T-Money Card

If you’re going to be living in Seoul, you need to have a T-Money card. What is a T-Money card? It’s a transport card that lets you get ride the subway and bus system here in Seoul and can pay for taxis as well. T-Money can also be used in most cities outside of Seoul.

T-Money cards can be purchased at just about every subway station. If there is not a T-Money card machine (always next to the text dispensers), than you can buy one at the convenience store in the subway. If you buy from a convenience store, you’ll have a lot more options than buying from the machine.

If you get you card from a machine (don’t worry, there’s an English option to make purchasing easier), simply select the card or phone charm that you want and insert your money. Cards cost 3,000 won and there are a few varieties to pick from. If you would rather have a cell phone charm, the cost is 5,000+ won. Depending on the store, there will be several varieties of cell phone charms to choose from.

Getting a T-Money money card is very helpful and cost effective. The usual subway fee is 1,150 won plus a 500 won deposit. The bus fee is also 1,150 won. However, with a T-Money card, the subway and bus fare is 1,050 won (and no deposit). The T-Money card has one more useful option: you can transfer from the subway to the bus or visa versa for free. Without a T-Money card, a transfer to the subway to a bus and visa versa costs an additional 1,150 won.

To charge your T-Money card, you can charge it at the subway station at the charging machines or charge it at most convenience stores (GS-25, 7-11, C&U, etc.) You can charge in amounts of 1,000-90,000 won.  

Outside of Seoul, the Cash Bee card is used. While the T-Money card is accepted outside of Seoul, charging it is a little more difficult. So if you’re not living in Seoul, you should buy a Cash Bee card, not a T-Money a card. Cash Bee cards are not accepted in Seoul. 

If you decide to get buy a T-Money card from a store rather than a vending machine, here is some useful vocabulary:

T-Money 카드가 있어요?  ‘T-Money kadue ga issoyo?’ (Do you have a T-money card?)

이것을 주세요. ‘Igosool juseiyo’ (This one please.)

For more information on T-Money cards, please visit: http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/TR/TR_EN_5_4.jsp

Cheonggyecheon Stream

Cheonggyecheon (청계천) Stream is a 5 mile long stream that runs through Seoul. It is open all year for the residents of Seoul to come and view during the day and night. The Cheonggyecheon also hold events throughout the year.

The Cheonggyecheon start off as an open stream that ran through Seoul. As a matter of fact, most of the stream had been covered by cement. But in the year 2003, Lee Myung-bak (이명박), who was the major of Seoul at the time, initiated a green project to restore the Cheongyecheon. In the year 2005, the Cheonggyecheon was open to the public.

At the entrance of the Cheonggyecheon is a large waterfall. Behind the waterfall is Seoul’s famous sculpture “Spring.” In reality, it looks like a colorful, upside down ice cream cone and is actually kind of ugly. But hey, art. Dotted along the river are also small rock bridges where you can cross to get to the other side.

Cheonggyecheon is most famous for being a “couple hangout” spot. For many couples, it’s a very relaxing walk along a beautiful stream. You can also stop and take a break at some places and stick your feet in the cold stream. The stream is also a favorite for families with small children as certain parts of the stream allow you to play in them.

The Cheonggyecheon’s most famous event is the Seoul Lantern Festival, which is generally held in the fall of each year. The festival is an amazing display of art, lights, and ingenuity. If you are in Seoul during the festival, make sure to check it out. Be warned though; it’s an extremely popular event and therefore usually very crowded. Expect to wait in a long line to get down into the river.

The Cheonggyecheon is truly an urban beauty and is a great place to go and visit with your friends, family, or significant other. The best time to visit is during the spring or summer where the weather is warm enough to stick your feet in and enjoy the stream. 

To get to the Cheonggyecheon, you can take a bus, taxi or subway. If you take the subway, get off at Euljiro 1-ga Station (Seoul Subway Line 2), Exit 2 or 3, Jonggak Station (Subway Line 1), Exit 5, or

Gwanghwamun Station (Subway Line 5), Exit 5.

