Advice on Livng in Korea

So I sometimes get emails on people wanting advice on teaching and living in Korea. Consider this my generic post to answer those; I would really love it if people would post their own helpful hints, maybe after you read this and move to Korea, you could come back and write your own ideas! Next up is advice on teaching with CDI!

Living in Korea

-Try walking. I used to walk to work every day, and I really got to know that route and the restaurants and stops along the way. It's the best way to acquaint yourself with an unfamiliar area.

-Make an effort to learn the language. Reading Korean is easy to learn. (Even though I never did, oops! Kick myself for it too!)

-Make Korean friends. This can be at your workplace or outside; lots of times, people literally will walk up to you and ask to be your friend! You learn about all the cool little places and things and just plain culture from locals.

-Try ALL the food. You'll find places near you that you'll like, but don't just eat the same thing every time (*cough* donkassu!). Generally, each restaurant specializes in one food, so move around and try new places. Ask around, find the good places, and try some street food!!!

-It's easy to get into the routine of going out until the wee hours drinking, but try to limit your nights out to the weekends. At CDI, we have the whole day to do things, but if you're out late or hungover, you squander that time.

-Learn public transport. Cabs may seem cheap when you get here (and they are often cheaper than public transport if you bring lots of people and aren't going far), but those fares add up. Also, buses can often get you places faster than subways; ask which ones take you places and try them out. (Just hold on if you're standing!!)

-If you live in the city, get out to the countryside a bit or some smaller towns. Those places can offer you a whole different side of Korea. If you're daunted by the idea of going as a non-Korean, then look into a tour company like Adventure Korea; I took a really cool rafting trip that went up to the northeast near the North Korean border. We stayed in a family's house and ate homemade food at the town hall, hiked the trails surrounding the city, and it was amazing!

-Visit places early in your stay. You always say that you will go somewhere or do something later on, but later on you get into your routine and just never get around to it.

-Places to go (and a short opinion about them):
Busan (Obvious, right? 2nd biggest city, it's got the beaches for summertime! The city is pretty spread out, but there are lots of different places to go. A very foreigner-friendly city as well, and a good alternative to the overwhelming Seoul.)

Seoul (Massive and metropolitan, a much more international city. Can be a little much to conquer; just don't get stuck in Itaewon the whole time or you'll miss out!)

DMZ (There's no place really like it in the world. You get an eerie feeling being here; it's definitely worth coming to say you went, though don't expect anything too crazy to happen.)

Daegu (The fashion capital of Korea, apparently, and the 3rd biggest city. It's a fun place to visit: good food and shopping, the hiking and outdoorsy sports are big on the outskirts. Lots of military nearby, which means whatever you want it to mean.)

Kyeongju (The ancient capital of the Silla dynasty, you can get your history lessons here. It's a smaller place, and a lot to walk around and manage in one day. I enjoyed visiting, but I can understand if others are bored by it. Also, the Bulguksa temple is an awesome one to visit!)

Green Tea Fields- Boseong (Gorgeous hiking and countryside, especially in the Fall when I went, but I can imagine it being beautiful in the spring and summer as well. Remember, kids: Korea has four seasons!)

Andong Folk Village (Interesting and full of traditional dwellings and works, but kind of underwhelming. But we went in the beginning of the spring, so it was still pretty brown and dull, though the cherry blossoms were out! The Jimdok [potato and chicken stew with glass noodles] in the city of Andong is supposedly famous too.)

Cherry Blossom Festival- Jinhae (I honestly never went, but I've heard it's fun and worth the day trip. Cherry blossom time is a great time overall to be walking around in Korea; the weather is generally great, so walk to work if you can!)

-Be polite! Having a little humility when you try to set up a bank account or buy a bus ticket can go a long way. If possible, when you do those things, you can predict in advance and have a Korean friend write a quick note (i.e. when you go to the pharmacy and need a certain type of medicine or if you have trouble with your cell phone and need to go to the store).

-Remember your place as a visitor, even if you're planning on being here for a year or so. It's easy to point out differences and problems you have with Korean society when you're immersed in it, but that kind of negativity just distances yourself further from things around you.