Life in Korea: And then the Supernatural calls...

I've been really slow in getting my blog posts out but well, sometimes it doesn't come as rapidly as it should. Last Monday, I tweeted about me going for a tarot card reading. Seriously the whole evening was just plain weird but here goes~

I was actually going to go for a Language Cast meet-up (if you follow @ttmik-Talk to me in Korean, you would know what that is). The meeting was going to start at 7.30pm. I was there at 6.30pm. BUT I didn't stay for it. I got up from my seat at 7.15pm, went downstairs and walked out of the cafe and got onto a bus that I know goes back to Hongdae where I live.

Actually, I could have gotten down at a stop nearer to Kimchi Hostel but when the bus reached Hong Ik University's main gate, I got down. At the bus stop, I stopped to take a look at some of the posters advertising various acts. One of the posters was actually advertising a tarot cafe. I didn't pay it any attention. Trust me, there are plenty of tarot cards/fortune telling cafes/shops in Hongdae so it's not the first time I saw it.

So anyway, I was walking down the streets towards home when a pink poster caught my eye. I stopped and took a closer look and it was the same poster advertising the tarot cafe. So in the end, I decided to give it a try. If nothing else, there's always coffee. I walked towards the cafe and then I went upstairs, got myself a drink and then sat down in front of the tarot card reader.

After talking to the tarot card reader about how I was from Singapore and now staying in Seoul, etc, we settled down for the first reading. The first question we asked the tarot was about my vision. I mean I'm in Korea to achieve a few things: Learn Korean, get TOPIK qualifications, translator qualification, if I have money, pursue a masters in Entertainment Management in Korea. So it was a 'LIFE' reading (10 cards)

Here's a summary and what I can remember of it:

Past: Chariot-used to be full of passion and zeal in the job I was in (teacher) which is true but I lost some of that along the way. So one of the advice in my 'FUTURE' card was to find back that passion and zeal again. The present was really on-the-spot. It basically said that I have to settle a lot of things, think a lot and basically starting afresh. You guys know what coming to Korea means to me (if you don't, go back to the beginning of this blog. :p) and how I blog about starting afresh, etc. So that made me cry. But the reading also tells me that I can't keep sitting on the fence about things in general and stop being lazy. If I have set my heart on something, then I should make the best out of it. One card stood out: The empress card. The lady told me that it's a very good card, that in my life there are always people who would be helping me, especially in the area of money. And honestly, thus far, yes, I would say I have no complaints in that area but more importantly, it is the fact that I will have people around me who would help me. Overall, the reading wasn't bad but it did caution and remind me that I need to make a decision and stick to it. There will be challenges, for sure but then what is life without its share of challenges right?

Of course, although I might not seem like it but one of the biggest decision and one that occupy my thoughts A LOT is "Should I stay or should I leave?" so that was what I asked. In the tarot card reader's way of asking the question: Career prospects - Is it better in Singapore or Korea?

I have to tell you, I laughed out loud. This was a 5-card formation, forming a V. At the point where both side meets, is the PRESENT state and it was a BRIGHT picture, of people dancing and joy basically. The lady went, 'that's you at the present moment.'

Ten of Cups

The two ends, one represented 'Singapore' and the other represented 'Korea' and I have to tell you, Korea side were DARK cards and Singapore side was BRIGHT cards. No joke, the contrast was DAY and NIGHT, it's so amusing to me.

Nine of Swords

Ten of Swords

Korea cards:

If I continue to stay in Korea and want to pursue a CAREER, it will be difficult to find a job. I will have a lot of worries that I can't even sleep at night (ok, that seemed to be happening now, the 'cannot sleep at night' part) And eventually I will be so bugged by them that I fall into depression or something. But then, I told myself, finding a job was never quite the goal in Korea. It's good if I can find one but I'm in more for the 'learning' part so that kinda made me a little less depressed.

