dancing through the streets and breaking into a fairground(?) are not necessarily par for course here in South Korea, let’s talk about some truths you can gather from it. I can say that I’ve heard some pretty wild stories and seen some pretty interesting evenings take place with soju at the wheel. The noraebang that they end up at is totally legit, as well as the way he knocks the top off those soju bottles and they throw back those shots like there’s no tomorrow. The amount of beer bottles they’ve got at noraebang is only slightly above average. Psy devouring those noodles at the end of their night is something I’ve also partaken in more than once.

In short, the entire thing is as insane as it’s supposed to be, more satire than anything. Still, I’ve never seen anyone go as hard, or as often, as they do in South Korea, and that is a fact.

 

Now that I’ve been in Korea for longer than 5 minutes there a million things I can do now that I never would have been able to when I first got here. For example, there’s now a system to my washing and drying methods. I am capable of walking what is likely miles and miles in a day without trult feeling it. Most importantly, I can now order food entirely in Korean and even ask for more of something if I want it. That was literally lesson like, 2 for me because I refuse to go hungry because I can’t speak the language.

Still, there are some things during what I’m almost positive will be a two year stint here in Korea that I will always butcher or mess ul because I don’t understand.

1. The Recycling Process

Recycling in Korea is a HUGE deal, and I don’t mean you just put paper and cardboard and plastic all together in a separate trash can and put it out on the curb on Sundays. Here, everything has it’s place. Even at McDonalds there are separate receptacles for your leftover liquid, the paper you used, the lids and straws, cups and then food. I’m not even joking when I say I pause everytime I’m going to throw away fast food trash and I’ve been so often they know my order. Now imagine having to seperate out everything like that but by yourself at home. Its not that I don’t try, but I know people who have been here for years or are still unsure about the whole process. I’ll more than likely be running my recycles across the street in the dead of night forever.

2. “Rules” of the Road

I’m sure there are actual rules to the road in Korea but I have yet to figure out what they are. Watching people drive in Korea is both a fascinating and anxiety riddled experience. It’s like a paradox: I’ve seen cars inexplicably stop in the middle of the road and then skip across 4 lanes of heavy traffic after almost hitting a pedestrian, but I have yet to actually wear a seatbelt in any taxi or bus. Not because I am a fearless warrior who does not fear death, but because it all seems like they’ve got a good system of controlled chaos going on here and if you can’t beat em, join em!

3. Sitting Cross Legged While Eating

When I was a kid I loved sitting on the floor for any period of time. Even now at 22 there are chairs where my feet dangle so anytime I can avoid that embarrassing moment I’m down. However, when eating at traditional restaraunts where you’re expected to sit on the floor, all Koreans sit cross legged with their legs under the table. For someone who hasn’t sat on the floor that way in years it aches after just a few minutes. Whenever I try to sit what I consider comfortably with my knees on the floor and my feet under me, I get lightly teased by whomever I’m with. This way of sitting is considered very formal in Korea so whoever I’m eating with simply wants me to relax. They have no idea how much I feel like every bone in my legs is turning into jello throughout dinner…

4. How close can you get…
…and I dont mean in a familial sense. Back home, personal space is a big thing. You just make people generally uncomfortable when you stand too close. There is no such thing as personal space in Korea. Just when you think you can’t fit one more person on the elevator, 7 more people pile in. Standing in line with someone breathing down your neck? Not uncommon. They’re not being rude, they just dont think that it bothers you. For the most part I dont mind, but I’ll let you know come Summer how comfortable I still am.

5. Curiosity aka The Stare Down

People will stare at you as a foreigner regardless of what kind of foreigner you are. Still, I get paid special attention because I’m darker than the foreigners they show on TV. To say I was uncomfortable with the attention when I first got to Korea is the understatement of the century. It’s been months and I still sometimes find myself shrinking under people’s gazes. What gets me the most though is how, even when you make eye contact, they will continue to look at you no matter whether you greet them or not. Some people are just curious and will look away eventually. Others are merely amused at my sudden appearance. The small few actually look disturbed by my presence, but I dont truly think anyone means any harm as they are all genuinely curious. Still, I’ll probably never leave the house in sweatpants out of sheer respect for the people who are so interested in seeing me.

