Author: aclipse

In Korea, food waste is collected separately and is typically repurposed for animal feed. You must use specific food waste bags that are yellow and you should store the bags outside in food waste bins provided by your local district. Unlike many Western countries, Korea is very strict about separating food waste and what is permissible in these bags. Things like onion peels, walnut shells, chicken bones, egg shells, and even fruit pits and seeds cannot be put in the food waste as these are not usable for animal feed. A reliable resource for what foods you can and can’t recycle can be found here.

At public schools, you’re lesson planning from the word go. This means you have a lot of control over the curriculum. Some people really thrive in this environment because it allows you to be really creative and puts you in the driver’s seat! As someone who had little-to-no professional teaching experience before I moved to Korea, I really appreciated that my academy provided training and guidance within a pre-made curriculum, so I felt like I was prepared from the start. Now, I feel a lot more confident about the idea of lesson planning from scratch, but I definitely didn’t at first.

Second, if your style leans towards protective styles like braids or twists, I highly recommend connecting with stylists through Instagram! Itaewon and Pyeongtaek are excellent locations to take care of your hair needs! In Pyeongtaek, being near the US military base provides more options for finding stylists who can work with wigs and sew-in styles, as well as natural hair care, including keratin treatments and silk presses. However, there’s a beauty supply store in Pyeongtaek, off-base, which is about 2-3 hours outside of Seoul, depending on transportation! If you can’t make the trip, don’t worry—”Honey Hair” is an online beauty supply store that ships domestically within Korea.

Korea has, without a doubt, some of the best prices for procedures compared to countries like America, the UK, and Canada! For example, the average cost of 30 – 40 units of Botox in the United States can range from $300 – $1000 depending on where you visit. In Korea, 30 – 40 units of Botox can range from 25,000 won ($17) – 200,000 won ($137). Again, this all depends on where you visit, which brand of Botox you wish to receive, and how many units you will need, but it is far cheaper to get Botox in South Korea than in the United States!

One of the first things I did was join some online groups where other expats in Korea share their experiences. I found Every Expat in Korea, a Facebook group with almost 100 thousand members. People posted about everything from bar hops to getting English medical services and their experiences at their own teaching job. Knowing that others were in the same boat as me made me feel great and helped me to adjust. Another group that I still post to this day is Expat Women in Korea. I really love this group because the women are so uplifting and I even met one of my best friends Emma through the group.

What’s a hanbok?

Hanboks are traditional clothing which Koreans have worn, dating all the way back to 57 BC! While Koreans don’t wear traditional hanboks on a day-today basis anymore, they’re often worn at traditional events like New Year’s Day, weddings, or other special events. They’ve also become more popular in recent years, becoming modernized and even integrated into haute couture styles by the likes of Karl Lagerfeld. 

The short answer: Pretty much anywhere, excluding Jeju Island. Major cities like Busan, Daegu, and Daejeon are all easily accessible by train. My friend took a weekend trip to Pohang (the filming site for the popular K-drama Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha), a more rural city, and had no issues getting there by train. A major plus of public transportation in Korea is that if there’s not a train that can get you to your dream location, there’s definitely a bus that will. In other words, the sky’s the limit. That being said, I highly recommend taking the train for long-distance trips. 

The most common Noraebang in Korea is something called a “Coin Noraebang.” In the past, you would need to use coins to pay per song. Nowadays, coin Noraebangs just mean that you pay per song and not per hour! I highly recommend coin Noraebangs because you don’t need to keep an eye on the clock the entire time. 

Every culture has a love-hate relationship with certain numbers and Korea is no different. The number 4 is considered unlucky because it sounds like the word for “death” (sa). This is why you will see elevators labeled with “F” instead of “4” in many buildings. On the flip side, the number 8 is lucky, symbolizing wealth and prosperity. I’ve taken to choosing 8 whenever I can—plane seats, locker numbers, you name it! We could all use a little more wealth and good fortune and if following this superstition will deliver then I’m all for it.

One of the best parts of living in South Korea is the total independence you have. Given how convenient the country is for daily life and the cost of living for a teacher, this sense of independence is empowering far more often than it is overwhelming. Living in Korea has given me a sense of ease with myself and what I’m capable of as a person, which includes living by myself, saving for the future, and traveling the world. I really believe everyone should get the chance to develop this kind of faith in themselves, and Korea is the perfect place to do it!