Exchange money at Myeongdong for the best rates!
There are a lot of shops near the Chinese Embassy that do not take commission rates and will give you far more than the airport or banks. Look up! This might sound strange, but as a Hawaii girl, I am not used to businesses being located on the fourth or fifth floors and packed together in tall buildings. Don’t forget to look up and read the signs stacked on top of each other. Many times, I would be confused since my GPS would say I arrived but I can’t find the location; turns out, it’s right above me. Others apps over GoogleMaps. Your choice: choose NaverMap, KakaoMap, or CityMapper. All are accurate and far more helpful than GoogleMaps which is blocked from usage in South Korea. Discover Student Cards work almost anywhere they take credits cards. This is the go-to credit card for college students, but many are concerned that its limited abroad. In Korea, however, Discover is widely accepted even though the signs might not say so. Use Klook and KKDay for the best discounts. Of course you should experience all that Korea has to offer. Do that without breaking the study-abroad budget by booking tickets and tours online at a discount. Open a bank account with Woori. Although not a necessity, why not? It’s free to open a Woori checking account and there are literally thousands of branches and ATMs (including in on-campus). You do not have to carry a lot of cash and you can easily access funds in almost any convenient store with an ATM machine. Try the “scary” foods. Some of my favorite foods including “yukhoe” or seasoned mined raw beef and “sundae” or blood sausage usually eaten with the classic tteokbokki. Don’t be afraid to try new foods; Korean cuisine is so vibrant! Take the bus over the subway. At the Yonsei dorms, you’ll have to walk 15 minutes to the nearest subway station (Ewha Univ. Station). Instead, just learn to take the bus from one of the four stops conveniently two minutes away from campus! Warning: firmly plant yourself ASAP; it’s like a rollercoaster without seatbelts. Download KakaoTaxi. Do not let the subway system dictate your fun, but be safe about your transportation options. Taxis in Seoul are pretty inexpensive so make sure you get home and out of the cold by hailing one via your phone. No Korean phone number needed. Join clubs! To be totally honest, 90% of the clubs on campus will not accept international students for various reasons, but that doesn’t mean you won’t find your fit. There are mentor groups, language exchange clubs, and so much more geared towards exchange students. I personally recommend Tae Kwon Do club for lots of fun and some aerobic exercise!
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Midterms at Yonsei U.Midterms comes to Yonsei the week of Oct. 22 and with it, an air of despair. Perhaps I am mistaking that with the yellow dust pollution (hwangsa) in Seoul that forces everyone to don uncomfortable face masks, but the students here are definitely more stressed. For the most part, exams are a universal concept, but here are some differences between Yonsei U. and Shidler College:
Class Reviews & RecommendationsFor you Freeman Scholars, you’re required to take at least nine credits of business classes; as full-time UHM students, you need 12 credits. Remember that you cannot take more than six credits of any one major outside of Shidler College. Here’s my breakdown/review of my courses at Yonsei: BIZ 3134 - International Management (UHM cr.: MGT 342) Prof: Pak Yong Suhk This subject is quite broad and introductory, and you do a vast array of topics regarding the multinational corporation; but there is an HR emphasis on global talent management. The workload of this class is writing reports on three case studies, group presentation on one case study, 3-5 page book report, midterm, group term project (presentation and 15-page report), and final. The professor is responsive on YSCEC and knowledgeable on the subject. Overall not a bad course - not too difficult, but not that interesting either, to be honest. Difficulty: ⅗ Workload: ⅘ (1 - light; 5 - stuDYING every weekend) Professor: ⅘ BIZ 1102 - Organizational Behavior (UHM cr.: MGT 341 & HRM Elec.) Prof: Chung Seung Wha Note that this class can double-dip for you MGT, IB, and/or HRM majors. I highly DO NOT recommend this class. Although the workload is the easiest of out all the classes I am taking, the class itself is beyond mind-numbing. The very accomplished professor, for reasons unbeknownst to us, has zero interest or engagement in teaching this class. He cannot be reached via YSCEC or email, does not incite class discussions, and solely reads of slides. I understand that you want an easier workload while