Singapore cards:

I only remember the Wheel Of Fortune cards. Can't remember the last card but basically, there are a lot of opportunities and eventually I might find something that I like but still it wasn't enough to make me want to go back. My heart is not in Singapore I guess.

So after 'LIFE', 'CAREER', what could be next? LOVE right? This is totally funny and people who knows me well in real life would know who I am thinking of when I do the reading. Can't remember the exact question for the first LOVE reading but it was still amusing to me.

Overall, the guy's impression of me: I'm generous, loving, etc. And the description of the guy: he's family-oriented (he is though some of my friends won't agree with me), he's rich (yes, that too) and he's a spend-thrift (towards people he cares about yes, but not someone to spend money unnecessarily.) I must mention that the Ten of Cups card appeared again, so there can be a happy ending between the two of us. (I can so imagine Genette and Victoria's expression). Our present state was represent by the 'Tower' card which basically meant that something unexpected happened, though I can't really be sure if it's unexpected. But the funniest and MOST amusing card has got to be this:

Strength

The lady told me that the only thing I could do is wait and be patient and one day, the lion will be tamed. Trust me, I really LAUGHED when she told me that. The guy is strong, and stubborn in his own way but if I would just wait it out, we can have the happy ending, that is, if both of us wants it. Well, I have been waiting, my friends think I'm absolutely crazy to be waiting. But I don't know, I believe that we have that one person in our life that we are meant to be with for the rest of our lives and in the strangest, most crazy way, that man is the one for me is how I feel about it. He's NOT unreal and no, he's not one of those idols that I'm crazy about *ahemSeulOngahemJinWoonahem*.

But I can't go on waiting infinitely too right? So of course the next question was 'WHEN?' So this was the last reading. The lady only asked me to pick 5 cards. Can't remember what one of the cards was for but the other 4 was for each of the months from May to August. But when it seemed like there wasn't any 'meeting' in those months, she picked one more card and told me we would probably meet again in September. She said we made contact in May, which was quite true too. And if things really go well, the next time we meet, we might well be talking about our future. 

Two of Cups

The card was one that spoke of partnership, of reaching a decision from both parties. I have a suspicion is the Two of Cups but I'm not too sure. I really kept laughing during the two 'LOVE' readings. But well, whatever it is, I believe this time, the ball is in his court. So we'll see. 

But the amusing to me is that everything that was spoken pulled at something inside. And in case you are wondering, I spent 25,000won on 4 readings. The first one with 10-cards cost 10,000won but the rest costs 5,000won which wasn't too bad considering ONE reading in Singapore would have cost $60. And the thing was this wasn't part of the plan for the day. I just wanted to go for the meeting, but ended up with a tarot card reading instead. And then, the weirdest thing happened. Steve, the weekend staff at Kimchi, messaged me and was telling me that he wants to go for Language Cast meeting. I was like, 'Ok, that's officially freaky.' Then again, Korea thus far has been one of those 'freakish' trip so I'm just rolling with the flow right now.

Exciting right my life? It's been an interesting ride thus far. I will post up pictures of the cafe at a later time. I need to sync the photo from my phone first. Maybe I should persuade Victoria to have a go at it when she comes to Korea in June. It would be fun! The lady spoke a splattering of Korean and English. I try to clarify using Korean a couple of times so it's mostly correct. 

Or maybe I should bring Tako and Suzy (I have to take a picture of her tomorrow. She's very pretty! She's like our Korean practice partner at Maple Coffee) then Suzy can help us translate! 

The Gradual Transition - Traveler to 'Resident'

It's been some time since I last updated. It's amazing that although I don't really have a job in Korea, my days are quite occupied. I might not be doing anything that's of any significance in the eyes of strangers but I am doing a lot of things.

But I choose this topic to write about because Tako, a girl from Hong Kong who is pretty much like me- came to Korea to try out something new, to experience a different lifestyle or maybe simply to be out of Hong Kong for a while, said this to me last Saturday:

"I think I'm going through the same thing that you are going through when I first met you at Kimchi."

