1. AMAZING FOOD. The Koreans really know how to eat, especially when it comes to vegetables, spices, and their meats. My taste buds have been overly exasperated with flavors and unbelievable meals from the local restaurants, Seoul, meals made by friends, and the schools I work at. The pictures don't even give them any justice.
2. The PEOPLE. The people here are the most amazing people you will meet. They will go above and beyond to please you to extreme measures much higher than the average person and especially the average American. For instance, one of my Korean friends will take me shopping and I will help me look for something and will start asking people who work there and she begins to have trouble, whether they aren't understanding her or they just might not have what I am looking for. I am already on the next thing on the list and looking in the store when my Korean friend is still trying to find the last item, talking to even more people and still looking, trying to please me.
Total strangers in Korea will not only look you in the eyes, they will smile and greet you, give you things for free, they call it service. Even though they speak no English and know you probably don't speak their language either, they will try to speak to you, either with the little English they might know or their own language, assuming you might understand them. They are always nice, hospitable, and loving way beyond most westerners that I have come into contact with in my 38 years of existence.
3. CHEAP BEER. Anyone who knows Me well enough knows that I like to drink beer, and there is no better place to be than Korea when it comes to the beer prices. Now granted, there isn't all my favorite kinds of beers out here, such as my pale ales or my blonde beers, but you really can't beat a cold 16 ounce Hite at 1,300 Won, which is about $1.50 US.
4. RANDOM VACATION DAYS. The Koreans schools have different breaks than American schools for their holidays and vacation periods. The American's take breaks for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, and then the long summer break. The Koreans take a long break in the winter, most of January and February and then one month over the summer, most likely in August. Not only do I love my vacation periods of paid leave, but they continue to give me days off on random days. They say, "take a rest, and have fun." So i get 22 paid vacation days or days of leave on the books, but then many random vacation days and weeks at a time. For instance, I have already taken my winter vacation days and I was just told that I have the rest of the month of February off after next week.
5. THE DELIVERY FACTOR. No matter what store or what you need, you can always find someone that will and can deliver it to you. Of course this includes things such as pizza and takeout, but in Korea you can have even more delivered, such as furniture, plants, and even beer all at no additional charge and most don't even require a full payment until they deliver.
6. THE ABILITY TO TRAVEL INEXPENSIVELY. The city buses run about 1 US dollar and it will take you anywhere in Gunsan. The taxis starts at about $2 US dollars and you can pretty much get to anywhere in the Gunsan area for under 9 US dollars by taxi. It cost about 5 US dollars to get to the Bus station, where you can get on buses that can take you anywhere in South Korea you want to go and all the tickets run under 17 US dollars. To get to Seoul, the capital and biggest city in Korea, it cost about 17,000 Won on an express bus from Gunsan, which is about 16 US dollars or $32 roundtrip.
7. Twenty-Two NATIONAL PARKS. Need I say more. My ex-husband got me addicted to hiking and the outdoors when we were together and Korea is the most beautiful country to explore those endeavors. I have been to four of these parks so far as you have seen from the pictures, so only 18 to go and I will visit them all before leaving. I am just waiting for it to get warmer to hit the trails again.
8. CHEAP FOOD and CHEAP PRODUCTS. You literally could go out to dinner and eat a huge meal for two with drinks for under 10 US dollars in Korea and eat and drink well for that amount. I have also shared about the price of products such as hangers, shoes, purses, plastic containers, hats, gloves, scarves, etc. on other posts. For instance I just bought a knit Adiddas label hat today for about 3 US dollars.
9. My APARTMENT. I love my apartment, not just the fact that it is paid for, but the fact that it is very spacious and warm and has new life with my plants now inhabiting it. After going away on a long trip it is always nice to come back home to my apartment.
10. BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY. The mountains, the parks, and of course the city lights will never get old. All throughout Korea these can be found in large amounts and in large volumes and the spectacle of them all will never get dulled.
11. LOCAL PARKS. Korea is filled with beautiful parks. Wolmyeong alone, which I have talked about, because it is right across the street from house has many hiking trails, classical music playing on the lighted paths as you stroll through the park, as well as a full outdoor gym. One of the other local parks has a huge bridge that lights up at night in neon colors. Both of these parks in this area have these huge lakes that bring the experience of the true outdoors to life right around the corner from the city.
12. HEATED FLOORS. Need I say more. Yes, the floors in most homes and apartments have heated floors. What a concept! It is really nice, considering it gets really cold here in the winter and very nice to walk around the house with no shoes feeling the warmth at your feet. They also serve well as a way to dry your clothes quickly, assuming the floor is clean, since it is hard to find clothes drying machines in Korea and you have to hang dry your clothes.
13. KOREAN POP MUSIC. Once you hear it, your hooked. They play it everywhere and the beats are pretty good and all of it you could dance to. I have always been a fan of pop music in general, so I find that most of the Korean pop is pretty good and can be addicting to listen to.
