Western Food and Costco in Daegu, South Korea

Here's the question:

Hello!

Some days I live off of cereal and soup. Can you please tell me I will be able to buy such things as Captain Crunch Berries, Honey Bunches of Oats, Ramen Noodles and Hot Chocolate mix with the little marshmallows. I am very open to eating others foods I just wanted to know if they had this stuff or should I try to cram it somewhere in my suitcase. And also can you tell me what foods I just won't be able to get so I can be mentally prepared...lol. I will be living in SangIn, Daegu.

Thanks!

Food always seems to be a big concern and well, I'm sorry to say, but I think I can go ahead a cross Captain Crunch Berries and Honey Bunches of Oats right off that list. You will not find them in any Korean supermarket. Luckily however, you won't be totally out of options. First of all, take a look at EZShop Korea. It does a pretty good job at detailing what's available in the stores. On top of that, you're going to Daegu (which is a lovely city), you will have the luxury of a Costco is your city. Yet, you will be living in Sangin, which is southern Daegu and the Costco is north of the city in Buk-Gu. Here's a little map.



For a quick read on the Costco in Daegu, check out the Galbijim site. It looks like it's a bit difficult to get to for anyone without a car, but they offer some info about it's location.

You can take Line 1 or Red line from Sangin Station to Keungogae Station and "then from exit 4, cross the street to the other side of the intersection and take a cab the rest of the way, which will only be a 3-4 minutes drive." You could also check out some other modes of transportation here.



I have not been to the one in Daegu, but I do know that I have seen the "hot Chocolate mix with the little marshmallows" here in a Seoul Costco. The cereal that I've seen tends to be limited to General Mills cereal and as I'm writing, for some reason I get the feeling that I've actually seen Honey Bunches of Oats, but I'm just not sure. You can look at a broad overview of some of the Costco products here. As for ramen noodles (라면), you're heading to the mecca of all things ramen. The flavor might be a little different from what you're used to, but there is never, ever a shortage of ramen here. Click here for an overview of what Korea has to offer in the world of ramen. Same goes for soup. The average Korean eats soup more than twice a day and the variety is really quite fantastic. Click here and here for a quick look at some Korean soups.

As I mentioned, a lot of people are concerned about adjusting their eating habits to an entirely new taste and it's a totally valid concern. There's nothing easy about it, but after a few months of open-minded dabbling, you'll discover what western treats you can live with and without and which Korean flavors you like. Here's a list of some restaurants in and around Daegu. I also have heard of some people who had friends in the US military that would bring them on the base for some all-western grocery shopping. I know Daegu has four camps around the area, but I don't know what the grocery situation on base is.

But remember, a package from home is always an option.

If anybody has any questions, just send me an email at asktheexpat@yahoo.com or leave a comment.

Namyangju, South Korea: Nature Lovers Paradise

Here's the question (or request in this case):

I'm interested in finding out where things [in Namyangju] are (cool must see sites..artifacts...historic locations...traditional South Korean
outfits.....western foods....other than junk food....Mcdonalds....maybe even a
supermarket). I'm trying find my way around.....and figure out who the potential
good friends are.

Namyangju is located just northeast of Seoul in Gyeonggi province. It's also conveniently nestled right next to Guri which is pleasant city full of great things to do, but let me focus on Namyangju.

Namyangju is pretty large and since I don't know where in the city you live , I'm going to have to use the marker that Google Earth provided. As you can see you're pretty far outside Seoul, but close enough that traveling to the city on a weekend wouldn't be a big deal at all. It's only 30 minutes to Dogok station. That being said, there's plenty to do and see in your area that traveling to Seoul isn't even necessary outside of the occasional urge for non-Western international food.

As I often do, let's start with nature in your area and I'd like to point out that you picked a wonderful area for such escapes. The most famous recreation area in Namyangju is the Natural Recreation Forest at Mountain Chungryeong. It's full of great landscape, dense forests and beautiful valleys. The park also has forestry fields, sports facilities, pools, camping grounds, nature observation areas, and is a great place for both relaxing family vacations or a mountain hike. If you're into that sort of thing and want to book a cabin or reserve a camping ground, call 031-592-0681. I called them and found an English speaker there as well.

Gwangneung Forest is also located in the area. This place is the best natural forest in Korea because of its "treasury of mountains and forests, as well as a fascinating mix of animals and plant species. The Gwangneung forest, has a total of 841 different sorts of plants settling in the forest with 75 families and 244 species of vertebrates which include 19 kinds designated as the precious natural treasure and 22 kinds designated as the rare animal. Among all of the birds living in the forest, the most famous is the Korean redheaded woodpecker."


