Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Patrique]

Hey everyone. I've signed my contract, submitted my visa application, and I should be in Busan in mid-December if all goes well. I cannot wait to escape this dictatorship of Boomers

One of the things I'm looking forward to in having my own apartment for the first time is being able to not have the internet available. I have a hell of a time not wasting ungodly amounts of time on it, so I'm planning on not having a computer in my apartment so I can get bored enough to go out and do more interesting things (knock on wood). I was wondering - can you get by just relying on cybercafes, or is access to the internet pretty much essential? Also, is it possible to get a cell phone with NO internet?

[Gamecock]

Is this a joke?

Ummm...no one is going to come to your house and install a computer and internet connection on you forcibly. Of course you can get a cell phone without internet...

[jinju]

[adeline]

im afraid if you do this you may develop internexia nervosa whereby you starve yourself of internet for periods of time causing the useless information center of your brain to be depleted of nutrients. Then you go on an internet binge and can not pry yourself from the screen for several days. moderation is the key!

[RACETRAITOR]

Avoiding the Internet in Korea is like avoiding the sand in Iraq.

[Patrique]

[VanIslander]

Back in 2003 I hadn't used a computer AT ALL for my first 8 months here and when I mentioned that fact to my director (when they were talking in the office about how parents don't want their children on the Internet so much) he gave me a computer for my apartment the next day! Three weeks later I joined Dave's.

It's easy and better for newbies not to use the Internet imo, at least, there are some clear benefits of avoiding it, as I recall in my case.

[Ginormousaurus]

I spent my first year in Korea with neither a computer or a cell phone. So, yes, it is possible. Looking back, I don't know how I did it.

[Milwaukiedave]

[jinju]

[sojourner1]

I used internet PC rooms during my 3 months in Korea until I got my computer going. Needless to say, it did cost about 100,000 won a month when I spent 2 to 3 hours a night in there at 1000 won per hour.

You can read books instead by ordering them on www.whatthebook.com. Yes, you need internet unless you go to Seoul to buy your books in a bookstore with a large English section. I just happen to prefer reading web pages since there is so much knowledge available online so I don't read books like I would if there were no internet.

You can also watch TV, drink beer, go out to dinner, play music if your quiet about it, and talk on the phone.

[Tiger Beer]

Korea is a horrible place if you have an internet addiction. This is one of the world's most wired countries.

Internet Cafe by the 1000s peppered everywhere. You can hardly step outside of your apartment without seeing dozens of them.

They are also cheap, very fast, and great for gamers (which I'm not), but that is what most people do there.

[Chloe11]

I had the same plan as you. No computer=more time spent on other activities. Or so I thought! Then I found the PC Bang across the street from me. I'm now such a regular that the kids here no longer treat me like I'm special! And in other news, I'm not a complete loser.

Seriously, it's easy to get by without having a computer in your apartment. You'll obviously want to hit up the PC Bang's to connect with people from home, plan things with people here, look things up, etc. It's easy and cheap to do so. As has already been noted, they are everywhere.

I can't help you with the phone, as I actually haven't bothered to get one in my 6 weeks here. My friends want to kill me, since it's obnoxious to make plans with somebody whom you can't get a hold of.

As an aside, do you know which area of Busan you'll be in? I've been here for 6 weeks and like to pretend that I know stuff.

[kreitler7]

If you can find a nice pc bang (clean and has a non-smoking area) near your place it would be no problem. Just pay $1.50 an hour. And it gets you out of the house. If you have good cable tv, you probably won't need the internet. But if you have no cable, you might find that you are at the pc room every day. Don't forget that your school will probably also have a computer with internet that you can use.

[Patrique]