6. The Genuine Niceness of Complete Strangers.

Let me tell you a quick story that is close to my heart: a couple of weeks ago I took the train for the first time. It was a quick trip, maybe a 45 minute ride from Chungju to Cheongju airport. I got on the train and was seated next to a sleeping ahjumma. A few minutes into the trip she awoke and started speaking to me in Korean. She asked me small questions like my name, where I was from and then, where was I going. I told her the airport and she then told me I looked tired. I laughed and told her I was, so this woman CLEARED OFF A SPACE ON HER LAP and told me to lie down, that she would wake me at my stop. I was super surprised at first, but then I shrugged it off and actually got a good 20 minutes rest on this nice woman’s lap. As promised, when it was time to get up she woke me and then helped me put my backpack and jacket on like a mom sending her kid off to school. When I got off she told me goodbye and I teared up a little knowing I’ll probably never see this woman again. Though this particular story is a tad uncommon, the fact is things like this happen all the time because people are incredibly helpful here.

7. Comments on your appearance
It’s no secret that Koreans are OBSESSED with appearance. There are probably more mirrors here than there are people, and that is not an exaggeration. Because its such a big deal, normally when people first meet you they will comment on your appearance, and really at any point after as well. They dont mean to be rude or negative in any way when they tell you you look tired or like you’ve gained weight, but they want you to know that they see you. They will notice every difference about you as well. One of my co-teachers asked if I wasn’t feeling well one day. I was dressed nicely and was acting relatively normal, normal enough that she was the only one who had commented on it. I asked how she knew. She shrugged and went, “You look thin. Also, you only ate one snack this morning.” I have since tried to cut back on snackage in the morning.

In short, Korea is a marvelous country full of tiny nuances and cultural differences that make it very unique. It’s all these differences that make everyday an adventure, no matter what’s going on.

Like countless others across the globe, I am a total pansy about getting sick. I get a headache and it’s game over for me for the whole day (I’m slightly dramatic and I’m okay with it). But, strangely, I’ve actually kind of been anticipating getting sick in Korea. I don’t mean like “Man, sure can’t wait to catch pneumonia!”, I just mean maybe catching a cold or something super mild so that I can get the chance to go to the doctor.

Wait, hear me out!

Since we’ve been here in Korea for 3 months now some of our friends were bound to get sick and end up at the hospital. First off, going to the hospital in Korea does not mean what it means in the States. Back home if you’re going to the hospital you are either dying or, if you can’t cure it with NyQuil and a dose of vitamins, at the very least irreparable. Here in Korea, going to the hospital is the same as going to the doctor’s office. After hearing from several friends about their medical experiences here, I was excited to finally find myself in a situation where I could see how great it was to go to the doctor.

I wasn’t disappointed.

First off, I can honestly say that there is no one else I’d rather be around when I feel like death than a Korean doctor. For one thing, they are practically unflappable.

When I got my eye lid snipped, the doctor didn’t bat an eye (no pun intended…ok, a little pun intended…ok, I’m laughing). When I had a mosquito bite literally the size of Mt. Kilamanjaro (seriously, I had some kind of crazy weird reaction that made me look like the Hunchback of Notre Hand) and showed it to the woman at the pharmacy, she looked so unimpressed I genuinely thought I was overreacting until I realized I could feel nothing above my wrist. She handed me a bottle of minty smelling medicine and sent me on my way in 5 minutes flat. There’s probably nothing these people haven’t seen, and for a total hypochondriac drama queen such as myself, the calm and borderline boredom that surrounds these doctors is something I cling to when I visit the doctor’s office. If they’re not freaking out, I’m not freaking out. Problem solved!

Another thing to love: the speed with which you are accurately diagnosed and treated here is astounding. 99.9% of the time you will be in and out of the doctor’s here in 15 minutes or less, that’s including wait time, the time they see you, and the time it takes for you to get your prescription, pay and be on your merry way. I kid you not, when I visited the eye doctor last week it took longer for me to check in (a grand total of 5 minutes) than it did for me to wait, see the doctor, have him tell me what was wrong and get up out of there. And it’s not like there aren’t other people there waiting for their turn, it’s just some kind of Korean magic that gets you in and out in no time flat!

99.9999% of the time there will be a pharmacy either inside of the clinic or hospital where you are, or a 3 second walk downstairs to the one that’s connected to said hospital or clinic. You simply hand the pharmacist the sheet of paper they give you at the end of your doctor’s visit, they rummage around in the back for a minute or two and then hand you the medicine you need. If you have pills they put them into separate, super conveniently placed, pouches and you just take the medicine however many times a day you need to from each little pouch. The best part: this medicine starts working in just a couple of hours, if not immediately.