abroad, but Yonsei U. is a world-class educational institution, so I recommend a different class that is more worth your time. Difficulty: ⅖ Workload: ⅖ Professor: ⅕ (generously rounding up to “1” to be honest) BIZ 2120 - Marketing (UHM cr.: MKT 311) Prof: Pak Yong Suhk This is the MOST introductory marketing class at Yonsei. I recommend this for students who still require MKT 311 credit. Since I completely my MKT major requirements prior, I find the subject matter too basic (SWOT, marketing mix, environmental analyses, etc.), but the case studies that we write about and class discussions make the class interesting. Marketing itself is a dynamic and creative subject, so try to stay engaged in discussion and it’ll be worth your while. The prof is incredibly friendly and the midterm was easy (multiple choice/short answer). Difficulty: ⅕ Workload: ⅖ Professor: ⅘ IEE 3589 - Environment and Sustainable Development (UHM cr.: upper-div. elec.) Prof: Anna Chung To fill my non-business course, I decided to take this one with very interesting subject matter. Most exchange students recommend IEE courses as they are “easier” and cater to exchange students, but this turned out to be my most intellectually-stimulating course. The prof and students are very knowledgeable about environmental governances, sustainable development, and global environmental issues. I find myself having to do additional research before and after class. The biggest assignment in this class is the 20-25 page report on an environmental issue of our choosing in lieu of a final exam. I recommend this course for all! Difficulty: ⅘ Workload: ⅗ Professor: ⅘ Best of Bites #5This week’s recs have a “See-food and Eat It” theme! Jogae Changgo (AYCE Meats and Clam Buffet!) - Where to even begin! I found this place on a food vlogger, Mikey Chen’s, YouTube video and it immediately made my top three must-eat list for Seoul. I visited this place with Joann and Diane, Shidler alumni, Freeman Scholars, and fellow foodies, during their visit here. The restaurant was certainly busy and a little hard to find (on B1 with entrance behind the stairs), but we were able to get a table immediately. For ~ $25, you can select from over a dozen clams, scallops, conches, oysters; a dozen meats like galbi, pork, chicken, innards, sausages; veggies; grill-top sides like tteokbokki, cream of mushroom, and cheese corn. You get a grill for the shellfish and mollusks, and a hot plate for meats. My only complaints are the shellfish take forever to cook, and you are limited to two plates for meat and shellfish so we had to refill every 5-10 minutes. This place was so innovative and delicious that I feel ungrateful to even complain about anything. MUST-TRY WHEN SEOUL!!! Ahyeon Ganjang Gejang -
Another item very high on my must-eat list is raw, soy-marinated crab. This dish is commonly found in Foodland poke stations back home, but I admit I have never tried it. Here in Korea, it is very popular; only the female crabs are served with the bright-orange roe and comes with a fixin’ of banchan and fermented soybean soup. At this location, the servers were super friendly and spoke great English. Wait times average from 20-30 minutes so arrive before 7pm to write down your name. Each crab is 18,000 KRW per person and totally worth it!!! One of the best things I’ve had in South Korea so far. New Eyeglasses from NamdaemunSomething that I have been really looking forward to are getting new eyeglasses. South Korea is one of the best places to shop for new specs! Here’s why:
I ended up paying 100,000 KRW (~ $90) for glasses and got them the same day; back home, I would have paid ~$300 and waited for two weeks! I am happy to finally ditch my Juicy Couture frames from 8th grade, finally! A to Z's of South Korean Alien Registration CardEveryone who stays in Korea for more than 90 days MUST apply for an Alien Registration Card. If you have a D-2, MULTIPLE-ENTRY visa and want to travel within the 90 days of arriving in Korea, you should wait to apply until after you return. Once you apply for the card, you cannot leave the country for approximately three weeks (while they process your application). I decided to apply for the card at the Southern Immigration Office instead of doing it at Yonsei since the lines here are too long and all students must to the Office anyway to scan their fingerprints. Here are the application components:
