#2. Bundang

Am I really leaving in two days? I'm pretty sure that my boss's current evil plan is to give me so much work that I can't actually leave. Well I'm gonna show him! If he thinks that I'm not capable of staying up for the next 48 hours to do all the stupid little tasks he's set me to, he's about to find out how persistent I can be. Now, where is that coffee? *stumbles off*

#2. Bundang

For the past 19 months I have been living south of Seoul in a district called Bundang, which is in

a town called Seongnam in Gyeonggi province. Bundang was a planned suburb, built for all the company men working in the southern part of the capital who wanted a nice place outside the

city to live and raise their kids. Now I have been to all parts of Seoul, Daegu, and Busan, but I have come to the conclusion that there really is no nicer place to live in Korea.

First of all, Bundang is just plain pretty. Some people might not like that all the streets were laid

out on a grid, or that nothing here has developed naturally in a hodgepodge of streets and hills like in the districts of Seoul. Speaking as someone who lived for three years in the District of Columbia, I can say that the straight lines don't bother me so much, and moreover, that the Koreans did a fine job of incorporating natural beauty into the things they built here. Bundang is still surrounded by mountains on one side, giving residents easy access to hiking trails and some peace and quiet from all the cars and buses. There is a park built around the Tancheon River, which runs through Bundang, and gives locals a nice place to have a picnic, or in my case a good place for a morning run. The sidewalks are lined with marble curbs, and in some places the sidewalks themselves have been covered with that stuff they put on top of running tracks to ease the pains of the poor halmoni's knees as she hobbles to the bus stop.

Second, Bundang is full of things to do and places to see. We have five theaters and a beautiful

arts center that shows Korean version of off-Broadway plays. There are plenty of great restaurants to try and plenty of foreigner friendly bars that make for a good night out. It's pret

ty easy to get to a nice coffee shop or bookstore from anywhere you happen to be in the district, and there's even an artist's street selling the product of the local art college. Most weekends, I don't even bother going to Seoul unless its to meet up with a friend, and sometimes its just as easy for said friends to come down to Bundang and take in some of the fun here.

Third, Bundang is just the right combination of foreigner and Korean. Some places in Korea--most notably a place called Itaewon right outside the Yongsan Army Base--are so packed full of foreigners that sometimes you really feel like you've been transported back to America. Others--the places that are too far outside the city or many cities in the south of the country--have so few foreigners that you get stared at no matter what you're doing and you feel almost like you've forgotten to put on pants before leaving the house. I work at an academy with 7 other foreign teachers, and we work next to a building with another academy that has 6 more foreign employees. We're easy to spot on the street, to say the least, and over half of us live up the hill from the street our academy is on. That's enough foreigners per capital that we see each other on the streets, we can wave and give a friendly hello, and then we can be on our way without having to deal with the awkward foreigner song and dance. I have nothing against the other foreigners in Korea, but I like that I don't feel obligated to hang out with every one that I see because I don't have a lot of options in choosing my friends. However, there is also enough of us that the locals have gotten used to seeing us everywhere; they greet us when we come into their businesses and can offer some (although mostly limited) assistance in English if we get confused or stuck. I think that mix can be hard to come by--most teachers I know are either surrounded by other foreigners and have little if any contact with the Korean culture or are so isolated from native English speakers that they're miserable.

Bundang is one of the wealthiest areas in the country, while is nice if you want to find some good wine or are craving some kind of foreign food from the supermarket. It can be a little tough on the wallet, but since teachers don't have to pay for their own apartments, most of this cost is absorbed by the school that hires us. I could really go on and on about how wonderful I think it is here and how much I'm going to miss it, but I think that the only way I can really get anyone to understand how I feel is to have them come spend some time here themselves.

#3. Fun night life

My grandparents might just want to skip reading this one. Suffice it to say that there are many fun things to do in Korea, and I have enjoyed my fair share of them. :)

#3. Fun night lifeKorean might seem a little strange to the foreigners who haven't visited before. In one night, you might hop around between six or so places, switching between groups of people and making lots of random new friends that you probably won't remember in the morning. Of course, every night is a little different, but they all usually contain some combination of the same old elements.

My night out will usually start at a convenience store, where you can get either cheap beer or (for the brave, thrill-seeking individuals) a bottle of soju. During the warmer months, almost all convenience stores have tables with umbrellas set up outside so you can just sit back and enjoy your drink and some snacks without having to worry about whose tiny apartment to go to. It's also a cheap way to start your evening--a bottle of soju will run you about $1, while a 12oz beer starts at around $1.50.

