You know its Chuseok when....

For the past three days I have been enjoying the Chuseok holiday in Seoul. This year Chuseok Day took place in the middle of the week on Wednesday September, 22^nd. Most Korean companies gave their employee’s off the 21^st through the 23^rd to celebrate.

            In short, I learned from my students that Chuseok is a holiday where people return to their hometowns to pay respect to their families. The three day extravaganza is marked by many interesting, fun, and stressful customs.

                                                                                
                   You know its Chuseok when:

1. There is spam everywhere- I have heard jokes from my friends that my company would provide a Chuseok present of Spam. Luckily, my company was cheap this year and skipped the gifts. But there was clearly no shortage of Spam, as it was on display in every store window I walked by. The funny thing about the Spam is that it will run you a steep $29.

2. The older women are stressed- Apparently when Korean families get together over this holiday the women are expected to cook up an enormous feast. Most of the older women in my class stated that they love Chuseok, when its over! They informed me that the traditional Korean dishes are very hard to prepare and take lots of planning and time.

3. You see Songpyeon everywhere- Because I live in a very historic area of Seoul, Jongno and Insadong in particular are famous for making the traditional rice cake treats known as Songpyeon. Walking to work a couple days before the holiday, I realized that the traditional “dessert” stores were going crazy with the amount of food they were cooking up! A few days later I realized that they had been shipping out boxes of Songpyeon and other delicious Korean treats to all of Korea. I am personally not a fan of the chewy rice cake balls. 

4. People are playing weird folk games-  All along the Cheonggyecheon stream you will see many people playing traditional games. They don’t make much sense to many Westerners, but the Koreans seemed to be having a blast. One of the games looked like a version of a dradle where a man would try to spin a ball with a stick on the ground. According to the Official Site of The Korea Tourism Board, this game is called “Paengi-chigi” (팽이치기, top spinning). There was also another version of the glitziest hacky sack you have ever seen called “Jegi-chagi” (제기차기, Korean hacky sac).

 

5. People are wearing Chuseokbim outfits- My students explained to me that in traditional households the father’s would give his family members a new dress once a year on this day. Many families have pictures taken in the outfits, and if you wear the dress on Chuseok Day you get free admission to the many temples in Seoul. The young girl I snapped a photo of was like a local celebrity and everyone wanted a picture of her!

6. Seoul seems very empty- I was told that Seoul would seem weird because so many people leave during the holiday. This was true for the most part, expect for in historic areas such as Jongno which hosts many events around the famous temples. I later learned that on the third day of the holiday many Koreans go hiking at Bukansan Mountain. I will post a separate blog about this packed but absolutely amazing hiking destination! 

 

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Typhoon Kampasu: The biggest storm in 15 years to hit Seoul

On  Thursday September 2nd, I was sound asleep in my best friends apartment in Seoul. Little did I know that outside tree's were falling down, and entire signs and advertisements were falling off buildings!

While I was getting ready for work, my friend returned to her apartment and explained to me that the doorman of our building freaked out when she
tried to walk to school in the morning. As soon as she walked outside she understood what the doorman's deal was. According to my friend Andrea, at 6:00 AM the winds were about 60mph and the metal pole of her new $35 posh Korean umbrella completely bent in half!

The storm had died down by the time I had walked to work, but I was able to see the aftermath of the storm. The streets were covered with leaves and debris that had flown around the city. Shopkeepers everywhere were sweeping the sidewalks outside of their companies and picked up trash for hours.

Across the street from my company a sign fell off a building and crushed several scooters that were parked below. The damage was extreme in some areas and according to the Associated Press three people died in the storm.

Even though Seoul was left in complete disarray, by the end of the day the storm's damage was almost unnoticeable because people cleaned up so quickly. Koreans truly know how to pick up the pieces and move on with life. I believe this spirit is similar to why they recouped so quickly after the Korean War which ended in 1953.

Typhoon Kampasu AP Video

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A very happy Korean Birthday!

I've never heard of anyone receiving four cakes on their Birthday!

Andrea, my co-worker and best friend in Korea celebrated her 22nd Birthday yesterday, Korean style! Yes, she was given a total of four cakes on her birthday and numerous presents from her students.

I have to admit being a little nervous for Andrea’s Birthday. We are in a foreign country, and have only been here for a month, so anyone can understand that it might be hard to spend such a special day at work and among new acquaintances. But this was definitely not the case.