The components with an “*” can be created/filled out at the Immigration Office. If you do not have access to a printer or photo booth, just show up 45 minutes in advance with Passport, Certificate of Residence, Certificate of Enrollment, and 30,000 KRW (33,000 KRW if you want your card mailed to you). For the application, you can fill it out online and print that, or fill it out there. If you do it online, use “03722 서울특별시 서대문구 연세로 50 연세대학교” for your address if you dorm at SK Global (must be in hangul). In-person, the attendant in the office will help you fill out your form. First things first, click HERE to schedule an appointment. Do this ASAP as all temporary residents in Korea need to do the same, so spots fill up FAST! Here’s how to get to the Seoul Southern Immigration Office from SK Global Dorms: Take Bus 601 from Ewha Woman’s U. Back Gate (across from Coffee Bean) to Yeongdeungpo Water Purification Center → from there, take Bus 571 to Mokdong 8 Danji → get off there and walk up the street to the park → take a left onto the crosswalk → keep walking straight → the Immigration Office will be on the corner of the next intersection on your left. Once you arrive to the Immigration Office:
The process itself should take 20-40 minutes depending on if you have all your components upon arrival. ARC usually takes three weeks to process. In the meantime, DO NOT leave the country. If you have any questions, email [email protected] for help. Best of luck, friends! Best of Bites #4Hotteok Stand in Namdaemun Market - Since I spoke of Namdaemun Market this week, here’s a bite that CANNOT be missed when you visit - the hotteok stand in front of Gate 2. Hotteok is a glutinous, fried pancake traditionally filled with sugar and nuts. The unique one to try is japchae hotteok (1,000 KRW), japchae is glass noodle stir fry. You won’t miss the loooooong line. . . average wait is 20 minutes. Absolutely worth it!!! MamMam Table in Sinchon -
Being away from home for so long, I constantly crave gourmet Vietnamese food. Luckily, there are a ton of Viet restaurants in Seoul; although not all are made equal. At MamMam table, they only serve four dishes. . . and they do so excellently. I recommend the Bun Chanh Chua (spicy noodle soup with seafood and mushroom) - plenty of noodles, seafood, and mushrooms all in a spicy and tangy broth for 8,000won. Total comfort food close to Yonsei! At the end of the third week and for half of the fourth week of school, we were treated to a long six-day break for Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving). Although the actual day itself is on Monday, Sept. 24th, our classes were cancelled from Friday, Sept. 21 to Wednesday, Sept. 26. My friends and I decided to make the most of our break by taking a trip to Jeju Island, going to a theme park, and eating ~ fancy ~ beef. Jeju-do: We departed Seoul on Thursday night (Sept. 20) after classes. From the dorms, I decided to take the 601 bus straight to Gimpo Airport since the stop is right outside the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. You can also take the Line 2 metro from Sinchon Station → transfer at Hongik University Station to the Gimpo Airport Express. Either way, the trip should take about 40 min to one hour from Sinchon. Tips:
Once we arrived in Jeju, we immediately boarded a bus to go to the southern city of Seogwipo. The bus ride was only ~ 3,000 KRW and lasted an hour and a half. We decided to spend two days in Seogwipo and two days in Jeju City. Unfortunately, there was heavy rain pour in Seogwipo for a day and a half, so we did not get to do all the nature-related activities that we planned. Here are suggested places that we did visit: Seogwipo-si:
We also went to several cafes and they were wonderful. The prices were 4,000 - 6,000 KRW and better quality for the price than the places I went to in Seoul, so I highly recommend finding some cafes you like on MangoPlate and TripAdvisor. Next, we took the same bus back to Jeju City. We ended up doing a lot more in Jeju City because the weather cleared up. Here are my suggestions: Jeju-si:
My favorite part of the trip to Jeju were the wonderful accommodations we stayed at. Keri and I ended up scoring a boutique hostel/hotel in Seogwipo that had free coffee, a study lounge, and a pool table; as well as, a ritzy high-end hotel in Jeju City overlooking a Korean palace! Both were booked through Booking.com and costed us ~ 50,000 per room. Each room had two beds so the guys had their own room and us girls had our own, too. Accommodations: Seogwipo: Hotel Gaon J Stay - free coffee, pool table, foosball table, close to Food Street Jeju City: Hotel Robero - fancy hotel, sauna/spa downstairs, overlooking a Korean palace EverlandWe decided to go to Everland on Tuesday, Sept. 25, and we mistakenly thought that the park would not be crowded since Chuseok is traditionally celebrated with families gathering together in their hometowns - we were very wrong. The park was packed with people and we ended up not being able to ride the largest