Korean Job Discussion Forums

[stellarsky627]

Does anyone else find it insanely difficult to figure out how to pack all the clothes you need for a year into two suitcases???? I'm a bigger girl and I've been told a million times I'll never find ANY clothes over there. I just can't imagine how I'm going to pack an entire years worth of clothes in two suitcases.

What did everyone else do? Is there anything you wish you HAD brought from home but didn't? Or wish you hadn't brought but did???

I know about the deodorant (which is a MUST so I'll be bringing a ton of that).

Any suggestions on how to pack everything???

[Kurtz]

Pack what you really need and send the rest over by mail, either by airmail or by boat.

[climber159]

Don't take this an insensitive, but if you cannot get all you NEED into two pieces of luggage then you're bringing entirely too much. Unless you're planning to remain in Korea you'd do better to treat this as an extended sort of a vacation. Keep in mind that you'll have a washer and drying rack so you'll be able to wash your clothes. Dry cleaning is also dirt cheap in Korea.

Personally, this whole deodorant panic has been blown too far out of proportion. It's true that deodorant is less common than in the United States and, from what I'm told, the other six countries Korea draws ESLers from. BUT, you can find deodorant at Watson's, Olive Young, Myeong-Dong, Namdaemun, Lotte and Hyundai department stores, and likely other places. Bring a couple of sticks, but don't go insane with it.

[AsiaESLbound]

If you really want a lot of stuff and can carry or pull it yourself, might consider a 3rd check on piece of luggage. The problem with mail yourself a box is you don't yet know what your new address is until some time after arriving, but if you have a sweet relative or friend that will go through the trouble of sending it later, then you are good as gold.

[Ruthdes]

I have to say I have very little sympathy for North Americans who complain about only having 2 suitcases to fit all their stuff in, when those of us from the rest of the world have to make do with half that.

Having said that, I pushed it to 26kg (20kg limit from Australia) and was lucky enough to not have to pay extra. My mum sent me a box with summer clothes a little later. Even if you don't know your own address yet, you can always have stuff sent to your school. That's what I still do b/c I don't have to worry about being home to collect it.

As for deodorant, you only have to bring it if you really like a particular brand. There are lots of antiperspirants available here, and you can always order online and have them sent. Same if you have a favourite brand of tampons or skin care products.

You can buy bigger clothes here, but it's much more limited. If you're in Seoul you'll be able to find stuff in Itaewon, and maybe other places if you're not too much bigger. Despite the stereotypes, there are a decent number of bigger Korean girls here and they obviously buy clothes somewhere. Unfortunately you won't be able to buy clothes in the subway, as a BMI over about 23 counts you out of that market . It's a shame. Subway shopping is great fun. If you've got feet less than size 9, you can indulge in shoe shopping instead.

Good luck with your packing but when you're lugging two suitcases around, spare a thought for those of us who aren't lucky enough to benefit from the weird regulations that for some reason allow people flying in and out of North America to carry twice as much luggage as the rest of us!

[the ireland]

yeah, I feel no sympathy either, we only get one suitcase from Ireland. Although I managed to fly with emirates the last time I flew out and I got a 30kg limit. I packed that bad boy and can't say I left anything behind I really wish I could have taken.

Just bring summer clothes now and a few winter-y things, wear your heaviest clothes on the plane (hoodie, big coat etc) and this will save you a ton of space, just take it off you when you go through the check in area and carry it.

[pangaea]

Bring the clothes that you will need for the upcoming season and have the rest sent to you. I am arriving in May and I will be bringing my dressier spring/summer outfits for work and a few casual outfits. I am also bringing some workout clothes and plenty of underwear and socks. I was never able to find basic socks I liked in Korea-they are all too thin and/or covered in happy faces, hello kitty, etc. I also wear a larger size and I know I won't be able to find clothes easily after I arrive. My winter clothes are being packed in boxes and I will have them sent to me after I have been working a few months and send the money home to have them shipped. As long as I start out with enough clothes for work and basics for weekends, hiking, etc, I should be ok until I can have more shipped.

You probably will want to bring toiletries for the first month, especially if money will be tight. Definitely bring a bottle or two of the foundation you use because finding the right shade for you in Korea may be difficult if not impossible. Other cosmetics should be ok. If you use a leave-in conditioner for your hair or have a favorite styling product, bring those as well. I think mousse and hair spray are readily available but I had a hard time finding spray conditioner and I don't know if root booster is something you will be able to find. No need to panic about deodorant. Bring a stick or two but no matter what anyone says, deodorant is available if you know where to look. I remember seeing one or two brands for women at Lotte Mart, but my favorite was Nivea roll-on which I was able to find at several different pharmacies. It is definitely expensive (I think about 8,000 won) but available.

One thing a bank official suggested to me and I think is a really good idea, is opening another bank account and using it for online purchases. This protects you against fraud - if someone gets your account information online, they will not have access to your main checking account. If you have a friend or family member you are comfortable trusting with your bank account, you can have that person put on the new account so that they will be able to withdraw funds and make deposits for you. I have opened a second checking account to use specifically for online purchases. I have online banking so I can do a wire transfer to one account and then transfer money online between my other two accounts myself. I also have a family member who will have access to my second checking account so she will be able to ship things for me if I need them. I didn't do that last time, and it was a pain to have to order a debit card online to have sent to her house so she could ship things for me that I had ordered. As shipping overseas is so expensive, I don't expect anyone at home to just pay for it.