Itaewon Freedom

I will start off this post by stating my utter disdain for 이태원 (Itaewon), or the foreigner’s district. Known as “Itaewon Freedom,” Itaewon is the old red light district (and still unoffically operates as one) of Seoul, and is a haven for foreigners.
 

 Itaewon Entrance

Many come to Itaewon for the eclectic food, which ranges from American to Australian to Thai, or for clothes since many foreigners cannot fit into small Korean sizes. Many others come for the nightlife at the clubs and the many foreign bars. Others though, come for the gay nightlife in Itaewon, one of the few havens for gays, lesbians, and transgender in Korea.

Itaewon though, can be a dangerous place. As mentioned earlier, it is a red light district (many natives try to claim that it is the former red light district, but no one can deny the throngs of prostitutes that come into the bars at night looking for their next customer). It is one of the few places in Korea where it is not safe for a woman to walk alone at night. Often times, there are people passed out on the streets, aggressive thugs harassing people, as well as an army of drunken foreigners who are not as good at controlling their tempers when inebriated as Koreans are.

A very common sight

While those are the negatives, Itaewon does offer positives. It was the one place in Korea that I could find a hair salon that didn’t butcher my hair (Green Turtle Salon: **EDIT** Green Turtle Hair salon has moved, as well as their amazing hair stylist. His new salon is Salon de Michel, and his salon is located near the main entrance of Itaewon. Please support this awesome hair stylist!), and it offers a little slice of home for many with its collection of foreign food restaurants. It is also one of the few places in Korea where almost everyone speaks English. When you become deprived of your native tongue for a long period of time, you have no idea how refreshing this can be. Itaewon also offers clothes for foreigners, albeit extremely overpriced and with shopkeepers who are not willing to haggle.

Food is the one great positive about Itaewon. The restaurant alley is filled with restaurants that have food from all over the world. From Mexican, to Brazilian, to French, and Japanese, you can find just about any country's food in Itaewon. Be warned though, the food,while mostly very tasty, on average costs a lot more. Expect to pay 15,000-20,000 won per meal on average. 

 

For those who belong to the LGBT community though, it can be the one place where they can feel truly welcome in Korea, which is notoriously homophobic. The so-called “Homo Hill” offers a string of bars and nightclubs for the gay and transgender community (most lesbian bars however are located in Hongdae). It is also the location of Seoul's Gay Pride Parade.

Homo Hill

While many hate Itaewon, myself included, many have an equal amount love it. For foreigners, it should be a place that should be checked out at least once. For some, it will leave a bad taste in their mouth, for others, it will become a second home. 

Dealing with the Reverse

Reverse culture shock doesn’t just hit you when it comes to classes, with how you dress, or how you eat. It hits all aspects of your life, from how you interact with others to simply missing the culture that became your life for an extended period of time.

I lived in Korea for a year and half. It was simply an amazing, fantastic, describable yet indescribable experience. Korea became my life. It became how I talked, how I walked, ate, slept, studied, and interacted. It dominated my way of thinking. It became my second set of lungs, bringing me vital oxygen to sustain my life.

Now, displaced, my second set of lungs is now shrinking. I am suffocating.

I go to bed early, no reason to stay up. I wake up early, there is studying to do. I eat small meals, all low in fat. Why mess up the balance in my body with something fried? Every facet of my life, I find I am comparing it with Korea. It is whirling me into a deep depression that I am struggling to swim my way out of.

On Sunday, I turned 21. Even though my mom had traveled 6 and a half hours to see me, even though my old friends slapped together a party for me, I still cried. I cried as I read messages from Korea. I cried as my Korean and International friends wished me a happy birthday. I heaved as my body ached to be back home in Seoul, surrounded by familiar sights, sounds, tastes, and talks.

I angered myself as I cried. There was no reason. I am home. I need to get used to it. But that is like telling broken toe to stop hurting.

My anger with myself fueled me to change. I cannot live in a rut. The only one who can improve the situation is me. So, I have begun to take steps to help me tackle this mountain of reverse culture shock.

Firstly, one of the things I am suffering from the most is the lack of international exposure. For a year and a half, I was rarely around Americans, and though on one hand it is great to be amongst my people again, it is a struggle because I now cannot interact with the many cultures that I once did. To tackle this hill, I have joined two clubs. The first club is the Conversation Partner Program where I help international exchange students improve their English. The second club is the Foreign Diplomats where I will assist students who are about to go abroad.

