Monday, April 18, 2011

Five Things You Should Know Before Travelling to Korea!

Currently, I'm living in Seoul, South Korea and I see lots of foreigners who are visiting Korea. Today, I'll teach you some tips to make your experience in Korea better.

Table Manners in Korea:
1) When you eat in a Korean restaurant, you should never hold up any of the plates/bowls that are on the table. It is considered to be rude if you do so.
(In Japan, it is normal to hold up their bowls while eating because they only use chopsticks while eating but in Korea, they use spoons and chopsticks.)
2) If you're eating with a Korean person and if they're older than you, you should wait until they start eating first. Koreans are very strict in the idea of respecting the elders so Koreans wait until the oldest person in the group starts eating. This is just a tradition that has been made because of the culture of respecting the elders.
3) Like most of the Asian countries, Koreans also use chopsticks while eating. As westerners, using chopsticks is very challenging but if you're planning to travel to Korea, you should definitely learn how to use chopsticks. Watch the video below to learn!



Korean (language):
Before, traveling to Korea, you should learn some of the basic phrases to communicate with Koreans. Many people in Korea know how to speak English, so if you can speak English that will help a lot but it's important to know some phrases in Korean.
1) 안녕하세요 (an nyong ha sye yo?) - Hello/Hi
2) 감사합니다 (k/gam sa ham ni da) - Thank You
3) 네 (nae) - Yes
4) 아니요 (an-ni-yo) - No
5) 여기로 가주세요. (yeo gi ro ga joo sae yo.) - Please take me to this place.
6) 이게 얼마에요? (I-ge ŏl-ma-ye-yo?) - How much is this?



Shopping Places:
1) Coex Mall
- Coex Mall is a great place to visit. There are many shops for shopping, many places to eat, a movie theater, an aquarium, an art gallery, and many more. I recommend you to either ride the subway or ride the taxi to get there. Subway fees are about $1.00 but I recommend you to make a transportation card (T money) and charge it. You can purchase these in the subway stations. Coex Mall is located in Sam Sung Station on the green line. When you get off, there are signs that will lead you to Coex Mall.
2) Rodeo Street
- Rodeo Street is often known as the street of the young. There are many people, coffee shops, and many stores to shop. I recommend you to taste ice cream in the shop named Gustimo. It's really good! Rodeo has many places to shop! I recommend you to ride the taxi to get here because the subway station is far away. If you're within Seoul, it probably won't take more than then dollars to get there but if there's traffic, it might cost more. Try not to travel on the taxi from eight to nine in the morning and six to nine in the afternoon.
3) Dong Dae Moon
- Shops in Dong Dae Moon are very cheep but it's sort of hard to get there. I recommend riding the taxi.
4) Garosoo Street
- Garosoo Street is my favorite place to shop in Korea. Prices are a little bit more expensive than Rodeo Street but they have unique items. If you want to get here on the subway, get off on Shinsa Station and get out from exit 1. I strongly recommend this place!
* Korean department stores are very expensive. Especially, if you're from the U.S. I don't recommend shopping in Korean department stores.
* Some Korean cosmetic shops are very cheap and good for your skin. You can find these shops in the Coex Mall or Rodeo Street.

Weather:
- If you're traveling to Korea during the winter time, I recommend you to pack your thickest and warmest coat or but one if you don't have one yet. During the winter time, Korea is really cold; there are lots of strong winds blowing and you should be prepared for this if you're going to travel in Korea during the winter time.
-If you're planning to go to Korea during the summer, I recommend you to always bring an umbrella. Koreans call it "Jangma" and it's a period of time during the summer where it rains a lot. If you don't want to ruin your clothes during your experience in Korea, I strongly recommend you to bring an umbrella around all the time. Overall, the temperature in Korea during the summer is very hot. Be prepared!
* I want to inform you that Korea's weather forecast is not very trustworthy. Even if the weather forecast says it's not going to rain, bring an umbrella just in case. I'm sure you won't want to waste your money and time buying a new umbrella or waiting until the raining stops.

Watch Out!
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Last but not least. I want to warn you about the Korean "Ajummas". Ajumma is a Korea word which represents the old, married ladies. They aren't mean or anything, actually they are full of warmth. However, sometimes, they're very aggressive and as a foreigner you might think that they're rude. For example, they might curse at you or push you on the subway but don't be too shocked and upset.

I hope today's posting helped some people who are thinking of traveling to Korea. Korea is a very nice place and I strongly recommend you to visit! I hope you have a great experience in Korea!

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