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Most Popular posts of 2014

The Most Popular posts of 2014: It’s always hard to predict what the reader wants to know. These posts hit a common nerve and you were interested in reading this. Here are the Top 10 most popular posts of 2014 (so far), and we don’t plan to stop posting more of these any time soon… Did you miss any of them? Which one was your favorite?

10. Arriving in Korea

You’ve waited weeks for this moment, perhaps even months. You have landed at Incheon Airport, and you’ve been told how to get out of the airport (take a bus into Seoul, look for someone holding your name when you come out of baggage claim, etc). But you probably have no idea what comes next, right?

Here’s how to make your first weeks after arriving in Korea a little less stressful.

 

9. The ultimate checklist

It’s crunch time, and you’re preparing to actually GO ABROAD! It probably feels like everything is happening way too fast… and truth be told, it probably is. With that in mind, here’s the ultimate checklist to help ensure that you have everything covered…

 

8. Weird facts about North Korea

According to Kim Jong-Il’s biography, he was born under a double rainbow as a new star appeared. He  started to walk at 3 weeks old, and claimed to be able to control the weather by his moods. What are some other weird facts you’ve heard about North Korea?

 

7. Weird places in Korea

Yes, we know about all the must-do’s in Korea.. But how about the weird, the different, the unusual places in Korea…?

 

6. Useful websites in Korea

Are you new to Korea? Have you been here for a few years? Either way, we’ve found these useful websites in Korea to be super helpful in planning nights out, weekends away, or exotic trips out of the country.  We hope this list will assist you as you create memories overseas!

 

5. What I wish I knew before coming to Korea

What I knew of the world changed during my first few days, weeks, and months in Korea. I did my research, but there were a few things that I missed. This is what I wish I knew before arriving in Korea.

 

4. Living cost in Korea

So you’re coming to Korea, and you’ll be earning around 2.0 – 2.1m KRW (average starting salary for a 1st year teacher). You’re probably wondering what your living costs in South Korea will look like, right? How much can you save? How much can you send home to pay off student loans? How much will you have in your pocket to spend on traveling?

 

3. Returning home after being abroad

Reverse culture shock, according to Investopia:

“The shock suffered by some people when they return home after a number of years overseas. This can result in unexpected difficulty in readjusting to the culture and values of the home country, now that the previously familiar has become unfamiliar.”

You just returned from a place that is very different. The language, the customs, the way of living… and now you’re “home.” But if it’s “home,” then how come I feel so… out of place?

 

2. Learn to read Korean

Did you know that you could Learn to read Korean in less than an hour?! This picture is famous for being a good way to learn to read Korean, in just 15 minutes… (Took some of us closer to an hour), but imagine spending 1 hour – and being able to save so much more time in the future, by being able to read!

 

And the most popular post of 2014:

 

1. What not to say to an expat

I’ve been gone for a while, and I know you don’t fully understand the ways that I’ve changed. So, to every expat-friend-and-family-member-ever. Here’s what NOT to say to an expat.

 

What topic will be more popular then this one? Let us know, and we might just write about that next!

 

What I Wish I Knew BEFORE Coming to Korea

What I knew of the world changed during my first few days, weeks, and months in Korea. I did my research, but there were a few things that I missed. This is what I wish I knew before arriving in Korea:

Shopping in Korea

Shopping in Korea

1. Clothing

Saying that Korea “gets hot” in the summer is like saying that Antarctica can be chilly sometimes. The humidity can be so strong sometimes that it feels like you’re swimming through the air. It’s thick, muggy, still air, and it is VERY hot.

And then, there’s the winter. Korea has 4 seasons, people. Spring and Autumn are AMAZING… but they are short lived. The summer is muggy and humid, and the winter is nail-biting cold.  Make sure you bring enough clothing to last throughout the year!

This list should help with what to pack and what to leave behind before your move to South Korea.

2. The “tidiness” of your apartment

Maybe not this bad, but you know...

