Ask me about living in South Korea
- Thread starter SuperUberBob
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This is the most popular band in Korea.
The band name is 2NE1 and aren't really too bad. I would avoid "Lollipop" and "Try To Copy Me" as they are horrific. However, I do like "I Don't Care".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdciKPEDnKI
What's it like getting a visa to work there?
Oh and technology wise, I hear it's like living 10 years in the future, insane mobile phones and hoover robots and stuff being pretty common. You noticed anything of the sort yourself?
What is the living costs there like? Cost of food from a shop/in a restaurant, rent for an apartment, that sort of thing. More or less spare cash than what you're used to where you're originally from (Assuming USA from your earlier posts)?
Can't say I'm surprised by the amount of people asking about North Korea, s'like being British, all anyone asks is 'Are there REALLY that many cameras about?'. Just what people see on the news I guess, hah.
Oh and technology wise, I hear it's like living 10 years in the future, insane mobile phones and hoover robots and stuff being pretty common. You noticed anything of the sort yourself?
What is the living costs there like? Cost of food from a shop/in a restaurant, rent for an apartment, that sort of thing. More or less spare cash than what you're used to where you're originally from (Assuming USA from your earlier posts)?
Can't say I'm surprised by the amount of people asking about North Korea, s'like being British, all anyone asks is 'Are there REALLY that many cameras about?'. Just what people see on the news I guess, hah.
It's a long, frustrating process. Lots of paperwork.Danzaivar said:
No. Myth.
Yes, I am from the US. Eating at Korean restaurant is dirt cheap. I can get a dinner for 2 for less than $5. Foreign restaurants are extraordinarily expensive though. My rent is paid for by my school. Food varies. Generally, fruits and vegetables are very cheap. Things like beef and dairy products are fairly expensive. Any foreign or specialty foods will be very overpriced ($10 for a small bottle of maple syrup).
I am able to keep half of my paycheck if I am a modest spender. I'm coming back from Korea soon with about $10,000 saved up. Would be more but I had a bunch of unexpected expenses kick in.
In South Korea? No.
Quite a bit. The South Korean government imposes enormous tariffs on import products, especially electronic (mainly because Samsung has a huge political influence in Korea). Eventually, the cost of production of these foreign electronics (Apple being the most prominent example) is low enough where they can be sold profitably. However, they are still obscenely expensive. You can buy Tommy Hilfiger and GAP jeans at some malls as well. You'll see plenty of Nike sportswear in various stores but again, expensive.Pokeylope said:
There are no American-specific theaters. However, they will show all major movies and some not so major ones. I was able to see Star Trek, X-Men and Watchmen in theaters in South Korea. Most of my students have seen Avatar.
Western music is a niche genre here. So, you rarely hear it on out in public. Korean pop music is simply too popular to overcome. Popular artists in America are also popular here. Singers such as Mariah Carey, Lady GaGa, Avril Lavinge and Beyonce are fairly popular here. Linkin Park has a small following as well.
do they know much of anything about rock and roll? zeppelin and such? if not you could blow some minds!SuperUberBob said:
Also, is their interest in food as extensive as ours? you mentioned they have a certain pride in their cuisine, is it tough to find Italian food? or a good Mexican restaurant or what have you?
Very few know anything about American classic rock. A few might know Jimi Hendrix, but if I played any of his songs I don't think they'd realize it was him. They have no interest in it as it is the complete opposite of what they spend their every waking hour listening to.Pokeylope said:
It's not hard to find them. There aren't a lot of them outside of big cities. Busan has incredible burritos place down along Haeundae Beach. Used to be my routine stop after I finished gambling it up at The Paradise. Most foreign food restaurants are very expensive and tend to be foreigners only. There aren't a lot of these places in my area, but Seoul has plenty of food options. Changwon (city next to mine) has a great Indian food and Italian food restaurant. Expensive though.
I'm actually moving to Masan in a couple of days!! Just wanted to ask about the city, mainly how easy it is to grocery shop, find restaurants, and what kind of nightlife it has. I am working at a public school and living fairly central. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!!
It's the weed man, I know... I'm canadian hahahaThe Undoer said:I'm not Korean, but I like canadians!ShawnRiles said:Always seem like such a jolly bunch.
You said Pop is popular there (No Pun intended). That makes me think, what does SKorea think of Metal and it's subgenre's? Specifically Black Metal.
HEY! I have an idea, why not ask some random teenagers to listen to a song I'll give you a link to, and see how they like it and get back to me??? Maybe ask them some questions about SKorea's opinion on Metal?
Here's the song if you decide to answer this question in the in-depth(ish) way I described lol (HEY! Maybe you could make a video of it and translate it! That'd be SOO COOL!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck8Oq-s-QK4
HEY! I have an idea, why not ask some random teenagers to listen to a song I'll give you a link to, and see how they like it and get back to me??? Maybe ask them some questions about SKorea's opinion on Metal?
Here's the song if you decide to answer this question in the in-depth(ish) way I described lol (HEY! Maybe you could make a video of it and translate it! That'd be SOO COOL!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck8Oq-s-QK4
How common is Park as a last name?
Also: Is Park and Pak different Western spellings of one name, or are they two different names?
Also: Is Park and Pak different Western spellings of one name, or are they two different names?
Sorry about being away from this thread. I left the country shortly after I stopped posting in the thread. I just assumed that it was dead.
I'm heading back for another teaching gig at the end of November. So, come back from the dead!
Illegal drugs are almost non-existent and penalties for breaking those laws are pretty severe. If you're looking to get high all day, go somewhere else.
Check earlier in the thread for your other question.
Like Japan, K-Pop music artists have a short shelf life and don't make as much money as western artists. Groups often mutually break up to do solo projects, then come back together to do group projects again. They are also extremely pervasive in advertising (mostly cell phones) and many of the big stars have acting roles in popular Korean TV shows.
I'm heading back for another teaching gig at the end of November. So, come back from the dead!
The violent crime rate is extremely low. The most common violent crimes are domestic abuse and DUI. However, domestic abuse is rarely reported and police officers do a laughable job at enforcing DUI laws.Valkyrie101 said:
Illegal drugs are almost non-existent and penalties for breaking those laws are pretty severe. If you're looking to get high all day, go somewhere else.
Check earlier in the thread for your other question.
Korean metal music is nearly non-existent. The modern Korean music industry is very young, at most 20 years old. Thus, it is less diversified. They are extremely focused on one single group and all of the songs are fluffy songs that tend to focus on love or a love-related theme. That single group is easy to market to and they make big bucks for the record companies. Until teenagers get tired of hearing similar songs about the same topic, I can't see the industry expanding beyond that.Guttural Engagement said:
Like Japan, K-Pop music artists have a short shelf life and don't make as much money as western artists. Groups often mutually break up to do solo projects, then come back together to do group projects again. They are also extremely pervasive in advertising (mostly cell phones) and many of the big stars have acting roles in popular Korean TV shows.
I'm back. Well, not in Korea. I'm probably not going back. Next on the list is China!
Very.Queen Michael said:
Pak is a phonological translation of the Korean surname '박'. In the English language, that surname is westernized into the word "Park".
I've been in Japan for 2 and a half years, and I haven't had the chance to get to Korea yet. What is the general impression of Japan, considering both their turbulent history with each other and the fact that they will likely be allies against the North if any shit goes flying? Are there any South Koreans that have any positive view of Japan? I would bet that they hate Japan almost as much as China or the North. To be honest, Koreans are not well-treated here at all.