I called them at (031)540-1114, but did not find any English speakers there. Also, they appear to be closed on Sundays. Still, it looks nice.

You can also check out Mt. Chuknyeongsan Recreation Forest.

Besides those spots there's also a ton of other neat places are sure to keep you busy for many, many weekends. You've got Mt. Cheonmasan, Mt.Ungilsan [Sujongsa Temple] and Mt. Suraksan for some hiking. There's Bukhangang River where you can hike, pincic and do some water skiing. There's also an annual festival that features crafts, music and other cultural festivities.

While on the topic of skiing, you can hit the slopes in the winter months at Mt.Cheonmasan Ski Resort and Seoul Resort. For rental fees, check this out.

The major tourist attractions are Gwangreung Royal Tomb, Hongreung Royal Tomb, Yureung Royal Tomb, Sareung Royal Tomb, Paldang Resort Complex, Studio Complex, Bamseomdo Island, and Moran Art Gallery. You can also check out the Mongolian Cultural Village.

For all other tourism related info check out Gyeonggi's tourist site, Namyangju's site and even Guri's site. I'd spend some serious time on the Namjangju site though. It's loaded with solid info. In case I forgot anything, take a peek at this site as well.

Now, on to the other stuff...western niceties. One of the only challenges you'll face living outside of Seoul might be the inconvenience of getting food that you want when you want it. As you get used to Korean food, you'll slowly assimilate and your taste buds will change, but when you're really hungry, sometimes Korean food just doesn't cut it.

So, what are your options? Let's start with Costco. Depending on your location in Namyangju, there is a Costco relatively close to you. Here's a bigger picture.



You'll have to pay 35,000 won for a one year membership and then you'll be fine on at least some aspects of western cuisine at home. For restaurants, I would take a look here. There seems to be a pretty good amount of eateries for you. There appears to be one western bar called Oddysee Bar. I don't know anything about it though.

As far as making good friends, I would suggest you get out there and start traveling. Check into Adventure Korea. They're always up to something.

If anybody has any questions, just send me an email at asktheexpat@yahoo.com or leave a comment.

Bundang, South Korea: Living and Thriving

Here's the question:

I am arriving in Bundang a week from tomorrow and would like a little more information on the city before I get there. From the research I have conducted myself, it looks like the perfect place for me, but I would love to hear more about it, so I can share the info with my friends and family.

Thank you,
Heather

When moving to a suburb of Seoul, I always think it's smart to take a look at where you might be living in relation to the city, so let's start there.

Here's a google map. (Click here for an interactive road map)

As you can see, it's southeast of Seoul. It's also connected to Gangnam-gu via the Bundang Line. Aside from the newer and constantly-expanding subway line, there are buses that conveniently service the area as well. Expect both to take around 20-30 min to get into Seoul.

Also, the Airport Limousine can be found near Seohyeon and Ori Stations. From there you can get a ride to Incheon Airport for about 12,000 won.

The subway closest to your school appears to be Seohyeon Station.



For Seoul nightlife (restaurants, bars/clubs, shopping) you can get from Seohyeon to Gangnam Station in 40 min; Itaewon in 66 min; Apgujeong in 51 min; and Hongdae in 74 min. If you want to check out transportation all over Korea, then take a look at this Korea Sparkling page or if you want to play with Seoul subway travel times then click here. For a quick list of restaurants, shopping and night spots you can visit Seoul Style.

Of course, you'll be living in Bundang, so let's take a look at what it has to offer. Like Ilsan, it's a well-planned city. Parks, schools, malls, restaurants, golf courses and modern buildings have been woven together to make a clean, safe and attractive city.


I always like to point out parks in the area and Bundang has plenty of small and big ones. Most would say that Bundang Central Park is the nicest and I would probably agree. It's got the basics like most Korean parks: a pond, some sports fields or courts, a place to exercise and some trees. It also has a bungee jumping site. It's a great place to go on a Saturday afternoon with friends. If you're into a biking or walking, try taking a little cruise next to the Tancheon tributary. There are also five water parks along the Tancheon if you're into that. If you're the really adventurous type, you can follow it all the way to Yongin and check out their folk village. If you're into nature or hiking, then take a look at this site to get some ideas. I would seriously recommend several weekend day-hikes. The other parks are smaller, but all of them offer some sort of break from the concrete jungles that envelop the city.

As I mentioned in the post about Ilsan, it's always nice to know where you can get some western food at restaurants, but having a strong base of western flavors and groceries at home is always crucial. Here's a map with the closest Costco from your school. It would take about 25 - 30 min on a bus.