wooden roller coaster they had! Despite that, Everland is still one of my favorite theme parks ever! There is really something for everyone - rides, parades, food festivals, flower gardens, Halloween zombie fair (seasonal). It combined the thrills of Six Flags with the whimsicality of Disneyland. We got tickets for 28,500 KRW on Klook.com and had to take two buses to get there. The buses were crowded and we had to stand for majority of the two-hour ride. The parks allow food and drinks to be brought it, so if you want to save money, bring a reusable bottle and some snacks. The park was so big and so crowded that it was not worth it for us to stand in two-hour lines, but my friends and I did most of the rides and activities. My favorite thing to see was the electric parade of beautiful floats lit up by thousands of lights and dozens of dancing characters. My least favorite attraction was the zoo as the animals (especially the polar bear and tigers) were kept in less than desirable conditions. Nonetheless, I will try to come back to experience the rides that I missed out on the first time. Everland is thrill-seeking, family-friendly, and budget-friendly! Hanwoo Beef A.K.A. THE BEST BEEF EVER. PERIOD.To celebrate fellow Freeman Scholar (and Pearl City High School alumnus!) Pono’s 21st birthday, some friends and I went to Gangnam to eat at 마장동박현규 which is a restaurant that serves Hanwoo beef 1++ (Korea’s version of Kobe beef). Not to exaggerate, but this meal changed my life and look on food. Sure there is good food, sure there is great food, but I have never had food that made fireworks explode behind my eyeballs and orchestras play Beethoven’s 9th Symphony in my ears! For the not-so-friendly price of 45,000 KRW per person, I experienced a transcendent culinary experience through the form of buttery, marbleized meat. We had around five to six courses and each one was better than the next. I highly, highly recommend trying this place out at least once! The staff is so friendly and the food is truly out of this world. . . it’s worth me eating GS25 gimbaps for the next two weeks to save money. I am not even going to add a "Best of Bites" section in this week's post because it'll pale in comparison.
Address: 27 Gangnam-daero 128-gil, Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul [WARNING] ADD/DROP PERIOD - LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER FOR CLASSESHi, if you are skimming through this blog and only have time to read one post, READ THIS ONE. The following is a recount of my embarrassing carelessness, harrowing anxiety, and cautionary tale about registration at Yonsei University. To cut right to the chase - I missed the initial registration period. *DUN DUN* Due to my error upload the correct international healthcare information, I did not get clearance in time to register for my classes at the beginning of August. I had to wait nearly a month (including three days into the start of school) to register for my classes during “Add/Drop” Period. Lesson here is: Read Your Emails from MIX and Yonsei International Affairs thoroughly. To say I was stressed out to arrive in Seoul without classes is the understatement of the year, and I shared my distressed with a friend of mine who was a local senior at Yonsei. She tried to reassure me by saying that classes at Yonsei are incredibly competitive to enroll in. That was a double-edge sword because 1) most students, both foreigners and locals, participated in add/drop period so it is not uncommon at all and 2) I was going to have to compete with ALL OF THEM. I doubt that you will be as careless or unfortunate as myself, but if you ever find yourself needed to participate in “Add/Drop” at Yonsei, here is a guide:
Lesson here is: Take registration very seriously, but be prepared to participate in “Add/Drop” period as it is very common. *WHEW* The End. Good luck, my friends. Starting Classes at Yonsei School of BusinessNow that I was an official student with my name on the roster and everything, I was eager to go to classes at the Business School! YSB is located six to eight minutes away from the dorms, and conveniently has a coffee counter and CU convenience store inside on the left side of the first floor. Most of my classes start at 9am, so I like to arrive at 8:30am to buy some yogurt and find my class. The classrooms are all larger than the typical Shidler College classrooms with the smallest ones resembling C and G tower-size rooms to the largest ones resembling A tower-size lecture halls. Two of my classes are “flipped classes,” classified as “d” on the course enrollment online. That means that they meet in-person once a week and conduct online video lectures for the second session.
