How To Buy A Bus Ticket Online in South Korea

With so many people living here, it’s no wonder that it’s so easy to grab any kind of public transportation you want in Korea. Whether it be plane, train, cab, bus, subway, there’s always a way to get where you need to go. The transportation I take most often, however, would definitely have to be the bus. I take the city bus to school everyday, but it’s the inter-city buses that stole my heart away within the first few weeks of being in Korea. Of course you can just stroll up to the terminal at any time and ask for the next bus that will take you to your desired destination, but I quickly learned with my first few visits to Seoul that sometimes just hoping and praying isn’t necessarily going to help you get the ticket you want when you want it. If you’d like reserve a bus ticket definitely the best way to do so is through https://www.hticket.co.kr/main.action.

*NOTE: It will greatly help if you or someone you know is able to just read a little Korean so you can read your city name.*

*NOTE 2: You will need EITHER a Korean Alien Registration Number or Korean bank account number for the transaction to go through.*

1. If you have a Korean keyboard you can type in ‘이지티켓‘ in Google or Naver. There may be two top options, but please click on the one about ‘hticket’.

2. Once you click on the website it will take you to this page:

3. On the left hand side 출발지 (Departure place) is the first option. This is where knowing your city in Korean will be crucial, but after the first time you find your city you can just go by the number to the right hand side and it will be easier to find.

Since I live in Chungju I will choose the [460] option.

4. Now for your second option, 도착지 (Arrival). When coming from Chungju I can only choose options for Seoul, so I’m going to choose the Gangnam (Central City) [020] Terminal because I go there most often.

5. Now you’re going to choose your departure date. I’m going to choose Friday’s date because nearly everyone is trying to go to Seoul on a Friday (but seriously). So, next to 출발일시 (Departure date and time) choose your date!

6. As you’ve probably guessed, 출발시간 is the time you want to leave. Be careful here that you choose morning or afternoon appropriately. I’ve had that mishap before…:P

7. Don’t worry about the last box. but click on 조회 to continue!

8. The next page is like the Terms and Agreement page so to continue click on the bottom left hand option that says 확인.

9. Now you can choose your bus time and what kind of bus you’d like. The more expensive buses, the one that says 10,900 won, are typically Express Buses and are more expensive because they’re more spacious and allow you to get your own seat if you choose to. However, if you’re in for a shorter journey and don’t mind sharing the space, the cheaper buses are just as comfortable and, well, cheaper! Pay close attention to the times of each buses as well as the prices on the far left hand side, and then, once you’ve chosen your bus, click on the blue button on the far right that says 선택 (Choose).

Scroll down to the bottom and click on the green button on the right that says 이천 to go to the next page.

10. Before you can choose your bus seat, choose how many adults will be riding at the top next to where it says 어른. Then you can slick on any seat number that does not have a red [x] already in it.

Scroll down to the bottom and click the green button that says 예약하기.

11. You’re almost there! Here on the last page there’s going to be a lot of information but don’t let it deter you! At the very top of the page it’s going to have all of your ticket choice including your departure and arrival cities, time of your departure, seat number, the whole shebang. This is your last chance to check everything out to make sure it’s correct.

Now scroll down and, in the second gray box that starts with 이용약관, click on the only open box to make a check mark.

12. Last step! Now it’s time for you to put in your card information. Next to where it says 카드구… you won’t have to click on anything as long as the first option is already clicked. The next box down, however, is where you’ll put your card number. It shouldn’t matter whether this is a  The next two boxes are the expiration date, and the bottom is the last six digits of your Alien Registration Card number. These digits are your birthday starting with the last two digits of your birth year, followed by your birth month and the day.

Once you’ve put all that in, click on the green button at the bottom for the all clear! The next page it should take you too should have two choices for you to put in either your card number or Alien Registration number to confirm your reservation. You are also able to cancel your reservation by clicking on the 최소 button next to the reservation, though it will be a small fee to do so.