Maybe not this bad, but you know…

Have you heard about this yet? If not, then read carefully: tenants are not required to clean the apartment before they move out.

Even if you’re replacing another foreign teacher, it’s likely that they won’t clean up much for you. Hard to believe? Just wait – you’ll probably leave without cleaning it either! We’ve heard stories about kimchi mold growing in refrigerators, spiderwebs in the window sills, and almost everyone has a horror story about bathrooms. Suffice it to say: mentally prepare yourself. You will likely spend your first 48 hours cleaning. DEEP cleaning. Get ready to go shopping for cleaning supplies when you first arrive.

3. Your boss

Checking out the curriculum ahead of time? Meeting your coworkers? Shadowing some classes before you start teaching? Yeah… probably not going to happen… teaching in Korea can best be summed up in the phrase “rolling with the punches”…

To start off with a good teaching relationship with your boss, we would advise you to bring a little something for them. It can be something from your home country or even a snack with a cup of coffee. This will mean more than you can imagine.

4. Your class schedule

You might receive that the day before you start teaching, if you’re lucky. Most of us receive it THE DAY we start teaching. Make peace with the fact that Korea is a place where people do things differently, and you are the one who need to fit in with their culture. Be flexible, be adaptable. Roll with the punches.

5. Cell phone

If you have a cell phone that you want to bring along, you need to make sure that it is compatible (2100mHz WCDMIA) and unlocked (check with your service provider). To get a contract in Korea directly through their service providers (Olleh / SK Telecom), you’ll need to have your ARC (Alien Residence Card). This will take 3 – 6 weeks to get from immigration.

6. Restaurant Etiquette

You will probably sit on the floor. When you arrive, wait to be told where to sit. Don’t start eating until your boss has taken their first bite. Don’t tip in a Korean restaurant. The waiter might just run after you with the change. Don’t pour your own drink in the company of an older Korean. It is the responsibility of the senior person at the table. Hold out your cup with both hands as they pour for you. And dear god, don’t blow your nose at the table.

7. Public Transportation

Seoul has one of the most extensive public transportation systems in the world. The subway is clean, it will take you almost anywhere, and every subway station is right underneath a city bus station. There are also taxi’s available, and they are not nearly as expensive as they are at home.

Seoul Subway Map

Seoul Subway Map

8. Internet

Kotatsu-tastefulTNWhen you arrive at the airport, you can connect to WiFi while you wait for your next move (someone picking you up, or a bus). If you’re lucky, internet in your apartment will still be running from the teacher before you. Most will have to wait to get internet set up at home.

Don’t worry though, most coffee shops (they are everywhere) will have WiFi available. This is usually the easiest way to Skype with family/friends, check your email, etc until you can get internet set up at home.

9. Alcohol consumption

Drinking in public is legal. Weird, right? And AWESOME.

10. Learning Korean

Being able to speak Korean might take you a while. There are a variety of Korean courses available, as well as language exchange programs where you teach someone English and they teach you Korean in return. Learning to read Korean is a lot easier than learning to speak it. You can do it in less than an hour! Seriously!

11. Homesickness

It’s unavoidable. Moving to Korea and adjusting to the life here is adventurous and exciting, but you’ll have your fair share of shocking experiences. Homesickness comes and goes. Make sure you establish effective communication with those at home, whether through Skype, or a cell phone. Be sure to plan an adventure (in Korea) quickly – within your first 8 weeks if you can! Korea is filled with quick weekend getaways, and the extensive bus/train system makes it easy to leave on a Saturday morning and come home on a Sunday night. Hikes, 4D movie theaters, festivals, beaches, temple stays… the list goes on. You can meet people on Facebook groups in your area, or you go to Meetup.com to find people with similar interests as you.

12. Showers… and your bathroom in general

It’s most probably not going to be the way you expect it to be. Your shower is basically your whole bathroom. Traditionally, the shower head is right over your toilet. It takes some time getting used to, but hey, it’s an adventure!