In case you need to order clothes, JCPenney, Victoria's Secret, and I think Eddie Bauer all deliver internationally.

Good luck!

[Kikomom]

Two words: Space Bags

[Illysook]

yes, space bags are da bomb! You can pack up your favorite pillow as if it were an extra shirt!

[tHEhERETIC]

Size 18 American FYI

I packed four bags, but I was also bringing some favorite books and movies and a biggish harddrive. I don't recommend it, but there's no shame in bringing things.

There is an English bookstore in Itaewon that will also mail books within Korea very cheaply. Unless they're out of print you won't need to pack books.

I'm in my second year here and I finally found someplace to online-order underwear. freshpair.com JC Penney does deliver out here and quite reliably, but their selection is limited. Torrid supposedly delivers out here but I've had trouble ordering from them--it got here but with some hassle. No luck getting Lane Bryant & co. to send things

You can get clothes in Itaewon (which is within Seoul) but that's basically the only place I've found I can buy women's clothes. Casual clothes I buy menswear, either in Busan or in sporting goods stores in Ilsan and Seoul. My winter jacket is a snowboard jacket, white with angels on it. It's supposedly a "men's" jacket but you wouldn't know it. Menswear here is much more colorful than in the States.

So yes you can buy clothes, but you should definitely bring plenty too. Businesswear, your favorite pajamas, shoes shoes and more shoes (I wear a size 9, nearly impossible to find in womens's shoes here), a couple good pair of jeans or comfy skirts in case you don't find what you like in Itaewon right away.

Deodorant I use The Face Shop brand, aerosol only but you can get it nearly anywhere, 5000 won a can when it's not on sale.

Definitely pack a couple of towels. I can't find towels over 'face' size here.

Hair products here are very nice, especially if you have straight hair.

Keep a bank account and address in your home country. I don't know how I'd function without them.

Relatives and friends sending things on later is a nice idea, but they've got lives too. Don't rely on it after the first couple of months.

[Kikomom]

[probablylauren]

Don't waste space with Towels. I can get a range of towels of average size (not bath sheet, but normal towel size) at E-Mart for about 10 000 won.

They take too much space and you don't need it.

Toothpaste is easy enough to find (with flouride) and if you can't, the foreign food market in Itaewon has large tubes for 6000 -7000 won, a bit expensive but okay.

I have found that all the things I was panicking about were unnecessary. Bring specific toiletries and similar and only what you need for a few weeks (so you don't have to stress about finding specific stuff).

If you are going to be within Seoul, clothing is generally available, although it is true that above a size 12 (Australian) is a bit hard, but Koreans seem to find it somewhere? I often have a splurge at Forever21 and H&M at Myeongdong. Just bring basics that can be mixed and matched, and buy a few colourful things here.

In hindsight I only really need makeup (which I just get parents to post as necessary) and being Australian and raised on Vegemite, I wish I had packed heaps of it, rather than a towel. My parents have given me a great stockpile through a few packages (to my co-teachers' disgust when they tasted it)

Even North Face is here, so if you are coming during summer, don't bother with a heavy winter coat.

[tjmauermann]

Also if you like books and Itaewon is too far for you to travel to. You can always use Bookdepository.com, free shipping world wide.

[teacherk]

Bring tampons, cold medicine and other brands/things that you might need. The towels are different here. I was glad that I packed one large towel. Just bring 2-3 pairs of jeans and 2-3 sweaters. When I came, my "carry on" roller bag could be 40 lbs and they did not weigh it. This is a good way to pack books/heavy things in a bag as well as a "purse" which for me was a messenger bag. Those two together was as much as another bag. Try your hardest to pack light. As mentioned before, laundry is available, it is easier to wash your clothes again and again then to go without the brands of tampons etc that you want for a year.

[akcrono]

A few things not mentioned:
Powerstrip from your home country. This has been AMAZING for powering my laptop, wii, cellphone, electric toothbrush, psp, and beard trimmer. Then you only need 1 converter for all of your electronics.

Mascara. I'm a dude, so i dont know firsthand, but my coworker says mascara here is pretty expensive when compared to the US. Its also not large or heavy, so it's easy to bring.

Britta filter. This has been one of the best purchases of my life. While the water in Seoul is TECHNICALLY safe to drink, it doesnt taste very good and many people are cautious about it. The britta saves you from having to purchase and lug water around. While you might think that a britta pitcher is a large thing to bring, I packed mine with socks, so it really didnt take up much more space. Bring 1 extra filter, and you should be good.

Spices, sauces etc. Some are easy to get, such as A1. Some are very difficult, like fajita seasoning and franks buffalo sauce. You can pack the sauce in the britta pitcher with the socks lol.

Body wash. Maybe theres some in the foreigner market, but I havent seen it at any of the department stores.