After this, finding a job to fill any free time will be of utmost importance. I’m used to being busy every second of the day. Lag time frustrates and depresses me. I will try to find a job that will expose me to international students or at the very least, some other part of Texas other than Lubbock.

I never thought I would have to deal with reverse culture shock, or at least deal with it in the way that I am. So I must take steps to rid myself of it. Small steps, yes, but steps nonetheless. 

Packing for Home

They say that packing to go to your destination is the hardest part, but in reality, it’s packing to go home.

Coming to, you only have to worry about what to bring, and what ever is missing can be purchased upon arrival. But, packing to go home, whatever you leave stays behind. Whether that be a sock, a friend, a favorite coffee shop, or boyfriend. If these are not packed, they stay behind forever.

These things last as memories. They last a receipts kept in you wallet, ticket stubs tossed in your purse, pictures on your camera that you never got around to uploading. The strongest thing you have to keep is a memory of brilliant smile.

What I remember here? Who will I remember? Will I remember the feeling of 삼겹살 (samgyeopsal, pork belly) as it burns my tongue, the bitter taste of 소주 (soju, Korean vodka) as I do it in “원셧!” (One shot!), the sight of street vendors selling every knick-knack that you can think of?

As I pack things into my suitcase, I trace my hand across my Korea University shirts. At Texas Tech, I only own one shirt that I bought quickly before a football game, but here, I have over 6 shirts with Korea University proudly displayed on the front along with several sweaters of the same variety. Why have I collected these? Will these things be my memory of students who have given me my most cherished memories?

I can only hope as I pack my remaining souvenirs into my bag, that I will return to Korea one day. I have lived here for so long and have become so comfortable calling it my home. How can I not come back when this place has become all that I love and know?

The Last Day

I didn’t really think about. With projects and finals crushing down on me, I didn’t even have time to think about. Sleepless nights, caffeine overload, a burst eye vessel from too much studying—so many things to make you go numb to what you’re supposed to be feeling.

I raised my head from my desk as my 5 a.m. alarm went off, warning me that I was stupid and fell asleep while studying. Groggily, I rubbed my eyes, and stretched, cramming for the last few precious hours I had before my last final. As I slipped on fresh clothes and packed up my bag, I looked at my table and saw my camera. In an instant, emotion ran to the back of my throat—today was my last day at Korea University.

I began cursing myself, angry that I let myself get so overwhelmed with school that I didn’t let myself enjoy the last few precious moments that I had at this wonderful place. Before running out the door, I quickly snatched my camera; I don’t know why, the day was grey and I would be meeting no one since they were just like me, too absorbed in their books.

Rushing to the bus, I ran through cold air, trying not to think about my final, and least of all, my time coming to a close. When I arrived at the school, I sat in the business lounge, like I had so many times before. Seated in a plush red chair, I looked around at the astounding room. Glass reaching the ceiling three stories high, couches and tables neatly aligned for comfort and efficiency, students leaning over papers, desperately cramming in the final minutes before their test. I breathed deeply. Would this be my last breath here?

When the final ended, I walked out of class, thinking of going straight to my bus stop so that I could go home and get some much needed sleep, but I paused as I took out my gloves. I wanted to stay here, just for a little bit longer. So I shoved my gloves back into my bag and began to walk down Korea University’s famous underground passage. With each step I took, I inhaled deeply and memorized every detail that I could.

Will I remember how my shoes clack on marble floors? Will I remember the smell of books from the libraries that line the hall? Will I remember the intricate patterns on the floor that I have ignored so many times before? Will I forget the frustration every time someone suddenly stops in front of me? As I reached the end of the hall, I looked back at the crowd of students behind me, desperately trying to get into a study lounge. Will this be the last time I see it?

I left the warmth of the underground to the harsh cold outside, but suddenly, it didn’t feel cold. I felt so warm. I looked around me as I watched students run to their final and couples meander down the street. I thought of the times when these people who I barely knew helped me in my times of need, people who barely knew me who would smile and talk to me when they saw I was alone, people who filled the university with the love and warmth that Korea is famous for.

