Korean Job Discussion Forums

[alljokingaside]

Hey,

Just a few questions for those in the know-

-are *popular western spices available that won't cause a cringe? (ie rosemary, balsamic, etc.)/ or should i bring them with?

-am i to assume that epik-granted apts will be oven-free? this' been what i've been hearing on the forums, that apts in busan/sk are generally unequipped w/ an oven

-electric guitars- how much to ship them with you? ie is it worth it? (i'll probably have little else to bring except like a week or two worth of clothes, a few books, etc. if it helps)

- how much does shipping a book/media from the US cost? (ie from Amazon and/or from back home)

-the international drivers license thing- necessary? worth it?

-any recommendations for a first-time int'l traveler?


thanks!

[mmstyle]

Hey Joking, I can only reply to some questions.

Dried spices are available. Prices are okay. If you have really specific ones that you have to go to special places for, post to ask. Rosemary, basil, cinnamon, bay leaves, etc., are all available. You mentioned balsamic (as in vinegar?) which I pay a fair bit more than I would at home for, but still available at the high end dept stores here.

Don;t expect an oven. My husband and I bought a small one (bigger than toaster oven, though) for 80,000W.

Where will you be located? I live in Seoul and would never drive here. I lived outside of Seoul, had an int'l license that I never used. But, if you think you will want to road trip a lot and don't want to to take the buses (which are generally nice and also cheap if they are intercity buses). Up to you.

I don't know about the guitar. Good luck.

[lsrupert]

Some spices are available here, but I stocked up and brought my own. (I cook a LOT.) I still wish that I had brought more! I too am in Seoul, and even when shopping at some of the international markets am unable to find all of the spices that I want. I've even had my mom buy more for me in the bulk section back home, put them in baggies with the name of the spice on it, and mail them to me. They don't weight a lot, so I would bring them! You can buy glass jars here, easily.
One of my friends brought her electric guitar with her, no problem. I don't know if you would have to pay extra. It really depends on how much you are bringing with you. It sounds like you won't have a problem with it.
The oven: most likely you will not have an oven. I work for a private school, and they purchased ovens for each of the teachers. What a blessing!!! If you plan on doing a lot of cooking, you can buy one. I love having mine.
Good luck!

[alljokingaside]

Thanks for the reply!

The info really helps- I'll be in Busan, so I should be all right then. I'm not too worried about the cars, etc. but the occasional weekend might warrant a trip out of town and maybe on a rented motorcycle (heard the services are available n popular- yes, already in possession of a class DM)

Also, regarding the airlines and external hard drives- are they scanned? ie for "pirated" music or media that are actually back-ups

[mmstyle]

No, they are not scanned for content. Not since I dragged mine all around while moving (which includes coming back here 1 year ago).

edited to add: if you have a cool teacher at your school, like I do, he/she may be happy to help you buy seeds for some of your favorite basic herbs here, if you have a small porch or decent area. Nothing like fresh herbs for cooking! I grow my own basil and cilantro, and will add rosemary, even though it is very common, and my even try to grow a few others.

[Justsurfin12]

As to weekend trips... you'll find that public transportation here is incredible. From Busan, you can either take a bus or train to anywhere you could possible want to go in Korea (and probably a few places you'd never want to go-- lol) faster and cheaper than you can drive in most cases.

As to spices... I love to cook and brought a variety with me-- then found most everything I packed at local stores. They were cheaper in the US, but if I need something I can always get it.