And that’s all there is to it. Happy reserving!:)

A Day in the Life in South Korea

I’ve officially been in South Korea for a year some chance and I’m finally putting up my first video on life teaching abroad! Even though I’ve moved halfway across the world my day to day is about as normal as I could come to expect. Here’s just a small snippet of my everyday life as a foreign teacher in South Korea!

Dating in South Korea

I’ve actually gotten lots questions from friends and family back home about whether or not I am, and this is a direct quote, “a prematurely made cat lady who is obviously lonely out of her mind” because I’m a foreigner living in another country. The question had so many wrong parts to it it was hard to know where to begin, but I’ll go ahead and start with the fact that I am actually allergic to cat hair and therefore don’t think I’ll be a cat lady until they discover a permanent vaccine for said allergy. Also, of course you’re able to date in Korea. Dating in Korea is a big deal. Like, of everywhere else I’ve ever been it seems that being alone here is one of the number one problems you could ever have. Everyone wants you to be in a relationship. It’s addressed in every movie, sitcom, and drama you’ll ever see here. One of the first questions anyone will ask you when they first meet you, often right after your name and where are you from, is “Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?”. This question is off limits to absolutely no one. Our bosses asked all of the foreign teachers on our first day about our relationship statuses and were wholeheartedly flummoxed and disappointed that all 4 of us were single. It’s like being single here is as novel a concept as Americans not having Starbucks. (For the record, my friend from South Africa insists there is no Starbucks there and all of us were horrified at the mere idea that there was a place in the Free World that did not have the option between a tall or venti latte. But I digress.) So yes, dating is a big deal. Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to date both Koreans and fellow foreigners since I’ve been here and they were incredibly different experiences, but certainly no better or worse than one or the other. First off, everyone wonders whether Koreans are into dating foreigners and I can absolutely, with conviction, assure you that they are just as into foreigners as they are into other Koreans. And it doesn’t matter what color you are, or what country you’re from, or even whether or not you speak Korean. It’s mostly the younger generation that has no problem dating outside of the “traditional” dating scene, but I’ve seen plenty of middle age Korean men out with younger foreign women as well. My experiences, along with other friends of mine who have dated a native, have been varied when it comes to dating Korean men, but one thing we can all agree on is how attentive Korean men, and Korean women from as far as I’ve been to tell, can be when in a relationship. What you have to understand is that traditional Korean couples often spend anytime they’re not actually together texting, talking on the phone, and then actually hanging out as often as possible. When dating a foreigner, most Koreans expect that you want the same treatment, or else they just like to give you lots of attention. Texting non-stop is definitely to be expected whether you’re dating a male or female. Whether it’s checking to make sure you are still alive, or even simply that you’ve eaten (the latter is far more common than the former, but not by much), expect at least a few messages in your inbox while you’re with your significant other. They are often very concerned about your well being. I can’t tell you how many texts I’ve gotten warning me to be careful I don’t get a cold, that I’m eating properly, to go get medicine if whether I think my runny nose is just allergies or not. I had a friend whose fairly new Korean boyfriend looked up and then sent her the name of every hospital within a 20 miles radius of where she lived, and then sent her directions to each one because he lived in Seoul and couldn’t take her there himself. It was sweet that he cared, but definitely caused me to raise a curious eyebrow. I can’t think of many men who would just up and do that back home, not because they didn’t care, but because they could just as easily bring me soup and make sure I made a doctor’s appointment for the next day. Honestly his checking on her was great, I was just surprised at how much he seemed to care when they’d only been dating a few weeks. Dates themselves are pretty much like every other date I’ve been on regardless of where I am in the world. I’ve gone to normal lunches or dinners, walking through the park, ice skating, lots of normal things that I’d do anywhere else. The only difference, I think, is when I’ve gone on more than one place on a Korean date we switch off paying for one thing or another. So he’ll pay for lunch, but after if we get coffee or dessert I’ll pay, which I totally don’t mind and even prefer. So, yes, in my experience Korean men like to take care of you, like being around you and enjoy your time together a little more than I’m used to, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Many girls thoroughly enjoy being loved on in such a way and have perfectly normal relationships as far as I’ve seen. Being so actively into dating isn’t necessarily my cup of tea because I’m very used to being independent. Still, my relationships here can be a nice change from the norm of what I’m used to. If you’re coming here and, like I was, are certain you are going to remain totally alone for the better part of your stay because of your being a foreigner, I’d say don’t sweat it. There’s someone out there for everyone, and I wholeheartedly suggest you get out there and experience any new adventures you decide on for yourself!

