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meeting people

 
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cronolegs



Joined: 01 Feb 2012

PostPosted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 5:31 am    Post subject: meeting people Reply with quote

Ive been here 2 weeks now (2nd weekend) and am somewhere in incheon.

I cant get a mobile or internet until the ID card thing comes through which is another two week wait for me.
Its killing any chances of a social life as I dont feel confident enough to travel to seoul to the bar areas alone without at least a phone.

My firstweekend I managed to work some of the subways and met a nice Korean girl who showed me about a bit. But she is pretty busy....

My US co-teacher is also a busy guy (been here 3 years) and has his own life to run.

All the "meetup" groups seem to need mobile numbers and things.

So I am asking two questions.
Is there anyone around Incheon that can show me how things work
and secondly is there a way to bypass this having no cell / internet problem ?
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amnsg2



Joined: 15 Aug 2010
Location: Gumi

PostPosted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 5:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why don't you ask your boss to either get you a phone under their name or get a pre paid phone? You just need your passport, and maybe a Korean speaker to help you translate.

And for internet, throw a stone in the street and you'll probably hit a PC bang. Just ask for han shikan (1 hour) and it costs about 1-2000W depending on where you are.
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Nismo



Joined: 31 Aug 2005

PostPosted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 6:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You need the internet and a phone to get outside and explore? That seems a bit contradictory.

I'll address your second question: I recommend picking up a map of Seoul/Gyeonggi-do and the subway lines, heading out on Saturday morning and getting a little lost. That's part of the fun of living in a foreign country. It's something that those of us with our busy lives wish we could do more often, so I would suggest that you enjoy it while you can.
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FloridaGator314



Joined: 04 Apr 2011

PostPosted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 2:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Incheon's a rather big place, what part of our great city are you in?
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sojusucks



Joined: 31 May 2008

PostPosted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 4:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There are some nice places in Incheon and the subway lines there are very helpful. Where to meet people? I would suggest two shopping areas on the #1 line.

Bucheon Station has a Starbucks and a McDonalds where I've seen many foreigners.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucheon_Station

Bupyeong Station has a large shopping area.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bupyeong_Station
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nate1983



Joined: 30 Mar 2008

PostPosted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 11:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why can't you get a mobile phone? Just get a cheap one, not a smartphone. You might have to bring your passport, but I've bought/rented phones on multiple occasions in Korea without an ARC.
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wishfullthinkng



Joined: 05 Mar 2010

PostPosted: Sun Apr 01, 2012 6:02 pm    Post subject: Re: meeting people Reply with quote

cronolegs wrote:
Ive been here 2 weeks now (2nd weekend) and am somewhere in incheon.

I cant get a mobile or internet until the ID card thing comes through which is another two week wait for me.
Its killing any chances of a social life as I dont feel confident enough to travel to seoul to the bar areas alone without at least a phone.

My firstweekend I managed to work some of the subways and met a nice Korean girl who showed me about a bit. But she is pretty busy....

My US co-teacher is also a busy guy (been here 3 years) and has his own life to run.

All the "meetup" groups seem to need mobile numbers and things.

So I am asking two questions.
Is there anyone around Incheon that can show me how things work
and secondly is there a way to bypass this having no cell / internet problem ?


why not just go to the bar area of incheon? there are plenty of foreigners there too. just pick some out on the street that look friendly and ask them where they are going. you might get an invitation to join or at least get a good recommendation on where to go.

or if you are super bored take the time waiting on your arc/handphone/id, and start learning how to read hangul and speak basic sentences. i guarantee it will make your time here more fruitful and easier.
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bobloblaw



Joined: 30 May 2010

PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 8:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You're in the world's second largest metropolis. Just go outside Smile
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eyekon



Joined: 01 Feb 2012

PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 6:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Best advice is to learn how to tell a taxi driver where your apartment is - at least then you'll be ok if you get lost as you'll be able to get home from anywhere (obv. bring enough cash with you too!)
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GreatUnderachiever



Joined: 08 Apr 2011

PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 7:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

im guessing its gonna be tough making Korean friends without the language. who knows.
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Skipperoo



Joined: 05 Jul 2010

PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 9:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

nate1983 wrote:
Why can't you get a mobile phone? Just get a cheap one, not a smartphone. You might have to bring your passport, but I've bought/rented phones on multiple occasions in Korea without an ARC.


Interesting. I'm returning to Korea next month after having been home for a while and I'll be taking my old K-phone back with me. It was just a pay-as-you-go jobby, so you reckon I'll be able to 'top it up' with cash by just showing my passport? That's excellent news.
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Underwaterbob



Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Location: In Cognito

PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 3:46 pm    Post subject: Re: meeting people Reply with quote

cronolegs wrote:
Its killing any chances of a social life as I dont feel confident enough to travel to seoul to the bar areas alone without at least a phone.



Yeah man, it was super hard waaay back in the nineties when cell phones were rare. You had to bring a large wooden club with you to the bar (that's why they call them "clubs" you know!) to bash the chicks over their heads and drag them back to your place.
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Bloopity Bloop



Joined: 26 Apr 2009
Location: Seoul yo

PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 4:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A few friends and I organize meetup events and you don't need a cell phone to join. We hold monthly get togethers and you can find us on Meetup.com and Facebook--just look for Seoulites.

I can keep you updated about our next event here if you want.
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gava01



Joined: 06 Oct 2009

PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 9:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Meetup.com/bucheon or any other meetup club.

You don't need a phone, just don't be late.
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