So now you’re probably wondering, “Well Anyssa, if everything’s so gosh darn fast and convenient, how much does it normally cost?” I’m glad you hypothetically asked that because the answer is…not a whole heck of a lot. All 3 of my doctor’s visits here have cost me maybe a combined total of $30, and that’s including medicine from the pharmacy. The most I’ve had to pay was $10 for my lid cut in Jeju, and they seemed apologetic for making me pay even that much and I was like:

Even if you’re too bad for the hospital, I’ve heard good things about the ER too. Now, I’ve heard of some jacked up people going to the hospital, and if they can’t fix you there I don’t even want to think about how near death you have to be to actually have to go to the Emergency Room. I’ve only known one person to actually go to the ER here in Korea and they took care of her like a pro despite her situation. Mind you, it was a tad on the expensive side because of all the tests they had to run, but honestly it was still only a fraction of what she would have head to pay at home.

In short, Korean doctors and medicine are fabulous.

I don’t like being sick, but when I am, I go to a Korean doctor to feel better. All the time, every time.

 

After an exhausting day of Hello Kitty and light sabers (see this post for more details on the light saber), the next day Chloe and I set off on our own to do something fairly less strenuous than the day before. We hopped the 700 bus to the stop that we needed only to be completely lost as to where to go. Chloe and I getting lost is not new, in fact, it’s strange if we ever get straight to our destination with no problems. What was strange this time around was the fact that there was actually a sign telling us where to, we were following it, and still couldn’t see where we needed to go.

We were on what looked like a road from the Zombie Apocalypse with all of our luggage since we were going to Jeju City immediately following the Aquarium and, worse yet, I was hungry. Luckily there’s always somewhere to get coffee and, therefore, food in Korea, so we plopped down in an empty cafe withthe super nice ahjussi who was working to come up with a new plan of  action. In a last ditch effort to maybe figure out what we were doing I asked the nice ahjussi if he could tell us how to get the Aquarium. He pointed down the road and told us it was at least a 30 minute walk. Immediately dying at the prospect walking even 30 more seconds with all our bags down this Zombie Apocalypse road we thanked him, left and tried to catch a taxi. When he saw us going the wrong way he came after us to correct us (pretty sure no one believes Chloe and I are old enough to travel down the street by ourselves, let alone through Korea) we explained we needed a taxi and he called one for us.

Long story long, we were going the right way before but were too lazy to keep going as far as we needed to. In our defense, it was a fairly long walk though the taxi ride wasn’t long at all. I’m glad we didn’t give up though because the aquarium was well worth the insanity. Though a tad bit pricey (It was about $40 for each of us) it was HUGE, and with it being right on the water there was not only a stunning view outside, but the animals inside were exotic and different from the millions of other fish we’ve seen in aquariums everywhere else.

     

My absolute favorite were the random mermaids that rolled up in the ginormous fish tank.

That really was amazing.

After Aqua Planet it was time to say “Goodbye” to Seogwipo and we headed back to Jeju City. By the time we got there it was dinner time and we had no idea where to go for food. Then, suddenly, there was a beautiful beacon of red and blue light capable of curing all of our ailments: Dominoes. Ok, now on to us embarrassing ourselves thoroughly. Remember when I mentioned the locals on the island weren’t keen on listening to us speak Korean because of all the tourists? Yeah, when we went to Dominoes it was kind of the same thing.

They saw us walk in, handed us an English menu and then we all adorably mimed out our order because by then I was so hungry I had given up on speaking at all and the young man taking our order had the “Please don’t speak to me in English” face. Once we ordered and found the price was much less than we expected (It was 30% off day! SCORE!) we took our prize home and opened the box to check out our treasure…

Not going to lie this pizza may have been one of the best moments of our whole vacation. Well, that and making this video while we ate it…

Nonetheless, it was a great evening because not only did we have Dominoes but also had dessert, and the next afternoon we flew out to Busan. The process of flying was similar, if not easier than, flying to Jeju and cost roughly $80 USD. If you know anything about how much flights cost anywhere else, you’ll know that this is amazing. The flight was a quick 40 minute ride (made longer only by the baby who screamed the last 20 minutes of the flight) and then we landed at Gimhae International Airport.

This was our first visit to Busan since arriving in Korea so I was super excited to check it out. Busan is an extremely chill city with a very Austin-y feel to it, which is probably why I took to it like a fish to water. There are a lot more foreigners there than I’ve seen in a while, but we all kind of blended into the wall which, in Korea, is a very rare and magical occurrence. Especially the younger generation is super used to seeing us around so it was nice to not be stared at for any other reason than that I was dancing in the street.

We had a great time out, and we only got lost in the subway once the next day! For two hours though…*whoops* We just managed to hop a bus and made it back to Chungju by Saturday night. All in all, it was a fantastic vacation, but it was definitely exhausting. Our next trip out will definitely need to be limited to just the basics!