When “place where I live and work” suddenly became “Home”

The first time the words casually came out of my mouth I was shocked.

During a week long vacation in September I went to Tokyo to just kind of get away for a little while, but also to start on my “I want to see it all!” fantasy. The trip was great, but on my last night as I sat in the living room of the hostel with about a dozen others I sighed and mock lamented, “Man, it’s going to be so weird speaking Korean again when I get home.”

A few people nodded in understanding, one of my new friends giggled a little, but no one acknowledged what I had said because they obviously didn’t understand the implications. I remember tensing up a little because for the first time I realized that home was not where it had always been for the past 20+ years of my life. I will admit it was slightly terrifying to think that when I said ‘home’ I didn’t mean a suburb in Texas, my extended families’ homes on the East coast, or in any of the United States in general. Subconsciously I had been calling my little studio apartment in the middle of Chungju ‘home’ for months, but saying it out loud was an affirmation that I had abandoned any pretense that it was anything more than a place I simply lived.

My home in Korea is the first one I have made for myself with only the slightest of guiding hands. I’m the one who decided that decorating my apartment meant just taping pictures on the walls, that found out which restaurants are healthier and, therefore, to be avoided at all costs. No one else in my family back home knows the places I like to eat at that are simply closer to where I live, the cooks who know my name and face because I’ve been so often, or what I like to do on the weekends when I’m not doing my best to imitate a hibernating bear. I know all of the intricacies involved with taking a bus, a train, the subway, even flying. I have favorite foods now that I’m not sure whether or not I’m going to have withdrawals from when I finally leave. I have hobbies that are entirely my own (for a brief moment I took up cooking…?), I’ve conquered fears, learned a new language (sort of), met new people and taken myself on journeys I never thought were possible.

It’s a combination of all the little things that have helped me to make this place home, but the moment I bought my plane ticket back to Texas to visit my family was the first time I realized how attached I really was. I was actually on the verge of a mini anxiety attack as I searched for flights. After a long minute I finally discovered why I was being so weird. So small but so glaringly obvious, I nearly slapped myself when I realized the problem was that, while I had been searching, I hadn’t clicked ‘Roudtrip’.

Immediately after I subconsciously recognized that I was, in fact, coming back to Korea I relaxed. My shoulders completely relaxed, my heart stopped pounding, and I laughed a bit at my overreaction. But it wasn’t an overreaction at all because for a second I truly thought that I was losing what I’ve taken so long to build: my new home.

This past month, nearly exactly a year to the day, I finally visited my friends and family back in the good old US of A. Of course I was excited, happy to finally be somewhere where I understood everyone and I knew exactly where to get all the products I’ve been without while all the way across the ocean. But in the back of my mind, late at night so I couldn’t examine it too closely, I found myself wondering what was going on “back home”. I couldn’t exactly remember if I had turned off the heater and nearly groaned at the bajillion won bill I was going to find if I hadn’t. I wondered what my friends and Korean families were up to, if the kids I saw once a week were studying hard, if the very nice barista at the Starbucks down the street from my apartment was going to think I had moved away or died since I see her at least once a week and hadn’t been in nearly 2.

I’m not going to be so dramatic as to say I was itching to get back or that I would rather be in Korea than my original home. I absolutely treasured every moment I had in America like it was my last, but I also acknowledged that it was no longer the only home I had. It’s not crazy that I finally think of this place as more than a foreign country or just my place of employment. It has been over a year after all! It is however, strangely comforting, to find that I finally find myself equally comfortable in both places, something that I didn’t think was ever going to be possible no matter how much I loved living here.

In short, anywhere I feel comfortable enough to dance around the room in my underwear while doing laundry is home to me and honestly probably always will be.

