Category Archives: Newbies

Feb4

Q&A

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A few noobs from the Gyeongbuk EPIK 2013 Spring intake asked me a few questions. Some of these may have been covered before, but it’s just easier to keep them together.  If you have any other questions, be sure to comment and I will answer them to the best of my abilities.

Drinking water in Korea

Is tap water safe to drink in Korea?  Well… that’s debatable.  Many Koreans drink the tap water and the Korean Ministry of Environment swears the water is safe.   I’m not a health Nazi. Really, I’m not.   I might go to the gym (when I feel like it) and I eat pretty healthy, but on weekends I also like my Carb Comas.  The one thing I’ve inherited from my dad, is that I absolutely hate drinking/eating things that are basically poisons.  This sounds dramatic..  What I mean is, that instead of taking a pill for a headache, I prefer just taking a nap or drinking lots of water.   I have to be really sick before going to a doctor or taking any meds.    I feel the same way about tap water.   This is what the Korean Ministry of Environment has to say on their “My friend, tap water!” webpage:

It smells like a medicine. Is it safe?

The origin of the smell of tap water is chlorine that is added in the water-purification treatment process. Chlorine plays the role of a protective membrane that keeps tap water from the attack of germs while it goes through a water supply pipe. Tap water goes through a thorough water-purification treatment process so you can drink it on spot without boiling it. Boiling water means the unnecessary waste of water. When you turn on a faucet, you may see the water is white. It is a temporary phenomenon that the air in the water becomes bubbles to look white. You might have experienced that when you put tap water into a fishbowl, the fish in it dies, the reason for which is that the fish is weak against chlorine. However, take tap water in a bowl and leave it untouched for a day, and chlorine will all disappear. At this time, put fish into the bowl, and you will see the fish swim healthily.

Say whaaat?!  Just wait for the fish to die then you can drink it. :P  Ok, I’m overexaggerating but my point is this:  Surely this can not be good for you.  Honestly, in Korea, do what the Koreans do.  My teachers won’t drink the tap water, so I won’t either.   You can boil water and store it, or you can buy water at the supermarkets. It’s pretty cheap.  Most schools / restaurants / supermarkets etc. have water dispensers anyways, so you only need water for your apartment.  Some teachers take a big bottle to school and just fill it up there for free.  ;)

Another solution is to get a water filter.  These are pretty easy to find.  I thiiink someone mentioned buying them at the big supermarkets (Home Plus, Lotte Mart, Emart).   If not, ask your co-teacher to help you set up a GMARKET account once you have your ARC and buy them online!  (Gmarket is a shopoholics nightmare… don’t say I didn’t warn you – you can even get LAYS and COLGATE on there!)  Click here for a link to my very quick Brita search results.

Bed sheets: 

Bleeeeeeeeh.  Probably the stupidest thing I packed… The bed sizes in Korea are weird… I have a single bed but it’s massive.  I had a double bed before and it looked like a Queen.  In my personal, very friendly opinion, teachers who “can’t find bedsheets” are friggin blind.  They sell them in supermarkets AND they have massive bedding stores.  Sure, they may be a bit more expensive, but really now… how many do you need?!  Plus, chances of you arriving to an apartment with enough bedding:  85%.   It  really isn’t necessary.  Some teachers do have trouble finding nice ones, so if you are worried about the colour of your sheets, or you don’t want to sleep on the previous teacher’s bedding, bring one.  If you decide to bring one, bring a non- fitted sheet.  Your single fitted sheet probably won’t fit on the Korean single and you might end up having a double bed or someting.   Really, bedsheets should be the least of your worries.   Then if you really can’t find a nice sheet, you can always have someone send you more from SA)

Let’s get physical

Good news! There are gyms EVERYWHERE.  It might not be Virgin Active or Planet Fitness, but they’re fine.  They don’t always call them gyms.  Some just call them “Health” (for health club).    They have the standard equipment:  treadmills, bikes, orbitrek, circuits and weights etc.  Some of the bigger ones have pools too.  Gym prices average between 30,000won and 60,000won a month, with a small discount (usually) if you sign up for 3 months at a time.  (No contracts like in South Africa – yay!)   Some gyms will let you pay per visit, but it works out a bit more.  Good if you’re not going to go there on a regular basis.    One thing to know:  You can not wear your gym shoes outside… They usually have lockers for you to store your gym shoes in, but yes, you have to wear different shoes when walking to gym.  :P  Small towels are usually available at the gym.

Incheon Airport Regulations: 

Incheon airport regulations are pretty much the same as any other airport.  They have the right to search any bag they want.  Sometimes it’s just random and other times it’s because something looks suspicious.  Since this is a girly post:  Apparently tampons (when screened) looks like heroin capsules.  Who knew?!   This doesn’t mean that if you pack tampons they WILL open your bag.  I just mean that with screening and airport security, look at it this way:  It might be a little inconvenient if they want to rummage through your things, but better safe than sorry.    I remember when I first arrived the guy who sat next to me on the plane got his bag in a massive plastic bag!  It broke in transit, so they just put it all in a big plastic bag.  So make sure you pack your bags securely!  Plastic wrap them at the airport in SA if you can.   (Just to keep them safe)  If they do want to search your bag, don’t freak out, the Korean airport staff are really friendly.  :)
We have been told to take tea over as gifts. Should we do this or should we buy it in Korea?

Tea is a really nice gift, simply because Koreans like hot drinks and it’s something you can share in the teachers’ room. Sharing food or drinks is a big thing here.   Korea has many different teas available and they pride themselves on Korean products.  You will often hear them say: “We will go to (city).  It’s famous for ___”  That is where we have an advantage:  Rooibos.    Rooibos is a really nice gift and it’s cheap!  If you don’t have a lot of space, buy small boxes of rooibos for the Principal and Vice Principal and maybe one of those cheaper “value packs” (the ones in plastic??) for the teachers’ office.   You don’t HAVE TO bring it straight away.  You could always have someone send you some.  Costco sells rooibos, but you might not live near a Costco.  (Costco is like Trade Center and they sell a lot of foreign foods).  If you can only bring small teas for the P and VP, you can always go to your local supermarket and buy boxes of juice bottles.   They come in carry packs of about 10 and are about 9,000won per pack. Just buy a few of those and give each teacher a bottle of juice.  I know it sounds silly, but be here for 3 months and see how many little bottles of juice or vitamin drinks you receive! :P  They love it!

Orientation

Ah glorious orientation :)   You will take the EPIK bus from the airport to your orientation location.  (Gyeongbuk, that would be Jeonju University – and Jeonju is reaaaally nice!)  You will stay there with a roommate or two.

You will have your health check at the orientation, which is an experience in itself (getting an x-ray in a random van!) but it’s pretty painless unless you haaaate needles. :P  It’s really not bad at all and nothing to worry about.

Most of the time you will be in classes.  They’re not hardcore.  It’s mostly classroom strategies / surviving in Korea  / lesson planning etc.  You will also have a chance to open a bank account at orientation.  I’ve talked to some new teachers about this:   They will (most likely) get you to open an NH bank (Nonghyup Bank) account.  Sorry, I HATE NH bank.  I really do. Still, it’s easier to at least have an account!  So you can either open that account anyways (so you at least have one) and then open another account once you’ve had time to settle in, or you can ask not to open a bank account and visit the Jeonju KEB branch (they really are the most foreigner friendly bank in Korea!) to open your accounts.  For more info on this, do a KEB search on this blog.   **I have contacted KEB to find out if you will be able to open a bank account with them with only a passport, so please don’t take my advice until I have heard from them :P **    Some orientations actually had KEB as the bank of choice when setting up new teachers’ accounts, so if they do that this year, go for it.   The whole KEB/NH thing is only my opinion though. :)

**KEB UPDATE**  I’ve heard back from KEB and this is what they had to say:

Yes they can open a KEB account with a passport only, although they will need an ARC to register for Internet Banking.