13. Your age

Koreans are 1 when they are born, so when you arrive in Korea, you are instantly 1 year older in age. Yay!

For everything else, here’s Adventure Teaching’s Comprehensive guide on South Korea!

Let us know what we’ve missed!

Arriving in Korea: 5 things you should know!

You’ve waited weeks for this moment, perhaps even months. You have landed at Incheon Airport, and you’ve been told how to get out of the airport (take a bus into Seoul, look for someone holding your name when you come out of baggage claim, etc). But you probably have no idea what comes next, right?

Here’s how to make your first weeks after arriving in Korea a little less stressful:

1. Internet

Once you arrive, you should be able to find the free WiFi at Incheon Airport. While you’re waiting for baggage, standing in immigration lines, or waiting for your bus to arrive, you can use your laptop or phone to connect to the internet.

If your school is putting you up in a hotel for the first few days, you’ll probably have internet access. If you’re going straight to your apartment, it all depends on whether the teacher before you has cancelled or kept their old internet contract.

Solution: Find a coffee shop in the area – they are plentiful, and most have free WiFi. You could also look for PC-Bongs – computer rooms.

2. Your Apartment

Do you have any expectations about what your apartment might or should be like? Some advice – don’t have any. It will probably be dirty. You’ll likely spend your first 2 days deep cleaning every single surface. You’ll probably have to throw out a bunch of random stuff that was left by the teacher before you.

Trust us – it happens to everyone. Just buckle down, clean it all up, and then start to settle in. And hopefully the experience will motivate you to leave the apartment in a better condition when you head home!

Apartments in Korea come in different shapes and sizes, and just remember to keep an open mind. After all, this will be your home for at least the next year!

3. Language

You’ll learn how to use hand signals you never knew existed… you’ll probably make up a few, too!
No: Cross your arms  in the form of an ‘X’
Yes: Show the Okay sign
Be cute: Show the peace sign, next to your face

Learn some basic Korean – a little bit goes a long way! Then, learn how to Read Korean – if you have someone helping you, it shouldn’t take you more than a few hours!  You won’t have any idea what 99% of the signs actually mean, but hey, you’ll be able to read them!

4. Grocery Shopping

There might be a Home Plus, Lotte Mart or E-mart close to you. If not, you’ll be able to get the basics from corner stores like CU, IGA, 7-Eleven or GS25. You should also have a bakery, like Paris Baguette, in the area.

You’ll slowly get to know which products you can find (and which are impossible to track down) in Korea. Until then, make friends with people who have been in Korea longer than you!

5. Dealing with colleagues

We’ve created this section, to get you prepared for the working culture of Korea, and to give you an insight in what might be expected of you. This will change your attitude in the workplace and definitely score you some brownie points in the office!

 

Eager to know more? We’ve spent a lot of time developing Adventure Teaching’s Guide to South Korea. It’s packed full of information that will help you know how to navigate your first few days in Korea!

 

So, what did we miss? Do you have any stories to share about your arrival to Korea?

Let us know: email [email protected] or leave a comment on our Facebook page!

 

 

Useful Websites in Korea

Are you new to Korea? Have you been here for a few years? Either way, we’ve found these useful websites in Korea to be super helpful in planning nights out, weekends away, or exotic trips out of the country.  We hope this list will assist you as you create memories overseas!

Social

English Magazines in Korea – up to date events, photography and entertainment.

Movie showtimes in cities throughout the country, all in English!

Find friends in your area – a super helpful interactive map of Facebook groups in South Korea.

Adventure Korea and WINK –  want to travel Korea AND meet people? Check these sites out!

Korean Gig Guide – Concerts & Shows in Korea – great calendar listing many of the great shows in Korea.

Transportation

Bus / Train Schedules all over Korea – so that you can choose the easiest / fastest / cheapest way to get places.

Cheap flights – want to go explore Asia? This list is an amazing resource!

