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willtrimble
Joined: 28 Oct 2010
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 Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 7:03 pm Post subject: TWO WEEKS TILL I FLY TO ANSAN?!?!?! LAST MINUTE TIPS? |
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I have a position at LCI in Ansan starting November 10th
I have just realized that I have 300 some odd hours left in the US and this is, frankly, freaking me out. Any last minute advice? I am most interested in hearing any hands on info from any one in Ansan. Any info about hiking, biking, paragliding, or soccer. Also information about teaching would be great too. Oh and any one who wants to hang out is welcome to hit me up at [email protected]. |
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madoka
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
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AnsanAnswers
Joined: 16 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 7:42 pm Post subject: Re: TWO WEEKS TILL I FLY TO ANSAN?!?!?! LAST MINUTE TIPS? |
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| willtrimble wrote: |
I have a position at LCI in Ansan starting November 10th
I have just realized that I have 300 some odd hours left in the US and this is, frankly, freaking me out. Any last minute advice? I am most interested in hearing any hands on info from any one in Ansan. Any info about hiking, biking, paragliding, or soccer. Also information about teaching would be great too. Oh and any one who wants to hang out is welcome to hit me up at [email protected]. |
Hi Will. You're in luck. My girlfriend and I live in Ansan and have a website dedicated to living in the city. We've got info on restaurants, food, shopping and even videos of the area. Check out www.ansananswers.com.
Here are a couple of quick tips for you:
- Winter is here in Korea. It has already dropped below freezing, but may get a slight bit warmer before it gets worse. Make sure you have plenty of warm clothes and accessories. It can be very hard for us guys to find clothes that fit, don't look ridiculous or don't cost a lot of money.
- Hygiene is a little bit different here and cold/flu season is just getting started. It would be good to bring some NyQuil with you to get you through the winter. Also, Pepto-Bismol will make your transition a little bit easier. If you are close to a Costco or Sam's Club pick up a bottle of Advil. It's available here, but a year's supply in the US is only about $10.
- Bring BOOZE!!! If you like to drink alcohol bring some with you. I love Jack Daniels and brought a 1.75 liter with me from the States. I paid $32 at Costco. I just had to buy another bottle and paid $50 for only 1 liter even at Costco. I also can't find Ketel One vodka anywhere in the country. If you manage to sneak a bottle into your luggage for me I'd be eternally grateful 
- Bring a year's worth of deodorant. Again, it's available here at foreign markets, but will cost about twice as much as the States. The same goes for razors, shaving cream and fluoride toothpaste.
- The last thing I would recommend is spices. You can find most things here, but there will be a huge mark up. I brought Italian seasoning and creole. Oh yeah, maple syrup too (the good stuff).
- Bring some souvenirs from your hometown. Your students will want to see where you are from so postcards, pictures, driver's license and money are always a huge hit.
- Some gifts for your co-teachers wouldn't hurt either. I brought some lotion from Bath and Body Works and a little gift went a long way.
Ansan is a very bike friendly city. Bike friendly in Korea is no where near the same as the States, but Ansan has many bike paths and extra wide sidewalks for you to ride on. We info for our favorite bike shop on the site. I paid about $250 for a 21-speed mountain bike with Shimano components.
Koreans love to hike and have the outfits to prove it. There are a lot of National Parks with trails and camping and even some smaller mountains close by. As far as paragliding goes I have no idea, but if you find it I'm down.
Soccer is huge over here and many people play all over. I have a few friends that play in a league in Seoul every Saturday.
There is also a huge expat community here in Ansan so you'll be able to make plenty of friends. If you have any more questions feel free to drop me a line and be sure to let me know when you make it.
What part of Ansan will you be living in?
Safe travels,
Brian
Ansan Answers
[email protected] |
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waynehead
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
Location: Jongno
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 8:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Yeah, don't write in all caps. |
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ThingsComeAround
Joined: 07 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 9:37 pm Post subject: |
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beware.
Ansan has no airport  |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 10:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Lots of alternatives to Korean food are nice. Close to Oido, a cool little quirky seaside town. About an hour and fifteen minutes to an hour and a half into Seoul. Ansan people sometimes hang out in Sanbon where I live, the next big town up on the subway. |
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tanklor1
Joined: 13 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 10:44 pm Post subject: |
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| ThingsComeAround wrote: |
beware.
Ansan has no airport |
Helicopter? |
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sojusucks
Joined: 31 May 2008
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| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 12:48 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
It would be good to bring some NyQuil with you to get you through the winter. Also, Pepto-Bismol will make your transition a little bit easier. If you are close to a Costco or Sam's Club pick up a bottle of Advil. It's available here, but a year's supply in the US is only about $10.
