Life in Korea
Coming to Korea: where to live? About the neighborhoods in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do
2Author’s note: Coming to Korea posts are written with the newer expats in mind. If you have a more experienced perspective to offer, please share in the comments!
EDIT 9 May 2013 to add some more information.
As I’ve been making the transition to Thailand and the next chapter in life, some of the more basic questions began to crop up: where are some good neighborhoods to live? Which foods are worth trying? Where are the best places to get a drink? Sure, some of this can be done through the internet, but the best source of information remains the person on the street that knows the area. If More >
Question from a reader: getting private tutoring jobs?
1A reader (who for obvious reasons will stay anonymous) has asked the following question:
It took a while to get here, but so far so good. I was actually curious about tutoring.. Not really sure how to approach that though. I’m getting mixed input on the legalities of it and people willing to chat about it. I’ve tried to be accessible. From going to coffee shops, to taking taekwondo, but nothing yet.Image credit: karindalziel Let me start with the standard disclaimer: if you are teaching in Korea on an E-2 visa, you need permission from both your employer and Korean Immigration to More >
Guest post: Recycling, apartments, and furnishing my pad with your old pad
1CISK note: this guest post is brought to you by Dave – he’s lived in Korea for a total of 12 years now. He has been married to his Korean wife for 20 years, and they have one son. His family lives in Uijeongbu, where he is semi-retired and addicted to X-box golf. He recently wrote a guest post on traveling Europe with a Korean tour group and Korea being a driver’s paradise – hope you enjoy!
I’m doing my part, I truly am. It’s not just a passing fad, it’s a lifestyle. And the best part is, my partner is all the motivation I need. Of course, we are not just recycling furniture. We separate just More >
Question from a reader: what do things cost in Korea?
0UPDATED to include information about goshiwons.
A quick update to readers here in Chris in South Korea: in case you hadn’t heard, Chris is no longer in South Korea. He’s in Thailand now, exploring strange new worlds and seeking out new street foods. Check out the new blog at Chris in Thailand – www.chrisinthailand.com.
OK, so the question was asked on Ask a Korean first, which I’ll quote here:
Dear Korean,
I’m seriously thinking of moving to Seoul. Do you have an idea of what the budget listing would be for about a 15 week stay in Seoul, a detailed tally of expenses? Are there any other More >
Guest post: Driver’s Paradise
0CISK note: this guest post is brought to you by Dave – he’s lived in Korea for a total of 12 years now. He has been married to his Korean wife for 20 years, and they have one son. His family lives in Uijeongbu, where he is semi-retired and addicted to X-box golf. He recently wrote a guest post on traveling Europe with a Korean tour group – if you enjoyed that one, you’ll enjoy this one as well!
It sounded daunting, it would surely be complicated, and it most definitely had all the indications of being another exasperating exercise in why-in-the-hell-did-I-decide-to-do-this. But those are More >
Guest post: What I learned from three years in South Korea
0CISK note: This guest post comes to you by Sean Lords. After obtaining degrees in English Literature and English Secondary Education, Sean packed up his bags and left to Seoul, South Korea where he lived for three years teaching English abroad. Sean has since returned to the States and is currently at work on his Master’s degree.
My decision to leave the United States and teach abroad was in fact not something I had really even considered when I thought about my future. My plans after graduation involved some vague idea of being a public school teacher or perhaps subbing part time and More >
Announcing a new e-book: 500 Korean Sayings – let your iPad do the Korean talking for you!
0Think of it as 500 Korean phrases if you like – either way, the idea here is a bit different from most other ‘learn Korean’ books. Take a look at it on iTunes, or keep reading to learn more.
The gist here is to make it easier to communicate the basics, and maybe even learn a few yourself. If you’re interested in really learning the language, consider checking out my other book, Korean Made Easy. That book features thousands of the most commonly used words and phrases, along with enough grammar points to give you a serious start to learning the language. It’s also done up in an irreverent way More >
Life in Korea: Zen and the art of tofu
0THIS post is dedicated to the omnivore Westerners who say “tofu? What do I do with it?” then buy some at the store to try it out. I’m here to tell you to give it a try, especially if you’re a meat eater. The flavor and grease of meat isn’t always appetizing, and sometimes you want something a bit different.
One of my New Year’s resolutions was to cook at home more often. Since the kitchen use in 2012 was mind-bogglingly low, even once a week would be an improvement. A result from this has been more grocery shopping in aisles where things don’t come pre-boxed or pre-bagged (the subject of More >
Life in Korea: 10 things you’ll appreciate more when you learn Korean
5LEARNING Korean is a struggle for most foreigners – and it’s definitely a tough language to learn. There’s a reason why it’s considered a critical language for the U.S. State Department. Knowing Korean – and more importantly passing their test – gives you extra consideration in that hiring process. Even if you’re not American, there are at least 10 things you’ll come to appreciate more when you learn Korean:
1. Koreans are aware of the social issues in Korea – and are actively campaigning or demanding change. It’s too easy to pass by the signs and flags demanding such, since they’re not More >
On a new year and moving on
3AS milestones, new years are good for any number of things – starting new habits, trying to break old ones, and making the usual resolutions and to-do lists. Since New Year’s Eve in 2008, I’ve celebrated the holiday in a number of different ways – walking around the backstreets of Busan, singing Auld Lang Syne and looking up the lesser-known verses on my smartphone, sipping champagne from a plastic glass at a punk show, and at a random party in Itaewon. I’ve met the woman I’ll marry here, I’ve traveled the country many times over, and have been incredibly fortunate to meet some wonderfully More >
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