korea :: seoul :: general

[Headmut]

i leave in 6 weeks...anything du's recommend bringing you can't get there....coming from canada.

[dismalfuture]

-real bed sheets, only need to be a set for a twin since your dorm may have them and have laundry service - still, a good thing to have an extra of. Just buy new ones and leave them shrink wrapped to save space

-a few small obscure food items you like that are light, mainly powdered/canned/small jars that are non-meat and preserved - shit be expensive here and you aren't gonna fulfill your cravings on Korean food if you're picky. We have a lot nowadays but food is still a challenge if you're looking for a taste to satisfy you.

-Rubbers

-cash money, a lot

-non-prescription medicines that you use, we don't have a good selection of drugs here, especially digestive/heartburn aids and sinus medications that contain pseudoephedrine.

-a bottle or two of liquor that you like, since that is expensive here as well. Whiskey, rum, etc.

[Scais]

anti-histamines if u have any allergies and bath towels, unless u wanna dry yourself with hand towels.

[mrchariybrown]

^ yes and yes!

[mrchariybrown]

bring a lot of razors and shit too if you need because that stuff is expensive here.

also, bring your own deodorant. selection here sucks.

toothpaste if you're particular like me. korean toothpaste blows.

[mrchariybrown]

if you like cigars, bring your stash because cigars here are pricey.

[greasypeanut]

bring a lot of razors and shit too if you need because that stuff is expensive here.

also, bring your own deodorant. selection here sucks.

toothpaste if you're particular like me. korean toothpaste blows.

WAHHH u dont like bamboo flavored toothpaste?!?!?

[dismalfuture]

bring Ranch dressing, if you like it (0) They don't really sell it here.

[dismalfuture]

I wouldn't stash too many razors though, don't want to end up on the no-fly list. You can buy 3/4 blade disposables for 40 cents a pop here or cheaper if you buy in packs of 5 or so, so they're not that expensive. Or just be like me, and don't shave at all.

[Guest dubU]

I wouldn't stash too many razors though, don't want to end up on the no-fly list. You can buy 3/4 blade disposables for 40 cents a pop here or cheaper if you buy in packs of 5 or so, so they're not that expensive. Or just be like me, and don't shave at all.

I haven't shaved since January 1, 2004. That's the day my dad died and his last words to me were

"son...don't you shave that beard of yours ever boy...I want you to look disheveled and chaotic just like me....son...I...I need to tell you one last thing...how I feel about you...son I...I lo..."

I'm guessing he was gonna say "I loathe you..." ungrateful piece of shit. But I kept to his dying will and never looked back...

[Jpo1932]

not really, unless you speak flawless Korean and are good looking/have some charm

Doesn't sound good for me... so no way for me to get a steady income? Also is it possible to get a driver's license there?

[Headmut]

thanks guys....

i keep hearing about the hand towel thing. does everyone seriously dry off with hand towels? seems whack.

and the toothpaste....it's....salty from what i hear?

luckily im not a picky eater, i actually love korean food, it's probably one of the things im most excited about (assuming it's not way different in korea than here)

i'm hoping on grabbing a cheap celly too...i hear plans are pretty decently priced (canada has insanely high cellphone rates) any suggestions?

[mrchariybrown]

aside from some of the strange toothpaste flavors they have here, the regular minty kinds lack the "oomph" of strong mint when you brush, and afterward it doesn't give you that "aahhhhh~, mouth feels refreshed and not gross" feeling.

compared to cellphone plans in the states, I'd say it's pretty similar. I don't know how you're going to get a cellphone contract (1 year min) here unless you have a family member that can do it for ya. you're probably going to have to get one of those pay-as-you type ordeals. I have no experience with those but I assume it'll be similarly priced or a bit more expensive than those in the states.

[ruach]

I've always used a pre-pay phone. The cheapest one I could get from the sketchy shop outside Itaewon exit 3. I think I have always gotten 30,000won or so cards and each time it has lasted me months.

[dismalfuture]

There should be a glut of very decent used cell phones on the market nowadays since smart phones have taken over a chunk of the market. It wasn't like that 5 years ago, you'd have ended up with a tank beater, but before the iPhone came out a year ago the Korean companies were still pushing haptic 'dumb' phones for $900 - they obviously aren't doing that anymore, and those are 'old' enough to be junked.

Pre-paid: you get one of those exchange student 'helper' Korean students to take you to buy a pre-paid phone at a Korean cell phone store, not a Nigerian or Filipino-run one. You'll have to pay a range of prices for different phones and they're not going to be cheap, they'll be like $50-200, and then you buy minutes, they do last a long time.

[Headmut]

i actually have an iphone but ive just been assuming that I won't be able to use it with any Korean carriers due to bandwidth differences. With my carrier, I use SIM cards in my Iphone...if I were to unlock it would I be able to use it in Korea?

[Guest umhaha84]

^no,

ESN isn't registered with korea cell companies, it'll cost you $300ish to get it registered. isn't worth the trouble.

[keykoo]

Its a little ways out, but where's a good place to go for a Valentine's Day dinner near/around Kangnam? Do they celebrate this in Korea, ie do I need to get reservations early? Not interested in doing Nam-san shit. Money is not really a concern under realistic means.

Thanks.

[dismalfuture]

I kinda learned my lesson about the romantic holidays and restaurants here; they get to serve you less and charge you 4X more, at any nice place.

Go to Sushi Hyo, go to the Park Hyatt and eat and drink, there's a lot of 'nice' places commonly talked about, figure on $3-400 for those places unless you're doing Pierre Gagnaire (not recommended). Obviously there's tons of places for less money that are great as well, depends only on what you want to eat. I can't really tell what has good atmosphere here anymore, I'm jaded I guess. You will need to reserve ahead of time, do that now. It won't be Valentine's Day as in America because you know how Koreans reverse it where the women should treat on V-day and men treat on white day, but still, there's gonna be a crowd.

[keykoo]

I feel weird eating western food in Korea and paying big money for it. Do you got any good recs for smaller places with some level of uniqueness? Don't really feel like going to a hotel restaurant either. Thanks for the recs so far though.

[dismalfuture]

OK2 kitchen in Itaewon, don't know the number but google search and you can see some pics. I don't think they charge much at all for what they give you.

[keykoo]

Thanks, this is exactly the type of place that I was looking for.

Now to try to make a reservation in my awful korean.

[JDM]

I got a old SK haptic mini phone for sale if anybody wants it

50K

[dismalfuture]

^ good price, Headmut you should take JDM up on that.

[herbology]

for prepaid phones receiving calls costs almost nothing. calling something like around 150 won a min. if you just text a lot and make limited calls 10,000 should last you a few weeks

[keykoo]

hey dismal, have you heard of a restaurant called maison kiwa?

[dismalfuture]

nah, where is it?

[keykoo]

its in samcheong-dong. girl suggested that place over ok2 because itaewon is too far from where she works, but we ended up making a reservation to ok2 anyways thanks for the rec.

[kidkorea]

Might be going to Korea from China during the first week of February (Spring Festival here means everything will be dead for a bit).

Looking for a few hostel recommendations in Seoul area? Fairly cheap and clean is all I really need. Also looking to go shopping around those street markets, any suggestions on those?

I'll be staying with a friend for a couple of days and doing the whole night life thing with him but while I'm staying at the hostels just want to enjoy cheap eats + cheap shoppingz.

[keykoo]

Korea might be a little dead as well as its also lunar new year