If they do open an account(s) with a passport, when they later get their ARC, we advise them to show a teller their ARC, when they return to the branch so s/he can convert their passport-based account to be under their ARC. This is so all their accounts are uniformly ARC-based for the sake of convenience. – KEB

So there u go :)

You will also have a field trip during orientation.  Jeonju orientation will probably visit the Traditional Hanok Village in Jeonju and you will participate in a few traditional events.  :)  Enjoy!

I think that is all for now! If you have any other questions, just post it in the comments section below and I will get back to you!

xx

 

May30

Dear SARS, thanks for the freebie! :)

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As most of you already know, one of the benefits of teaching in Korea is two years of tax free income.  There have been many changes and rumors, so here is the low down on getting your tax freebie!

Going through the trouble of getting a residency certificate seems like a lot of extra work.  Let’s face it, with some of the SA public offices — it is.  Luckily for us, SARS has a specialized unit for expats. (woot woot!)

If you get your residency certificate, you can save roughly R7000 in taxes per year.  That’s almost the price of a flight home to visit your family and friends…  Definitely worth it!

Firstly, it is important to know that tax exemption only applies to teachers working in a public school and that you will only be exempt for the first 24 months.  Teachers who work in hagwons, universities or private schools will have to pay tax.  I will comment on that a bit later. The National Tax Office in Korea would obviously need a document from you, to prove that you are, in fact, a South African.  In the past, South African teachers simply submitted a Tax Clearance Certificate from SARS, however in recent years the Korean tax office decided that the TCCs were no longer acceptable.  We now have to submit a Residency Certificate.   SARS didn’t have these documents available, so getting one was such a mission!  Now they do!   :)

Getting a Residency Certificate (RC):

There are a number of ways to obtain this golden document, but I’ll stick to the best way — the free way!    You will need to send an e-mail to the expat unit at SARS.  ( expatriates@sars.gov.za )   You will need to provide them with some information so that they can send you your proof of residency: Personal information:

  • Full names
  • Income Tax Reference number
  • Residential or Postal address in South Africa
  • Residential or Postal address in the other country  -  For this I’m sure you can simply state that you are not abroad yet.
  • Nationality (South African??  Another country?)
  • How long have you been living in South Africa?
  • How long have you been living abroad? – You can just write when you expect to arrive in Korea.
  • Do you have a permanent residence in South Africa or do you rent/lease a home in SA?
  • Do you have a permanent home in any other country?
  • Where do your spouse, children and family live?
  • What is your professional and/or business interest?
  • Do you have any intention of remaining / returning to South Africa?
  • For which tax periods are you requesting this residence certificate?  -  This is usually just for one year!  Remember to get another RC next year!

After sending the information, the SARS expat unit will send your RC via email within a day or two.   They will mail the original to your address.  Be sure to ask them to send it to a family member (especially if you are already in Korea) so your family can then forward it to you.  If you prefer going through a company (remember that this service is not free) I can highly recommend DocAssist.  They are very professional and respond to queries very quickly.  Great service!

What do I do with this thing?

When arriving at your school, be sure to give your residency certificate to the school’s admin office.  They need to give it to the tax office.  Make sure that they understand what it is and make sure they KNOW to give it to the tax office.   There have been instances where the admin had no clue what it was and asked the teacher to pay tax at the end of the year.  This is NOT a train smash.  Even if you only get around to obtaining your RC a few months in, you can get a refund of any money you have already paid.  It’s just easier (and less paper work for your school!)  to give them your RC as soon as possible.  Remember that your co-teacher is not a tax employee.   Do your home work and make sure you know what you should be paying / when / if you should or shouldn’t etc.  If your school insists that you should pay tax and you know you shouldn’t, you are allowed to question it and ask them to contact the tax office to confirm.

RC or not, DON’T forget about SARS!

Just because you’ve been “cleared” on the Korean side doesn’t mean you can forget about your SARS responsibilities.  You won’t pay taxes on income earned abroad (in Korea) if you are out of the country for more than 183 days in a year.   You must, however, still declare this income.  Register for SARS e-filing  online.  Once tax season*  starts, submit your tax returns by selecting the form on your profile (it will be there!) and entering your details and income amount under the exempt income section.  Submit!   About a day or two later, you will receive a statement from SARS.  Check it!  It will most likely show a R0,00 balance.  Then you know you’re in the clear.  Sometimes they may ask you to provide documented proof of your earnings abroad etc.  Best bet would then be to ask on the South African Tax group mentioned below, but it’s not too difficult.

*Filing season will start around 1 July and online submissions will be due by November.  Remember that it will get busier closer to November, so the sooner the better ;)

KOREAN TAXES:

Monthly vs. Yearly tax: 

If you have started your third year in Korea, or you are working at a private academy, you have to pay Korean taxes. Your school might tell you that they’ll deduct your taxes at the end of the year.  If at all possible, ask them to rather take a monthly amount.  It might sound silly, but paying 40,000 or 80,000 a month is fine.  Getting a 1 million won tax bill at the end of the year is not fun.  Also, if you are February intake, you might go to school one fine day in January, with about a week left before your lovely trip to Bali, only to find a huge dent in your salary.  Oh yes, hello there lump sum tax bill! Whoops!   :(  You don’t want that!!  I even asked my school for a pay slip so I know how much I’ve paid.

How much will my monthly tax be?

This is REALLY difficult to calculate.  But possible…  There’s a tax calculator on the NTS website.  I faffed around with it and got an amount a while ago.  It looks like the same amount my co-teacher gave me when I asked him as well, so I think it’s pretty accurate.   There are ways to lower your tax payments.

I’m terrified that SARS will want proof that I actually paid tax in Korea.  I have asked my school to please give me a monthly pay slip.  In Korean, it’s called “Geubyeo-myeong-seseo” (급여 명 세서).   Feel free to use the sample I have posted below.  If you ask really nicely I’m sure they won’t mind giving you one.  It took some time for them to understand why I was asking, but now I just remind my co-teacher after each pay day to please get me another one.

An example of a Korean pay slip. There are more amounts than necessary — this was at the beginning of my new contract so I have bonuses added etc.

Reducing your tax payments:

There are many ways to reduce your yearly tax payment.  I am going to skip the ones that aren’t really relevant to most teachers (for example “Studying at a Korean University”).    Basically, you need to use your cards as much as possible.  When you use your cards, they automatically have a record of your expenditure.   If you spend more than a certain amount of your salary, you are eligible for tax deduction.  Spending cash won’t give them a clear record of this, unless you apply for a tax cash card, which you swipe when using cash.  Unfortunately, I have NO information on this but I will try my best to find out about applying for one.  I even pay my doctors with cards now.  These aren’t just credit cards, any of your check cards will help.  I always have a bit of cash on me for taxis or whatever, but I even buy a bottle of water at Family Mart with my cards.  Unlike South Africa, we don’t pay for swiping our cards — the companies do.  (woot woot!)

When it’s time for you to submit your tax returns, all your receipts will be online (just like the Koreans’!)  Simply go to the Yesone website.  The first tab at the top is for Income Deduction searching and printing.  Click on it.  Log in using your internet banking digital certificate and entering your Alien Registration number and digital certificate password.  Ask a Korean to help you – Click on the headings that you need to print.  Give these documents to your school admin office.  After submitting your documents to the tax office, they will review it.  They will calculate whether or not you owe them money (sometimes our monthly deductions are too low) or if they owe you! (Maybe you paid enough but then after submitting your documents you find that you actually paid too much ;) )  They will let you know how much you owe / how much they owe you.  If they owe you money, it can take about a month to get it.  (This REALLY happens, promise!)