14 things everyone teaching in Korea can relate to

Sure I do a lot of teaching here in Korea, but there are also lots of things that teaching in Korea has taught me. I can definitely thank my students for half of my new teachings because there is just nothing like teaching in a Korean classroom.

 

1. You start talking to everyone, no matter if they’re fluent speakers, friends and family, at a much slower pace. 

It’s not that you think they’re stupid, but you’re used to trying not to speak as fast to give your students time to catch up and it’s a hard habit to break.

 

2. You’ve got stories for DAYS about the crazy -ish your students say to you inside and outside the classroom.

 

3. After months of having Kimchi for lunch (which you have, at some point, gained an affinity for), you will miss food from home something FIERCE…

 

4. Literally ANY problem in the classroom can be solved with Gawi Bawi Bo (scissors, rock, and paper). Anything.

It is NOT just a game, it is a way of LIFE!

 

5. Korean Surprise is as real as outer space and twice as hard to understand.

Oh you mean I’m supposed to be teaching another class right now? That I’ve never done before? Our director’s on his way to observe the class as well? I’ve got 15 minutes? Splendid!

 

6. The only time you’re going to escape a work related outing when it is brought up is never. 

The chances of you going home sober are also slim, no matter whether it’s a Tuesday night or not. Accept it.

 

7. You know the words (and dances) to songs you will probably never actually understand, whether intentionally or not.

But you’ve got to admit, some of them are definitely catchy!

 

8. Keeping up with who is or isn’t popular in a boy or girl group is next to impossible. Accept that they will probably all appear the same to you and you will just have to take your kids’ word for it that they’re good.

I have learned to never question the power of EXO no matter what, I just press play.

 

9. The more Korean words you learn the more you’ll try them in the classroom, only to have your students laugh outright at your adorable Korean baby babble.

Either that or they’ll try to add to your slim vocabulary collection with something more complicated than you are willing to handle.

 

10. You’ve developed the most unique sign language anyone’s ever come up with, but as long as your students understand that you meant ‘Why is that bad??’, you will flap your arms like a bird for the rest of the school year if you have to!

 

11. God bless that one student who always responds to your questions and/or translates to the rest of the class.

 

12. God save you when they’re absent.

 

13. There are days when your kiddos will drive you absolutely insane…

 

14….but you love them for better or worse because, seriously, what else would you be doing?

Living in Korea: Honesty is the best policy!

It’s no secret that image is very important in Korean culture and I’ve mentioned briefly in the past how my Korean co-teachers, and, well, all Koreans in general, have absolutely no problem telling you exactly what they think of you when it comes to your appearance. Whether it’s a first meeting or you have known each other for awhile, I have learned more about myself in the past 6 months than I knew in my entire life back home because no one here has any qualms letting me know anything about myself whether I want to know or not. In a way it can be very refreshing having someone say everything they think about you to your face , including your personality. It can also be a little discombobulating when someone tells you, with absolutely no remorse, that you look “much prettier with makeup on”.

You have to understand that if someone here in Korea makes a comment about you to you it is hardly ever, in my experience, said with spite. Unless, as I learned on the subway the morning after a particularly rough night in Hongdae, it is to inform you that you look as though you ‘have no class’ and next time should probably ‘wear heels’. To that ahjumma that was offended by my clear lack of image control at 8 in the morning after getting home at 5, I apologize. I also never knew there could be so many things a person could be to make them attractive or unattractive. For example, I found out that I have not just a small face, but big eyes, a normal but high bridged nose (which, I am told, is a pretty foreigner thing), small ears and a “glamorous” (which basically means big boobed) body. These are apparently my “attractive” qualities. But make no mistake, I am far from perfect as anyone who works with me will be able to tell you by the end of every work day.

I have literally a million stories just  from being at work where I was flabbergasted at the lack of sugarcoating that goes on. One day I was definitely not feeling life, but was smiling and felt as though no one really knew what a struggle it had been to get out of bed that morning while also staying awake. At least, no one said anything. My fellow English speaking teachers remained oblivious and, other than a couple of extra glances through the day, my Korean co-teachers seemed that way as well. I should have known better than to think I was off the hook. The next day, after I was feeling much better, my co-teacher says to me, “Wow, you look much better today!” Jokingly I responded, “Oh? Did I look bad yesterday?”