From there, the next stop is usually either a hof--where you can get food and cheap beer--or any number of western bars in the area. No matter where you happen to live in Korea, there is always a bar that advertises itself as "western", which really only means that they have some kind of liquor in addition to beer and soju. Of course, not all western bars are created equal, just as back home. The foreigners in Bundang frequent a Canadian bar called Travelers, which serves some of the best burgers and wings in Korea (according to several surveys). This is usually the most expensive part of my night, because depending on where you go, the cost of food and the drinks you buy can get a little pricey. Either way, I've never really been disappointed to hear some wes

tern music and surround myself with some English conversation before heading back out into the night.

After this, most foreigners will hit up a different bar, usually either another hof or a beer garden--which Bundang has a surprising number of. The favorite in the area is a little beer bar a few minutes from my school, which has giant tables and coolers full of imported beers from around the world. Of course, the good stuff is expensive--you can end up spending more than a bit if you stick to the microbrews. However, they usually have at least one or two brands on sale, and it's a good way to get yourself ready for the next phase of your night.

At this point with my group of friends, there is usually more than one of us clamoring to head to the nearest norebang and get our drunk singing going. Norebang and karaoke are essentially the same. The biggest difference I've noticed is that the norebang will automatically give you additional time, but unless you want to pay a pretty penny for whiskey or soju, you are best off sneaking something in stuffed into a large purse or bag (not that I have ever done this, of course!). We can usually spend two or three hours singing at a norebang. They have plenty of English and Japanese songs, and once you get to a certain level of comfort you are even willing to try out some of the slower k-pop songs to impress your Korean friends with your reading ability. I really wish I could dedicate an entire post to the wonders of norebang and how it has helped me realize my potential as the lead singer in the newest music sensation, but I'm pretty sure that as much fun as I have when I sing, I'm no where near as good as I sound with all those echoes. Oh well....

Singing takes a lot out of a person, so after leaving the norebang the next step is usually a street vendor to sit and have some more soju and some street food. Korean street food is a cuisine all to itself. My favorites are ddoekbokki (rice and fish cakes in a super spicy sauce) and the many kinds of meat-on-a-stick, which they barbecue like at a restaurant and serve to you on the go. Of course, between eating your way through several of these stalls and trying to keep track of all the people you arrived with, you're bound to be pretty confused by the time you get to this part of your night. Which is why it is the perfect last stop before dancing the rest of the night away at a club.

The Korean clubs are pretty tame, by all standards. Most of the ones in Seoul will be packed with foreigners, but in Bundang we are blessed with a decent club where you can hear a good DJ, cash in on a drink special, and spend the whole night not worrying about who is going to steal your purse while you dance. Well, I say dance, but in my case perhaps I should clarify "dance" to be something I do with all the pent up energy of the ddeokbokki and beer I just consumed. I'm pretty sure if anyone ever took a video of it, I would be so ashamed I would never drink again. Korean clubs are pretty safe, and a good way to spend the last hours of nighttime before you decide to get some McDonald's breakfast and head home.

The chief concern for the poor teacher is the price tag on these nights out. A typical night like the one mentioned above will usually cost me around $50, including my cab fare home. Not bad considering. Of course, you can spend more depending on how many of the foreigner bars you go to. Still, I like knowing that I can go out on a Friday night, have a great time, and still be able to make my credit card payment. I wonder how things in Austin will compare?

#4. Korean Barbecue

Well it only took me a week to recover from all the visitors I had, and now I am a week behind. Add to that packing up nearly two years worth of stuff, surprise parent-teacher conferences, the impending return of the middle school students from their midterm exams, and having to say some pretty sad goodbyes, and you'd almost be where I'm at now. ^^

#4. Korean Barbecue

I've been trying hard to keep the food posts to a minimum--mostly because writing about food just makes me hungry--but sometimes you just have to throw one in there. And Korean barbecue really is one of the great things about living in Korea.

There are many kinds of Korean barbecue, and you can find these restaurants anywhere there is more than three apartment buildings in close proximity (read: everywhere). It's hard to walk down the street and not notice the smell of grilling meat wafting through the air. And with so many kinds to choose from, you could eat a different kind of barbecue every night of the week! Galbi, the marinated beef short ribs, is the most common and often the cheapest, while samgyeopsal, which is glorified thick pieces of bacon, tends to be a little more pricey. I've also had dahk galbi (kind of like a barbecued chicken), dweji bulgogi (spicy marinated pork), and even one memorable night where my Korean friend convinced me to try gopchang (pig intestine) and vowed never to eat something from that part of a pig again. Depending on your budget--and sense of wild adventure--there are a number of types of meat you could enjoy.