A few final hints and tips:

  • As mentioned before, use your cards as much as possible!
  • Calculate (roughly) how much your tax will be before deductions.  Calculate what your monthly payment should be.  If your school only takes half of that from your salary save the rest!  Put some money in a separate bank account so that you won’t get  a huge surprise when tax season comes around.   If you don’t have to pay anything extra, well then you’ll have more spending money for your next vacation!
  • Remember to ask for pay slips!
  • DON’T FORGET YOUR SARS E-FILING!
  • Remember to apply for a new residence certificate when you start your second year in Korea.
  • National Tax Office help line: for foreigners: 1588-0560   or  02-2076-5711
  • National Tax Service website in English, click here.
  • For any questions regarding South African Tax (SARS) feel free to check out the Income Tax Basics for South Africans in Korea group on Facebook.
  • Download the English Korean Tax guide here.

* A big thanks to everyone who contributed to this blog post.  I found a LOT of information on the SA in SK Facebook group and the NTS website.

May14

Why I sometimes want to punch new teachers in the face…

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Edit:  After re-reading this I realize that this post is a complete rant, but I have genuinely had it.  I am *begging* all new teachers (and even those who have been here for a while) to just do some research before coming here.   Know what you’re getting yourself into.  Be prepared for the 3 month depro phase and know how to cope with it.  Ask other teachers what to expect.  Don’t just read lonely planet and think you know Korea.  Because I swear imma killa teacha soon! :P  

There are so many awesome things we’re told before making the big move to Korea.   In my little-bit-more-than-two-years here, we’ve had 4 new intakes. Four groups of newbie teachers insanely excited about their new adventure.  Yes, you should be excited.  Yes, you should be eager to do a gazillion things and experience everything.  Unfortunately, a month or three in, we start getting all these rants on social networks.

Fair enough, it’s the end of the honeymoon period and the reality kicks in, but I can’t help feeling (even more so with every intake) that the new teachers might not have been too prepared on the reality of Korea.  More often than not I find that newer teachers have a sense of superiority.  I have seen the most insane claims on social networks over the last few months.   I have talked to some friends about it and some feel that it might actually be that most newbie teachers have never really worked full time before.  I am not saying that all new teachers are spoiled brats.  Not at all.  But maybe their lack of previous “real-world” experience give them a slightly warped sense of what they “deserve”.

Before I continue, know that I am not trying to make Korea a negative experience for anyone.  If Korea was terrible, I wouldn’t still be here.  I do feel, however, that if you come to Korea with the right mindset and with some idea of what can be expected, what should not be expected and what should most definitely not be assumed, it will simply make it easier to accept things when they do happen to you.   No matter what hand you’re dealt, no one ever really wins in the first round.  You’ll always have that one shitty card.  Yet we keep playing.  I don’t mean to generalize either.  I know some bloody fabulous new teachers!  Unfortunately people are 10 times more likely to complain than compliment, so sorry to all of you who actually make an effort.  I applaud you!!  Here are the things that personally annoy me most.. :P

You get a big salary.  That doesn’t make you the boss.

Let’s face it, we get a pretty decent pay check.  If you add the money your school spends on your housing allowance, flight money and settlement allowance, you’re most probably earning more than double the average South African school teacher’s salary.  You’re a millionaire (at least in KRW).   Foreigners, fresh out of university, step into this job and earn more than a newly qualified Korean teacher.  That does not mean that you can make demands.  You have no right to tell your teachers what you want in your apartment.  The contract is simple.  You will have X,Y,Z in your apartment.  This usually includes things like a bed, desk, fridge, gas range.   If you look at this logically, it means you can sleep, work and eat.  Your school does NOT “owe” you a microwave.  They don’t “have to” buy you a RoboCleaner2000.  If you get a teaching job back home, does your principal buy you scented candles and a potato peeler? No.  You will have 300,000 to spend on household items that you might still need.  Do some research.   Daiso is a cheap little store with loads of nice kitchen and household things for cheeeap.  Be clever about how you’ll spend your settlement allowance.  You don’t need to kick Jamie Oliver’s ass in the kitchen in your first month.  Buy what you NEED first.  If the previous teacher didn’t leave a bunch of stuff (yes, you might get really lucky), then buy ONE spoon, ONE pair of chopsticks, maybe two glasses.  You don’t need plates for a family of 6.  If you invite friends over for dinner, tell them to bring their own damn plates.

With every single intake we see teachers complain about not having this or not having that.  Fair enough, if you don’t have a fridge or a bed, you are entitled to one.  Please, you are not entitled to living-le-good-life on your school’s budget.  Be grateful that you HAVE  a semi-furnished apartment.   Besides, it’s fun getting a pay check thinking “ooooh this month I’ll get to buy _____!”

“I have many sick days and I intend to use all of them!”

Oh. My. Gosh. Really?   Read this, know it and remember it:  ”KOREANS ARE DILIGENT AND WILL COME TO WORK EVEN IF THEY HAVE TO CRAWL THERE.”  No one is expecting you to follow suit and crawl to work, but meet them half way, ok?  I have a friend who was terribly, terribly sick and she had big problems with her school not wanting her to stay home.  That is wrong and I don’t agree with it.  I think she should have definitely been allowed to stay home, especially after seeing a doctor and being sick (literally) at school.  On the flip side, I know another teacher who stayed home because he had a headache.  Now THAT makes me want to punch you and give you a *real* headache!  Take some aspirin and deal.  We all have days where we feel a cold coming on or simply feel exhausted.  Just because you have 10 or 12 sick days doesn’t mean you have 10 or 12 days to take whenever you “don’t feel like going to work.”  Yes, your health is important, but it’s not like the students will sit and colour some pictures because you’re not there.  Your co-teacher will probably have to teach your lessons.  If he/she has other classes to teach, the entire schedule have to be changed in order to have teachers at all classes at all times.  If you’re really sick, fair enough, stay home, I don’t want your pink-eye.  But do the responsible (and right) thing, and call your co-teacher at least one hour before school starts and ask them if it’s okay for you to take a sick day and see a doctor.  If you’re really sick they should understand.  Step two in this two part lesson: E-mail them your lesson plans.  Don’t expect your co-teacher to have 4-5 lessons prepared just in case you might be sick one day.

I refuse to participate in anything related to Korea / my school / my teachers / Hangeul / students and rainy days.

Why.  Why.  Why.  Why.  This is how you make me feel when you say that:

Can I get a bottle of Soju with that?

Why are you HERE?!?!!!!  Why the heck would you come to Korea but refuse to take part in ANYTHING that is Korea?  Here for the money?? Please.  Do us all a favor and get on the first plane out of here.  Sure, the money is good, but WHY would you stay here for a year if you don’t want to be here.   Save yourself.  Save me from going insane.  Leave.  Now.  Don’t look back.  Just leave.

“It’s not in my contract.”

Teaching 50 extra classes without pay – that is not what I’m talking about here.   The contract is pretty damn straight forward.  I am one of the first people to say “Check your contract” when newbies complain about vacation dates or extra work hours.  What’s fair is fair. Teaching a bunch of extra classes on Saturdays is not fair.  But for the love of Korean Choco  Pies… “I’m not going to the teacher’s dinner.  It’s not in my contract.”   “I’m not going to the Everland field trip with my school, it’s not in my contract.”   [Afrikoreaan switches on some Enya to calm down.]    Does your contract in South Africa / the US / Australia / NZ / England say “The employee shall attend the year end function where he/she will get horribly drunk and receive gifts.”  NO.  Big girl panties, folks.  Big girl panties.   I will be completely honest about this one.   I don’t like teachers’ dinners.  I honestly don’t.  There aren’t many English speaking teachers at my school, so I find teachers’ dinners extremely boring.  But it’s part of the package.  It’s simply the right thing to do.  If you don’t have some religious reason as to why you won’t go, then bloody well go!   If you’re not religious but you simply don’t drink, just say no!!  And if they refuse to take no for an answer, then lie!  Lie all you want!  But be classy about it! “I’m sorry, I am on medication, so I can’t drink alcohol.”  But then cheers your principal with a shot of  Sprite man!  I’ve done it when I really didn’t want to drink.  It’s not about the alcohol.  It’s about the socializing.  And not going because “It’s not in my contract” is one stupid excuse not to go.  Your contract doesn’t say that the school MUST provide lunch.  They do.  It doesn’t say that they will provide you with toilet paper to wipe your ass.  They do.  The Korean part of the contract is the “official” part.  My friend, Katy, says that the Korean bit says that everyone has to get naked and do the funky chicken dance on Tuesdays.”


