I remember my first week in Busan. I walked into a bank near Kyungsung University with my passport, a smile, and zero knowledge of Korean banking. Two hours later, I walked out with a temporary card, a headache, and a burning question: *Why did they need my alien registration card before I even had my … Read more
I remember sitting in a cramped convenience store near Kyungsung Univ, nursing a banana milk, and staring at my visa expiry date on my phone screen. My heart was racing because I had mixed up the processing times for my D-2 extension, and my flight home was in two weeks. I thought I had it … Read more
— I remember my first year in Hongdae, bouncing between part-time gigs at a guesthouse and a tiny roast chicken bar near the main strip. I was terrified to ask questions about my pay, scared that my boss would call immigration and get my visa cancelled. I worked 12-hour shifts, got paid late, and didn’t … Read more
I remember my first week near Kyungsung Univ. It was 11 PM, I was jet-lagged, starving, and my Korean was limited to “hello” and “thank you.” I opened a delivery app, saw a wall of Korean text, and nearly cried into my empty ramen pot. I ended up walking to a convenience store. It doesn’t … Read more
— I remember my first week in Suwon. I was fresh off the plane, staying in a tiny goshiwon that smelled like kimchi and desperation. I had a job, a phone plan, and zero clue how to find a real apartment. I walked into a real estate office (부동산) near the Suwon Station exit, pointed … Read more
I remember my first week in Daegu, standing in a cramped office near Dongseongro, staring at a contract written entirely in Korean. My heart was pounding. I had no idea if I was being paid correctly, if my overtime was legal, or even if my visa actually allowed me to work the hours my boss … Read more
I spent my first six months in Songdo convinced I was cursed. I’d wave at my neighbors—nothing. I’d smile at the barista—she’d hand me my coffee and look through me like I was a ghost. I tried the “let’s grab a beer” approach with a coworker, and he looked at me like I’d just asked … Read more
— I remember standing in a real estate office in Ansan’s Multicultural Street, clutching a contract written entirely in Korean that I couldn’t read. The landlord was smiling, the agent was nodding, and I was sweating through my shirt, wondering if I was about to sign away three years of savings for a room with … Read more
I remember my first week in Dunsan, staring at my phone at 2 AM, absolutely starving. My Korean was limited to “hello” and “thank you,” and the only thing I knew how to order was pizza from a place that had an English menu. I ended up eating convenience store ramen for the third night … Read more
I remember my first month in Bundang. I walked into a Homeplus, saw the price of a single avocado (₩4,500), and almost had a heart attack. I thought I’d made a huge mistake moving to one of the most affluent districts in Gyeonggi. But after a decade here, I’ve cracked the code. You don’t need … Read more