Korean barbecue (as with most Korean cuisine) is served with an absurdly large number of tasty side dishes that I have also come to love. There are a number of sauces you can dip the meat in, usually a kimchi of some kind, a salad, and at least one strange kind of radish that no foreigner will touch but the Koreans will devour. You can also order others like kimchi jjigae, which is a type of spicy kimchi stew that stinks up the whole table but tastes great. My favorite galbi restaurant also serves giant carrot sticks that I like to much on. After cooking the meat on the grill, you usually drop it on one of the many green leafy vegetables they provide you and stuff the thing full of ssamjang (fermented bean paste mixed with red pepper paste), some rice, and whatever other side dishes you feel like and pop the whole thing in your mouth. It can get a little messy, but between the meat and the side dishes, you are pretty much guaranteed to have a good meal.

I've been told by some foreigners that they see no point in having to go to a restaurant where you have to cook your own food, but I've never really had a problem with it. Perhaps this is because no one will ever let me actually do the cooking (I swear I won't eat it all!), but in any case, its is one of the best and consistently delicious meals I've ever had. I mean, is it possible no enjoy barbecue?

#5. Daiso

Sorry about the delay. It's been a busy one this week--I've been cleaning the apartment from top to bottom to get ready for some guests who came/are coming to stay. I have a little bit of a reprieve at the moment, so I'm going to try to get a few more of these banged out before things start to get really busy later next month.

#5. Daiso

So I know that this technically isn't a Korean store, but its existence has made my life so much easier, and I don't know what I would have done without it. Daiso is a magical, wonderful place, where everything you need is available for 1000, 2000, or 3000 won. And I'm not talking about the crappy dollar store stuff you find at places in the US. Half my apartment is from the dollar store, including (but not limited to) kitchen knives, bowls, plates, cups, wine glasses, jewelry boxes, hair bands and clips, Christmas and Easter decorations, potted plants, and all my office supplies. Half the things I use as filler in the packages I send home is from the dollar store and I have had no complaints about their quality. Some of their merchandise is just so ridiculously cute that its hard not to buy three or four of something even knowing that you don't even really need one.

Take, for instance, these molded rice scoopers. When am I ever going to have a real practical need for a heart shaped mound of rice? Probably never, but I rest easier knowing that if I was so inclined, I could have my rice sending signs of love to me while eating my dinner. I have also seen some ridiculously cute cookie cutters, figurines, and serving plates that sorely tempted my resolution not to buy everything in the store. On the practical side of course, it's a wonderful place to go to grab that picnic mat that can double as a sun reflector. And when you are looking for the caulk for your bathroom or a spare light bulb or some pretty decorative boxes for your tiny little apartment, its absolutely invaluable. I even bought my first set of screwdrivers from the dollar store. Of course, I don't hold any illusions that these things will stand the test of time, but for a foreigner starting a new life in a Korea, I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't been able to get everything my apartment needed for such a cheap price. And as for the Christmas tree and all my first Christmas ornaments? Definitely shipping those home with me. :)

#6. Socialized Medicine

And we're back!

Man those extra three weeks seem to have disappeared quickly. I was shocked to realize yesterday that I will be leaving Korea in 38 days and I have yet to actually put anything into a box. Guess I should start making time to do some of that, huh? Oh well, back to the countdown.

#6. Socialized medicine

Before I came to Korea, I was a recently graduated 22 year old without health insurance. Obama Care had not passed either house of Congress, so when I graduated university, all of the medical insurance I had been receiving from my parents was taken away. It was six months from then that I would make it to Korea, and while I was lucky that it was such a short time and that I had no major illnesses, if I had gotten sick or needed to see a doctor of any kind, I would have been (pardon my French) screwed.

Then I came to Korea--a wonderful magical land where everyone with an alien registration card gets cheap healthcare from the government. Of course, when I first got here and while my paperwork for my alien registration was still pending, I had the misfortune of coming down with bronchitis and was left unable to speak. Needless to say I was concerned, knowing that I had to go to a doctor but also knowing that I had no insurance and very little cash on me. When I got to the doctor's office, I was seen almost immediately by an English speaking and American-trained doctor who listened to my symptoms and came to the same conclusion I had--bronchitis. He checked me over, then scribbled something on a piece of paper, and instructed me to take it to the nurse on the far end of the office, who also spoke English. She informed me that the visit would cost me 6,000 won for the consultation, and the medicine I needed was another 5,000 won. "But," I protested, "I don't have insurance." The nurse nodded sympathetically at me. "I know," she said, "I'm sorry its so expensive."