Okay… I’m stopping before I get a heart attack.   I  am all for being fair.  Really, I am.  I know Korea is not the easiest country to get used to, but please… PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do your research before coming here.  And most importantly, come with an OPEN mind.  If you have the balls to get on a plane and come to a foreign country for a year (at least), have the balls to stick it out for 3 hours at a teachers dinner, to go on school outings and to go the extra mile for your school.   We spoke about this on the weekend as well.. it might not be easy to get fired in Korea, but it’s REALLY easy for your school to not re-sign you for a second year.  Don’t shoot yourself in the foot.  Take part.  Live a little.  You might find that you actually enjoy it!!

Jan20

I need a dollar, dollar, a dollar, that’s what I need ♪♫

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You need to bring “survival money” with you for your first month in Korea.   You will have orientation for about 2 weeks and then start your new job.  If you are coming to Korea in February, you will only be paid at the end of March — after your first teaching month.  This means that you will need money for 5-6 weeks.  It sounds like a long time, but here’s the bonus:

  • You will be fed at orientation, so you ONLY need money for things like socializing and buying international calling cards during your first two weeks.
  • Once you start teaching, you will get a big (and I mean BIG) lunch at school every day.  Sure, you might not like Korean food yet, or not be used to it, but it keeps your belly full.  Which means you won’t have to spend too much on groceries.

The average teacher will come to Korea with US$1000.   If you are not going to go out drinking fancy cocktails every night, this is definitely enough.  Be smart about where you eat / what you eat / what you buy during your first month and you’ll probably have some spare cash by the time that first fabulous payday arrives.  If you eat and drink cheap (500cc beer: $2  vs. cocktail $8) you will be okay!  Don’t go to Outback Steakhouse because you miss meat.  A steak on a lunchtime special will cost you at least $20.  You can have Korean BBQ (called Samgyeopsal) for about $5 each.  Don’t worry about gaining or losing weight the first month.  If you eat noodles for a week before you decide to be adventurous, then so what.

How should I bring $1000 to Korea?  Please note that this is my personal opinion. :)

It is not possible (or super difficult) to get Korean Won in South Africa.  You need to bring USD and exchange it to KRW in Korea.  The best way is to bring some USD in cash and keep the rest as travelers cheques.   There are other options, but here’s what I don’t like about them:

  1. Bringing $1000 in cash:   Sure, Korea is super safe and crime is low, BUT you are not sharing a university dorm with 300+ Koreans.  You are sharing a university dorm with 300+ foreigners from all over the world.  Criminal checked or not, I think bringing $1000 in cash is just plain stupid.   Also, if you exchange $1000 at the airport, you will receive:  a)  a bunch of 50,000won notes (20+ of them) which none of the store owners would want to accept. It’s like buying a wilson toffee with a R200 note.  or b) a staaaash of 10,000 won bills.  Seriously I paid my laptop (1,200,000won) with 10,000 won bills once. It’s not fun.
  2. Using your credit card from home:  Possible, if you have one – Impossible if you don’t.  I went to the bank to apply for one before I came to Korea.  With the new credit act, they don’t allow us to travel to countries with our credit cards for such a long period of time anymore.  :(  Something about racking up a huge bill and never returning to South Africa… Also, you won’t want to buy the Wilson toffee with your credit card either…  It’s not a completely bad idea bringing your SA credit card, but be sure to bring some cash too.  Be sure to have enough money in SA to cover your credit card bill at the end of the month so that you are not pressured to figure out how to transfer money home so soon after your arrival.
  3. Using your debit card from home:  Dooooon’t!!!  ABSA will charge you R40 per withdrawal — that is IF you can find an ATM that accepts your card. (More on this – check #4)  Cards from home should be chipped.  Some teachers have had major issues with “old” cards that were not chipped.  Sometimes they also block your card when it has been used abroad – as a security measure.
  4. Travel cards, like Rennies / Bidvest / Travelex:  No. No. No. No. No.   As I said, my opinion, but this is probably the worst of the lot.   Global ATMs are not on every street corner and even the Global ones don’t always accept the cards.  Your best bet for a “global” ATM would be convenience stores (Family Mart, GS25 or 7-Eleven) but this is not always guaranteed. I think my boyfriend and I tried about 8 different “global” ATMs before we found one that accepted his Rennies card.  A close friend of mine used his Bidvest card at the local E-mart.  He bought a whole lot of things for his apartment.  When he checked his Bidvest balance online, the amount (just over $300) had been deducted twice.  Unfortunately, the E-mart records show that they only received payment once.  So that $300+ is floating somewhere to this day.  $300 x 2 is a lot if you only brought $1000!

Soooo the winner is??  Travelers’ cheques.   They might be old fashioned but it was sooo easy.   I brought about $300 in cash and $700 in travelers’ cheques. (If I remember correctly it was recommended by TeachKorea at that time… not too sure…)   The $300 was more than enough to cover my time at orientation as well as the first week or so in my apartment.  My co-teacher took me to the local bank (ask for a big one in your town) where I deposited the travelers’ cheques (in USD) into my Korean bank account (in KRW).   Kapish. Done. Finish. Klaar.  Mari had money.

EPIK will help you set up your bank account at orientation.  We got Nonghyup Bank (NH) accounts when I first arrived, some other intakes got KB accounts and last year they got KEB accounts. (Note there’s a difference between KB and KEB!)  I still cheer for KEB, but if they don’t give you KEB accounts at orientation and you really want a KEB account, you can always still open the NH one just so you know you have an account to transfer your travelers’ cheques to once you finally leave orientation.  If you are in a smaller city you might not have a KEB bank close by, so then at least you have some kind of bank account.  I’d suggest making a day trip to one of the bigger cities with a KEB branch if you still want KEB banking.  Definitely worth it!

As for cheap living during your first month: walk, walk, walk.  You will get to explore your city / town better this way and $2 taxi every day will add up.   If you want to eat, EAT KOREAN.  If you’re scared of eating Korean, eat instant noodles, fruits, salads etc.   Here’s a short list of cheap meals from Korean restaurants (kimbap shops) that aren’t “scary” if you want to try it.  It’s a really really simple list and definitely not the best dishes on the menu, but they are easy to pronounce and aren’t spicy or weird or “I don’t know wtf I’m eating”… :

  • “Chamchi kimbap” is kimbap (almost like Korean style Maki rolls) with tuna and a liiiiittle bit of mayo.  It’s NOT raw fish.  If you like sushi this will be pretty good too.  +- $2  (not spicy)
  • Bulgogi is marinated beef.  Usually they serve it as a stew with rice. (I forgot the name, but if you say bulgogi they will probably know what you mean)   (not spicy)
  • “Mandu” is a good snack food.  Dumplings, usually stuffed with glass noodles, green onion and some meat. (not spicy)
  • “Dolsot bibimbap” is a traditional Korean meal.  Rice topped with lots of veggies in a stone pot with an egg on top.  It’s not spicy, but the red sauce, called Gochujang, is.  Sometimes the gochujang is already added, other times they bring it separately.
  • Donkassu is pork cutlet.  Usually served with some rice and a bit of a salad (coleslaw or fruit). Not spicy.
  • Cheese donkassu (pork cutlet with cheese, same as above… duh.)
  • Ramen = instant noodles.  Cheese Ramen = instant noodles with cheese. duh.

