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!
1 Comment
|
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
Categories
All
|