Pause.

Now, if I had said something like this at home to a friend, or really anyone who’d made the comment, their response would have been something along the lines of, “No, you didn’t look bad, you just look really nice today!” I don’t know why, after 6 months of living here, I thought the response would be anything like that at all. It’s like I haven’t lived in this country at all! What I should have expected, and what came out of my co-teacher’s mouth, with a frown, was, “Yeah, yesterday you looked really tired and your skin condition was not that great. But today, much better!” Then, with a smile and a flounce, she patted me on the shoulder and waltzed right into the classroom.

These situations are absolutely not uncommon, and they are absolutely not intended to be negative or degrading in any way. Especially now that they know us so well and we see each other everyday, our fellow teachers are normally full of compliments, happy to say how nice someone’s hair looks that day, how small their waist, how cute a guy’s new haircut or how nice someone’s outfit looks on them. When comments are made about someone’s acne or how and their condition looks, it is often said out of legitimate concern and observation rather than a pointed display of flaws. My ultimate favorite story of ‘Well ok then…’ came from my students, of whom I should definitely have expected great verbal material but was, as usual, caught off-guard at their candidness.

That day I had worn my glasses simply because I hadn’t felt like putting in contacts that morning, with my hair in a bun for basically the same reason, and a very average outfit for me which consisted of leggings and a rather basic top. When I walked in my kids were shocked. They hadn’t seen me with my glasses on and demanded I take them off and put them back on several times to be able to tell key differences in my appearance. My favorite comments were:

“Teacher! No glasses, no pretty. Glasses, very pretty!”

Well, thank you Adam!

“Woah, teacher, BIG eyes! Like…plate!”

…Ok, thank you Annabella!

“Face looks smaller.”

I want to say that’s a good thing, so thanks again!

Then, just as I was about to actually feel good about myself before lunchtime on a Wednesday (unheard of, really), another one of my co-teachers comes down the hall and says, “Ah yes, you look much smarter with glasses!”

And, as though I never learn, I said, “I don’t always look smart?!”

To which he and all my students pause, stare at me for a moment and, he responds, “Hm…maybe today you just look smarter!”

…thank you.

What I’m basically trying to say here is, through all of the comments about whether or not I have lost weight, the one time my co-teachers called me out (at lunch) because I had a giant pimple the size of Manhattan on my face, or the one time I tried a new dress and they told me I looked like a grandma, I know that my Korean counterparts only tell me these things out of love and concern. You should know as well, that no matter whether you are teaching or simply coming here for a visit, someone is going to comment on your appearance to you. Take it all in stride and bask in it, because very rarely will you come across this kind of honesty in your life again. Besides, they comment on each other’s appearance just as much so you’re not that special. And remember, nothing they say to you will ever beat the time we were at lunch and one of the MALE Korean teachers asks, “Don’t you think [female Korean teacher] should lose weight?” To which she responded, “Don’t you think [male Korean teacher] should fix that new haircut?” Back home, them’s fighting words. Here, mere observations. And I love it.

 

 

Our first Korean Wedding!

Our beautiful co-teacher standing before all of us with her new husband!:)

So this past weekend we had the great honor of seeing one of our four co-teachers make it down the aisle with her long time boyfriend. It was an absolutely beautiful ceremony where none of us understood what was being said, but got the sentiment all the same. To be completely honest, when she first invited us (and by invited, I mean told us she was getting married so to mark that date on our calendars and attend) I had no idea what it would be like walking in. The first struggle began weeks before the wedding even took place when I realized I had no idea what to wear for such an occasion. The same rules don’t even seem to apply here about not wearing white if you’re not the bride so I was utterly befuddled (my British friend is teaching me to use bigger words in my writing so cheerio, here it is!). We’d also heard that Korean weddings are not like Western weddings in that they are short, sweet and to the point. Coming from other countries where getting married is a celebration expected to take hours upon hours, none of us had ever experienced a “short wedding” (a friend of mine back home had a reception that reportedly lasted 8 hours…). Despite any and all preparations, I still was not even close to prepared for what actually took place.