As I walked around every last inch of campus, I remembered all the friends who I had met over the last year and a half. Who would I remember them 10 years from now? Who would remember me? Will I ever forget this place that I have called my home for so long?

I sat down at the bench near the main gate, looking at the gorgeous architecture that Korea University possessed, and began to be filled with bittersweet thoughts. My time here was been a blessing. The people I have met, the places I have been, I do not have the words to describe how wonderful they are. My life here has been nothing short of amazing, and I find myself shocked with how comfortable I am calling this place home. But…

Will I ever come back?

Rain Farewell Concert

I’ll say this right off the bat, I’m not a huge K-pop fan. Actually, I really don’t like it all. But, I have been living in Korea for such a long period of time that I figured I should eventually go to one. The problem was, I didn’t like any K-pop band enough to actually pay for a ticket to go and see them (with the exception of TVXQ, because they defy amazing).

One day, a friend of mine posted on Facebook about a free K-pop concert, and being college student, the word “free” instantly caught my eye. One of Korea’s biggest stars (if not the biggest), Rain (or Bi), was giving one farewell concert before his mandatory military enlistment, where he would be spending the next two years.

It was the perfect opportunity. One, it was free, and two, it was in Seoul, which meant that I didn’t have to pay for an expensive train ticket to get there (remember the whole not wanting to pay thing; that included transportation). So, I grabbed my roommate and we headed down to the concert.

Our first thought upon arrival was dear lord, we forgot how popular this man is. Though we arrived 3 hours early, there was still almost nowhere to stand and see the stage.

We eventually managed to find a spot, though we had a nice crane and tree blocking the middle of the stage. After standing for 3 hours, the concert finally started and the 10,000+ member audience roared with applause.

Rain sang with great passion (though he was having microphone troubles, which made his singing quite hard to hear at times, and displayed his signature (and amazing dance moves.

As the concert came to a close, we noticed that Rain had not done one thing—display his signature abs. He did not disappoint.

After drying off from dancing in the rain, Rain returned to the stage to say his farewell to the audience. He thanked us for our support for the last 10 years, and how wonderful it is that we turned out to say farewell to him. He talked about joining the air force, and that he hoped, when he returns in 2 years, that we will love him just the say as we loved him that night. There was not a dry eye in the audience.

But ending on a sad note has never been Rain’s style, so he left us with one final anthem, the Party Rock Anthem.

(They danced to this for about 10 minutes)

In the end, I was glad that I went. Rain proved to be entertaining and I could finally say that yes, I have been to a K-pop concert.

On an end note, RAAAAAIIIIIIIN!!!!!!!

Stephen Colbert vs Rain - Dance Off by stephencolbert

Injustice Against Foreign Women

This story is a little dated, but the what it tells is still the same today--there is little justice for foreign women who are assaulted here in Korea.

http://rokdrop.com/2006/03/15/sexual-assualts-in-korea/

I have several foreign friends who have been assaulted during my time here in Korea, and the answer from the police is always the same--no help, only condescending responses. Even those who work in the Women Clinics have been prejudiced against my friends, often calling the assaults against them their fault.

Last year, I was attacked in a stairwell by a drunk man. I was lucky enough to have a friend close by who heard my shouts and was able to pull the man off of me. The establishment that we were at called the police to arrest the man, and when they came, they took my friend's name and number as well as mine. Neither of us ever heard back from the police.

Last week, I went dancing in a popular club area here in Seoul. My friend and I danced until the club was closed, and while we waited outside for her friend to come and pick us up, we had men from the club come up to us and proposition us to go to a motel. It got to the point when they were grabbing and groping at me while I was yelling in Korean telling them to stop, let go of me, and stop touching me. When one of them forcefully grabbed my wrist and tried to pull me away with him, I went to my last resort and pushed against him with all my might, and told him in Korean to "@#$% off!" (Cussing in Korean is often a very effective way to make a Korean man go away). I managed to free myself from his grasp and ran away as fast as I could. I ended up running a little over a mile away before feeling sure enough and safe enough to stop. So when all other things fail, run, just run away as fast as you can.

Things like this should serve as a caution to all foreign women living here in Korea. Be careful. There are many Korean men who will invite you to go to a restaurant to drink or Noraebang (Karaoke) with them, and to bluntly honest, their motives are purely sex. So decline these invitations. Be aware of how much you are drinking (as well as what you are drinking because the spiking of drinks is becoming more commonplace in Korea now) as well as your surroundings.

If worst comes to worst, and you are assaulted, the US consulate here in Korea has provided some information on what to do, and where to get help.

http://www.asktheconsul.org/victims_crime_korea.pdf

Weird Things

This past weekend, I went to Chucheon. We had a little surprise on the subway.

After leaving the train, at Seoul Station, one of the largest televisions in the world played something that I can only describe as distinctly asian.

The warm-up exercise is known as "새마을 은동" or "Sae ma eul un dong". It's an old warm-up exercise, and has taken on a bit of cultural significance to Koreans.

Breaking a Bone

Believe it or not, this not the first time I have a broken a bone in Korea. Nor is it the second. It is actually the 3^rd time. How is this possible? Quite honestly, I don’t have an answer to that. This post is about what to do when you break a bone in Korea.

We’ll start with my first experience, from last year when I feel down in the ice and broke my elbow. When I told my friends that my elbow was broken, they at first didn’t believe but soon came to realize that it was indeed broken. At the time, we had a Korean friend with us who doubted that my elbow was broken. He told me, even if it was broken, if I went to the emergency room at night (which it was then), then all the staff would do would be to put some ice on it, maybe a splint, and sending me home with a $300 bill. I didn’t believe him, but none of my friends would escort me to the hospital, so I had to wait until the morning until one of my friends who could translate could help me at the hospital.

I went to Korea University Hospital, which is one of the best hospitals in Korea (and was conviently right next to my dorm). They didn’t take my insurance card and I had to pay cash up front, about $200 (though my insurance would later reimburse me for this). The doctors took an x-ray, determined that yes, my elbow was indeed broken. I was fortunate because that day for elbow specialist was there, and I received excellent treatment when it came to fixing my elbow.

Fast-forward about 5 months, and I am 2 days from going home. I got knocked over by a man and ran my wrist into the counter, successfully breaking it. I refused to acknowledge to my friends that I had indeed broken my wrist and did not get it treated until I returned back to America.

For the most recent incident, I managed to break my ankle. Being the clumsy person I am, I was leaving a friend’s dormitory when I took a wrong step on some uneven cobblestone and came falling to the ground. I heard a nice, loud snap as I fell and instantly knew what had happened. The problem was that it was about 9 o’clock at night, and I remembered the story my Korean friend once told me. But I was in agony and knew that I needed to get to the hospital.

I was lucky enough to have two friends escort me to the hospital, the nearest being Korea University Hospital, whose support I appreciated greatly as we tried to navigate the way to the emergency room with the help of a Korean friend translating on the phone. When we finally arrived to the emergency room, we quickly realized that we wanted to leave. There was not a single doctor present, only interns who didn’t know what they were doing.

After playing with my ankle in many agonizing ways, I was finally sent to get an x-ray, but not before I shelled out $250 for it (my insurance wasn’t taken there). After my x-ray, an intern came out to greet me saying, “I can’t see a serious break, but I’m pretty sure you have a hairline fracture, but I can’t tell. So I’m going to put you in a splint and you need to come back in 5 days and see a real doctor so he can tell you if it’s broken or not.”

Silence hit the 3 of us as soon as those words left his lips. Alas, I was in agony and decided a splint was better than nothing. Before that though, I had to pay an additional $150 for said splint. After paying, I was escorted into the casting room where the same intern sat nervously looking at my foot.

Now, I’m not someone who’s weak to pain. I have a fairly high pain tolerance and can handle a lot more than most, so when I say it hurts, IT HURTS! I was sobbing and screaming in pain yelling “아파요!” (Apayo!, That hurts!), and “하지마!” (Hajima!, Stop it!), as the intern fumbled with my broken ankle. As I sobbed, I heard my friends cry, and I tried not to imagine the sight that the doctor and I were creating. Once finished, the doctor lopsidedly smiled at me and said, “Come back in 5 days,” before quickly leaving the room.

As the doctor left, I struggled to get up from my lying position. My wonderful friends were kind enough to help me sit up and held me as I, white with pain, began to sob, having endured one of the painful moments of my life.

The doctor came back shortly and handed me a prescription for pain medication. We were then directed to the pharmacy where they handed me my medicine. My friends asked for crutches for me, and the pharmacist looked at me, my right leg in a huge splint up to my knee, and frankly said, I didn’t need it.

As soon as my wonderful friends took me home in a cab and delivered me safely to my room, I realized how much I was really going to need those crutches, because even with the splint on, I could not put any weight onto my foot.

This became more of a challenge when I had to attend school, which I could not afford to miss because I had a midterm that Monday and strict attendance policies in my remaining classes.

On Wednesday, I volunteered at the Fire Department, helping them film a training video. Whilst there, the paramedics noticed my splint and pointed out to me what I already knew—the intern had put the splint on wrong. And with great generosity, the paramedics at the Seongbuk-gu fire station put on a new splint for me—for free.

So, if sick or injured, unless it is life threatening, DO NOT go to an emergency in Korea at night. Wait until morning, where the price will be cheaper, and there will be doctors present.

Lotte World

What do you do when you really want to go to Disneyland, but it’s all the way across and ocean? Go to a rip-off of course!

Lotte World is South Korea’s equivalent of Disneyland complete with a Magic Castle. Despite lacking the magic that Disneyland possesses, Lotte World makes a fair stand and is actually a pretty great place to go for the day.

My friends and I start the day off early, arriving at the amusement park at about 9:30 in the morning. The goal was to arrive early so that we may ride all the rides before it got too crowded.

Upon entering, we are instantly greeted with an amazing site of an indoor amusement park. In front of us, huge carnival style decorations litter the sidelines, above us, balloons with people inside float through the sky.

Of course, we are all taken with a frenzy to snap our cameras away, desperate to capture this new, magical land. Instantly, mascots run up to us, desperate to have the foreigners take pictures with them.

After the mascot bombardment, we make our way to the first of the rides, as swinging ship. By American standards, the ride is nothing extreme and nothing beyond your normal swinging ship, but by Korean standards, I realized that it could be quite terrifying. My Korean friends were genuinely terrified by the ride.

Afterwards, we decided the inside was too small and ventured out to the second half of the part—the outside. Beyond a glassed in walkway and frosted doors, we are welcome the site of a giant Disney-esque castle towering above. Excited to be in what we determine to be the actual theme park, we venture around exploring the different rides.

Eventually, 3:00 p.m. rolls around and what had been a relatively quiet park suddenly turned into a bustling mass of people. Trying to make our way onto rides soon proved to be hassle, often waiting for a ride for over an hour. During these rides, we entertained ourselves by looking for the names of popular K-Pop bands scribbled upon the walls.

After dealing with the frustrations of the lines, we made our way back inside to be treated by a parade…

And soon after, an amazing cultural performance.

To say that Lotte World is Disneyland would be overstating what it is, but in reality, Lotte World is wholly unique featuring an interactive indoor and outdoor amusement part that really goes above and beyond your typically amusement park when it comes to entertaining its guest. My recommendation is that if you ever go to Korea, go to Lotte World—it’s something that simply can’t be missed. Just make sure to go in the morning ;)

To Grow a Rock

There is a saying in Asia, “Watch the rock grow.” Knowing this saying is integral to understanding the culture. For many westerners, the saying may be confusing because, after all, a rock does not grow.

Watching a rock grow means learning patience, as well as finding peace. You will learn patience by watching something that will not change, and find peace by learning patience.

There are many frustrations when it comes to moving to another country. Firstly, you are displacing yourself from something that you have known your entire life. Secondly, many of the cultures around the world are different from the one that you are used to. This usually leads to culture shock.

Culture shock comes in many different forms and affects every person differently. As much as I try to say that I am immune to culture shock, I am not. For example, I often times find myself frustrated in certain situations, a common symptom of culture shock.

Korean culture can come as a great shock to many westerners. Everything is done very last minute, and rarely is anything ever set in stone. Plans are made the day before or day of, and deadlines of contracts are almost never met. For instance, as I mentioned earlier in this blog, I was informed 1 week before I came to Korea that I had nowhere to live. In the west, this delay of notification would be unacceptable, but in Korea, it’s the norm, there is nothing wrong with informing someone of something last minute, even if it’s as important as telling someone that they have nowhere to live.

Other frustrations come from the general lack of organization. I had great difficulty registering for classes because everything was full and they weren’t letting any exchange students (who are the last to register) into any full classes like they previously had. I realized that when I got upset over this, that things change—nothing will every stay the same.

I fully realized that when I had to go to the immigration office to apply for my alien registration card. Having been through the process once before, I made sure that I had all the proper forms with me, the exact same forms that I had brought with me the time before. After waiting in line for 2 ½ hours, I approached the desk only for the receptionist to tell me that one of my forms was wrong and that for a D-2 visa (student visa), a Certificate of Admission was no longer the proper form, and I now had to have a Certificate of Enrollment. “Sorry,” she said. “Just come back another time.” This meant that I would have to come back, miss my classes again, and wait in yet another long line. I wanted to cry, but one must learn patience to accept things as they are.

If something doesn’t happen in just the way you want it to, like you don’t get the classes that you want, or you’re frustrated that you have to walk everywhere. Stop. Take a moment. Find a rock and watch it grow.

Know that nothing will go as expected. Be prepared for what will or will not happen. Don’t get frustrated when things don’t go as planned. Learn to be fluid. Like a plant in a stream—bend with the current of the water.

The Subway

The Seoul subway is super easy to use, and it is a wonderful form of transportation that can get you just about anywhere in Seoul. The entire map of the subway is in each station both in Korean and in English, so it’s easy to navigate. Once you have paid, there are more detailed maps where the subway cars arrive. These maps will let you know where to transfer and what car is best to get in when transferring.

To get a ticket for the subway, there are ticket machines inside of each station. All machines have an English language option available, so it’s easy to use and get a ticket for where you need to go. Simply click on One-Way Ticket and select the station that you want to go, and then insert your money. If staying long-term in Seoul though, getting a T-Money card is recommended. With a T-Money card, riding the subway is cheaper and way easier because you don’t have to stand in line every time you want to ride the train. A T-Money card can be bought at most 7-11’s and can be bought at several subway stations. A T-Money card dispenser is different from a ticket dispenser. It will usually advertise that it’s a T-Money card dispenser. The cost of a T-Money card is 3000 원 (“won” pronounced ‘wahn’) and it also comes with a coupon pack exclusively for foreigners. You’ll have to recharge your T-Money card every once and a while though. To recharge your card, simply go to one of the ticket dispensing machines and put your card in the big spot that says “T-Money”, click the English language, select card recharge and the amount that you want to put on your T-Money card, and then insert the amount selected. Wait for the machine to prompt you that the card has recharged and you’re ready to go! Another great thing about T-money cards is that they not only can be used in the subway, but that can be used on buses, taxis, and even some convenience stores and department stores as well. It’s a must have for transportation in Seoul.

The cost of one subway ticket is 1000 won (or roughly $1) for the first 30 minutes and 100 won for each additional 10 minutes. A ticket machine is available at each station and will cost 1500 won or more depending on the length of your trip. After leaving the subway, there will be machine where you can return you ticket for a 500 won refund. With a T-Money card, it’s 900 won for the first 30 minutes on the train and 100 won for each additional 10 minutes, and you don’t have to go through the hassle of retuning your ticket every time.

To get around the subway though, you will have to do some transferring. Transferring is fairly simple with Seoul’s grid-like structure. When transferring to a different line, look out for that line’s color on the wall. For example, if you’re transferring to line 6 heading towards Korea University Station, you’ll want to look out for the burnt orange line that runs across the wall. Follow the arrows in the line, and it will take you to the line that you need. But be careful! Most of the time, the cars for a particular line are in the same spot, but sometimes, they are on other ends of the station so to speak. Also, each line has two cars running in opposite directions, so watch out for both of these or you’ll end up going in the opposite direction that you want to go. So, when transferring, look for the last subway stop on each side of the line, and then remember the last station for the direction that you want to go in. This works best when the subway line is separated, but when the subway cars are together, the last station isn’t listed and you have to look at the subway line’s map to know which direction you want to go to. It’s sounds hard, but after two or three times on the subway, it’ll become super easy to navigate.

Here are some things to look out for though in the Seoul subway:

The subway is jam packed during rush hours which are 7:30-9:00 a.m. and 5-6:30 p.m. so try to avoid those hours if possible, just for comfort reasons. Last train is from about 12:00-12:30 a.m. Mon.-Thu. and 11:30-12:00 a.m. Fri.-Sun. varying from station to station. Last train is always crowded but if intoxicated or if you don’t want to spend money on a taxi, try to make last train. First train is 5:30-6:00, so if after a late night, you decide you don’t want to pay for a cab, just wait around the station until the train arrives (a favorite is going to McDonald’s or Burger King for most, but others enjoy going inside the station and sleeping on the benches until the train arrives).

Another subway warning is the older people. The last six seats on each end of each car are reserved specifically for the elderly, so do not sit in these seats. It is also polite that if all those reserved seats are taken to give up your spot for an elder person (as well as a pregnant woman, small children, or someone who is disabled). The elderly can also be quite rough on the subway when it comes to getting a seat on the crowded cars. Old women are known for their deadly elbows: when someone is in their way on the subway, some will elbow you to get you to move out of the way. Since Korean women are quite short and the older women hunch over to boot, the elder women’s elbow are quite literally on par with the groin area for many westerners. I have had quite a good jab or two to the baby-maker to make me keel over and gasp for breath. Old women can also be very violent when it comes to getting on and off the subway. They will have their elbows locked, ready to jab anyone who gets in their way of entering of leaving the subway car, so beware. Older men are not as “violent” as the women, but they are known to take their thumbs and jam it into the spines of the men who get in their way. Thankfully I am a woman so I have never experienced this, but a quite a few of my male friends have.

Another warning is something that you won’t be able to do anything about it. If you’re a westerner (with no Asian looks), you will be stared at wherever you go. This can sometimes get uncomfortable on the subway when Korean purist (i.e. a Korean who thinks Korea should only be for Koreans) gets on. Usually, they’ll just mutter mean things under their breath, or menacingly glare at you. Occasionally though, as I’ve experienced, you’ll get one that wants to turn it into a fight. One night my friends and I were coming home from a movie and an old, drunk, Korean man got on the train. He instantly came up to our tall, American friend and started yelling at him. The old man even went to the point of knocking off our friend’s hat. The best thing to do in this situation is simply to walk away and go to another car. The worst thing to do is to get into a full-on confrontation. If a foreigner gets into a fight with a Korean, no matter who started it, the foreigner runs a high risk of getting deported. Keep that in mind when a Korean tries to fight you.

Other than extremists, you also have to think about people who are just, well, crazy. The other day I was on my way home from school when an old woman got on. Her eyes got really wide, and she started pointing at me. I looked around to see if I was doing anything wrong, like standing in the aisle or blocking her or someone else’s way, but I wasn’t. The woman slowly walked around me, pointing and staring at me the whole time. As she did, it caught the whole train car’s attention and now I have 30+ people staring at me. I take out my earphones to try and hear if she’s saying anything to me, but she’s not. Eventually, everyone realizes that I’m doing nothing wrong and they ignore the woman who is very obviously mentally unstable. The woman continues to stare and point at me for two stops until she gets off, but she makes sure that her eyes and her finger are pointed at me until I finally leave her line of site. Honestly, it was the weirdest experience I’ve ever had on the subway, and though I don’t think that this is something that would be a common occurrence, just be aware that things like that could happen.

Though it can be confusing at first, the subway is great tool to get around Seoul, so utilize it. After a week or two, using the subway will be like second nature, and very little confusion will remain.

A great site to use though, if confusion arises is: http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/TR/TR_EN_5_1_4.jsp

This site lists all of the Seoul Subway stops and the time it takes to get from one station to another. It makes a wonderful tool for getting around, and I found myself using it on a near daily basis.