Korean Job Discussion Forums

deetah · Joined: 14 Nov 2004

I know I should be thankful for the small things in life but... I hate my apartment! When I moved in, almost everything was broken or well on its way to being so. I've lived with no hot water, a broken stove, and my ondol (floor heating) now seems to be on the fritz. Then there are ants that suddenly appear in colonies! Next door my co-workers have mold growing on their walls! Did I mention my apartment is 9X9 feet square? Argg!

How do your apartments compare to my little hell hole?

manlyboy · Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2004 11:10 pm Post subject:

I lived in a smaller hell hole than that in my first year. Had to step outside just to blink. Now I'm livin' it up in a 24 pyong joint with 2 balconies. I stay home a lot more nowadays. Wink

Zyzyfer · Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2004 12:11 am Post subject:

Mine is small but quite modern. Built-in fridge and washing machine. Bidet I never use. Nipple washers on the shower. Sixteenth floor. Easy to keep warm. Built-in A/C. Lots of other dumb gadgets and gizmos.

itaewonguy · Joined: 25 Mar 2003

jamz you had better not tell them how sweet your apartment is..
might start a teachers protest...

deetah · Joined: 14 Nov 2004

Zyzyfer, can I begin to tell you how jealous I am? You have it made compared my dump!

the saint · Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Location: not there yet...

never heard anyone say utter and complete before...

we had hordes of ants when we moved in. Now, hardly any and one cockroach in a year (which didn't make it back to base). We keep the place nice and clean and the ants just up and left it seems.

Secret: be fastidiously clean.

d503 · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Location: Daecheong, Seoul

I love my place. Brand new, I am the first to live in it, built in washer and stove. I have a shower complete with three heads (1 deluge, 1 adjustable moveable thing, and a set of three jets that I never use because they are about at leg level. I also have a nice loft that over looks my living area where my bed and shit are damn nice. Plenty of storage space too, I have a cabinet that is just gathering dust. I like it lots, its clean and bright and quiet.

Zyzyfer · Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2004 2:00 am Post subject:

JAMZ · Joined: 18 May 2004 Location: Ori Station, Bundang

oxfordstu · Joined: 28 Aug 2004 Location: Bangkok

Mine was a complete dump when I moved in. Nothing had been cleaned, and ants were everywhere. It's big, but there are still problems: Only one gas grill works, there's a giant hole in the ceiling in the bathroom which causes a constant flock of mosquitoes to come in. Half of the plugs don't work, the bed frame is broken, I had to buy sheets, pillows, and pillowcases not to mention blankets. None of the lights worked. There was mud all over the bathroom and stains that I'm still trying to forget. The shower has hot water.....sometimes. The lint filter in the washing machine is broken resulting in white lint all over whatever I wash. But it is bigger than the other teachers' apartments, so I guess I should be grateful.

katydid · Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Location: Here kitty kitty kitty...

Yes, but not through any fault of my own! Very Happy

Damn cat.

I should have held out for one whose former owner taught it to wash dishes. LOL

Real Reality · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul

Is your apartment an utter and complete dump?

By western standards, the answer is YES.
By most Korean standards, the answer is YES.
By the Korean university that is providing reduced priced housing to a foreigner standard, the answer is NO.

Foreigners Experience Difficulties in Living in Korea
Overall living conditions, including education, housing, medical care, transportation, immigration, and access to the Internet are pointed to as inconveniences. Not only inconveniences caused by different systems and customs in Korea, but also special discriminating practices,....
by Jae-Dong Yu and Soo-Jung Shin
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2004070522448