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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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MollyBloom
Joined: 21 Jul 2006
Location: James Joyce's pants
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 Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2006 7:50 pm Post subject: south korea is a puzzle... |
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...but I think I can figure it out with some help. So I have been deciding between Busan and Seoul. Instead of asking which is better, I hope to say what I want and am looking for in a city, and maybe I can be steered in the right direction.
I want:
-a good choice of food- korean and western
- neat, unique shops to browse
-access to nature as far as hiking/camping...maybe some parks
-good supermarkets
-cheap transportation
-some quiet time
-easy access to museums/cultural
-little cafes or places to be able to write
please give suggestions? thank you. or PM me if you have a lot to say. My boyfriend and I really need some guidance! |
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ShaneM
Joined: 03 Feb 2005
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| Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2006 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Perhaps a suburb of Seoul? I live in Bundang, which is pretty expensive but really cheap for other things. And its on the fringe. |
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MollyBloom
Joined: 21 Jul 2006
Location: James Joyce's pants
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| Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2006 7:58 pm Post subject: |
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| yeah..I have a friend who is living there, and he loves it. There is just so much to choose from! what do you like about it? |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2006 8:15 pm Post subject: Re: south korea is a puzzle... |
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| MollyBloom wrote: |
-a good choice of food- korean and western
- neat, unique shops to browse
-access to nature as far as hiking/camping...maybe some parks
-good supermarkets
-cheap transportation
-some quiet time
-easy access to museums/cultural
-little cafes or places to be able to write
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You can get all of that in Seoul, as long as you don't live in Gangnam. |
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silvertoes
Joined: 13 Feb 2006
Location: Busan
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| Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2006 10:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Daegu. |
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JongnoGuru
Joined: 25 May 2004
Location: peeing on your doorstep
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| Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2006 11:09 pm Post subject: Re: south korea is a puzzle... |
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| RACETRAITOR wrote: |
| MollyBloom wrote: |
-a good choice of food- korean and western
- neat, unique shops to browse
-access to nature as far as hiking/camping...maybe some parks
-good supermarkets
-cheap transportation
-some quiet time
-easy access to museums/cultural
-little cafes or places to be able to write
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You can get all of that in Seoul, as long as you don't live in Gangnam. |
I may sound like "DW of the North", but I'll drink to that. 
I nominate Jongno-gu in northern Seoul, and not just because it's named after me, but because it's centrally located unless you're having to be in Gangnam every day for work. Palaces, galleries, restaurants, bookstores, the cultural centre, embassies, tradition, architecture, art, fortunetellers, Burger Kings, McDonalds, subway, mountains with trails & truly fine views, and a huuuuuuuuuge national park in its backyard. A lot of it is ugly and filthy, or ugly and modern, but the same goes for Korea itself.
What it doesn't have is that ability to make you feel like you're a worker-ant in a gigantic human ant colony. For that, try Gangnam. |
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Dev
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2006 11:20 pm Post subject: |
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I can only recommend Seoul.
I know one dude who went to Busan.
He said that the people were on the conservative side - not that warm to foreigners.
In Seoul, you'll be rarely harassed as a foreigner. I live in Daegu and here you'll often hear people talking about you (at a very audible volume) behind your back. I was "welcomed" with it yesterday as I got off a bus coming from Seoul. |
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Milwaukiedave
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Location: Goseong
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| Posted: Sun Jul 30, 2006 11:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Dev wrote: |
I can only recommend Seoul.
I know one dude who went to Busan.
He said that the people were on the conservative side - not that warm to foreigners.
In Seoul, you'll be rarely harassed as a foreigner. I live in Daegu and here you'll often hear people talking about you (at a very audible volume) behind your back. I was "welcomed" with it yesterday as I got off a bus coming from Seoul. |
Well I was called "fat" by a Korean man the other day. Of course I am, so it isn't that big of an insult.
But it is true, in Seoul you probably won't have much of a problem. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 1:15 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
1) -a good choice of food- korean and western
2) - neat, unique shops to browse
3)-access to nature as far as hiking/camping...maybe some parks
4) -good supermarkets
5) -cheap transportation
6) -some quiet time
7) -easy access to museums/cultural
 -little cafes or places to be able to write
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My take:
1. Seoul has more variety but be prepared to pay an arm and a leg.
2. This does not sound like Korea to me.
3. Busan is smaller, so it's easier and faster to get out of the city.
4. Both have adequate supermarkets, neither has great ones.
5. Both
6. Ummm...perhaps Korea is not the place you are looking for.
7. Seoul
8. Coffee shops are everywhere. Be prepared for K-pop everywhere. |
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eamo
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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| Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 2:03 am Post subject: Re: south korea is a puzzle... |
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| JongnoGuru wrote: |
| RACETRAITOR wrote: |
| MollyBloom wrote: |
-a good choice of food- korean and western
- neat, unique shops to browse
-access to nature as far as hiking/camping...maybe some parks
-good supermarkets
-cheap transportation
-some quiet time
-easy access to museums/cultural
-little cafes or places to be able to write
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You can get all of that in Seoul, as long as you don't live in Gangnam. |
I may sound like "DW of the North", but I'll drink to that.