I met Tako at Kimchi Hostel. I believe at that time, I was at my one-month mark since arriving in Korea. The guests and even the staff sometimes do not get why I stay at the hostel all the time. They are always asking me to go out. But at that point in time, I have just decided that I was going to stay till the end of my visa and I just wanted to experience "growing roots" at a place. But at Kimchi, I have found my home in Korea so it's almost like getting used to the fact that I have a permanent place here.

Tako has since moved out of Kimchi Hostel. First she moved to her friend's Korean friend's place (complicated right?) but now she's renting a studio apartment (one-room apartment). And she made the remark. I believe she is settling down and changing gear. Since she has a working holiday visa, she is now getting her ARC (Alien Registration Card) done. The 'traveler' status is now being changed to a 'semi-resident' status. The feeling is very different.

I have moved beyond the settling down stage and am probably in the 'LIVING HERE' stage. I go to the shops in my area. The ahjummah at 김밥천국 (Kimbap Heaven-a franchise that serves Korean food at affordable prices [below 6000won]) and Pizza School probably can recognise me by now. The ahjummah at Kimbap Heaven told me once when I bought Coke to the restaurant that I'd put on weight if I drink Coke. The baristas at Maple Coffee (Suzy and Yoon) are on first-name basis with me. I am taking free Korean lessons at the Yeonnam Global Village which is like a few streets away from Kimchi. Tako joined the class last week so after class, we went to Maple Coffee to revise and do our homework. Suzy sat down with us last Thursday after her shift and helped us with Korean while we help her with English. And we made arrangement to do the same thing each week.

Tako and I also went to another free Korean language class run by kongbubang.wordpress.com. This class is near Sook Myung Womens' University which is on the same line as Myeong Dong. After class last week, we went to Myeong Dong for dinner. Myeong Dong is like Orchard Road or City Hall to me now. So now we have a weekend hangout place too.

Today (16th May), I was going to do something different - expand my social circle to environment beyond 1 kilometers around Kimchi. I wanted to go for Language Cast, a gathering for people learning languages organised by the people who runs "Talk to Me in Korean" and actually registered saying I'd go. I did go. I was at the venue but just before it started, I chickened out and left the cafe.

Maybe I'm not ready yet. Or maybe I don't want to have even more 'connections' in Korea. Already thinking about the fact that I might have to leave one day, leaving my 'family' in Kimchi behind is not something I look forward to. If I start to know MORE people, it might get worse.

Whatever the reason is, I have to try to move on to the next stage. And seriously, life in Korea is full of strange and wonderful happenings. Read my next entry to find out why~

Life in Korea: Buying Plus Size Clothes in Korea

Where to buy clothes that fits me is always a big question mark, even in Singapore. The problem becomes more glaring when I'm in Korea. It is difficult to find clothes that fit me. So in the end, I turned to the only source that I'm familiar with - Google and searched for plus-size clothes for women. And from a forum, I saw a recommendation for OKBT in Itaewon so I decided to try my luck. I was getting tired of seeing myself in just jeans. So I thought if I could get some legging it would be great.

So I left Kimchi Hostel and went to take the subway train to Itaewon. I couldn't find the shop in the first round of walking around with the limited instruction that was posted in the forum and I can't remember the shop name as well. I took a rest in Starbucks then walked back towards the station on the other side of the road. I was about to give up hope when I finally saw the sign!! So I went up and I found the shop.

New World Plaza

2F Itaewon-dong 119-26

Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Subway: Itaewon Station, Exit 1.

Walk in the direction AWAY from Hamilton Shopping Center

The shop is not fanciful but it serves its purpose which was to provide clothes for plus-sized women. I asked if she had leggings (which was my goal) and when she said yes, I was so relieved. She found the leggings, and I tried them on and it fits!! So I bought 2 of those and walked around a bit more. I didn't see anything I fancy at the moment but I wasn't really looking for anything to buy at the moment.

