I've expressed many a frustration here before, but right now I'm more in the mood to talk about a few of the good little things in Korea that I will certainly miss when I leave...
Food delivery--even McDonald's delivers over here! You can order anything from (Korean) Chinese food, to a variety of more traditional Korean dishes (e.g., bibimbap, kimbap), to Korean fried chicken (which, folks, is THE best chicken you'll ever have in your life, guaranteed). Now, I know you're thinking "Okay Steph, that's great. We can order food in America, too." BUT, the best part of ordering food like this? It comes in reusable plastic dishes and when you're all finished, all you have to do is put everything (even the trash if you really want!) in a pile outside your door and the same motorcycle delivery man will return about an hour later to pick up your mess! We've even ordered to the outdoor artificial climbing wall in town... Yeah, pretty awesome. Oh, and most often any food orders come with complimentary Pepsi, Coke or cider (the Korean equivalent to Sprite or 7Up).
Cheap transportation. A bus ticket to Seoul (3.5 hours) costs around $20; a ticket to the coast town an hour south of me $3; and, a ticket to Busan, Korea's second largest city an hour and a half east of Jinju a whoppin' $7. An hour-long ferry ride maybe around $5. A taxi all the way across town is no more than $7-8. A taxi from my current residence to downtown will cost me around $4-5.
No tipping--for ANYTHING. Not in taxis. Not for a haircut. Not even in restaurants. Enough said.
Cheap haircuts (and other beauty services, for that matter). I've not paid more than about $12 for a haircut in Korea--with the exception of when a friend and I made a special trip out to the big city of Busan to get a haircut from a woman who spent many years living and cutting hair in Canada (I paid about $30 for that cut, but it was worth it because Koreans definitely have a different idea about hairstyle here AND Asian hair is in fact quite different than Caucasian hair). I've known people in Korea to get eyelash extensions, laser hair removal, or other such things for cheap. Getting acupuncture, seeing a chiropractor, getting a massage--all extremely cheap compared to the US of A.
Cheap motels. I've paid as little as about $5 for one night in a motel (if it's being shared by multiple people). On average, when I travel to another town and share a room with a few people, I will pay about $10 for one night. And this is even possible in the big booming metropolis that is Seoul. Very few motels force a check-out time on you (in fact, I've only ever been told to check out once or twice in my two and a half years here). Most motels are family-run and operated, and people in the smaller motels are typically beyond friendly. Motel rooms here come with a mini-fridge stocked with water and a few cans of soda, juice and/or coffee. Rooms always have a collection of lotion, aftershave, and hair products. Quite often you'll be handed a little packet that includes a toothbrush, razor and mini shampoo and soap packets. There's always toothpaste in the bathroom. My favorite variety of motel here in Korea (sometimes called a minbak) is that which doesn't have a bed, but instead loads of blankets and pillows to sleep on the floor with. So many good times have been had on weekends piling in about eight friends into the same room for one big slumber party.
Medical services--they're easy AND cheap. All you've got to do is go into a clinic or hospital of choice (hospital in Korea can just be a large medical center), go to the counter and tell them you want to see a doctor, wait for about 10-30 minutes and then get shuffled in to the doc's office. About five minutes later after very few questions and definite language barriers (though, not as bad as anywhere else in Korea), you'll walk about with some type of prescription (after paying your $5 fee for the visit), in which case you'll pay under $10, often much less, for three days worth of a variety of meds. Not always reassuring, but convenient nonetheless!
Cheap alcohol, and drinking in the streets. A bottle of soju, $1. A bottle of makgeoli (rice wine), $1. A Korean beer, $1-2. All of these are convenience store prices, by the way... And the great thing? If you're out on a nice summer evening, you can stop by any convenience store (there are two on every corner), grab a drink, and then continue to mosey on your way through the streets. Or, if you prefer, you can have a seat at one of the plastic tables outside and watch the world pass by (and more than likely end up in some 'conversation' with drunken Koreans).
Sharing is caring. What's mine is yours. Mi casa es tu casa. There's nothing quite like communal eating. Really. It's a practice I hope to somehow hold on to when I leave this country. Ordering a dish between four people, cooking it right there in front of you and eating out of it together is a magical thing. Okay, slight over-statement, but it really is lovely and this is definitely one of the things I will miss the most about Korea...