When arriving at work I realized that Andrea’s students were going to make sure that she had the best Birthday in Korea ever. Three out of her five classes actually set up a little party for her in class. The students brought amazing cakes from some of the most expensive bakeries in town, and practiced their English by singing Happy Birthday.

Students brought her many gifts such as hair clips, t-shirts, and snacks. Among my favorite of the gifts was a famous Korean children’s book. The book is titled "Puppy Poo" by Kwon Jong-saeng and has also been adapted into a movie which can be bought on Amazon at the following link.



The children’s book is about a piece of poo that finds meaning in its life when it fertilizes a dandelion. The moral of the story is that everyone can live a good life regardless of their status. The beginning of the story is below:



One cold winter day, a puppy pooed on the side of the road…
A sparrow flew down and began pecking at the poo.
‘Poo! Poo! Geez, you’re dirty!’ said the sparrow.
The poo’s heart was deeply hurt. “I’m dirty?” he asked, to no-one in particular.
A cloud of dirt nearby began to laugh.
“Why are you laughing?” the poo asked angrily.

In between classes I took Andrea out to a great dinner in Insadong and we ordered beef gal-bi the most expensive and delicious meat in Korea. After our last class at 10 PM we went out with four of our co-workers from YBM. Two of them were Korean language teachers, one of them was the doorman, and another was a fellow native English teacher. Lets just say that the Koreans know how to get down on a Wednesday night. I felt so Korean dancing in a bar called “Mania Club” in my work clothes! Below is a video of some of the business guys who came out to the bar right after they got done with work. (The video is a little dark, but you’ll get the picture.)



Finally at midnight Andrea and I decided that three beers and one shot of Jägermeister was enough to call it a night. On our walk home we couldn’t stop talking about the fact that Koreans will go out of their way for people on their Birthday to make sure that they have an amazing day.

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My new shimmery wall paper and the fastest apartment construction known to mankind!

All I can say about construction in Korea is "Holy crap!"

When I found out there was mold in my apartment I thought getting it fixed was going to be a nightmare. My company told me it would take only three days for the repair, but because I am used to "Mexican Time" with construction in America I figured the repair might take up to 2 weeks!

MY ENTIRE APARTMENT HAD A BRAND NEW WINDOW SILL, BRAND NEW DRY WALL, AND BRAND NEW WALLPAPER IN ONLY ONE DAY, ON A SATURDAY!

I was teaching six hours of classes on Saturday but I managed to run home during my one hour break. I wasn't expecting the construction to start so soon, but I was amazed to find an older man and older women already attaching new dry wall at 1 PM. They had torn out all of the previous wallpaper, the old dry wall, and had cleaned the walls before attaching my new paper and windowsill.


Never in my life have I seen such an old women with a staple gun and an automatic saw! She was adorable and looked like she should have been working at a tea shop rather than mounting new wall paper for a living!

Overall all of the pain was well worth the wait. I now have beautiful shimmery and sparkly new wall paper that looks so posh! I was worried when I first saw the paper up on Saturday night when I came home from work. There were tons of wrinkles and it looked like my apartment could have been a disco tech! But on Sunday morning the paper had dried and all the wrinkles had smoothed out.




Once again I cannot thank my company enough for such a speedy fix, and such amazing support throughout the entire mold repair process. I am so happy that I did not have to move out of the building and that now I can finally start decorating!

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Mold Problems

Four days after moving into my apartment I discovered mold growing on the walls in my apartment. My first thought was that the walls were just dirty and I could go over them with bleach; but as I investigated further, mold was present behind my wall paper. The mold was not only in-between the concrete wall and the wall paper padding, but between the wall paper padding and the wall paper itself.

Immediately after finding the mold, I contacted my boss at YBM. I was furious and couldn’t believe that my company would let me move into a place that was clearly a major health hazard. To make matters worse I was worried that the company might not do anything about the problem. Several websites stated that mold was a common problem in Korea and that many native teachers are told to fix mold problems on their own.

Luckily, my boss was very supportive with the entire issue. A Korean man from my company named Kyi Won came to see the damage and inspected the rest of the apartment. After looking around it became clear that the person who lived in the place before me had left the large window open during a storm. The mold spread from the rotten window sill to the surrounding walls and there was also a little water damage present on the wood floors below the window.