At least now I know if I were looking for something to wear, I know where to look for it!

Life in Korea: Fangirl-ing-JAY PARK!!

I was not a big fan of Jay, that I would admit but under the influence of suzelle (translation for IAM for 2AM) I began to show more interest in Jay. I liked 2PM when Jay was still in it but I will not dwell too much in there. I was impressed with Jay's cover of "Nothing on You" and I start to anticipate his comeback as a full-fledged solo artiste.

And because I'm awake at the unearthly hour of 4AM KST, I actually saw the teaser for 'Abandoned' almost immediately after it was uploaded! All I can say is I can't wait!

Can't wait for the full MV (the dance steps look sleek!)!
Can't wait for the album to be available in stores!
Can't wait for his live performance!!

I think it's going to take the K-Pop scene by storm.

So, without further ado, teaser for 'Abandoned'

Life in Korea: the famous Lamb

I love coffee. A few people had gone for coffee sessions with me back in Singapore (yes, Lynda, I'm talking about you!) In Korea, I got to know Yoon unnie (who I will introduce in a separate entry) and she brought me to this coffee joint, the famous Lamb that is near to both Kimchi Hostel and Hong Guesthouse. It's nearer to Kimchi actually, like 2 streets away and on the way to Hongik University Subway station.

the famous Lamb

Seoul, Mapo-gu

Donggyo-dong

203-30

the famous Lamb is one of the many coffee joints other than the main commercial brands that you can find in Seoul. But what I like about this place is

1. the coffee isn't too expensive,
2. free refills (select from their hand-drip coffee menu and Americano) after ordering the first drink,
3. free WiFi,
4. friendly staff
5. near to Kimchi Hostel where I'm staying so I don't have to walk too far away.

So today, I came to the famous Lamb with Danny to study Korean after lunch. Didn't really manage to study a lot since I had to do other stuff as well. But I'm reminded of the days back in Singapore where I would just pack my laptop and go to Starbucks for a cup of coffee and get some writing done. Maybe I would make this a daily routine instead of just staying at Kimchi the whole day. It's becoming a joke that I'm there longer than the staff who works there.

No, I didn't get a free cup of coffee for writing this. It's a nice and cozy place and since this is all about my life in Korea, I have to write it down.

Life in Korea: Meeting New People - The Taiwanese Ladies!

Since I traveled alone to Korea this time, if I wanted to have someone to talk to, I would actually have to take the first step in talking to other people. So this would be a series of stories of people I met at Kimchi Hostel and where I went with these people. I have to emphasize that they are not necessarily in the order I met them.

SO! I think this occurred after David moved me back to Kimchi Hostel. There were 3 ladies from Taiwan and I got to know them when they first arrived. Since I spoke Chinese and they spoke Chinese, I became the bridging gap when they can't really speak English to the staff or when they don't really understand the staff. But we only got closer when they had to buy tickets for Park Jung Min's birthday fan meeting and they got Daniel to help them with it since it's all in Korean.

Introducing my traveling partners from Taiwan: Xiao Mi, Yu Yun and Si Ying

I tagged along for the last few days of their trip here. To be honest, without them, I probably won't have visited some of the places myself. While I acted as the guide on some occasions, they were the ones with the guidebooks. The two boys from Singapore, Shi Hao and Jason came along as well.

I shall talk about our trip to Myeong Dong-Seoul Tower. Basically we decide to go to Myeong Dong because the CD shop that I know of sells CD at cheaper and more reasonable prices than the other shops we saw. We went on the day the Big Bang Special Edition came out.

