I remember my first month in Suwon—staring at a convenience store kimbap and a 4,000-won Americano, wondering how I’d make it to payday without blowing my entire budget on overpriced fried chicken. The struggle is real, especially when you’re new and every sign looks like a mystery. But after a decade here, I’ve cracked the … Read more
I remember my first trip to Homeplus in Suwon. I was a fresh-faced expat, clutching a calculator, trying to figure out if a single bell pepper was worth my entire lunch budget. I left empty-handed, defeated by a wall of kimchi I couldn’t read and a checkout lady who sighed at my wrinkled 50,000 won … Read more
I remember my first Gangnam apartment hunt: I was fresh off a 12-hour flight, jet-lagged, and convinced I could just “find a nice place on Airbnb and extend.” Two weeks later, I was staring at a contract written entirely in Korean, with a deposit amount that made my bank account cry. The agent kept smiling … Read more
I’ll never forget my first week in Jeju. I was trying to catch a bus from the airport to Seogwipo, staring at a route map that looked like a rainbow had exploded. Every line was in Korean, the digital signs were flashing numbers I didn’t recognize, and the driver just looked at me like, “You … Read more
I’ll never forget my first week in Jeju: I smiled warmly at a neighbor, offered a polite “annyeonghaseyo,” and got a stiff nod in return. For days, I thought I’d done something wrong. Turns out, I just hadn’t learned the cultural script yet. After a decade here—from Seoul’s chaos to Jeju’s quiet coasts—I’ve decoded the … Read more
I remember my first month in Hyehwa, staring at a 5,000 won gimbap and wondering how I’d make it to payday. The campus energy was electric, but my wallet was screaming. I learned fast that surviving here isn’t about fancy brunches—it’s about knowing where to find a decent meal for under 4,000 won. Here’s the … Read more
I remember my first month in Sinchon, sitting alone at a café near Yonsei University, watching groups of Korean students laugh over iced americanos. I had the language app, the right clothes, and a desperate hope someone would just talk to me. Spoiler: they didn’t. And that’s when I realized making Korean friends as an … Read more
I remember my first week in Hyehwa. I was trying to get from Exit 2 to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, but I kept circling the same GS25 convenience store. The map app said “walk 3 minutes,” but every turn felt like a maze. I finally asked an ajumma for help, and … Read more
I remember my first month in Busan, staring at my bank account and realizing my savings were evaporating faster than soju at a hof. I was desperate for a part-time job, but every “Help Wanted” sign seemed to speak only Korean. If you’re an international student at Kyungsung University, you’re in a prime spot—but the … Read more
I remember my first month in Ansan, staring at a bank account that seemed to shrink faster than my patience with Korean convenience store ramen. I was living off triangle kimbap and instant coffee, convinced that eating well in Korea meant draining my wallet. Then I discovered Ansan’s Multicultural Street—a lifeline for broke expats and … Read more