Weddings in Korea are supposed to take place in the bride’s hometown or where she grew up, so we headed to super south Seoul to a beautiful wedding hall full to the brim with people. Since both the bride and groom work and live in Chungju (about 2 hours south of Seoul), they prepared a bus to shuttle their friends and family back and forth to the big city.  It seemed like as soon as we stepped off the bus everyone else knew exactly what to do, leaving the 4 foreigners caught up in the chaos and insanity that was the waiting area before the wedding even began. Here’s what we now understand about Korean weddings that we did not before:

Weddings here are not like back home where you find a church, outdoor venue or what have you and then rent it out for the day for your wedding and following reception. Instead, brides find one of many wedding halls in the area of their choice, namely where they grew up. They then rent out the hall for ONE HOUR. That’s right, just one hour to get your ceremony over and done with because they send the next group through right after you’re finished. It’s like a drive-thru where you get in, get what you need and promptly get out to make room for the next customer.

When we first arrived everyone was also standing in long lines giving their wedding gifts, but here it’s not about getting toasters, waffle irons or fine china. Wedding gifts here are simply different amounts of money depending on your relationship with the couple getting married. For example, our fellow co-teachers, as co-workers were expected to give about 50,00 won a piece, much less than say family members who were expected to give much more to help the couple start their lives together. This is a very traditional process that I can’t say I disagree with. I mean, I’ll take 100 bucks over a new set of nice plates any day!

Getting serenaded by the wedding singer…in the middle of the ceremony

The money is placed in small envelopes and placed at the table with the couple’s name on them. As foreigners we were apparently not expected to give any money for which I felt slightly bad. In all fairness, no one had told us this was a part of the ceremony so we just tried to blend into the wall while everyone else made it rain. After this we met the Groom who greets everyone out in the reception area before the wedding. He, along with his and the bride’s parents, said hello and acknowledged all manner of friends and family out in the open. This was all a bit strange for me, but what was definitely strange was the fact that the Bride was in another room simply waiting and taking pictures with everyone. If you’ve ever seen a K-drama you know that this is all a very familiar process, but to actually be a part of it was something different altogether. Back home a very select few actually see the bride before she makes her way down the aisle. Here, everyone and their brother can come in to see her and take professional pictures with her minutes before the wedding even takes place. Our co-teacher looked absolutely breathtaking, and we were very excited to see her, of course. Still, I couldn’t believe we were actually seeing her in all her finery.

Standing before everyone to say their vows

We were finally ushered into the wedding hall where we promptly started right on time. First, the mothers of the bride and groom made their way down the aisle, bowed to the crowd and took their seats on the bride and groom’s sides respectively on adorable couches right in front of the altar. Then, the groom, and, finally, the bride with her father. Then it was just the bride and groom at the front of the wedding hall before the pastor launched into the ceremony.

Somewhere in the middle of it all I got called up to sing (this is real life, not a dream) in front of the two of them, during the ceremony. Another Korean singer then sang the bride to tears, though I confess to having no idea what the song was about. They then exchanged pre-printed vows that apparently everyone says (another ‘Wow’ difference)  before hearing the bride’s mother speak. The bride and groom then bowed to both their parents on both sides of the aisle, the groom on his hands and knees and the bride just 90 degrees standing up, to thank them for raising them and handing them over to another to care for them the rest of their lives.

The ceremony concluded not long after that and the bride and groom made their way out of the wedding hall back down the aisle only to have to go back where they had exchanged vows to take more pictures with family and, finally, friends. Hint: that was us.

My favorite part of the whole day was the buffet that served as the ‘reception’ of sorts upstairs from where the wedding took place. This buffet was the absolute truth and was a much needed meal after quite the whirlwind of a day. The bride and groom, now Mr. and Mrs., made a final appearance saying hello and thank you to all who had attended their ceremony. All in all our first Korean wedding was a total success, and I definitely look forward to more!

