Korean Job Discussion Forums

[purplesocks]

http://www.mediafire.com/?cpeyzwcuudn pdf file

I am not a foreigner, and I don�t teach English. I am, however, one of the increasing number of Koreans living overseas. I visit Korea once every one to two years and notice that something has changed every time I go. Yes, it is true that even as recently as three years ago tampons were something that had to be advertised on the streets through huge giveaways because no one knew of their existence. Only women who had experience living in countries where tampons were common would bother looking for these little sticks. However, times have changed, and anyone who has lived in Korea for a couple of years would probably have noticed that Koreans are big on the �my neighbor does this so I have to do it too� thing. New stuff spreads pretty fast. I�ve even heard of a lady who brings tissues from Starbucks because she adores everything American. I don�t know about dental floss yet, but foreign brands of deodorant are advertised in mainstream magazines. This list is basically a rough dump of what I know to be available in Korea at this time. I make no guarantee regarding the accuracy of this information. You�ll be glad to know that a lot of Asians have indeed heard of deodorant.

Tampons (roughly from highest to lowest availability):
- Note that ob and Tampax are close to impossible to find. The best alternative to ob would be the Natracare Digital line. Keepers and Divacups are available online.

1. Tempo (템포)
Website: http://www.ilovetempo.com/
Sizes: Junior/Regular/Super (no compact version)
Applicator: Soft (slightly rubbery) white pearlescent plastic
Packaging: Paper (I once kept a Tempo in my drawer for a few months and later discovered green mold.)
Company: Donga Pharmaceuticals
Note: A lot of Korean women think that Tempos and tampons are �different� � there seems to be a slight misunderstanding that Tempos and Tempos and Playtex tampons are tampons. Whatever.
Sold in: Online shopping malls, big discount stores (Emart, Lotte Mart, etc), convenience stores, pharmacies

2. Playtex (플레이텍스)
Website: http://www.playtextampon.co.kr/
Sizes: Slimfits (Regular/Super) GentleGlide (Regular/Super)
Applicator: White plastic
Packaging: Cellophane
Company: Playtex (imported by Boryung)
Note: The same stuff as what you get in the US. The importer is a large local pharmaceutical company so the supply is pretty stable.
Sold in: Online shopping malls, big discount stores (Emart, Lotte Mart, etc), pharmacies

3. Magix Compact Tampon (매직스 컴팩트 탐폰)
Website: http://www.enjoymagix.co.kr/product/tampon.asp?pageCode=frt010206
Sizes: Compact (Regular)
Applicator: White plastic
Packaging: Unknown
Company: Daehan Pulp
Sold in: Online shopping malls, big discount stores (Emart, Lotte Mart, etc)


4. Natracare (나트라케어)
Website: http://www.natra-care.co.kr
Sizes: Applicator (Regular/Super) Digital (Regular/Super/Super Plus)
Applicator: Cardboard or No Applicator (Digital)
Packaging: Unknown
Company: Natracare (imported by Ildong Pharmaceuticals)
Sold in: Online shopping malls, pharmacies

5. Charm Soft (참소프트)
Sizes: Junior/Regular
Applicator: Plastic
Packaging: Unknown
Company: Unicharm (probably produced under license in Korea by LG)
Sold in: Online shopping malls, big discount stores (Emart, Lotte Mart, etc)

6. Femtex
Website: http://www.firstquality.com/default.aspx?pageid=4
Sizes: Regular/Super
Applicator: Plastic
Packaging: Unknown
Company: First Quality
Sold in: Online shopping malls

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Deodorant:
1. Nivea
The slightly older Koreans probably haven�t even heard of deodorant, but the Nivea line is your best bet if you you�re having trouble finding any. Nivea seem to have a local production facility (or some sort of production system at least) so supplies should be stable. I remember seeing rollon and spray versions.