I hope this answers most of your questions! If not, feel free to comment!    (PS: ABSA travelers’ cheques include travel insurance!)

xx

Jan18

Driving Miss Crazy

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There’s no question about it – The public transport in Korea is a-bloody-mazing, but there are a lot of questions regarding driving and licences.   I hope to clear up some of them. :)

Personally I wouldn’t drive in Korea.. I’d much rather sit in the bus and gasp (“wow that was close!”).  But it’s not THAT bad to drive here and there are some foreigners who own cars.

International Driving Permit (IDP):

An IDP is very handy when traveling abroad.  It is accepted in over 150 countries!  Some countries don’t require an IDP and will accept your South African drivers’ licence, however, should you be involved in an accident, they may dispute your licence.  The IDP is an official document and serves as proof that you do have a valid driving licence.  YOU STILL NEED TO BRING YOUR SOUTH AFRICAN LICENCE WITH THE IDP.  SHOULD YOU BE STOPPED BY A TRAFFIC OFFICER, YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT BOTH!

You can get an IDP at any AA Travel Experience store.  It is valid for 1 – 3 years, but note that it can not be valid after your South African Drivers Licence expires.  (Example, if your SA one expires within the next year, you can not obtain an IDP which is valid for 3 years.)

These are the required documents:

  • Permit fee – R 249.00
  • Two ID or Passport photographs (black & white)
  • Presentation of a valid South African driver’s licence (credit card format) or certified copies of the front and back of the licence.
  • Presentation of a valid South African ID or Passport or certified copies of the identification page in the document.  (Certified copies must be dated and may not be older than two months.)
  • Application form

My South African Drivers’ Licence will expire during my time in Korea… What now?

So you planned to come to Korea for a year… No problem.  You fell in love with the place and decided to stay longer… perfect!  And then you realize… your SA licence expired.  Now what?!

Do not fear little creatures! :)  They won’t lock you up and throw away the key!   You will be able to renew your licence when you return to South Africa.  Just take your passport along with all the other usual goodies.  Note that you have to renew your licence as soon as you are back in South Africa the first time.   (Yes, even if it’s just a quick 5 day visit!!)  If you have entered and exited South Africa after the expiry date of your licence and you have not obtained a new one IT WILL BE TERMINATED.  That means you will have to “spieeltjie, kyk links, spieeltjie kyk regs, spieeltjie, blindekol, o ja seker op die pad ook kyk” all over again and we really don’t want that now, do we???!!   If you have a very short visit in South Africa, you can fill out an affidavit so a family member can collect your new drivers’ licence card on your behalf.  You need to have the form (available at the traffic department) certified at your local police station.  Attach a certified copy of your ID and a certified copy of the collector’s ID.   Remember to give the collector your original temporary licence (should you have acquired one for your short stay).

Happy (backseat) driving!

xx

 

Nov3

…On being a Millionaire

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It’s awesome staring at the ATM screen after your first paycheck – even better when you update your bankbook and the millions are forever printed… “Ladies and Gentlemen, I am now a millionaire.”   (You fail to mention that bread costs a few thousand though.. of course :) )   The question is .. Can I really save my millions?

The average teacher here will start on a level 2 salary of 2.2 million won.  This varies, depending on where you’re placed, how many schools you’re working at, whether or not you live in a rural town etc.  If you *live* in a rural town you will get 100,000won extra.  Note that if you live in the city but work rural, this *does not apply to you*.  If you are working at 2 schools, you will also get 100,000won extra.  For 3 or more schools you will receive 150,000won extra.  So best scenario, you’re living rural and working 3 schools, then you’ll get your base salary + 100,000won rural allowance + 150,000won extra schools allowance.  (nice-uh!)

Pleaaaase understand that this is my personal budget.  Or at least the one I try to keep for as long as I don’t have PMS and buy chocolates and things that make me feel better… like wine.  I live in a small city. I live in a small but nice apartment.  I have free internet and TV.  You might live in a mansion.  Or in the sticks…with expensive internet. Or you might have to chop wood and boil your own hot water.  I don’t know. So just go with this, ok? :P

Health insurance:

Your school will deduct about 70 000 won for health insurance (medical aid).  Don’t complain about it!  The health insurance in Korea is amazing!  And what kind of medical aid can you get in South Africa for R500 these days?  I have never paid more than R70 for a doctors visit PLUS antibiotics for 5 days.  I remember my first visit to the doctor + meds cost me SO much! R15!!!!!  :P  sirriaaas, just pay the health insurance.

Transportation:  I commute to school with my co-teacher, so that’s free… You should offer to pay some money for petrol.  Mine refuses, so I buy him a big box of fruit every now and again.  Some teachers walk to school, others take the bus, others pay petrol money for a car pool.  It really depends.  I take the bus back from school on Tuesdays and Fridays and it’s 1,500 a trip, so that’s 3000 a week. (R18 big whoop!)

I visit my boyfriend every second weekend.  I usually take the train for 3,000won and then a local bus for 1,500 (4,500 total).  If I’m feeling lazy, I’ll take the bus (6,000won and a taxi 8,000won = 14,000won)  So my monthly travel costs to my bf and back would be max 56,000won a month.

Food:

This is really easy for me… Most mornings I get up too late to have breakfast. When I do have breakfast, it’s usually eggs or yoghurt.  I have lunch at school.  Most teachers pay about 30 000 won a month for school lunch.  Mine is free, because I’m at 4 schools, so they can’t be bothered dividing 30,000 by 4 and paying 7,500 into each school’s account.  I’m really keen on salad, and I can make a mean chicken salad for like… 2000 won, which works out about 8000 in a week (Monday – Thursday).  I do the same with pasta or fried rice, or stirfry.  I’m really cheap. lol. If you eat Korean, a decent meal can be 5000 won.  If you want to eat steak and snazzy Nigella food, you’re gonna pay more.  On weekends I spend 30,000won in total. (And then I eat goooood food with my boyfriend.)  So my food shopping is never more than 50,000 a week.  Add in cleaning products and a few coffee shop visits a week, 100,000 won max. (400,000won a month)

Bills bills bills…

My gas bill is never more than 14,000won. (Average about 8,000).  This will go up in the winter, because we use the underfloor heating.  My electricity bill is usually 7000won (yeah… R35 whoooop) and this also goes up when we use the aircon in summer, but it’s never been more than 20,000won.  My cellphone is on pay as you go (20,000 a month??) and I have a tablet pc on contract for about 60,000 a month.  That’s it.  (Bills :  95,000 won… let’s make it a hundred :)  )

Other shenanigans… 

I send a lot home for savings and I keep some in a separate account for traveling while I’m in Korea.  When it gets cold I go on a crazy shopping spree and buy R1000 of warm clothes because I convince myself that I will die without it.  In summer I do the same,  cause I believe that people can melt.  I have an awesome date night with my boyfriend every month, where we splurge and go to a nice restaurant and polish a bottle of NICE wine (not the PMS wine).  Some months I go all out on camera equipment.  The one thing though, is that I never use my SA savings.  I’ve decided on a set amount and I send it home every month.  It’s like paying another bill for me.    If you do that and you have an account for some traveling money while in Korea (this includes summer vacation Thailand trips!!!) it’s really not difficult living with the rest.

On this post my expenses are about 600 000 and that’s after being lazy for an entire month and taking the taxi to my boyfriend.  That leaves the average teacher with about 1.6 million won.  Partying doesn’t have to be expensive either.  I can easily have a good time with 50 000 won on the weekend.  To be honest you can get drunk on 3,000 won if you really want to.

