Seoul is awesome but BIG! It's not your average condensed metropolis like New York City or Chicago. It's spread out such that it takes about an hour and fifteen minutes to get from the west to the east side via subway. Also, the city is divided by the Han River, so you have a north and south side of the city.
The north is older, and the south is newer, such as seen in the infrastructure. Areas below the river are considered, "new money." If you ever heard the song "Gangnam Style," it's a song about people in the Gangnam area (south of the river).
The Han-gang (Han River) is a great place to ride a bike, take a nice walk, kayak, paddle board, and more. The river is about 514 km long with a walk/bike lane for active individuals. If these do not interest you, there are many areas for people looking to relax and enjoy the view. A picnic with a bucket of fried chicken and beer, aka Chi-mak, delivered to your spot by the river is the norm! During the summer months, many people pitch a tent and camp out along the Han River.
Mountains surround Seoul, so there is a lot of hiking! Hiking clothes are the big fashion style for the elders. I was never a hiker before moving to Seoul, but there are some gorgeous mountains that have a 360-degree view of the city.
The nightlife here is insanely awesome! Who knew Koreans were drinkers? NOT ME! People usually pre-game, game, game, game, and then post-game! A bottle of soju costs about $1.50 USD at a local convenience store. Also, drinks at bars are relatively cheap, so a night out drinking doesn't put a damper on your budget; that is, unless, you go out in the Gangnam area, which may cost you an arm and a leg.
Parties here continue to the wee hours of the morning then end with eating at a Korean BBQ (to wash away all the alcohol) spot or passing out at a Jjimjilbang (dry rooms in the public bathhouses).
The Jjimjilbang's have dry, warm rooms which are a haven for people to sleep and sweat out all the alcohol! These public bath houses are enormous; they have restaurants, a nail salon, computer room, pool, restaurants, etc. An individual pays a small entrance fee and stays for X amount of hours. Many of my foreign friends have spent the night in Jjimjibangs until the transit system starts running again. I've heard you feel like a million dollars the next day! I wonder, is this a new cure for a hangover?
I've never been to one after a night out, but I've been to Dragon Hill Spa in Yongsan-gu for a regular spa day. The Jjimjilbangs at Dragon Hill are open 24 hours if you get the sudden urge to check it out one night.
The buses and subways stop running roughly around 12 am-ish then start back up around 5 am-ish. Taxies are pretty cheap compared to other places around the world but catching a cab from Itaewon (foreign-friendly area) at 3 am is like finding oil in the Gobi Desert!
It's against the law for a cab driver to refuse customers but it still happens, and sometimes they try to upcharge you. I've experienced both!
There are two "OTHER" ride options:
Kakao Taxi: Order a cab on the app according to your destination. It's convenient and beats the hassle of hailing a cab and getting rejected for hours. But the downside is, you must have a Korean number as well as understand Korean. Click here to download the app for iPhone and Android users.
UberBLACK: Yes! Seoul has UberBLACK for high-end car service! The cost is a lot higher than standard cab fares. But if you're anxious to get home, it's the best way! But you won't find an Uber in the wee hours of the night.
As mentioned above, the subway stops about 12am-ish; time varies on weekdays and weekends. Download the train app; it provides arrival and departure times for each station. Also, the app helps you get from point A to point B according to your preference (best routes, quickest, fewest transfers). Click here to download the app for iPhone and Android users.
The city buses are very reliable and convenient as well as they run later than the trains. It was easier at times to take the bus than the train because of the unnecessary transfers and taking "the long way." The KakaoBus app is user-friendly and will tell you the routes and the "real-time" bus arrival so you can schedule the exact time to leave your home or work. No more waiting outside in the heat or cold! Click here to download the app for iPhone and Android users.
Single ride purchases are good but if you are staying for a couple of days get a T-money card. The machines for a single ride and the t-money card "ONLY" take cash.
On the train, there are few seats at both ends of each car that are designated for older and disabled people. It's a big NO-NO to sit there.
When frolicking around the city expect to be shoved by elderly people. It seems they always have the right of way!
Spitting still goes on in this country. If a person has something caught in their throat, they will spit while they are walking so watch out!
Many locals are very helpful. If you stop a stranger (most of the time) on the street for directions, they will do everything and anything to make sure you get to your destination. They will take you there without wanting anything from you.
If you accidentally leave your bag on the train, 90 percent of the time it will still be there or at the lost and found. It's against the law to take anyone's belongings even if they are unaccompanied. Many people are scared because CCTV is everywhere, and the punishment is a bit severe for taking another person belongings.
Public restrooms are EVERYWHERE! I'm impressed by this because in NewYork City (NYC) to find a public toilet is hardly possible. Usually, you have to go into an establishment and buy a product just to use the bathroom. In Korea, you can find a public restroom easily. It's clean too!
Individual train stations have lockers to store your stuff. For example, I went shopping and had tons of bags, and I didn't want to carry them with me for the next six hours especially to dinner, so I stored them in a locker until I was on my way home. It's very safe!
Tax credit--If you are working in Korea, every time you shop you should tell the cashier “Hun-Geum-Yong-Su-Jeung (현금영수증).” This will be logged in with the Korean number that is registered to you for tax deduction purposes. Although you need to be spending a lot within a year, it is worth doing!
If you are moving to Korea, something that you need to be careful about is your hair. Yes, Koreans have gorgeous hair, but there are a lot of Koreans that are balding or have thinning hair. Everyone's body chemistry is different, so it might not happen to you. I have friends who do not have this problem as well as friends whose hair has significantly fallen out. One of my friends actually moved back to Michigan and told me that his hair wasn't falling out as much since he has been back.
I have realized my balding is due to the water or air quality. Many doctors blamed it on stress, but I was more stressed out in NYC working three jobs and trying to make ends meet compared to here whereas I am sitting on my butt for four hours, "desk warming," writing my blog or taking naps. I've become quite lazy here! I have disregarded a Korean doctor's diagnosis and came up with my own.
Korea has come a long way of becoming an established country in a short amount of time, but it certainly has a lot of things it still needs to figure out! Koreans don't do well with change. For example, leave out an ingredient in a dish, it's a big NO-NO or requests a drop of milk to an Americano, they can't do it (all firsthand experiences).
When dining out in Korea, tabs are paid in front of the house at the cashier station; a waiter will not settle your bill for you. A majority of Korean restaurants have a buzzer at each table to call for service. Otherwise, you can call someone over by saying Yo-gi-yo (over here) compared to waiting for the server to make the rounds.
Well, that's all I can think of for now... I don't want to spoil your fun of discovering the ins and outs of a new place.
Korea is undoubtedly a fantastic country with lots of cultures! The city of Seoul is worth checking out as well as moving to if you are keen on living in a big Asian city.
Comments