Cat Café in Sinchon (~ 10,000 KRW)Since I started this post quite seriously, I will end on a lighter note. One of the best things about South Korea’s cafe culture is its affinity for adding animals into the mix. A block away from Yonsei’s Main Gate, on the third floor of a building near Burger King, lies a feline oasis of adorable cats! For 10,000 won (<$10), you can play with nearly a dozen cats and relax with a juice or coffee beverage. The cafe is open from 12pm-8pm on most days. For those times that you miss your own pet back home, or just prefer the company of a furry friend over pesky people, cat cafe is a must! Best of Bites #3$4 Japanese Ramen in Sinchon: Last week, I shared a Japanese cheap eat in Sinchon and this week, I’ll share it’s next door neighbor! For just 4,000 won, you can feast on a soul-warming bowl of ramen complete with bean sprouts, onions, char siu, and ajitama! They also have peeled garlic that you can add in the soup with a hand-mincer. Broke da mouth (not da wallet!)
LINK to address of Yasou Dontoksu Ramen $11 AYCE Galbi BBQ: About a one minute from Exit 2 of Sinchon Station - Line 2, you’ll find a fantastic BBQ establish that almost always has a line. This place has delicious, thicks cuts of galbi and all the fixins. I especially like that their seats double as storage bins for your outerwear and bags so they don’t get smoky. LINK to address of Tongkeun Kalbi Asian Games 2018 - Men’s Football Final (Sept. 1) The Asian Games, or Asiad, is a multi-sport event held in the summertime every four years in between the summer Olympic Games, much like the World Cup schedule. This year, Indonesia hosted and over 40 countries in Asia participated. My friends and I stumbled upon a huge crowd of over 500 fans packed into the courtyard of the Sinchon Station Megabox, the movie theater between Ewha and Sinchon. We heard the crowd enthusiastically cheering and shouting before we saw them. It turns out that the final match for Men’s Football (Soccer) was being screened on a giant projector complete with live commentators and cheerleaders! Due to the crowd (and our heights), we found the best view by sitting across the street on the steps of “A Twosome Place” coffee shop with a dozen other fans. Although not the most ideal view, we couldn’t stop laughing everytime a bus stopped at the light and blocked our view of the screen! Ultimately, South Korea took home the gold and we took home a great memory of country pride and celebration in Sinchon! Dae Han Min Guk! Rating: 5/5 Mamma Mia (Sept. 4) This is the event that I was most excited for - the Yonsei student-produced musical of “Mamma Mia”! My friends and I spotted the drama students selling tickets in the lobby of the Student Union building the week before for 7,000 won (<$7). My friend Keri and I LOVE both “Mamma Mia” movies, so we were absolutely thrilled. We expected the play would be in Korean and were not concerned because we basically know the movie line-for-line. On the night of the play, we arrived 30 min early to find Centennial Hall completely packed. There were no seats left on the first floor, so we had to sit on the mezzanine. With my poor eyesight, I thought we might as well be in the nosebleeds; however, the front and center part of the mezzanine was a great view to see the entire stage. The performance itself was ASTOUNDING! I cannot sing enough praise for the cast and crew - especially the young thespian who played Donna! Although the entire play, songs and all, were in Korean, I still found myself laughing, tearing up, and softly singing along in English to all the ABBA hits. Yonsei University is teeming with remarkable, student talent; the drama department is the perfect example of that and is a can’t-miss part of school culture! Rating: 4.5/5 (simply because I did not understand the words, but for the actors and quality - a solid 5/5!) Tips:
