How is the life in Korea?

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 8:47 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Thank you very much all you guys who added really valuable information about life in korea. i really appreciate it coz am actually new here and this is my first thread.

well it has been 3 days since i last checked the thread (been really busy lately Cool

) and i was happy with the contents of my first thread. however, i must say that i was shocked when i checked it today, 3 days and the thread went from 2 to 6 pages mostly containing stuff that i would never thought would appear in such topic.

Again, i really appreciate all the members who contributed with their experiences on living in korea and helped make this thread really useful. salut

HOWEVER, (Sorry, but i have to say this), anyone who feels like discussing subjects that are off topic or fight or anything that takes the fun out of this thread to do that somewhere else, PLZ, you can open new threads and discuss whatever u feel like discussing there.

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:23 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

I don't think watching dramas without subs is that helpful for total beginners. It sure is a great tool for people who already have an understanding of grammar and syntax, but I can't imagine you'll learn much as a beginner (I assume you are one).

For learning Korean conveniently, I recommend the Let's Speak Korean TV Show. Season 2 had over 200 10-minute episodes, Season 3 is up to over 100 now.

Season 2 goes at a faster pace than Season 3. Season 3 is very slow, too slow for me overall, so I watch only the old episodes of Season 2 (Season 2 is the one with Lisa and Steven as hosts, Season 3 is with Lisa and Kim Young). If you can use Clubbox, all of Season 2 and Season 3 up to the newest eps is available for download on http://clubbox.co.kr/seirin . If you can't use Clubbox, Season 2 is available on youtube last time I checked and there should still be a torrent around somewhere too.

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 1:35 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 5:58 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Thanks Néa Vanille for the tip, i just finished watching the first episode of Let's Speak Korean on Youtube. You were right it's really helpful and fun at the same time. Big Smile

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 4:46 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

After watched "sicko," I'm just curious. Do anyone know about the health care system in Korea? If so, can anyone share the info?

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:40 pm Post subject: hey Post Rating: 0

How do koreans treat foreigners? I would love to go there and i am Indian and i must say i will stick out like a sore thumb because i am of the "darker" pigment

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 3:38 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

I've been in Korea for 6 months so far, and I think the best advice is

Don't believe what others say about Korea Laugh

No, to be more reasonable....half believe and half disbelieve. Keep the advice of others in mind, but don't think of it as solid rules set in stone. Use the advice and opinions of others as a "temporary" idea and disregard them when your experience contradicts it. Regard them as other people's points of view, interesting and informative, but might not apply to everyone. Avoid too much exoticism ("The Koreans do this...the Koreans do that...") and focus more on getting to know individual people.

Somehow I think that's the way to go (for any country), but others might disagree Laugh

Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 1:19 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

What I want to know is if they have those big screen tvs in those busy cities hanging from like the sky so you can watch while walking down the street Laugh

, I think in Japan they have that. Tongue

Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:10 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Like many of you guys, i´m too a korean "fanatic" . So i´ve decided too leaving out the dream Cool

.....(Yeah i´m hardcore like dat...), Anyway my university offer one year or 6 months study abroad. Will one year be too long? I´m a twentyish asian male. And from what i have read and heard(from this thread and other), i´m on the impression that korean youth or people are hard to get to know. Is that true? And for you guys who have or live in Korea. Where did you guys stay? Were you staying in some kind of a dorm or just rent a room? Is it expensive?Any recommendation?( that´s right i´m desperate...) Well last but not least, i would like to experience Korea, by experience i mean clubbin. Does that come cheap, or am i askin a stupid question? (you now like how much for a drink, entering fees, etc)

Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:23 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

6 months is not long enough to learn Korean (unless you already know Japanese, in which case you could get a solid foundation in the language much faster), so I'd say you'd probably get more out of a year.

Meeting Koreans isn't hard, however you must know that in Korea meeting people through friends seems to be far more common than meeting strangers in bars or wherever (although it does happen too of course in the right kind of club) so if you manage to make friends with just one person that will likely open the door to many others for you. Use Skype to chat up some Koreans your age and to make some fast early friends.

Clubbing is rather expensive - Seoul is currently ranked as the world's 3rd most expensive city after Moscow and London.

Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 4:24 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

thx for the replies. And can´t wait to the departure date p.o

Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 6:52 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

ahh. I went to Korea on the Yonsei program for 5 weeks. The only thing cheap there is the food and little trinkets =X
I heard living there is crazy expensive. Pretty much everyone drinks and most people smoke. But still it's a great place to be =]

Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 3:17 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

I should add a little warning

If you're one of those touch-phobic North Americans who freak out at physical contact with members of the same sex..........be prepared for a little shock in Korea Mr. Green

Bigjmaster14 I'm in Korea now and half-Arab. I'm not very very dark skinned, but I don't look like a "typical" (white skin, fair hair, light eyes) either....in my experience you won't get as much attention as the typical white visitor. I'm not saying you fit in, just you'll stick out less. Also, I met a lot of people from the Indian subcontinent region living in Seoul, especially near Itaewon where the mosque is. Indian food is also popular in Seoul Laugh