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Matt_22
Joined: 22 Nov 2006
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 Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 1:54 am Post subject: Changwon |
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I've read about this place being a nice, beautiful small city full of expats and western friendly districts, but then I read this article I googled that speaks to the opposite:
http://www.redbrick.dcu.ie/~melmoth/korea/changwon.html
Can anyone give me the real scoop on this place? Is this just another typical Korean city, or something different? |
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Drew345
Joined: 24 May 2005
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| Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 2:09 am Post subject: |
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I'm not an expert on Changwon, but I did go visit (with a Korean friend) recently. The article was pretty much dead on: big apartment blocks and confusing 'shopping centers'. Just remember, that is true for all of Korea. All of the complaint he makes in that article are true for all of (the little bit I have seen of) Korea.
There was a nice lake there in Chongwon; if you lived nere there it might be 'beautiful'. It really did seem like a decent city. |
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just because
Joined: 01 Aug 2003
Location: Changwon - 4964
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| Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 7:50 am Post subject: |
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It isn't full of expats with foreigner friendly districts at all.....it has zero foreigner districts. there are a few expats but there are many more in other cities.
I have lived here for 5 years in Changwon...it is very clean and well spaced out for a Korean city as it was planned and is the 2nd richest city per capita in the country (and also has the 2nd highest real estate prices).
If you have any specific questions PM me.... |
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Smee
Joined: 24 Dec 2004
Location: Jeollanam-do
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| Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 8:21 am Post subject: |
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I've never been, but I think I'd like it. Not too big, not too small. I hope to pay it a visit during winter vacation.
Keep in mind that the article you linked is 4 years old. A lot has changed in 4 years, and even that picture looks ancient. (Just comparing threads from 3 years ago to today reveals a lot of differences.) And the writer makes some good points, but it looks like s/he was hitting the 3-month culture shock phase. |
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BigBuds
Joined: 15 Sep 2005
Location: Changwon
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| Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 12:38 pm Post subject: |
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I've read that article before and it is a very negative view of Changwon and Korean in general.
I've lived in Changwon for five years just like 'Just Because' (we're good friends actually) and it's a great city by Korean standards. Yes it is a city but not very large by western standards (I'm from Sydney, Australia). It also has a lot of foreigners who have been here for several years which must say something about the place. To be honest, I wouldn't want to live in any other city in Korea.
Here's the website for the foreigner bar here in Changwon so you can check things out a bit more. There's a chat room so you can ask what ever you like to people who actually live here.
http://www.obriens-bar.com/ |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 1:56 pm Post subject: |
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| BigBuds wrote: |
| ...it's a great city by Korean standards. |
Exactly. One can gripe about it the same as about any other city here in many respects. But it IS different too.
I really like Changwon and I've been to most cities in this country. It's one of my top choices of consideration for places to live here and I almost took a job there this spring as I entered my fourth year in Korea. It is modern, with a lot of those cute brick home neighbourhoods and long wide roads. I like going there for shopping, I enjoy restaurants and top notch gym and swimming pool facilities, I even like the people.
It's odd that just down the road is awful Masan, a city with smoke stacks, ugly jammed blocks (not cute old style crowded twisty streets like Tongyeong) and the rudest, most xenophobic displays publicly I've ever seen. I have been to Masan only 5 times because 4 of them have been terrible experiences. People point at you like you're a Martian, hide around corners to peek, bring their friends up to your face to laugh hardily at what they see, and other manner of behavious that I have only experienced in Masan. Changwon is like another world when it comes to reactions on the street. My first half dozen visits to Changwon were so pleasant I've gone back again and again.
Anyways, Changwon may only SEEM like it's different in KIND but it certainly is different in DEGREE. Good in many ways.
Even its location is great, within striking distance of Busan, Jiri national park, Geoje Island and other places worth travelling to. |
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Wrench
Joined: 07 Apr 2005
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| Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 7:32 pm Post subject: |
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Another Vote for Changwon.
Love the city. |
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bixlerscott
Joined: 27 Sep 2006
Location: Near Wonju, South Korea
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| Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 11:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Yes, Changwon is actually a very friendly city, a developing city. I have been here 3 weeks now and like it. I look forward to see how it's going to grow and change. My only complaint really has been about the fact that I was charged 54% sales tax last Saturday for food and water in the Kim's Club store here. I showed the receipt to a couple Koreans and foreigners who speak are bi-lingual which baffled them. I just let it go and ate the loss. Off to E-mart I go today as that is where I have advised to shop for the best deals. |
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Wrench
Joined: 07 Apr 2005
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| Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2007 6:16 am Post subject: |
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| Emart sucks compared to Homeplus. |
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just because
Joined: 01 Aug 2003
Location: Changwon - 4964
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| Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2007 6:55 pm Post subject: |
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| In Changwon Homeplus is much better than Emart...a much bigger range of products in the supermarket section. |
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bixlerscott
Joined: 27 Sep 2006
Location: Near Wonju, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 2:31 am Post subject: |
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Yea, HomePlus does offer more products (good gourmet coffee, but very expensive) at much better prices than E-Mart I noticed today after shopping E-Mart last night and shopping HomePlus today. The area where E-Mart is, is a very fun and more expensive styled place to walk around and enjoy coffee and pastries and view gorgeous Korean women laughing at you. Very beautiful lights and sophisticated modern style around the E-Mart area. For bargains, HomePlus is the place. I like it very much.  Lotte has dazzling splendid things for sale in its marble floored store, but very very pricey. Very high class Korean and European brands. Probably not worth it, better wait until my next time in the states to buy cloths (dockers and polos) at Macy's and just wear the cloths I have and ditch most of em' at the end of the year to make a light load for end of contract vacation to SE Asia or Australia.
Last edited by bixlerscott on Sat Mar 03, 2007 8:57 am; edited 1 time in total |
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cbclark4
Joined: 20 Aug 2006
Location: Masan
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| Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 1:40 am Post subject: |
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