Most of the dining action and a wide variety of drinking establishments can be found around every subway station. Seohyeon and Jeongja stations are good places to start, with the majority of "Western Bars" being at Seohyeon station in the shopping corridors directly outside of Samsung Plaza's two main entrances. You can check out Monkey Beach, Dublin Bar, and Lose Control for starters, but there are plenty more dives in the area. You're also pretty close to a major Korean theme park, Everland, which in located in Yongin.

Overall, you can expect to find a nice, cozy city full of moderately wealthy Koreans and a tight-knit expat community. Like most people, you'll be totally happy in Bundang. I have been to Bundang several times and have never had a bad time. My wife's family lives down there as well and am always up for a quick cruise south. Enjoy!

If you want to see more pictures of Bundang click here and here or for a ton of Bundang-related blogs, click here.

If anybody has any questions, just send me an email at asktheexpat@yahoo.com or leave a comment.

Ilsan, South Korea: Living and Teaching

Here's the question:

Hi, I was wondering if you could give me some information about the city of Ilsan. I can't seem to find a lot of pictures, or detailed info about the city. I will be teaching at Modang Elementary School, and I have no clue where in Ilsan that is located. Could you help me with a little info about the school and city?
Thanks!

Joe

Yeah, sometimes it's hard to find info about smaller cities and even harder to get some solid details about a specific school, especially a public school.

Ilsan is a nice city. It's located just northwest of Seoul in Goyang city which is in Gyeonggi-do.

Chances are that you will be living relatively close to your school and since I'm not sure where your apartment will be, I'll use your school as my metric. Here's a quick map of where your school is in relation to Seoul.



While it might appear to be far away from Seoul, it is actually pretty close. If you take a cab or a bus then your travel time might go up (depending on the time of day or night), but luckily you are close to Line Number 3 or the "Orange Line". To get to the center of Seoul from Daewha station (the closest station from your school) takes around an hour. Again, that sounds like a lot, but an hour on the clean subways in Seoul flies by. (Night spots: Hongdae- 66 min; Gangnam- 78 min; Itaewon- 67 min; Apgujeong 62 min) Click here if you want to play with the travel times. Late night cabs will be faster and probably set you back 15,000 - 25,000 won. Split that with a few friends and you'll be fine.

Still, your school is walkable to Daehwa Station.



As an additional bonus, Daehwa is relatively close to Jichuk Station which also serves as a platform for Korail in case you want to leave Seoul and visit the countryside.

Now, let's take a look at Ilsan itself. If you look online, you'll mostly read about how new it is, that it has KINTEX (a convention hall) and of course, it'll mention the Lake Park or how it's name is "The Garden City".



The lake is nice, clean and from what I hear, it's a good place to take dates. You can also do some biking, skating or jogging there, but beware of sunny days because it will be swamped with bikes, strollers and young people on first dates. One of the benefits of Ilsan is that it was a planned city. Unlike Seoul, Ilsan knew where it was sprawling and planned for it. The bus stations are spaced out well, the subway stations are new and the overall allure of the city is much more modern than other satellite cities.

Ilsan has a nice mall called Western Dome or La Festa which boasts tons and tons of restaurants, western shops and even an IMax movie theater. There's also an E-Mart (Korean Wal-mart) for your basics and a Costco for some of your Western food cravings. Here's a map.



Ultimately, Ilsan has everything that most major cities in Korea have and you should have no problem adjusting.

Now, on to your school. You already know the location in relation to Seoul and Ilsan in general, so let me try to give you some details.

You can visit the website, but if you don't know Korean then it will be of little help and to tell the truth, the website doesn't give much useful info anyways.

I did find what I would call the school's alma mater roughly titled, "Brighter, Clearer" although that is totally useless as well. Your class size is probably going to be in the 25-35 range. Each grade has 3 different classes who move from class to class together.

Total Class Size:

1st grade: 99
2nd grade: 111
3rd grade: 113
4th grade: 90
5th grade: 106
6th grade: 99

Total: 618

There is a preschool, but luckily, you won't have to deal with them.

There is a teacher there named Mark. You can also contact him on his personal web page. I would recommend this BIG TIME. It's always nice and very smart to discuss the inner-workings of your prospective school. He'll be able to give you more info as well.

You can also connect with some other people in Ilsan here, here, here or here.

In closing, the area where you'll be living is nice, quiet and close enough to the action of Seoul, but far enough from its stress.

If anybody has any questions, just send me an email at asktheexpat@yahoo.com or leave a comment.