My point is just this: It’s easy to save money.  Just eat smart, travel cheap and skip the $8 shooters.  Think twice about what you’re buying.  Try to save money where you can.  Do you REALLY need your underfloor heating on or would an extra blanket do the same thing.  If you think about what you’re spending you can easily save R7000-R10,000 a month.

:)   Happy saving!

Nov1

Sending your Moola home…

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Most of us are here to save money.  Let’s face it, we’re earning almost 50% more than teachers back home.  The average foreign teacher in Korea earns 2,200,000KRW. (Doesn’t that look awesome?!?!)  The best part is that you can easily send half of it back home and still live comfortably in SoKo.  Living costs (I will link it to a living costs post soon) here are pretty cheap *compared to your salary* so saving is really easy.

Some teachers send money home once or twice a year and others prefer to send money home every month.  For me, personally, the latter is best, simply because once the money is in SA I pretty much forget about it.  For me, putting money away every month is like paying another bill.  Only the bill is half my salary and I don’t have guilty thoughts like “OH MY WORD I need to use less electricity!” after sending! Yay!

If you’re sending money once or twice a year, you probably won’t need most of the info in this post (except for the bit about what you need to take to the bank).  If you’d prefer sending money home every 1 or 3 month(s), this is my *personal opinion* on what the best options are.

Before you come to Moneyville:

Before boarding your long and lovely flight to Korea, make a pitstop at your bank.  I bank with ABSA so my info on ABSA should be pretty up to date, however I have heard that FNB has the same thing, so I’m assuming other banks have them too…  There is a form available at the Foreign Exchange office/teller/booth whatever, where you basically give your bank permission to accept funds from abroad and put it in your account *without* having to ask / contact you first.  This is super helpful, because if you don’t do this, they might try to contact you every single time you transfer money and it will delay the whole process. Especially if they don’t remember that you told them not to phone your SA number!!  (Edit:  This form is called a “Standing Instruction Form” at ABSA)

 

While you’re in the bank, add someone you trust as power of attorney on your account.  I chose my mom :)   The person with power of attorney will be able to do banking for you when you are in Korea.  This is also pretty important because anything that has to be done in the branch, can be done by this person.

SA bank information:

To send money home, you will need to provide your Korean bank with the following information, so be sure to get it before you come to Korea:

  • Bank account name and number you wish to send to ( Richie Rich 123456789)
  • Bank and branch name (ABSA Pofadder)
  • Bank address (if you don’t have it, it’s super easy to find on google)
  • SWIFT code.  (ABSAZAJJ… I don’t know the others…)
  • Bank phone number
  • Contact number for someone in SA (I think? but have the power of attorney person’s number handy)
  • (Also take your passport to the bank in Korea)

When in Korea…

The EPIK team will help all EPIK teachers set up a banking account when they attend the orientation.  This will most likely be an account with NH (or Nonghyup) Bank.  I had an NH account, but changed to KEB, but I will discuss KEB later. If you want to change to KEB, don’t say no to the NH one at orientation.  I still have my NH card and always keep some cash on it for emergencies.

Sending money:

You might want to ask your co-teacher to go to the bank with you to set up overseas remittance.  It’s just easier.  Remember that your co-teacher is in no way obligated to do this, so if they say no (which I doubt) just go alone. You won’t die and you won’t get locked up in the vault, because the vault isn’t locked… or closed… to begin with.  (Sirrriaaas! It’s crazy) Aaaaanyways, you’ll fill out a form (using the above info and your Korean bank details) sign it and that’s it. If you want to stick to NH, ask them to set up ATM remittance for you.  They then put all the info on the system, so that you can go to the ATM, click “overseas remittance” and send money home from there. No more standing in line at the bank doing charades!  NH charges around 20,000won (about R130) per million KRW sent. (1.5 million would be 40,000won)  The one thing I don’t like about NH bank (apart from the fact that KEB charges less) is that they don’t convert straight to ZAR.  Your money goes from KRW-USD-ZAR, which means you lose out on a bit.  Note that your SA bank will also charge to “accept” the money.  ABSA usually charges me a fixed rate of R100.

My KEB advertisement :)

I’m sorry, I just love love love my bank.  I opened an account with KEB (Korea Exchange Bank) about a year ago and I’ve never had a problem!  KEB is in my opinion just so much easier!  They have English everything.  Fair enough, there aren’t as many KEB ATM’s around, but with internet banking and debit cards, I hardly ever use ATMs anyways!   What I love most is the Easy-One account for sending money home.  This is exactly what I did:
I opened a “Global Check” account with KEB (pretty purple card), which is the only card that will work abroad when traveling (suck on that NH!!!).  I gave this account number to my school so this is where I get my salary and everything.  Daily living account.  I use my NH to save some money for  spending in Korea or traveling.   (If your school wants the NH for your salary, just keep your Global Check card for savings instead, but GET ONE!)
You then ask them to open an “Easy-One” account for you. (And you CAN ask them because they’re kind of English!)  They will use the same info above to link this account number to your bank back home.  Which means… you can not keep money in the Easy-One account, but if you DO transfer money to that account it will immediately be sent home!!!!!  How cool is that?!   So while they’re doing so much for you to begin with, just pile on internet banking while you’re at it.  It’s also in English!  Ask them to put both the Global Check as well as the Easy-One account on your Internet banking.

So how do you do it?  Log on to internet banking, go to your Global Check account and click “immediate transfer” (which is the same thing you click to pay your online shopping, or pay back the 50,000 you borrowed from a friend.. it’s basically “Make a damn payment”).  Then transfer (pay) the money into your “Easy One” account number.  If you’re REALLY quick, you’ll see the balance showing on the Easy One account (ex. 1,000,000) and then after a few blinks it will be gone! woahhh!  I love it.  This means that if your friend owes you 1 million won (what the heck were you thinking) and you want to send that money home, your friend can just transfer it into the Easy One number and it will go home.  ANYONE can send money home for you!  The bonus? I’ve never paid more than 15,000 in fees.  And I’ve sent millions :) yeahhh!

Internet banking in Korea

… is a completely different ball game than in SA and for banks who leave vaults open I’m surprised at the 5 million security measures, but it really is worth it!  Will do a post on inet banking in Korea soon.

Other options:

Another option is keeping your NH card for your daily expenses / salary etc.  and use your KEB Global card to “send money home.”  You can mail your card to someone you trust in SA, send the pin separately in an email or whatever, and have them withdraw the money in SA and deposit it into your SA account.  Just remember that other cards won’t necessarily work in SA, so get the KEB Global Card if you want to go this route.   To do this, though, you must designate KEB as your “foreign exchange bank” at the branch. Overseas withdrawals are limited to 1 million won per transaction, 6 million won per day, and 50 million won per year (less any funds remitted). The money you receive from an ATM abroad will obviously be in ZAR. For ATM withdrawals in the South Africa, KEB levies a $3 fee for amounts up to 200,000 won, $3.25 for 200,000-250,000won and $3.50 for over 250,000won (roughly)  In addition, a 1% handling fee is added to overseas ATM withdrawals using the check card.  Also remember that Foreigners are only allowed 2 cards (with the exception of having a credit card as a 3rd card) so you won’t be able to have an extra card for the same account.  You will, however, be able to use your bankbook as a “card” at an ATM though.

