Korean Job Discussion Forums

[AndersonKrause111]

I just flew into Busan yesterday, and believe it or not, I've got questions.

Where do you throw away trash? Like if you buy a bottle of water, where are you supposed to throw it away? I don't see any trash bins around on the sidewalks.

Any recommendations on where I can go in Busan to meet some folks? Please include ALL information about location and getting there. Thanks.

Where should I go next? I'm staying at a guesthouse, but I'm only there because I found it on the internet. Someplace decent and cheap would be nice (obviously). Just looking for a decent base to start the job search. It wouldn't hurt if there were other native speakers staying there, either!

Are there any things an American out by himself should avoid doing, besides the obvious? Anything I might not know about that could potentially cause trouble?

Why are there so many PCbangs? Are they all the same? Can I check my e-mail and such from any one of them?

As you can imagine, this list could go on forever, so I might as well stop now. Comments and suggestions are welcomed, hoped for, and extremely encouraged.

[Pyongshin Sangja]

I just flew into Busan yesterday, and believe it or not, I've got questions.

Where do you throw away trash? Like if you buy a bottle of water, where are you supposed to throw it away? I don't see any trash bins around on the sidewalks. -Stop worrying. Just put it anywhere like the Koreans. You can buy "seraegee bongtu" (garbage bags) at stores if you want one that will be collected by the trash collectors. There are trash cans in the convenience stores for customer usage, many people eat and drink right there in the stores.

Any recommendations on where I can go in Busan to meet some folks? Please include ALL information about location and getting there. Thanks.-I only remember the Digital Underground, don't remember where it is. Maybe close to PNU? Oh yeah, and Texas Street. You probably aren't ready for that yet. Hehe.

Where should I go next? I'm staying at a guesthouse, but I'm only there because I found it on the internet. Someplace decent and cheap would be nice (obviously). Just looking for a decent base to start the job search. It wouldn't hurt if there were other native speakers staying there, either!-Dude, I dunno. Look for a goshiwon (study room that you can live in for maybe W200,000 per month) or better yet a yogwan (cheap hotel) that will give you a room for maybe W350,000-W450,000 per month.

Are there any things an American out by himself should avoid doing, besides the obvious? Anything I might not know about that could potentially cause trouble?-Relax, this ain't Baghdad.

Why are there so many PCbangs? Are they all the same? Can I check my e-mail and such from any one of them? -Because Korean men are video-game loving geeks. Some are cleaner and better ventilated than others, but prices are usually W1,000 per hour, package deals are available between 10pm and 6 am sometimes. All of them have internet connections good enough for your email. Some have printers, scanners and so on if you need them.

As you can imagine, this list could go on forever, so I might as well stop now. Comments and suggestions are welcomed, hoped for, and extremely encouraged.

[agraham]

I still haven't gotten over my Canadian litter-shame. I walk around with pop cans in my pockets while my friends casually toss their garbage at the base of the nearest tree.

[Homer]

Having been in Busan for 7 years....here goes...

[chronicpride]

When you are ready and feeling confident enough to stand barenaked in front of hundreds of gawking Koreans, flag down a taxi and say 'Heoshimchung kajuseyo'. The best thing west of the 'hells' of Beppu, Japan.

[Homer]

Chronic...the spa in hoshinjung is nice.
I go there once per week. God bless the place....

[AndersonKrause111]

Thanks for the prompt reply guys.

Here's some more questions...

What does HOF mean? I went looking for a bar, and so many places said HOF + BEER, or something to that effect. What does it mean?

What is the protocal for the spa in hoshinjung? Or any spa in Korea, for that matter? As a side note, I've got to ask...
I've got a HUGE birthmark on my chest (a Becker's Neevus, for those in the know). It is very big, very dark, and very hairy (sounds attractive, I know!) Is this going to cause any more than the normal amount of staring and such? I'm really not that self conscious about is, but the funny thing is that other people are. For example, at beaches and pools in the states, people can't help but stare at it, but no one want to mention it. Understandable, and completely fine with me, but I was just wondering in the off chance that it might be seen as a 'no-no' to be seen naked with such an obvious 'deformation.'


Homer- So I should keep bottles and such with me until I get back to the guesthouse? I mean, if I'm walking around and buy a drink, where the hell am I supposed to throw it out if I'm not going back to the guesthouse? This will only be temporary problem, as I expect to get a job very soon, but it has bugging me ever since I got here.

