I remember my first year in Itaewon. I was working at a small bar in the back alleys, and my boss “forgot” to pay me for three weeks of overtime. When I brought it up, he just laughed and said, “Foreigners don’t have rights here.” I believed him for about a day, until I realized … Read more
I’m not proud of the first time I tried to leave Seomyeon Station. I saw the exit for Exit 12, walked up a massive flight of stairs, and found myself staring at a rotating door that led to… a department store bathroom. I had to walk back down, re-tap my card, and navigate the underground … Read more
I remember my first week in Pyeongtaek. I had just moved to a villa near Camp Humphreys, my Korean was limited to “hello” and “thank you,” and I needed to find a specific brand of hot sauce. I spent three hours walking in the humid summer heat, sweating through my shirt, getting hopelessly lost between … Read more
Let me paint you a picture. It’s my first week in Korea, jet-lagged and wandering around Hyehwa-dong near the Marronnier Park. I walk into a small phone shop, exhausted, and just point at a SIM card. The ajusshi behind the counter, smelling of instant coffee, hands me a piece of paper with a price that … Read more
I’m not going to lie to you—I spent my first two years in Korea white-knuckling a rental car in Jeju with an International Driver’s Permit. It worked, but it felt like a ticking time bomb. Every traffic stop (and there were a few), every insurance claim, I was terrified they’d find a loophole and void … Read more
Let me paint you a picture. It’s my third week in Daejeon, my savings are evaporating faster than soju on a Friday night, and I’m staring at a job portal that might as well be in ancient Greek. Every listing asks for “Korean 4级以上” (Level 4+ Korean) or is for a “English Teacher” position that … Read more
— The Hook: The Airport Kiosk Trap I still remember landing at Gimhae Airport, jet-lagged and overwhelmed, and being herded toward a flashy kiosk promising “10GB for only 50,000 won!” I signed up faster than you can say “KakaoTalk.” A week later, my Korean coworker in Haeundae looked at my bill and nearly choked on … Read more
The first summer I spent in Busan, I thought I was going to melt into the pavement near Kyungsung Univ. I remember walking up the hill towards the back gate, my shirt soaked through, the air so thick it felt like I was breathing through a wet towel. The humidity here doesn’t just make you … Read more
I remember my first November in Songdo. I thought I was tough. I wore three layers indoors, drank endless cups of tea, and still felt like I was living inside a meat locker. My apartment was a tomb of cold air. I didn’t know about the ondol, the boiler, or the magic switch on my … Read more
I remember my first solo trip to a Korean *의원* (clinic) in Songdo. I had a raging sinus infection, my head felt like it was in a vice, and my Korean consisted of “annyeonghaseyo” and “kamsahamnida.” I walked in, gestured at my face, and grunted. The receptionist, with the patience of a saint, slid a … Read more