Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ella]

Are you less likely to have trouble if you bring them with you in your suitcase or ship them through the mail (or FedEx or a similar company)?

[jennateacher]

I stock up each time I go home. They are fine in my checked bags. I stick them in a big plastic baggie in case of breakage. I have never had a problem.

[mrd]

Ditto.

I just brought in a huge bag of spices in my checked luggage. On the customs forms, don't mark you're bringing any food stuffs since spices really aren't considered food. Should have no problems!

[JongnoGuru]

Yeah, carry them with you. And bring no more (and ideally much less) than a year's supply. Korea has its own food, restaurants are cheap, and unless you become a stay-at-home/eat-at-home hermit from Day 1, you're probably going to be dining out A LOT MORE than you ever imagined.

Yeah, yeah, some people are strict vegetarians, strict vegans, or strict something. But try not to be like that. (<-- boy, that'll win me some friends, I just know it) Don't come here with the idea that Korea is some scary year-long camping expedition/survival course. It was like that when I got here, but that was ages ago, and the country's long since been made kidsafe and mommy-approved for the rest of you. Come here, eat weird nasty indescribable things, take foolish risks, and most of all -- enjoy yourself every day.

In general, prepare and pack such things as you want, but realise there will be things -- sometimes crucial things -- that you just didn't think to pack and nobody mentioned them. Fact of life.

BTW, Ella -- you've been posting almost since Flotsam joined, and now he's been & gone already. So... when the devil are you getting here??!!

[ella]

Didn't think anyone was paying attention. My ticket says I'm flying out on December 27th! I was supposed to come for a camp through a friend last summer but it fell through. I did get in a semester of Korean in the meantime, however.

I probably won't be dining out as much as most. I have reactive asthma so cig smoke is a no-no and it doesn't sound like there are many non-smoking restuarants. I'm all for adventure as long as I can keep breathing.

[Ramones]

What spices do you typically bring with you that can't be found in Korea?

[sweetonsno]

I haven't been able to find a lot of 'em. Cumin, cardamom, curry powder (let alone the spices used to make your own). I haven't been to the spice market yet, but I haven't had luck at any of the foreign foods stores/foreign foods section of stores. Heck, even Costco doesn't have it!

[heydelores]