Because Kyi Won had arranged my lease with the building, he felt terrible that he had let me move into a damaged apartment. He gave me a hug and told me that everything would be ok. He also recommended that I should keep my same apartment because it was so nice. I was originally supposed to be in the apartment next door, but on move in day I was given a key for a different room. My room was supposed to be in better condition, but no one from the company came to look at it before I moved into the place.

Kyi Won arranged to have all of the walls in my apartment torn down. The wall paper and dry wall will be completely replaced and a new window sill will be installed. Korea is known for having insanely fast construction and the entire repair is supposed to take only three days.



Overall the situation seemed like a complete nightmare, but I am extremely happy with how my company handled the problem. My rent for the month will be pro-rated and I was able to stay with my co-worker and friend Andrea until the construction begins on Saturday. The good thing about the construction is that everything will be brand new and I will never have to worry about the problem again. The building was too good to pass up, so being relocated for a few days isn’t that bad in the long run.

Over the past few days I have read many horror stories online about mold infestations in Korea. If you are a teacher and have a problem with your apartment you need to inform your boss immediately. The longer you live with the problem the harder it is to get a company to pay for the construction. Mold is a serious health hazard and the issue needs to be solved right away while you are relocated. Moving to a completely different apartment might be harder than you think because most companies only own a few places in each building. In my case, the only other apartment available though my company had a much higher rent and was farther away from my school.

I had no idea that mold was such a common problem in Korea. When looking for an apartment, mold needs to be the first thing you look for while viewing each room.

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Finding an apartment in Korea

"Oh ya.... that's what I packed!" It's day twenty four in Korea and I finally have the key to my apartment! There will be no more rummaging around in my suitcase to find outfits for work. And there will be no more crazy love motels in my future.

Finding and apartment in Korea can make you want to give up and go home all together. Koreans require a large deposit which is known as "key money." This amount is usually around two thirds of the total monthly rent. Most schools will pay up to a 10 million won or $10,000 key money deposit for their employee's. It's nice that the schools will front the key money, but they are very picky about who they give the deposit too. This severely narrows down your apartment search. Usually English companies will be familiar with a few buildings in your area, and a Korean employee will take native teachers to look at them.

In addition to key money, most schools will give free housing,(usually accompanied by a lower salary) or a $200 housing allowance per month. Teachers that allow the company to take their rent and utilities each month from their paycheck are not taxed on the $200 allowance.



Most area's in Seoul have affordable apartments ranging between $450-$600 a month. Keep in mind that these are studios, anything with an actual bedroom will start running at about $800 and will be farther from the cities heart. The studios are well organized and are kind of like high tech dorm rooms. The kitchen area will usually have a washing machine which takes the place of our Western expectations of an oven.

One of the weirdest things about moving into an apartment through your company is that you will probably never sign one piece of paper. The companies usually have everything taken care of for you and simply hand you over the key. This thought is really scary at first but in all reality renting through your company saves a lot of time and worry in the long run.

Important apartment qualities in Korea:

1. Walking distance from work.- The subway can get quite annoying and those $1 rides all add up throughout the week.
2. Door man- If your apartment has a door man you are in for a treat. Most of these guys are really nice and will help you do almost anything apartment related.
3. A good maintenance man- Make friends with your maintenance man. They will help you fix leaking showers or help you hang curtains.
4. A good view- Living downtown can leave you with some terrible views. Make sure that you look out the window when viewing apartments. You might be able to stick your hand out of the window and tough another building!
5. A high room- The higher up you are in the building the quieter your apartment will be. You won't be able to hear the noisy street below, and you might have a better shot with not hearing the people above you walk around all day and night.
6. A gym- There are almost no affordable apartment buildings with full gyms. Therefore a gym is a major purchasing factor! Memberships at private gyms can run you up to $1200 a year. My building has a gym with a $10 montly fee.
7. A door video display- This is a great security feature that many apartments in Korea have. The system allows you to see a live video of outside your door. You can also talk directly with the person outside through a built in speaker system. In addition you can call the door man downstairs, and unlock the front door downstairs. This system will also come in handy when the Jehova's witnesses come knocking on your door! I'll post a separate blog about that later!
8. Office Tel apartments- These buildings are great because alot of the owners use the studios as an office. This guarantees that the building is much quieter and clean. I live in an office Tel and I have seen about 4 people on my floor so far.



Don't be discouraged when looking for an apartment. Korea is very high tech, and you will be surprised about how much you can get for your money.