 

Tuesday, after we visited the Teddy Bear Museum, I found my allergies strangely acting up. I attributed it to all of the dust and fur from the actual bears, took out my contacts and went on with my life hoping that the slight burning in my eyes would fade overnight. The next morning, when the burning had only gone away in one eye, I decided to take a quick trip to the clinic not too far from our friend’s apartment to get it checked out before we headed off to adventures for the day. I expected to maybe get prescribed some antihistamines, perhaps a topical cream or something for the slight swelling around my bottom lid, but certainly wasn’t expecting what actually happened to me.

Luckily I had 2 of the 3 others with me for the day, and even though I assured them  it would likely be a quick trip in to see the optometrist, they insisted on going with me for reasons I’ll never understand. I’m now under the impression that they are psychic. When we walked in the fairly brisk lady at the desk asked me for my passport (I had my Alien Registration Card on me and that works just fine as well) and I was in seeing the doctor in less than 10 minutes despite the fairly full room. He was a very nice older man who spoke near perfect English which was immediately a good sign. What wasn’t a good sign was how he laughed when I showed him my eye and he sat me on a little bench to explain, in perfect English with a straight face that would have made a comedian proud, that I had a “pus pocket” under my bottom lid from “rubbing it too much and getting dirt in it” so he was going to have to CUT MY BOTTOM LID OPEN AND DRAIN IT.

I think I took it fairly well, all things considered. I asked, in perfect Korean I might add, “Right now?!” and he responded, in equally perfect English, “Yup. Now lay on this table.”

Of course I poked my head around the corner and called for my partner in crime to come and not only assess the situation but also to hold my hand while I apparently got my eye split open like a watermelon.  To her credit, when she walked in I quickly squeaked out what was happening, she uttered just one oath of disbelief and then set to work holding my hand and reassuring me that I wasn’t going to die on the table. I was given some eyeball anesthetic (not sure of the correct medical term, but it was definitely supposed to make me not feel anything) before the doctor literally told my friend to look away and not freak out. This last part was especially important considering at this point I just knew I was about to get a scalpel through the eye. Since I couldn’t see what was happening (I closed my eyes as soon as he put a clamp on the bottom lid) my friend informed me that he flipped my lid and simply cut it. What it felt like was a light saber combined with a sword made of Valyrian steel cutting my bottom lid off. Let me explain something to you: when I was 5 years old I was at a friend’s house and we decided it was a good idea to jump from the couch in his basement to his fireplace. He made it across but my tiny little legs only carried me halfway and I literally tore my eyebrow almost completely off my face. I had to get stitches and carry a scar to this day on my right eyebrow.

My 5 year old self would have been proud of the 22 year old me who writhed and screamed on the table the entire 10 seconds (10 lifetimes more like) it took to finish. I’m sure people in the waiting room thought I was being killed, especially when he gently put drops in my eye after and Chloe, who couldn’t contain herself when I seemingly started crying blood, let out a movie style “uuuuUUUGGGGH!” and I immediately freaked out because I couldn’t see what was happening. To my doctor’s credit he was incredibly gentle, constantly soothing and reassuring that I was fine so I felt like a little kid after getting a scrape on the playground who needed a band-aid. Instead of a band-aid I got a pirate patch.

True story.

 

Anyway, the most impressive thing that came out of all of this wasn’t even my cool pirate patch that I got to rep for the next 4 hours but how cheap my bill was. It only cost 9,900 won ($10 USD) to actually go to the doctor and get operated on, then only 3,500 won for my prescription medicine. Side note: Korean medicine is amazing. It was working pretty much from the first second I took the first pill.

After our awesome morning adventure we were on to the next, much more fun, one: HELLO KITTY ISLAND! To say I was excited to go to this Hello Kitty paradise is an absolute understatement. I may or may not have run up to the building in bewildered excitement when we first arrived and I am not ashamed at the fact that we were the only adults there without small children in tow. There was so much inside even I was overwhelmed despite my love for all things pink and awesome, Hello Kitty in a nutshell.  I mean, everything was either pink or stamped with an adorable kitty. I saw nothing wrong with this of course, but I can see how it could potentially cause one to want to vomit rainbows at the sheer cuteness.

                                                        

                                                              

 

I was half expecting my waffle to also be pink, but there was strawberry ice cream to I guess it was a good enough trade off.

 

 

 

After Hello Kitty Island I was ready to take on the world, so we went to Chocolate Land which was…not as chocolate-y or awesome as I had expected. Bonus points though: it only costs 6,000 won to get in and they give you a 3,000 won coupon to use at the cafe or little store as a discount. The inside though was just a bunch of boxes with items that may or may not have actually been made of chocolate, but the view outside on the patio was nice.

All in all it was an exhausting and overwhelming day all around, and our week was only half over.