The past weekend’s sunny skies and warmer temperatures seem like a cruel tease with the sudden plummeting of temperatures over the last few days. Koreans call this sudden drop in temperatures just before spring “꽃샘추위” or kkot-sem-choo-eui, when the skies are said to become envious of the flowers beginning to bloom and bringing on a
I have successfully settled in Korea. It took a lot of work to prepare many things to settle in more quickly, however the Arrival Store helped me with the last few important items needed. What is the Arrival Store? The Arrival Store is specifically designed to help foreigners move to Korea. Focusing on mainly
Sometimes I get a little tired of the generalizations I hear foreigners make about Koreans. You know, those broad-sweeping stereotypes which are usually negative? Koreans are such bad drivers; Koreans are poor planners; Koreans have no sense of privacy. I understand where the stereotypes derive from, as I also have days that are sometimes filled
During the past few months, there’s been a sudden increase in Western food products, both at the large supermarkets- E Mart, Homeplus, Lotte Mart- and smaller convenience stores- CU and 7/11. Anyone else celebrate when Reeses Nutrageous Bars appeared in the shops? How about when Biscuit Spread became readily available? Personally, my most recent exciting discovery was Milka
The month of February sees the supermarkets and convenience stores in Korea filled with pre-packaged gifts. Of course there are all the heart-shaped chocolates boxes and extra red, pink, and white cellophane for Valentines’ Day gifts, but there are also the somewhat strange gift boxes of more “every day” items: canned tuna and olive oil,
The Korea Observer recently published this article, listing the ‘Top eight reasons why expats love Korea.’ The list was as follows: Price of Food Nightlife and Music Mountains and Hiking Safety/ Lack of Crime Internet Technologies Public Transport Respect Festivals and Events You might not agree with all of these, but the list proves that
Continuing on in the stretch your won series, this post will examine ways you can help cut down on your heating bills during the freezing and often bone-chilling Korean winters. Don’t be left both broke and freezing this winter! Cutting Down on Your Heating Bill During Winter Assess a Potential House to Move in For All Four
Walking into Sue’s one-room apartment, you may for a second think you’ve stepped into a boutique second-hand furniture shop. It’s about the same size, it has a lovely selection of furnishings and decorations, and a laptop and kitchen sink are not uncommon finds in little Korean stores along a “high street”. Like a second-hand goods