14. THE MANY FESTIVALS. The Koreans love to party and find as many ways and things to celebrate and party about. Throughout the entire year they will hold large festivals that bring large amounts of people together to explore different things and to eat and drink and be merry together.
15. AMERICAN TV CHANNELS. I was actually really surprised that the Koreans had American TV with Korean subtitles. I actually get about 12 channels that play American movies and American TV shows as well as CNN and Fox News. Now if we only could work out ESPN, I would probably never leave!
16. THE CITY OF SEOUL. The city is about two and half hours away from where I live and is not only the capital of the Country but one of the largest cities in the world. There is so much to do in Seoul and it is a great place to get away for the weekend or spend an extended weekend. There are many bars, clubs, and western restaurants filled with expats or foreigners, it can sometimes feel like home. It also has some of the best shopping where the best deals on clothes, purses, shoes, and other products could be found.
The city reminds me of New York, with the many people and the way it lights up at night. Although when I lived in Virgina and was three hours away from New York, I don't remember it costing only $32 US dollars round trip by bus to visit. I am planning on leaving for Seoul today after work to go out dancing tonight in Hongdae, eat at some good western restaurants, walk in a serene park that has lighted water falls, and then go to a trance concert in Itaewon. See what I mean about things to do in the city of Seoul.
17. BIM BIM BAP, KIMCHI, and KIMCHI JIGGAE. I know I talked about the food already but these three types of Korean food needed their own appreciation because they are by far my favorite Korean cuisines. The Bim Bim Bap is rice, vegetables, sometimes served with meat and or a fried egg mixed with some sesame oil and a hot paste or a spicy sauce. Mixed all up, its really delicious and very healthy. I have also talked about Kimchi. The Korean men and women hold their age very well and I think all the Kimchi they eat is one of the reasons. Kimchi is simply cooked and fermented cabbage soaked in vinegar, garlic, and a very spicy red sauce. I have yet to eat Kimchi out here without my nose running. The vitamin C and garlic content alone in Kimchi can keep away the worst of the colds, serve as an excellent detox for the body, and keep you looking younger. Eat your KIMCHI!!
Kimchi Jiggae is simply Kimchi soup, so if you like Kimchi, which I do, you will really like the soup, which is simply Kimchi, some vegetables, some green onion, sometimes meat, and usually tofu, all mixed up to make a heavenly spicy soup. Making me hungry thinking about it now. I literally crave this soup and have found several good places who serve it and I often request that Joanna make it for me.
18. KOREANS UNDERSTAND HANGOVERS. Being the drinker that I am, I have been known to impose upon myself a few hangovers in my time to say the least. In Korea, it is acceptable to get a hangover and use it as an excuse to either not be at work or to be really tired and not at your best some days. I actually have called in sick, told her that I drank way too much on a weekend in Seoul and couldn't make it to work, and my co-teacher said "get some rest and try not to drink so much next time." It is also purely acceptable to sleep at your desk if you think you need the rest to be rejuvenated.
19. LOW UTILITY BILLS. I am actually shocked every month when I see how much it cost to live in my apartment. For my gas, water, electric, cable, internet, and apartment fees I pay about 100,000 Won total, which is about $86 US dollars and sometimes lower depending on how much I cook and run the heater. I could barely get cable and internet for that price back in the states.
20. HEATED SUBWAY AND TOILET SEATS. Yes, you heard right, the Korean's have heated subway seats and heated toliet seats. In the cold weather both are really nice. It was the strangest feeling though sitting down on them for the first time, especially the toliet seat, bare butt and all, thinking gross, the last person must had been there a long time to get the seat this warm. One of my friends has one in her apartment and just loves it, because it doubles as a sprayer if you didn't want to wipe.
21. BUSAN and THE BEACH. I haven't been there yet, but the fact that Korea has a beach is a reason to like Korea. I really miss my beaces in California and know that the Busan beach will not be as pretty, but at least it is a beach and I have seen picures and know that I will someday layout on that beach here in Korea when it gets warmer.
22. KOREAN STUDENTS. The students are always eager to speak to the only foreign teacher in the school and I am treated like a celebrity as I walk in the halls and when they enter my classroom. They are always wanting to say HI and greet me and get so excited to see me, whether it is in school or on the streets. When they come to my class, they are always eager to learn, practice English and laugh at my sillyness when I try to explain words. Most of them are very smart, apply themselves fully, and are the best kind of students any teacher could hope to have.
23. LIQUID YOGURT. It is yoogurt that you drink. It is really good and I usually have one every morning. I know they have these in the states, called activia, but not in the variety they have here, not at the price that they have here, and not at the quality of taste that they have here.
24. TO BE CONTINUED, as I remember more...