Sinchon Beer Festival (Sept. 7 - 9) Yonsei-ro, the lively main street of Sinchon, transformed into a mecca of food, entertainment, and craft beer from Friday 9/7 to Sunday 9/9. From end to end, the entire street was filled with dozens of booths and trucks selling food (mainly fried or sausages), artisanal craft beer, and handmade goods. Thousands of people flooded in to enjoy the festival and watch the various performances on the huge stage set up in front of the Red Tube. I love that Yonsei is situated in a bustling and affordable college town, but it’s events like this festival that showcase global culture and Korean liveliness that truly makes studying in South Korea an unforgettable experience. Rating 5/5 International Student Festival in Itaewon (Sept. 6) The ISF Board frequently post ticket sales for hosted International Parties on the International Exchange page for students in Seoul. We bought our tickets late when 90% were already sold, so we paid 20,000 won (<$20). Itaewon is the infamous party district that is also the undisputed international hub of Seoul. The area boasts many nightclubs and global cuisines including kebab stands (my favorite Middle Eastern food that reminds me of my “inexpensive, college food in France” days!). Getting to Itaewon requires us to take Line 2 to “Hapjeong” station and transfer to Line 6; total subway time is about 30 minutes. I personally do not like Itaewon because of its expensive prices and inconvenience/impossibility in hailing cabs after midnight (when the metro stops running). I much prefer Hongdae, only one station from Sinchon, which also has nightclubs, but with cheaper food and many street performers. As for the International Party, the $20 ticket only got us into a venue and one free drink. Although the party was meant for meeting other international students, you can imagine that a loud, rambunctious club is not ideal for conversations. Nevertheless, I had a lot of fun with my friends and would recommend for the sake of going out. If your purpose for attending is to make friends, you are better off talking to the person next to you in class! Rating: 3.5/5 (The International Party was a waste of money, but going out in Itaewon on your own is really fun!) Spectrum 2018 Dance Music Festival (Sept. 8 - 9) I have never been to a techno/house music event (“rave”) and somehow decided to attend the Spectrum DMF. The equivalent of diving off the deep end. . . from a 10 metres diving board. . . without knowing how to swim. . . I suddenly found myself in the middle of a sea of thousands of fans filling South Korea’s largest stadium, the Olympic Stadium, dancing to over a dozen of the hottest DJ’s in the world! To say I was overwhelmed is an understatement; truth be told, I spent about half the time on Saturday sitting outside eating Korean fried chicken. What was I thinking buying two-day tickets?! In all seriousness, I am very happy with the fact that I experienced this music festival because it was one of the largest culminations of dance music in the world. . . “when in Seoul,” I guess. Getting to the Olympic Sports Complex was very simple - we just took Line 2 to “Sports Complex” which is 40-minutes from either direction at “Sinchon” station. The stages and sets were beautiful, compete with fireworks and flames; there were three stages, dozens of food vendors, and many great DJ’s performing. My friend Keri and I bought our tickets through a reseller on Facebook for 144,000 won (<$140), though I would recommend just paying the 154,000 won for two-day passes. We were extra cautious and insisted in paying the down and final payment in-person, so meeting up with the seller was very inconvenient. The reason we had to do that was because the ticket sales were restricted to Korea forms of payment (Visa and Mastercard will not work!) so your best bet is to open a Korean bank account or ask a Korean-national friend to purchase them. If you love going to raves and listening to dance music, you absolutely MUST attend Spectrum! Rating: 3.5/5 (Not my scene; but this is an easy 5/5 for an EDM fan!) Tips:
Best of Bites #2AYCE Pork BBQ in Hongdae: This place is unbelievable - all-you-can-eat pork BBQ for 12,000 won (<$12) and drink for 5,000 won (<$5). We found this place through a YouTube video of WeFancy. I highly recommend watching the video to see the proper way to eat Korean BBQ (or I guess here in South Korea, just “BBQ”) and learning the names of the different marinated pork cuts, so you know that to re-order. The food was delicious, sides were plentiful, and service was welcoming. I felt that the 5,000 won for drinks was wasted on me because soju in Korea is really cheap - I could not drink my money’s worth! The pork however. . . $12 is unheard of back in Hawai`i! HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE!
