Korean Job Discussion Forums

[twg]

Hey guys, I've been thinking.

I always see advice on things like contracts to avoid, classroom tips, places to go party, places to live... But I don't recall tips for making living here easier. You know, the small things that aren't all that important in the big picture, but can drive you batty if enough of them get out of hand.

What prompted me to think this was sweeping my apartment: I have so much dark dust on my unused shelves, behind the bed, etc, from the dirty air. I had the same problem in Ansan as well. Anything that didn't get used regularly was covered in soot or whatever the hell is falling from the sky here.

So, hint for an easier life in Korea #1 - Buy a hand vacuum like a Dustbuster or something. Those tiny brooms don't work worth a damn.

Anything else?

[blaseblasphemener]

Buy an oven and learn how to cook simple things. You will save a ton of money, will be healthier, and will eat better.

Learn to read Korean immediately.

Buy a computer.

Don't think that you have to be friends with your co-workers. Let it happen naturally as at home. If you're needy, you will end up regretting it.

Shop online.

[xtchr]

Ditch your lace-up footwear, in favour of easy on/off shoes, otherwise the Koreans you've just dined with will be 200 metres away from the restaurant while you're still putting on your shoes and tying the laces.

[jlb]

[Son Deureo!]

Good thread idea.

Buy a T-Money card so you don't have to waste time at the window or vending machine every single time you want to ride the subway.

Buy a bicycle, it's entertainment, exercise and transportation.

Dump your spice rack into your suitcase before you come to Korea.

Find things to do in your free time that do not involve drinking. (I'm not saying don't drink, but a lot of the expat social scene revolves around bars so it's an easy trap to fall into.)

Relax, you're not Korean, no one expects you to act like one. Accept it and enjoy it.

[leebumlik69]

[rothkowitz]

[quote="jlb"]

[Corporal]

What is it with advice to bring spices? Costco has basic spices. It's not like you can buy anything here to put all those wonderful spices in anyway.

[billybrobby]

3 appliances that you might not think you need but you'll really be glad y ou have: a humidifier, a rice cooker, and a vacuum cleaner.

Find the real grocery store in your neighborhood. Not the crummy one with concrete floors that Koreans think it's OK to shop in, but the real one with a wine selection and (gasp) salad dressing that isn't just pink mayonaise.

Tuna and rice. Learn it. Know it. Live it.

[EFLtrainer]

[Dev]

What an ironic title for this thread.! "Rules" in Korea?

There are no rules for living in Korea. Well, no rules that Koreans are actually expected to follow except for etiquette rules on how to act towards old people (like pouring drinks with your right hand).

This can be quite freeing for the foreigner. You don't have to care about your neighbors or strangers on the street because they sure don't care about you.

[xtchr]

[twg]

[ursus_rex]

Don't treat life here like you're a transient or a tourist. Come with the attitude that you're here for the long, not the short, haul (even if that's not the case). Make it your home, not a way-station.

[Junior]

don't take work too seriously .

Have a good hobby to pursue in your spare time.

Explore the country. travel, see and do stuff.