Are ALL of the places with pictures of girls singing and music notes floating around... I forget what their called... places designed for male entertainment? Just curious, as the area I'm in is PACKED with them. I don't want to go into a bar expecting a drink and getting something else, or go into a bar expecting something else and seeing drunken karoake with no girls around. You understand.

What is the stuff in the stores that looks like water that says 2%?

Are the games already on the computers at the PCbangs or do people bring them? If they are already on there, how do you access them?

What kind of painkillers are available over the counter? I've got some serious neck problems, and I brought over a few Vicodins, but they won't last long. Can you get decent painkillers besides asparin strength stuff?

Thanks!

[Homer]

Lucky for you..I am having a sleepless nigth here...lol


So here goes...

[chronicpride]

Hof is german for 'house/home' and has made it's way into Korean usage of what we would call 'pub'. There was a brief period of german influence here, but I can't remember now about when and how, for the life of me. It was during this time, that 'hof' was picked up and adopted into the Korean language.

Also, saying HOF over here will never be understood by the average Korean. Get used to saying something close to 'Hah-peuh'. The Korean language doesn't have 'F''s in their language, so the nearest aspirated consonant is their 'P' and they actual have to have a character representing the aspirated breath that's like 'eu'. You can say Hof, 20 times and you'll see them do the head-twitching, a lot of audible thinking noises/sucking through their teeth, say 'hof mohjee?' a lot, and start thinking of which friend they might be able to call that speaks better english.

Until you say 'Hah-peuh'. And then it's you'll get a long string of 'ah...ah..ah..ah...ah...Hah-PEUH!'

Word of advice to get your head around the confusion is to get a book to aid you on learning the Korean alphabet. You can learn it in a couple of weeks. It'll really help with the correct Korean pronunciation, which, for some reason, if you're off by hair, it's just like being off by a mile.

And don't worry about the birthmark. They'll stare at you, no matter what. Only difference is that many will have never seen a naked foreign man before and may form the opinion that we all have the same birth mark. Which will think the next guy they see in the shower without a mark, is REALLY strange.

[schwa]

Hof is in fact German for 'yard' or 'courtyard.' Maybe the connotation is along the lines of 'beer garden.' To my ear the pronunciation is a long o with a p/f blend at the end.

A place that calls itself a hof will have draft beer.

[chronicpride]

[agraham]

[Ya-ta Boy]

A couple of more tips:

1) At a hof you will 'have to' buy food whether you want it or not. If you just want a bottle of beer, you will have to go to a bar. Look in the window for a western-looking bar. Expect to pay about W3,500 for each bottle of Korean beer. Much more for imported beer, IF it is available.

2) Don't worry that much about the birthmark. It will distract them from your family jewels. 'They' often unabashedly stare. If you catch someone staring, just look at theirs, then stand a little taller and smile.

Oh, yes. In a spa, go in the door with a man symbol on it. If you can read any Korean, it will say 'nam ja'.

3) You will often see garbage bags outside a shop next to the street. You can deposit an empty bottle next to the bag. Someone or other will come by and pick it up.

4) Signs with girls and music notes: Most likely you are seeing 'no-rae-bahng' signs. These are karaoke places. You will have to ask for and pay extra for the girls. They do not come in to the singing room unless asked for. Many, but not all, are for rent. There is a sliding scale of prices depending on how much contact you want.

5) Take your bottle of Vicodin to any pharmacy and show it to them. Ask for more. Many pharmacists speak some English. If they don't have it, they will offer a substitute. Probably. If nothing is available, go to any convenience store and buy one or two bottles of soju (green glass bottles) and apply it internally. It kills most pain.

[AndersonKrause111]

Thanks for all the tips, guys.

Funny story, about that Soju recommendation...

My first night here, I was fairly out of head from the 19 and a half hours of travelling, the overhwelming thirst, and the more obvious strange stimuli that was assaulting me at every corner.

I got across the fact that I was very thirsty to the owner of the guesthouse, and she got me a glass of water. She said the she was leaving for the night, and made a motion indicating the glass of water and the refrigerator. Then she left.

A little while later, I went to pour myself a glass of water... It must be the clear liquid in the plastic bottle in the fridge, right? Apparently not. I poured a glass and took a mouthful of what appeared to be rubbing alcohol. I looked closely at the bottle. Soju!

To top it off, I couldn't find any water to wash out the horrendous taste. I went to bed and dealt with it. Live and learn.

[Holyjoe]