 

 

                      

 

“Holy crap, I’m moving to Korea!” FAQ’s (Part 2)

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!

 

“I’m placed in a RURAL area! Oh my God, WHAT NOW?!”

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:

🙂

The Insanity that was Boryeong Mud Festival

Amidst the seemingly millions of summer activities now going on in South Korea, this past weekend we embarked on a journey to the small city of Boryeong for a weekend of sun and mud on Daecheon beach. Honestly, when I first heard of this “Mud Festival” I was skeptical about the entire endeavor. Just thinking about how long it was going to take to get the mud out of my hair was enough to make me want to jump off the bus through the window on our way there. Still, while I was not disappointed in how many washes it took to get what seemed like pounds of mud out of my scalp, and I’m pretty sure I will be recovering for the next few days at least, it was well worth the journey and the memories!

There are always several different ways to experience these kinds of festivals and trips, but this time around we went through a group called Adventure Korea and it was actually a great experience. They had lots of things planned for us so we were never bored, but also gave us plenty of free time (after they had thoroughly exhausted us!). It took us about 2 and a half hours from Cheongju to Boryeong and the bus ride itself was an adventure. We stayed almost directly on the beach, a 2 minute walk up a crooked sidewalk and you could pretend you were in the Little Mermaid!

Adventure Korea was really good about getting us set up in our pensions and then letting us free for lunch. There was always a time that we needed to be back to the bus or the pension which, being a total Type A control freak, thrilled me beyond anything we could see all weekend. After lunch they took us to take part in what I assume was the official Boryeong Mudfest Parade. Here’s where things got interesting. They handed all of us super soakers full of colorful water, goggles and white t-shirts and then basically told us to go at it on this dude in a Shrek costume in the middle of the parade. Obviously hand a foreigner from any country a super soaker and we are going to have a blast, but this was particularly fun considering how much the locals enjoyed watching us go insane in the middle of the street.

After being thoroughly dirtied by colorful water and confetti that
fell from the sky, we headed back to the buses where they shipped us off to a separate
mud portion of the beach. Technically it wasn’t even on the beach, but it was a huge mud wasteland that would have made Oscar the Grouch proud. There they had set up a ton of different activities like Mud Wrestling, making a Human Pyramid and, our favorite, a 3 km long race. In the mud.

Now, when I say ‘in the mud’, I don’t mean like watching an adorable pig running around in the mud or a mud bath from the spa. This mud was past my ankles and required a special pair of socks to walk in so you didn’t tear up your feet on the rocks and shells and wildlife beneath it’s depths. When I say we got muddy, I mean we got MUDDY.

Now, here’s where it got tricky. There were maybe a dozen showers and over a hundred of us which meant you were waiting in line for a shower for awhile or you used one of the handful of kiddie pools full of water with a bucket to help rinse yourself. It took us awhile to get cleaned off enough to get back on the bus, and even then the clothes that we had worn there were ruined. I wouldn’t suggest wearing anything there that want to wear again in the future. Between the mud and water your favorite beach shirt will never be the same again.

We had all the free time in the world that night and the next day so we spent the night on the beach with seemingly everyone else drinking their life away. There were fireworks and people watching and tons of food and then, to our surprise, a performance from K-Pop group Brown Eyed Girls! If you have no idea who they are, just know that the dance for Psy’s ‘Gentleman’ is based off of one the BEG’s songs from years ago called ‘Abracadabra’. The song is awesome. The dance is even better.

The next day we were free until it was time to head back so plenty of us spent it either recovering or hanging out on the beach. It was totally packed and they had lots of music going, water slides, more mud and, of course, a dance party where they proceeded to spray people with water. In all honesty it looked like a watered down Spring Break (no pun intended. Sort of.). By the time we headed back to the buses at 4 PM I was exhausted and full of tan lines I don’t expect to go away anytime soon. Still, every tan line, shampoo rinse and sore muscle from sleeping on the floor was worth it. Especially when I remember that this picture happened: