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I’ll never forget my first week in Daegu. I was standing in the middle of Dongseongro, hungry, lost, and desperately trying to order a coffee using only hand gestures and my broken Korean. My phone battery was at 10%, and I had zero data because I’d bought the wrong SIM card. That’s when I realized: … Read more

I remember my first trip to a hospital in Suwon. I was clutching my stomach, sweating through my shirt, and staring at a row of signs in Hangul that might as well have been ancient runes. The receptionist smiled politely, said something I didn’t catch, and I just nodded—hoping it wasn’t a question about my … Read more

I remember my first week in Kyungsung University area. I was staring at a real estate agent’s window, sweating in the Busan humidity, trying to decipher the difference between 전세 and 월세. The agent kept saying “보증금” and “월세” while I nodded like I understood, but my brain was screaming, “Why is the deposit the … Read more

I still remember my first week in Hongdae. I was fresh off the plane, clutching a crumpled paper map, and stood like a deer in headlights at the entrance of Hongdae Station. The subway map was a giant, colorful spaghetti bowl of lines—all in Korean. I missed my stop twice, walked the wrong direction for … Read more

— I remember my first week in Jeju. I was jet-lagged, hungry for a proper meal, and desperately needed a bank account to pay my rent. I walked into a bank with my passport, a smile, and high hopes. Two hours later, I walked out empty-handed, clutching a stack of forms I couldn’t read. The … Read more

I remember standing in the pouring rain on Multicultural Street in Ansan, clutching a soggy tteokbokki cup, watching a bus drive past me for the third time. I was late for work again. That’s when I knew: I had to get a driver’s license in Korea, or lose my mind. The process seemed daunting—especially as … Read more

I remember my first week in Suwon. I was standing in front of a massive, glowing convenience store, starving, holding a bag of chips I couldn’t read, and trying to figure out why my phone wouldn’t load a map. It was 11 PM, I was lost, and I had no cash. That’s when I learned … Read more

I remember my first trip to the Daegu Immigration Office. I had printed every document three times, arrived an hour early, and still felt like I was trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube blindfolded. The lady at the counter spoke rapid-fire Korean, my number was called while I was in the wrong line, and I … Read more

I still remember my first week in Gangnam: I was standing in front of the subway map at Gangnam Station, sweating under my winter coat (because the heating was on full blast), trying to figure out why Line 2 was a circle and why every announcement sounded like a robot having a stroke. I missed … Read more

I remember my first month in Seomyeon. I was teaching English, living off convenience store ramen, and my boss casually mentioned I wouldn’t get paid for the national holiday. I was too scared to argue. I didn’t know my rights. I just nodded, smiled, and fumed silently. If you’re a foreign worker in Busan, don’t … Read more