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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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
January 2019
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