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Nyquil is avilable in Korea at black market stores, like the Red Door in Itaewon. You can also get Theraflu at many pharmacies in Korea, like the pharmacy at Yongsan station in the actual train station (next to the escalator). The cheapest ibuprofen in the USA is the generic brand at Wal-Mart. Yes, OP, load up on ibuprofen. It's super expensive in Korea.
My advice is to get a box and fill it with things you will miss if you can't get them. Maybe some candy, special shampoo, whatever, and have someone mail it to you after you get to Korea. You'll be glad you did this. |
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blakely
Joined: 17 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 6:10 pm Post subject: you are an idiot |
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| waynehead wrote: |
| Yeah, don't write in all caps. |
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Vagabundo
Joined: 26 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 9:52 pm Post subject: |
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bring fluoride toothpaste and deodorant (a good enough supply to at least last you till your next vacation when you can fly out of Korea and restock
(actually in your case your vacation will be upcoming shortly
bring clothes and shoes. Korea got hit with a very premature Siberian front, but the weather is back to its normal gentle fall gorgeous today. Depending on where you're from Korean winter will seem like nothing to you, though my adjumma coteacher was telling everyone how winter will be "very cold" this year. She claims to have gotten this infro from the Meteorological Service.
(for Koreans "very cold" means anything below 70 degrees F. Anything above 80 F is "very hot")
Old(er) Koreans love hiking. You'd have to taser a younger one to go climb a mountain and keep the gun out at all times for him/her to proceed.
lastly, lack of airport is no problem. You'll be fantastically situated, you can catch the airport express from Ansan Station (never take the local, all stops Gimpo one) and be at the airport in a little over an hour, on a brand new expressway which bypasses the Incheon traffic horror show and on which you bus pretty much always stays at 60 mph, with no traffic concerns.
taking that bus to/from the airport is pure pleasure. It'll cost you 11K won.
(that's actually a great hint for when you fly in. Your bus will be 7B I think, or immediately next to it. There will be times on the post for regular service and express. Always take the express. Taking the normal one is like sticking a screwdriver in your brain and leaving it there) |
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willtrimble
Joined: 28 Oct 2010
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| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 11:51 pm Post subject: Thank you |
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Big thanks to all of you for responding so quickly, especially Brian creator of Ansan Answers, your website was very informative and made me feel a lot less nervous. You went way beyond the "call of duty" for some one you don't even know. So no promises but that bottle of Kettle One might just be in your future Thanks to Waynehead? for the advice on caps I guess I was trying to express my excitement/nervousness of moving to a foreign country sorry if I offended you in any way 
So thanks again any more advise is still greatly appreciated! |
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sojusucks
Joined: 31 May 2008
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 4:38 pm Post subject: |
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| madoka wrote: |
| http://wiki.galbijim.com/Ansan |
Last time that was updated? 2004? |
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ATM SPIDERTAO
Joined: 05 Jul 2009
Location: seoul, south korea
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 6:04 pm Post subject: |
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dang i live in ansan too! just started my third year here lol
and i actually SAW people paragliding from the way to incheon on the bus. like i didn't even know it's possible here haha
ansan is pretty dope! and honestly, it's a pretty nice city. people are generally pretty nice to you if you're white, or in my case, a korean looking chinaman
other cities i've been to, when i bust out the english to ask for help, they're not as friendly as the dudes/dudettes here |
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Died By Bear
Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Location: On the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 7:12 pm Post subject: Re: TWO WEEKS TILL I FLY TO ANSAN?!?!?! LAST MINUTE TIPS? |
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| willtrimble wrote: |
| LAST MINUTE TIPS? |
Leave the bong and sack of ganja home.  |
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AnsanAnswers
Joined: 16 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 8:29 pm Post subject: Re: Thank you |
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| willtrimble wrote: |
Big thanks to all of you for responding so quickly, especially Brian creator of Ansan Answers, your website was very informative and made me feel a lot less nervous. You went way beyond the "call of duty" for some one you don't even know. So no promises but that bottle of Kettle One might just be in your future Thanks to Waynehead? for the advice on caps I guess I was trying to express my excitement/nervousness of moving to a foreign country sorry if I offended you in any way
So thanks again any more advise is still greatly appreciated! |
No worries. That's what we're here for.
If you're on FaceBook you should 'like' our page 'Ansan Answers'. We have daily updates of things going on in the area. It also acts as a forum for everyone. Here's a link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ansan-Answers/138331699512923
There's also a group on FaceBook 'I'm New to Ansan or Siheung'. Our friend Jen runs that page and organizes events and activities too. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=32153471875
If you have any more questions just let me know. |
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