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China's new visa policy: 3 lousy options for foreigners living in Korea

In short, if you are a foreigner/teacher with a E2 work visa living in Korea you have three lousy options to visit China. This new rule listed below has messed up many foreigners plans, and is definitely an imminent problem for many living in Korea.

There are new rules for foreigners living in Korea that want to travel to China. According to the information provided by China visa applicants, TravelChinaGuide.com kindly informs you: China visa rule has changed since July 1, 2010 for non-Korean applicants in South Korea. Foreigners who want to apply for visas to China, he/she must provide the alien registration card in South Korea valid for more than 6 months. Diplomatic and Official/Service passport holders are excluded.

Option 1: Foreigners can go to the Chinese Embassy in Seoul with and apply for a Chinese visa that lasts for 30 days.

However, your alien registration card needs to have 6 months left. This is where things get completely messed up. First year teachers who get barley any vacation days, would have to try to plan this trip on a very short time frame. Maybe on a 3 day weekend, or you would have to take off work for an entire month. However, most teachers cannot take time off work until their second year contract.

Option 2: What if your alien visa card has less than 6 months left? For example say a teachers contract and alien card, expires on October 1 and you want to go and travel in China for one month after your contract.

First, send your passport and visa application form to USA, ask your friend or relatives to apply for you, then send back to Korea. This is not such a good option because you are sending your passport by mail which is a huge risk factor.

Option 3: Another risky option for those with alien registration card valid for less than 6 months.

Apply for China visa through the travel agencies designated by the Consulate-General of China in Busan, which has not applied the new rule. I do not know why the consulate in Busan has not applied the new rule, but I have read about it online. I have no idea why they have not applied the rule, or when they will. But this is probably a teacher’s best option. The downside is that you have to travel to Busan and hope that everything goes smoothly.

If you are a foreigner in this boat and have discovered any other ways to get around this new policy share your thoughts!

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China's visa policy: denied entrance to China

Flying to China, is not like flying to Mexico.

I purchased a last minute ticket to Beijing to stay with a friend and thought it was no problem. But things didn't go quite as planned, here's how it went...

So after a whirlwind morning all over Korea it is confirmed that I can not go to Beijing during my six day break.

My morning started out great, I arrived at the airport with plenty of time. Then I was standing in line to check in and I was flipping through my new Beijing book and came across one lousy paragraph that stated all persons visiting China need a Visa. Of course I justified this crappy paragraph in my head. I have traveled all over Europe and to Mexico numerous times with only my passport. I have even been to Korea with only my passport. So this visa thing must be like Mexico where when you book a ticket the tourist visa fee is already included in your ticket and paid for right?

Not exactly, as soon as I saw the lady from China Southern airlines searching my passport frantically I knew there was a problem! She stated that I could not travel to China and that I would have to return to Seoul and get a tourist visa from the embassy.

Right after this I called about the plane ticket and got everything figured out with the airline. My hope was to get the tourist visa back in Seoul, and hop on a later flight.

I saw one process online where you can get a rush tourist visa in 1 day. So then I got on the first bus from the airport back to Seoul.

Two hours later in Seoul I took a cab to the Chinese Embassy to see about getting a visa. The cab driver pointed down some narrow alley way and said "China Visa right there!" So I ventured down the hill and was freaking out when a guy at the door of the embassy would not let me on the site. The man at the embassy pointed me to a written statement stating that all persons in Korea need to get their visa through their travel company.

Somehow I wound up with a Korean that new how to speak perfect English. She told me that the Chinese government canceled the express 1 to 2 day tourist visa service. The quickest I could get a visa would be four days later for about $300! I was shocked because according to the China Embassy website it takes about 3-5 business days to get a tourist visa without the express service. The women that helped me was right across the street in some sort of office. I am not sure what kind of service or company they are, but she took my passport and made a bunch of calls in the office.


So next time I will be prepared and will have to plan a trip out there in advance!

I am oddly very ok with the situation, partly because it was so funny navigating Seoul with no Korean language skills in the pooring rain. I was treking around Seoul with a big wet suitcase trying to get a Chinese visa! At least I know exactly how to get to and from the Incheon airport in Seoul, and how to get directly to the Chinese Embassy from my neighborhood. I only had to pay $50 to cancel my entire flight and I received a full refund which was great.

Now that I am back at my hotel, the website TravelChinaGuide.com states that the visa applicant rules for China changed last month. I will provide the new info for teachers in my situation in my next post!

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