Food delivery--even McDonald's delivers over here! You can order anything from (Korean) Chinese food, to a variety of more traditional Korean dishes (e.g., bibimbap, kimbap), to Korean fried chicken (which, folks, is THE best chicken you'll ever have in your life, guaranteed). Now, I know you're thinking "Okay Steph, that's great. We can order food in America, too." BUT, the best part of ordering food like this? It comes in reusable plastic dishes and when you're all finished, all you have to do is put everything (even the trash if you really want!) in a pile outside your door and the same motorcycle delivery man will return about an hour later to pick up your mess! We've even ordered to the outdoor artificial climbing wall in town... Yeah, pretty awesome. Oh, and most often any food orders come with complimentary Pepsi, Coke or cider (the Korean equivalent to Sprite or 7Up).
Cheap transportation. A bus ticket to Seoul (3.5 hours) costs around $20; a ticket to the coast town an hour south of me $3; and, a ticket to Busan, Korea's second largest city an hour and a half east of Jinju a whoppin' $7. An hour-long ferry ride maybe around $5. A taxi all the way across town is no more than $7-8. A taxi from my current residence to downtown will cost me around $4-5.
No tipping--for ANYTHING. Not in taxis. Not for a haircut. Not even in restaurants. Enough said.
Cheap haircuts (and other beauty services, for that matter). I've not paid more than about $12 for a haircut in Korea--with the exception of when a friend and I made a special trip out to the big city of Busan to get a haircut from a woman who spent many years living and cutting hair in Canada (I paid about $30 for that cut, but it was worth it because Koreans definitely have a different idea about hairstyle here AND Asian hair is in fact quite different than Caucasian hair). I've known people in Korea to get eyelash extensions, laser hair removal, or other such things for cheap. Getting acupuncture, seeing a chiropractor, getting a massage--all extremely cheap compared to the US of A.
Cheap motels. I've paid as little as about $5 for one night in a motel (if it's being shared by multiple people). On average, when I travel to another town and share a room with a few people, I will pay about $10 for one night. And this is even possible in the big booming metropolis that is Seoul. Very few motels force a check-out time on you (in fact, I've only ever been told to check out once or twice in my two and a half years here). Most motels are family-run and operated, and people in the smaller motels are typically beyond friendly. Motel rooms here come with a mini-fridge stocked with water and a few cans of soda, juice and/or coffee. Rooms always have a collection of lotion, aftershave, and hair products. Quite often you'll be handed a little packet that includes a toothbrush, razor and mini shampoo and soap packets. There's always toothpaste in the bathroom. My favorite variety of motel here in Korea (sometimes called a minbak) is that which doesn't have a bed, but instead loads of blankets and pillows to sleep on the floor with. So many good times have been had on weekends piling in about eight friends into the same room for one big slumber party.
Medical services--they're easy AND cheap. All you've got to do is go into a clinic or hospital of choice (hospital in Korea can just be a large medical center), go to the counter and tell them you want to see a doctor, wait for about 10-30 minutes and then get shuffled in to the doc's office. About five minutes later after very few questions and definite language barriers (though, not as bad as anywhere else in Korea), you'll walk about with some type of prescription (after paying your $5 fee for the visit), in which case you'll pay under $10, often much less, for three days worth of a variety of meds. Not always reassuring, but convenient nonetheless!
Cheap alcohol, and drinking in the streets. A bottle of soju, $1. A bottle of makgeoli (rice wine), $1. A Korean beer, $1-2. All of these are convenience store prices, by the way... And the great thing? If you're out on a nice summer evening, you can stop by any convenience store (there are two on every corner), grab a drink, and then continue to mosey on your way through the streets. Or, if you prefer, you can have a seat at one of the plastic tables outside and watch the world pass by (and more than likely end up in some 'conversation' with drunken Koreans).
Sharing is caring. What's mine is yours. Mi casa es tu casa. There's nothing quite like communal eating. Really. It's a practice I hope to somehow hold on to when I leave this country. Ordering a dish between four people, cooking it right there in front of you and eating out of it together is a magical thing. Okay, slight over-statement, but it really is lovely and this is definitely one of the things I will miss the most about Korea...