Here's a tip on getting to Myeong Dong. Because Kimchi and Hong Guesthouse are both located near Hong Dae area, we are on Line 2 of the Seoul Metro. By right, if we want to go to Myeong Dong, we would have to transfer to Line 4 at Seoul Station. That's a VERY LONG walk. So from Hongik Univ. Station, take the subway to Euljiro 1-ga, walk towards Exit 5. You will see a shop selling socks/accessories. Climb the staircase that's next to the store. When you exit, you should see Starbucks to your left and Outback Steakhouse in front of you. Make a right turn and walk straight. After probably 3 minutes, you would probably see Coffee Beans. Continue walking straight, you should see MLB. Once you reach MLB, you are in Myeong Dong. :)

Anyway, since our main motive for going to Myeong Dong was to get the albums and then take the bus to the Seoul Tower, we didn't spend a lot of time in Myeong Dong itself. To put it very simply, Myeong Dong is the mecca of Korean cosmetic brands. You can find probably every Korean brands there, with more than one outlets most of the time.

Getting to Seoul Tower by bus. I know most people would want to do the cable car because it looked so romantic in dramas. I have not tried it myself but I have people telling me that they have to walk quite a distance. So to me, taking the bus is 1. cheaper (900won) and 2. it takes me to the foot of the tower. I have to climb up a very steep slope to reach the tower but that's fine.

To get to the bus, get out at Exit 4 of Myeong Dong Station. Walk towards the bus stop. You should walk past Paris Baguette. Wait for Bus no. 5. It's a special bus that travels from Myeong Dong to Seoul Tower. If you have T-Money card, just tap. If you have to pay cash, it should not be more than 1000won.

I have gone to the Seoul Tower on my own during the day but the view at night was really great. So my advice if you want to go to the Seoul Tower would be to do it when the sun is setting. The setting sun view is gorgeous as well. And then when the city landscape is lit up by the lights, it is really nice!

The highlight of Seoul Tower, other than the observatory is the locks left behind by lovers. We have seen it done on We Got Married (Khuntoria) and Si Ying was actually going to try looking for the Khuntoria lock. No, she was not successful.

I think more than the scenary, it was the company that matters. People who likes the same things as you, people who opened their arms to a stranger when there isn't a need to. So I really have to thank the 3 lovely ladies for a lovely time I had with them.

Life in Korea: Getting a phone line without buying a phone!!

OMG OMG OMG! I'm feeling invincible because I have a Korean HP number!! Seriously this is a question that a lot of people ask when it comes to traveling to Korea. And to be honest, I would never have found the answer if Danny had not told me about it. It's great that Danny is here as a foreigner, first as an exchange student and now as an intern. Because I think a lot of Korean didn't know about the change in rules either. And staying at the hostel helped since I hang out at the reception quite a bit.

So the conversation started because Danny mentioned that he brought his phone over from Germany and all he did was get a SIM card. I was 1. surprised that a phone from overseas can be used in Korea, 2. surprised that he can get a line in the first place (but then he did come on a student's visa so that's different)

After apologizing to him (I doubted his information about the bank account, so he made me apologise), he told me how to go about getting the phone line. Long story short, KT Olleh (or Korea Media rules) has changed since January 2011, you can read about it here.

I ventured to KT Olleh Square at Gwang Hwa Mun (Gwang Hwa Mun Station, Line 5, Exit 2) today, determined to get my pre-paid line since that's the easiest to get. All you need is your passport. But the line is only for use for 3 months. After that you would need to renew with your passport again.

The staff was not too sure that it can be done with JUST my passport and they were going to ask me to go to another store that can do the procedure. So I put on my 'tough customer' mask and told them straight in the face that this is like the MAIN KT Olleh, what do they mean by they can't do the procedure. And I knew my information was right. The shop they want me to go to is under renovation as stated on the website. So they have no choice but to work out how to help me. (They had to call several parties to get the procedure started, etc)

Have your IMEI and SERIAL number ready. For the iPhone, it's easy since you can find all the information in the settings. Not too sure about the other phones but these information should be readily available. Make sure that the country where you bought your phone did not lock your phone and that the phone is a model that's already available/in use in Korea.