Seoul Subway – an interactive Seoul subway map.

Driver’s license – Get your driver’s license in Korea

Food

Kimbab Heaven – an online menu, full of cheap Korean comfort food. It’s a little outdated, but the basics are there.

McDonalds Online – watch out for the McDonald’s delivery scooters zooming around the streets of SoKo – McD’s does delivery in Korea!

Teaching Resources

Learn to Read Korean in 30 minutes.

Lesson Plans – if you don’t know about Waygook yet, well, you should!

Shopping

Gmarket – quick finds when you need something in-country.

Expat mart – the one stop online grocery store for shopping fresh fruits, vegetables, frozen food and daily use essentials

iCompany – the place to get hold of furniture

Hummus in Korea – fresh, homemade hummus is just a click away

iHerb – they sell nutritional supplements and other healthy products

High Street Market –  offers a relaxed western style shopping experience with hard-to-find foods such as imported meats, artisanal breads, gourmet cheeses and imported beer and wine, all under one roof.

 

Can you think of any useful sites we need to add?

Let us know: [email protected] or comment below.

 

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Accommodation in Korea

Accommodation in Korea

A free apartment?! Say what?? You’re coming to Korea soon and you want to know where you are going to stay for the next year, right? Wouldn’t you want to know more about your accommodation in Korea? Sadly, you won’t get an address before you arrive. You also won’t see pictures or get a list of what will be waiting for you – unless you’re in touch with a current teacher whom you’re replacing.  You won’t know what’s in the neighborhood – is there a gym? A shopping mart?  Any cool bars?

Luckily, most apartments provided to foreigners arriving in Korea follow the same format. You’ll have a washing machine, a kitchen, a stove, and a fridge/freezer. There are rarely ovens or dryers in Korea. You’ll have a bed, and will probably have the luxury of a heated floor. Almost all apartments provided to foreign teachers are studios.

Things that may be left behind by the teacher you’re replacing:

  • A couch… and maybe a TV
  • A desk
  • A fan
  • A clothing rack to dry your clothes
  • Basic utensils
  • A microwave

Tip for the adventurous, thrifty types: You can often find free furniture around your apartment building. We call it “dumpster diving” – Koreans are constantly getting rid of super nice furniture/home items. You’ll find these items near the garbage/recycling area of an apartment building. Everything is free for the taking! Or you can always hit up Craigslist.

You will have to get use to the following:

  • You apartment will be a mess when you arrive. Get mentally prepared to spend your first 48 hours enduring a deep clean (seriously, you’ll have to bleach everything…)
  • Taking off your shoes inside
  • Using a code to get into your apartment, not a key
  • Your shower is your bathroom… literally… right over the toilet.
  • No bath tub
  • No yard – but some buildings have sweet roof-top patios!

Some examples…

Apartment 1:

  • 9th floor – a lovely view of hundreds of other apartment buildings
  • A combined living room, bedroom, and kitchen area – typical studio style apartment
Bedroom

Bedroom

Living room

Living room

Kitchen

Kitchen

Entry

Entry

Bathroom

Bathroom

Apartment 2:

  • 14th floor
  • combined living room / bedroom / kitchen – typical studio
Bathroom

Bathroom

Bed and Desk

Bed and Desk

Living and Kitchen

Living and Kitchen

Living area

Living area

Apartment 3:

  • 12th floor
  • combined living room / bedroom / kitchen – typical studio style
Bathroom

Bathroom

Kitchen

Kitchen

Living area

Living area

The Bedroom

The Bedroom

From removing the Kimchi mold from your Korean refrigerator to scrubbing the tiles in your bathroom during your first day in Korea, from throwing out some of the belongings of the previous tenant to discovering that your closet is actually a refrigerator – all of these small things are what makes living so far from home an adventure every day! Remain flexible, greet each day with an open mind, and trust us – you’ll have an unforgettable journey! Hope your accommodation in Korea exceeds your expectation!

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