LINK to WeFancy video & address of restaurant $3 Tonkatsu in Sinchon: Yes, you read that correctly - traditional Japanese tonkatsu set for 3,000 won (<$3)! This place in Sinchon is only a six-minute walk from the Main Gate of Yonsei. Open from 11am-8pm, this small and tightly-packed restaurant cannot be beat in terms of cheap eats. Untainted by Korean influences (except for the pickled daikon side), the set comes with tonkatsu, rice, shredded cabbage, miso soup, and sauce complete with grounded sesame seeds. I must admit that the tonkatsu (I’d rate it ⅗) is not nearly as soft and juicy as ones I have had in Japan, but for $3, who can complain? This is no-fuss in that you don’t need to order since they only serve one set and you pay first (CASH ONLY). LINK to address of Cochon Tonkatsu Leaving Home - Aloha A Hui Hou, Hawai`i!On Tuesday, August 21 at 1:30pm, I said a tearful (. . . very tearful for my mom!) goodbye to my dear family and friends, and boarded my flight to Seoul, South Korea. Nearly 10 hours and two delicious, Korean-Airlines meals later, my fellow Freeman Scholars, Pono and Keri, and I have arrived in our new home! After going through customs, immigration, and baggage claim, we bought our T-Money cards (I received a used one with some credit leftover from my best friend, Brittany, who students at Korea University last semester - thanks B!) and headed to Hongdae to our AirBnB. AirBnB in Hongdae Our host Helen is a lovely lady who met us at the Hongik University station exit and walked us to the AirBnB which was only three minutes away. We paid around $25/per person/per night which was kind of pricey but we were in a great location with AC and three-bedrooms on the 3rd floor of the building, so I can’t complain. Helen even gave us a wifi egg to use while we were there so that we’d have internet access while walking around. We stayed there for two nights and checked out on Friday morning to move into the dorms. I highly recommend staying here if you want to be where the nightlife action is! Link: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/24707601?s=51 Exchanging Money (USD -> KRW) Money exchange is something I originally struggled with in Hawai`i. Without contest, the BEST rates are at the duty-free Galleria in Waikiki; however, they almost never have KRW as they only sell what they buy. I basically went to South Korea with no KRW aside from 10,000 won (<$10) pocket change. Not to worry though, I quickly found an exchange booth right outside of immigration check (after luggage pick-up). We all know that airport rates are not in your favor, so I recommend just exchanging $100 to get you around at first. That being said, we were lucky because they were selling KRW for 1,072 to $1 (generally if it’s over 1000 won, you’re not good depending on the current rate). The following day, I went to Myeongdong per the suggestion of many Korean and Shidler friends for the best rates and exchanged $1000 for 1,121 won per $1. Myeongdong has a plethora of exchange places on the smaller streets surrounding the tourist hubs and this was the best rate we could find. They do not charge commission unlike banks, and the rate is higher than airport, so overall a very positive experience. More on my visit to Myeongdong in a later post! Moving into SK Global - Yonsei U. Dorms In Korea, cabs are very affordable and when you have a lot of luggage, it is the best way to travel! Keri and I split a cab from our AirBnB to Yonsei University which is really close by, less than a 10-minute ride. We hailed it via KakaoTaxi (KakaoT) and paid 6,000 (<$6) total. Make sure you order the cab to drop you off at the EAST GATE as SK Global and International House dorms are right there. If you just say “Yonsei University,” they will drop you off at the main gate and from there, it is a 15-minute HIKE to the dorms. Check-in was a very simple process! We arrived at 10:30am, an hour and a half after check-in began. There were very little people in-line and we were able to get our keys immediately. Here are the steps:
MAJOR TIP: Bring your own toilet paper! They do not stock toilet paper in the rooms! (Thank you to the past scholars who wrote about this in their blogs.) Best of Bites #1:Sinmigyeong Hongdae Dakgalbi: Dakgalbi is my favorite Korean dish to share. Everyone sits around a sizzling, shallow skillet that is filled with spicy chicken mixed with cabbage, tteok (rice cakes), and potatoes, flanked by melted cheese to dip - Koreans LOVE cheese! Needless to say, this goes great with soju. We found this place on the food app, MangoPlate, with raving reviews and loved it so much that we’ve been back twice in just our first week!
Issac Toast: This chain in Korea is perfect for college students as everything is 2,000 - 4,000 won. Simply an assortment of sweet and buttery toast filled with different meat patties, cabbage, and sauces, there is something so comforting and down-right magical about Isaac Toast. The Myeongdong location that we visited had a long line causing us to wait 30 minutes, however, we discovered more accessible locations in Sinchon and Ewha. I will definitely be a regular here! |
South KoreaSinchon, the bustling U-district in the center of Seoul, will be my current home for the next few months. This blog is a collection of adventures in and around Seoul from the eyes of an exchange student from Hawai`i. Archives
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