The procedure for me is simple. KT Olleh GLOBAL have English-speaking customer service staff. So tell them you want to get a PRE-PAID SIM card for use with your phone. Show them your passport and if they insist that you need a Alien Registration Card, tell them it's NOT necessary for a pre-paid line. The SIM card cost 5,500won and minimum top-up is 2000won. Please have cash ready. You can't pay for the SIM card using credit card and topping up using credit card is only for KOREA-ISSUED credit cards.

Initially, the SIM card didn't work on my phone. But it worked on someone else's phone. I had to call Singtel (I hope I can get that call waived) to ask if they lock the phones. As far as I know, Singapore doesn't practice this. So no, it wasn't Singapore side. In the end, they realised that they typed in the IMEI number wrongly. So they quickly rectified the problem.

What could have been done in 30 minutes took longer than expected. I had to look for a bank since I didn't have cash on me and the whole mistake on my IMEI. But once we got that sorted out, it was a great sigh of relief all round! I don't know how long I can survive on a 10,000won top up but the cost for pre-paid isn't that high. I got the line because I'm going to stay here till June at least so it made more sense to have a phone line and not worry when I want to check my Twitter, etc.

If you ask me if it's necessary to get a pre-paid if you are simply traveling, I would say it really depends on how long you are in Korea. If it's for less than a week, you can opt for the more convenient though more expensive method of renting the phone. You could also choose to roam on your phone.

For foreigners who are coming to work here in Korea, if you have your ARC, you can get a phone line without having to buy a phone. The steps are pretty much similar but you will definitely need your ARC for that. To find out more read the KT Official English Blog.

A New Beginning: New Home and Family-Kimchi Hostel

People who have been reading this blog knows about my decision to come to Korea, how I missed my flight (wait, I didn't write about that YET but I think I would include that in a 'Incheon Internation Airport MUST-KNOWs' post), and eventually how I decide to stay in Korea. I really have to thank the good people at Hong Guesthouse and Kimchi Hostel for providing a shelter and lots of hospitality towards someone who was pretty much lost and left stranded in a foreign land.

So from today onwards, I will be writing on my life in Korea, from the perspective of a tourist, the difficulties faced, the places I have visited or visiting etc. And if you have any questions, do feel free to comment. If I have an answer, I will let you know. If I don't, I would ask around.

And I am going to write in Chinese too. Do help me spread the word around. :)

I have stayed in both Hong Guesthouse and Kimchi Hostel but now I'm pretty much settled in Kimchi Hostel. So I'd introduce my family in Kimchi Hostel first. The pictures will come a little later, have to give the guys some advance notice so they can put on their best shirt.

David: The man who runs both Hong Guesthouse and Kimchi Hostel. He shuffles between the two, organises dinner and weekend parties for the guests in both guesthouses. He's around most of the time and speaks really good English since he grew up in Vancouver.

Day Staff
There's a total of 3 daytime staff at Kimchi Hostel

Jun (Monday-Wednesday)
Daniel (Thursday-Friday)
Steve (Saturday-Sunday)

Night Staff
Danny

Danny is also my Korean language studying partner. So we spent the evening from 9 to 12 studying Korea while he looks after the reception desk. I might start a section on "What I have learnt today" about Korean language on this blog, so keep a lookout for that too.

I hang out at the 'living room' a lot since that's where the TV is. Steve is my TV watching partner when I'm around during the weekend. He'd ask me if I want lunch/dinner when he wants to order delivery.

So all in all, I'm very happy. Now I can spend my days exploring, writing and learning about Korea. I would say I'm at the best place right now.

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About the author:

Singaporean who decided to pay Korea a visit after 2 long years of simply talking about it. Due to unforeseen circumstances, ended up staying in Korea.

Currently residing in Seoul, South Korea and staying at Kimchi Hostel.