Bankbook:

Bankbooks are awesome.  It’s like having your bank statements printed in one nifty little booklet. No more stupid bank mail in your postbox (which I always lost in SA!!).  You can update your bankbook at the ATM whenever you want.  When it’s full, visit the bank and get a new one.  It will show income and expenses – just like a normal bank statement.  It’s suuuper awesome!  *Also, you need it to get cellphone contracts etc if you want them to set up a debit order, so don’t lose it!*

So basically: NH doesn’t suck too bad, keep it as a savings account. Get KEB because you will love it and be happy and always have access to your money. Unless you REALLY want to be stuck in Thailand with a useless card that doesn’t work at the ATM.. :) But that’s just my opinion. :)  And that is how you send money home.

xx

PS: I’m sick and I don’t feel like working, so I’m typing this at school… when I’m back home and in my bed and feeling sorry for myself, I will find some pictures to make this post more sparkly and understandable.   :P

Oct25

Learning Hieroglyphics.. I mean .. Hangeul

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Korea can be pretty overwhelming at first.  Before you arrive you know you won’t understand when they speak, nor will you be able to read a menu, but it’s pretty overwhelming to walk down the street and understand absolutely nothing.

Korea uses it’s own alphabet called Hangeul.  Although it looks pretty crazy, it’s actually quite simple.  The 14 consonants and 10 vowels make up the 24 basic characters.

Three basic rules will help you to understand and read Korean:

  1. A syllable begins with a consonant.
  2. A syllable has at least one consonant and one vowel.
  3. Each syllable is written in a square shape.
The syllables are always grouped as consonant + vowel, or consonant + vowel + consonant.   Consonant + vowel combinations are linked depending on what the consonant looks like.  If it’s a vertical vowel like “a”  ( ㅏ ) it is placed next to the consonant.   An example would be “na” ㄴ + ㅏ = 나 .  If it’s a horizontal vowel, like “o” ( ㅗ ) it is placed underneath the consonant.  ( no:   ㄴ + ㅗ = 노)    When we have consonant + vowel + consonant combinations, the exact same applies as above, but the final consonant, called a batchim (it means “support” in Korean) is placed at the bottom.    So, “man” would be ㅁ + ㅏ + ㄴ.   The ㄴ is the batchim, so ma = 마 and adding the final consonant ㄴ would make it 만.  (It doesn’t mean MAN like male though and the pronunciation is different.  It’s more like the Afrikaans “man”… ag nee man! lol)
Okay so here is a list of basic consonants and vowels in Korean :)  And I totally stole this off the internet so thanks google!

Let's draw pictures!!! :)

Ok it’s also important to know that if a syllable starts with a vowel sound (like say your name is Ina), we use the same symbol as “ng” (ㅇ) as a consonant to make a consonant-vowel-consonant combination.  So “ㅇ” is basically a “ng” OR like an “empty consonant”.  Please don’t shoot me if you’re reading this and you’re in Korea.  I don’t know how else to put it!  So let’s go back to “Ina”.  In syllables it would be  ( I + na)…  The first syllable is a consonant-vowel combination:  이  (ㅇ being the consonant placeholder thingy for the vowel) and na, is also consonant-vowel 나.   Put them together and you have 이나.   My name, Mari, would be 마(Ma) + 리(ri) = 마리.   A name with a consonant-vowel-consonant combination is… (wait I’m thinking)… Tim.  T + i + m = 팀.
Try to remember that it’s about the sound of the word, not the spelling.   Your name is no longer “Kimberley”, it’s “Kim-beol-li!  If you have a pretty difficult name, think of something easier for them, like Kim in this case.  My friend changed to Lia, because Lianna was a bit of a challenge too.  Get used to being called Billlmari and not Wilmari, Preddy and not Freddy.  My friend had her students choose English names in her class and one girl proudly announced: “Teaaacher, my name isuh Penis!” because most Koreans can’t get the V… But honestly, don’t worry too much about writing Korean just yet.  Try to memorize the basic characters, and then once you’re in Korea read every friggin sign you see. Whether you understand it or not.  Pretty soon you’ll be able to read “햄버거” and realize you’re sitting in McDonalds. :)   And if this post completely freaked you out, relax.  You’ll have a few Korean classes at orientation too! But at least try to memorize the letters.  Honestly you can learn it within a few hours. Promise!
Here are some useful Korean phrases:
  • Annyeonghaseyo. (Pron: an-yohng-hah-seh-yoh.  Means: Hello)  When talking to students or friends, you can just use “Annyeong”, but annyeonghaseyo is the more polite term when talking to you co-workers etc.
  • Annyeonghi gaseyo / Annyeonghi geseyo.  (Pron: Ann-yohng-hee  ghe-seh-yoh – or Ann-yongh-hee  gah-seh-yo.  Means: Goodbye.  The first is said to the person who is leaving, ex. your teacher drops you off at home and leaves, you’ll say Annyeonghi gaseyo.  The second is said to the person who is staying, in other words, when YOU’RE the one leaving.)
  • Jeonneun __(name)__ imnida.  (Pron:  Jon-uhn- NAME imnida.  Means: I am (name) /  My name is ___.)
  • Mannaseo bangawoyo.  (Pron:  Man-na-saw  ban-ga-woh-yoh. Means: Nice to meet you)
Okay so remember to just breathe! :)  If you can recognize the letters when you come to Korea you’re already ahead.   There are loads of awesome websites for studying Korean as well as some really nice book + cd combo’s.   Don’t stress about it too much!

Annyeonghigeseyo!   Because I’m leaving to make a snack now.. Starvin!!
xx
Oct24

Die Groot Trek (aka What to Pack)

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30kgs.  That’s how much “life” you’re allowed to bring.  It already sounds like so little… and then you pack half, weigh and realize.. “Dis flippen minder as min!”  So here is your guide to packing for Korea! This is from my own experience (with the help of some of my friends,) so please don’t knock on my door and ask me why I didn’t tell you to bring your teddy bear.    :)

Clothes:  ‘Tis the season to be cold-ee! La-la-la-la-laaaa la-la-la-laa!

It really is cold.  Not Cape Town winter cold… or Durban winter (what a joke).. it’s Korea cold.  During the winter, Korea gets a lovely winter breeze from Siberia.  You know the place with the snow and tigers?  Well it’s a nice Autumn day today and it’s -17′C  in Siberia at the moment.  WINTER IS COLD.   If you have a Kway jacket, bring it.  If you don’t, don’t buy one because it will not help shit.  Honestly, the guy from Cape Union Mart can tell you what he likes, Kway doesn’t help here!!! The key to keeping warm in Korea is… layers.  The plus side: Less big bulky jackets = more space for other things!    If it’s really cold out, mid-winter and snowy, I usually wear a thin sleeveless vest (saxy! lol!) long sleeve t-shirts (get nice thick ones), a jersey and a jacket or coat. I brought over ONE coat in Feb.  But about 6 jerseys.  The schools are warm, thanks to the heating, so you probably won’t wear your coat in class anyways.  Bring one!

I live in jeans.  Always.  You can’t always wear jeans to school… I bought about 4 pants for school, which I wear winter & summer.  In the winter, us ladies can keep our legs warm by wearing stockings underneath the pants.  Woolworths has some nice thick ones.  But honestly, any stockings will help.  Socks, obviously, should be nice and warm, but you don’t need 20 pairs of socks.  They sell socks on every street corner for R6-R12 and they’re much warmer.  And you might as well start wearing those cartoon socks because everyone wears them – even your principal.

Bring a scarf or two and a cheap pair of gloves, but you can buy them on the same street corner as the socks.  I bought my gloves right outside our orientation.  You don’t NEED 5 different pairs of gloves.  A beanie helps a lot though..  Temperatures at night can be around -13′C and with the wind it can drop to a windchill of -20′C… beanies are awesome.

You’ll be wearing your long sleeved shirts until like… May/June!  So pack your summer stuff in a box and ask your parents or friends to mail it once you have your address.

As for shoes, if you’re bigger than a size 5 or 6 in SA, bring shoes!  Don’t worry too much about nice shoes for school – you’ll wear sandals in school anyways.  Same for guys. If you’re bigger than a size 9, bring shoes.