2. Rexena
This is sold as Rexona in some other countries but the product should be pretty similar.

3. Speed Stick
Available for under 10 bucks a pop in small online shopping malls specializing in imported goods.

Books:
1. Novels
The two big Kyobo bookstores in Seoul really are enormous and I remember my mother telling me a decade ago that if Kyobo didn�t carry something, chances were that no one did. You should be able to get most of your usual English novels in Korea. Many Koreans have a bad habit of sitting down and reading books in the bookstores till the books are so damaged they aren�t worth buying though. I suggest you dig through Online Kyobo, YES24, and Tmecca as a last resort. Shipping takes two or three days max and YES24 sticks your book in a bubblewrap-lined envelope if you order only one or two thin copies.

2. Textbooks
I used to go to an international school with a mostly American curriculum and remember going through lots of photocopied worksheets with weird drawings. There seems to be a market for this kind of stuff in Korea and they�re available online at Kyobo and YES24 if you need them. Even kiddie workbooks and textbooks cost $50 and upwards but they�re there!

3. Magazines/Newspapers
You can subscribe to Time, Newsweek, The Economist, US News and all that stuff both online and offline but be prepared to pay double. It�s available but it ain�t cheap.

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CD/DVDs:
If you can get a region-free or a Korean-made DVD player then feel free to go ahead and buy the DVDs in Korea. The selection is rather limited; not all movies that are released in theaters are sold as DVDs. Full price is the norm at offline stores but online shopping malls (Kyobo, YES24, Aladdin, etc) sometimes offer discounts and other little promos on new and really old CDs and DVDs. Or you could do it the truly Korean way � get someone to invite you to a place called hdcorea where people download 20GB+ Blu-ray quality movies.

Cosmetics
Most of the mainstream high-end lines are sold both online and in department stores and you will experience no trouble finding Dior, YSL, Lancome, Estee Lauder, etc. I once did a quick search and a jar of moisturizer costing $20 in the US was priced at over $60 in Korea. Yes, imported goods are insanely expensive. Origins, Neutrogena, Aveda, Aveeno, The Body Shop, Lush and a few other lines are also available both online and offline. The offline stores for these mid to high-end brands are concentrated in department stores and �shopping districts� in major cities. Or if you want to live it cheap there�s always The Face Shop, Skin Food, Missha, Etude, etc. All convenience stores and small cosmetics shops carry hairgel and hairwax and if you look hard enough there might even be a few that are Japanese-made.

Alcohol:
I almost died in front of a small restaurant one evening when I went to the neighborhood park and took a glance at a nearby vending machine but chose not to buy anything. An old drunk man came out of that restaurant and started screaming at me but thankfully he said sorry and went away. Stuff like soju and local beer should be pretty cheap, but I don�t drink so I don�t know what else is available.

Transport:
Taxis are expensive. Fuel is expensive. Make use of the subway and buses, and if you happen to have kids with you REGISTER THEIR PREPAID TRANSPORT CARDS ONLINE. Depending on which city you�re in the adolescent discount goes up to 30% and the little kiddy discount goes up to 50%. If you for some reason have to make trips between Seoul and Incheon there�s an express bus company called Samwha Express but the bajillion routes they have might get confusing. Better travel with a local by your side. A trip from Seoul to Busan takes 3 hours if you go by KTX (Korean implementation of the French TGV) but $100 for a round trip is not cheap. KTX gives you small discounts if you buy early and kids can get nice discounts if you purchase a discount card. They even refund a small percentage of your ticket price if your train gets stuck in the middle of the trip (20 minutes and upwards).

Conclusion:
Learn Korean as fast as you can or find a Korean friend who can help you out. Never underestimate the power of the Internet in Korea. You can find lots of weird stuff in Korea (Funshop and Oneaday are quite popular) through the Internet. International calling cards available in calling card malls where they let you search my destination country, price range, mode of use, etc. There�s no physical card but they send you a key number and depending on which brand you are using you�re usually charged in 1 to 3 minute intervals. Enjoy the ride, and when you feel bored just remember that Sindorim Station (Line 2 in the Seoul Subway) is your friend.