I nominate Jongno-gu in northern Seoul, and not just because it's named after me, but because it's centrally located unless you're having to be in Gangnam every day for work. Palaces, galleries, restaurants, bookstores, the cultural centre, embassies, tradition, architecture, art, fortunetellers, Burger Kings, McDonalds, subway, mountains with trails & truly fine views, and a huuuuuuuuuge national park in its backyard. A lot of it is ugly and filthy, or ugly and modern, but the same goes for Korea itself.
What it doesn't have is that ability to make you feel like you're a worker-ant in a gigantic human ant colony. For that, try Gangnam. |
Good advice.
Gangnam is a soulless place. People don't live here. They work.
North Seoul has a lot more charm and character. Plus it's cheaper!! |
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heydelores
Joined: 24 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 5:16 am Post subject: |
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| Sanbon/Gunpo in the suburbs of Seoul are great places to live. Lots of restaurants, though not a lot of Western. Shops are mostly clothing stores. I'm not sure I've seen "neat, unique shops" anywhere in Korea. Surisan in Sanbon is a very nice park with hiking trails--no camping as far as I can tell, though. The "regular" supermarkets are here. Transportation is about the same as it is anywhere. Quiet time is what you make of it. There is easy access to Seoul, which has the museums and cultural things. It does have coffee shops. Some are good places to write, but like Ya-ta boy said, be prepared for pop music. They can be quite loud sometimes. |
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OCOKA Dude
Joined: 04 Oct 2004
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:08 am Post subject: |
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| Dev wrote: |
| I live in Daegu and here you'll often hear people talking about you (at a very audible volume) behind your back. I was "welcomed" with it yesterday as I got off a bus coming from Seoul. |
Dev,
Are you positive that it's real people "talking about you at a very audible tone behind your back" down there in Daegu, or could it be those damn voices in your head acting up again? (Maybe time for another refill on your anti-schizophrenia prescription?) |
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brento1138
Joined: 17 Nov 2004
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| Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 11:12 am Post subject: |
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| heydelores wrote: |
| Sanbon/Gunpo in the suburbs of Seoul are great places to live. Lots of restaurants, though not a lot of Western. Shops are mostly clothing stores. I'm not sure I've seen "neat, unique shops" anywhere in Korea. Surisan in Sanbon is a very nice park with hiking trails--no camping as far as I can tell, though. The "regular" supermarkets are here. Transportation is about the same as it is anywhere. Quiet time is what you make of it. There is easy access to Seoul, which has the museums and cultural things. It does have coffee shops. Some are good places to write, but like Ya-ta boy said, be prepared for pop music. They can be quite loud sometimes. |
Sweet. I am moving to the Sanbon station area and I too heard it is quite nice, and fits into the description of what you are looking for. In some Korean cities (like Daegu) it is very possible to find quiet time. There are definitely lots of nice little shops (depending on what you are looking for). There's a ton of nature surrounding Daegu, and it only takes about 30 minutes by bus to get to some really nice areas.
I would say Daegu is very good. I haven't lived anywhere else yet, but from having travelled around, I would say a suburb of Seoul might fit your tastes. I quite liked Busan too. I think those three options would do ya good... |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 5:40 pm Post subject: Re: south korea is a puzzle... |
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| MollyBloom wrote: |
...but I think I can figure it out with some help. So I have been deciding between Busan and Seoul. Instead of asking which is better, I hope to say what I want and am looking for in a city, and maybe I can be steered in the right direction.
I want:
-a good choice of food- korean and western
- neat, unique shops to browse
-access to nature as far as hiking/camping...maybe some parks
-good supermarkets
-cheap transportation
-some quiet time
-easy access to museums/cultural
-little cafes or places to be able to write
please give suggestions? thank you. or PM me if you have a lot to say. My boyfriend and I really need some guidance! |
1. Korean food is the same everywhere in the country. Seoul has significantly more international/western countries than Busan. (But not much in Korea anywhere in general).
2. Neat unique shops to browse - everywhere, doesn't vary that much in that area.
3. access to hiking/camping - thats everywhere as well.. but Busan would be better.
4. good supermarkets - Seoul would be best (but nowhere in Korea is all that great really).
5. cheap transportation - its all the same everywhere - cheap. But Seoul has 10-15+ subway lines (who knows how many).. Busan has only 2.. and I always found it frustrating trying to get around in Busan.
6. some quiet time - thats hard in either city. But you'd find something just the same in either place somewhere.
7. access to cultural/museums - Seoul, its the capital.
8. little cafes or places to write - everywhere. |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 6:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Seoul is filled with great markets to browse. Namdaemoon, Dongdaemoon, Insadong, Edae, and so on. You'll never see all of them. |
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