Toiletries

Skincare in Korea is awesome. (Try Faceshop and Skinfood shops – they are everywhere) so only bring travel size for the first week or so.  Bring travel size of everything unless you have problem skin and use something very specific.  Same goes for make up.  They really have make up here too. :P    So what toiletries do you need?

Toothpaste, deodorant, toothpaste, deodorant, oh and toothpaste.   They don’t have a huge selection when it comes to deo… Nivea is available here, but at R65 a can, I’d suggest making a trip to Pick & Pay.  Bring 3 or 4 and put more in your summer clothes box.  The same goes for toothpaste.  Unless you really want to try the pine needle flavour.  *ugh!*  The toothpaste is really not good… I mean.. LG makes it.. what do you expect. :P

They sell Dove here, as well as Pantene & Head and Shoulders if you prefer to use something you know.  I think I’ve seen Close Up toothpaste before, but not sure…

You will most likely get a towel from EPIK, but bring at least one more decent sized towel.  They are a bit hard to find sometimes.

Guide for Girls

Guys you can skip this part unless you’re really interested.  :)   Ladies!  Bring tampons. They sell 5 million different kinds of pads but like 3 brands of tampons IF you’re lucky.  And apparently they’re redonculous.  Tampons weigh next to nothing. Take them out of the box and shove them between stuff in your bag.   Ask your mom to airmail more if your supply is running low.  If you airmail them in a bubble envelope it’s much cheaper than airmailing a box.   If you’re using the Pil for contraceptive or skin problems or hormonal stuff, get a supply from your doc and bring them.  They do sell some of them here, I *think* Minerva??  They have other brands here (Mercilon) but I’ve heard some horrible stories from teachers who switched.. Rather try to get enough from home.

Guide for Guys

LOL I have really awesome guy friends.. thanks for sharing….. They sell Gillette here for shaving goods and the price is very similar.  However… if you plan on getting… hot and steamy in Korea, you should bring condoms.  Korean condoms are “like pick n pay bag plastic and small”.  I have heard *hilarious* stories about the size and quality of the condoms in this country.  Like my friend wrote: “It says Durex on the box, it ain’t Durex IN the box!   You also need to bring deodorant unless you’re willing to spend a lot on Nivea.  The rest are basically same-same.

I want my mommy :(

Here’s the worst part of coming from 30′C to -13′C – You will get a cold.  Most of you will absolutely get a cold within the first 6 weeks.  Yes, it sucks because A) you can’t find the pharmacy cause you can’t read Korean. (it’s 약 – yak… write that down)  B)When you do find the pharmacy, they might not understand you.  Charades is your best friend.  I promise you the pharmacist will try his/her best to help you.  I’ve had them physically take one pill and do the following charades “eating, one pill, eating, one pill, eating, two pills) Ahaaa!  One after meals, two after dinner. Got it. :)   You can try to avoid charades till June if you bring some basic meds from SA.  I recommend bringing:

  • ACC 200 / Corenza (depending on the expiry date, I’ll bring about 2 or 3 tubes)
  • Panado or any kind of pain meds you’re comfortable with (that aren’t insanely strong – you still gotta work!)
  • If your stomach is sensitive to strange foods (just foods you’re not used to ) bring some kind of diarrhea medicine or something with probiotics.
  • Anti-nausea or vomiting. Because you probably don’t want to wake up feeling sick and still not know how to read “pharmacy”.
  • Vitamins vitamins vitamins.  You NEED TO TAKE THIS before coming to Korea and also when IN Korea.  Build up your immune system before you come by eating loads of healthy fruits and veggies, getting enough sleep and exercise etc.   They have loads of vitamins here too, but have some ready for the first while.  They also sell Berocca here (about R60 for 15).  Just be sure to overdo the vowels.  BEH-rO-kAAAA.  :P
  • Vicks.

When bringing meds, be sure to put the meds in their original packaging with a doctors note or prescription.  I’ve never had issues with these, but just to be on the safe side.

Apartuh-mentuh:

Moving into your new apartment is exciting! For most…  I really do hope you all get really awesome apartments.  Like mentioned before, they are one-room apartments.  One-room, or wan-looooom means bachelor flat.  The contract states that you will receive the basic furniture (bed, table, gas range, fridge etc) but don’t bargain on having a microwave, iron, etc.   If you’re lucky, the previous teacher will leave a bunch of stuff behind.  Also, the school will give you 300,000won (roughly R1800) called settlement allowance.  This is to buy some things for your apartment.  Hopefully you will get it in cash, but sometimes your teacher takes you shopping with the school card.  So make a mental list of things you might need.

You will have underfloor heating (called ondol) but it usually works with gas which can be a bit expensive, so make sure you have a nice warm blanket to save on heating bills.  Don’t buy an iron unless you love Madam & Eve.  I have two (bought one and one was left in my apt this year) and I never ever ever ever ever use it.  Not having an oven might be a semi freak out moment, but don’t use the settlement money to buy an oven.  You can buy a small toaster oven for R200 so use the gas range until you really can’t do without an oven anymore.   I remember buying another pan, because I only had one little pot.  My friend had a *huge* soup pot, like 20litres or something.  Also check your utensils.  This will probably depend on what you like cooking, and if you ever will cook.  Make sure you have enough cutlery & crockery, but you don’t need loads either.  Think ahead.  Summer is really really hot, so check to see if you have a fan.  If not, skip the extra plates with the pretty flowers and buy a fan.  If you ask for a fan in June, the school will post probably say no.  If you ask for the fan in the shop with your co teacher and the school credit card, they’ll probably say okay.  If you have a fan you’ll save money by not using the aircon so much.  My first apartment was super dirty, so I think I spent a lot on cleaning products. :P Last year the teacher left the apartment spotless with about a 6 month supply of cleaning products…

I brought  a sheet to Korea because they were “impossible” to find, however I now own fitted sheets in about 3 different colors.  It really isn’t necessary.  Some teachers do have trouble finding nice ones though, so if you are scared, bring one sheet.  Not a fitted one though  – the bed sizes are weird.  Then if you can’t find a nice sheet (Look in the bedding shops, not the supermarkets) you can always have someone send you more from SA)

These are  a few of my favourite things…

I like wine.  Cheapest wine here is about R30, Nederburg goes for about R180. :(   So if you’re a wine drinker, bring yourself a bottle.

Prestik.  Yes, your students will think it’s chewing gum.  No they don’t have prestik.  And it comes in VERY handy.

Biltong.  At least try!!  It MUST be vacuum packed. They won’t throw you in jail if they find it.  I’m guessing they will just confiscate it.   Don’t be greedy though.  If you have 30kgs and you pack 10kgs of biltong they WILL be pissed.  Biltong IS available in Korea (See here) so if you’re not too keen, don’t do it.

Apricot Jam (and other spreads):  I miss apricot jam so much! They do sell strawberry jam here, but really not a wide variety of any other preserves.  I sometimes crave proper mayo (Korean mayo is not tangy at all) and I never leave SA with a huge supply of Mrs.Balls. :) But that’s just me.   I also have spices sent regularly cause I believe in a previous life Ina Paarman was my mother.  You can get oregano, basil, parsley, salt, pepper (the basics) but the rest is pretty hard to find.

Tea -  Rooibos can *sometimes* be found in big supermarkets, or at Costco (like Trade center).  You can buy them at the SA Spaza shop though.  For “normal” tea I just buy Lipton Yellow Label at Home Plus.  It’s pretty good and I think you get it in SA too.

Ladies and gentlemen I think this is it for now… it’s a huge ass list but I’m sure it will make it easier.  There really are things you don’t need to bring or don’t need to bring so much of.  Korea is not the Namib desert.  You will survive. Promise!  And if you don’t, send me your address and I’ll mail you some tea.

PS: Buy some vacuum storage bags for clothes that you won’t wear at orientation.  They are awesome space savers and you can re-use them when your summer clothes arrive to pack away the winter things.