Let's retell that story if I had been in America. I would have gone to the doctor, waited an hour for someone to be able to see me, take two seconds looking down my throat to confirm the diagnosis I was already pretty sure I had, charged me $75 for my trouble, and then I would have had to go to a pharmacy, where they would have taken another $50 for the medicine I needed. $11 versus $125. Let's see here....

Another example: I am currently taking medication that I had previously used in the states. One month worth of pills would run me $30, and that was while I was still covered on my parent's health insurance plan. Here, I can get an almost identical version of the medicine and it costs me 8500 won ($8), and this is one of those medicines that is not covered by insurance. It really is a relief that I can

Of course the system here isn't perfect. Some kinds of medicine are extremely Westernized, so its comfortable for foreigners to go to the doctor and feel sure about the treatment they are receiving. However others, and especially women's health, are still very Asian oriented, which can make us feel a little uncomfortable. Doctors here do not answer questions, and they do not like explaining their diagnosis to the patient. However, considering how often I've been sick (a few times) and the comfort I get in knowing that I'm not going to have to give up eating in order to get the care I need, I think I'm getting my money's worth for my health plan. And while I am grateful that (thanks to Obama Care) I am once again covered on my parent's insurance, I'm going to miss those $3 doctor's visits.

An extension

So there will be no favorite things post this week for the simple reason that I have officially discovered the price at which my soul can be bought.

No, in all seriousness, I have been convinced by my boss to extend my contract an additional three weeks to give him time to find a better replacement for the awesomeness that is Erin-teacher. This comes right after Teacher's Day, which is a glorified popularity contest amongst the teachers to see which is the favorite of the students, judged by the number and quality of the presents they receive on said holiday. I'm pleased to say I trounced the competition this year, and apparently this did not escape the notice of the boss, who called me into his office last Wednesday offering me the moon and stars to stay just a little longer.

It was a tough decision, believe me. The logical reasoning part of my brain was telling me that it would be stupid not to stay--it was only three weeks after all, and I would more than make up for my time spent here. The emotional part of my brain, the part that was already homesick and looking forward to being home for certain celebrations that were to occur towards the beginning of the month, was fighting tooth and nail to remind me that there was a reason I was leaving after the end of June. In the end, it was the rational half that won out.

So this means we are moving the countdown back a little. I'm currently sitting at about 8 1/2 weeks, so when I get a little closer to being on track I will start the countdown again with #6. Until then, I just want to let everyone know that I love you and miss you and will definitely be seeing you soon. Just not as soon as I originally thought.

#7. Cheap Utilities

Weather is starting to heat up over here. The forecast has the temperature in the 70s all week, which means that soon we are going to have an onslaught of heat and humidity that will have me longing for the frigid days of winter. At least I'm moving to a place with dry, hot summers instead of wet hot ones....

#7. Cheap Utilities

I love how little it costs to have an apartment here. Now obviously my school pays for my rent each month, but the cost of utilities like water, power, internet and cable are all the responsibility of the teachers. I'm lucky to be employed by a school that takes my monthly bills and deducts them from my paycheck each month rather than relying on me to remember to pay these things on time. Even so, I know I'm even more lucky to be living in a country where these things cost so little that I don't even really have to worry about them .

This is an actual copy of my paystub--with certain sections omitted of course. I can tell you, these amounts are pretty much the same every month. The only one that changes is the power bill, which goes up in the summer because I absolutely cannot tolerate humidity. An easy way to convert these prices from Korean won to dollars is to just think that every 1000 won is roughly equivalent to $1--though in reality its less. If you want to do the real math, as of today, one USD equals about 1087 Korean won. So the 30,000 won gas and water bill you see there actually costs me $27.42 in the States. And how many of you want to tell me that your power bill for this month was anywhere near $10? Yeah, didn't think so...

The only thing not represented on my paystub is my cell phone bill, which is deducted directly from my checking account. It still only costs me $30 a month, which isn't bad at all considering that it comes with internet, TV, and email messaging (this is all non-smartphone, btw).

Yes, I am afraid that South Korea is kicking our buts when it comes to the cost of utilities. As sure as I am that I will not miss the impending humidity and misery that comes with summer on the peninsula, I am equally sure that I will miss being able to turn on my AC to the highest setting and not have to mentally calculate how much I have to earn that month to offset the cost.