My Korean Life #25: House Hunting Part 1 - Before You Go

This mini-series within "My Korean Life" will document me finding a one-room (studio apartment) here in Korea. <NOTE: There is something called the jeonse (전세) system in Korea but normally that requires $80,000 - $125,000+ upfront, I will not be addressing this system>

Part 1: Research and Preparation

Research where you want to live first of all. Then you can start to look online or visit the windows of real estate agents and browse possible rooms. In Korea there is a very popular app called "직방" which I used to find some open rooms. They may not show you the exact apartment you saw online or the app due to the heavy turn over but they will show you similar properties or whatever is in your price range. Most every room has a negotiable price. Prices published online are normally what the building owner prefers but that is not set in stone.

If your Korean is...still in development...then feel free to bring along a Korean friend with you. I did on my first two visits to agencies but honestly (and my Korean friend said this to me) she didn't need to be there. My Korean was good enough. The 3rd agent I visited speaks English well so we talked mostly in English.

First thing you should KNOW (not a maybe and not an "I don't know") is the MAX you are willing to pay for both the security deposit (보증금) and monthly rent (월세). They will also ask you when you want to move in (an estimate is fine). I gave about one or two weeks out. You also don't want to go to the real estate agency too soon (maybe within 2-4 weeks of you wanting to move unless you need more time to plan or want to look at multiple areas of town).

They may also ask what is important to you or what size of room you want. They may reference an old area measurement called pyeong (평). If looking at one-rooms I suggest at least 6 pyeong (~213.5 sq.ft. or ~19.8 sqm).

They may also ask you about the options you want, this means what is included when you rent the apartment. Most will come some furniture like a desk or wardrobe. MANY DO NOT COME WITH A BED but sometimes this can be negotiated into the contract options. Just check with the real estate agent on what the options are PER PROPERTY.

If you visit multiple properties in the same neighborhood, remember where you have been as real estate agents may share regions, neighborhoods, or property building listings.

Checklist (pre-visit)

• Preferred location
• Max Deposit and Max Rent Amount. Most properties are negotiable.
• Preferred size (in pyeong or square meters)
• Preferred options (bed, desk, refrigerator, wardrobe, etc)
• Move-in Date
• Term of lease (Normally 1 year but some can negotiate less than a year or more than a year depending on the building owner)

Part 2 will cover visiting properties.

~

My Korean Life #24: Summer Weather

I recently completed some more vlogging sessions with the same Korean language learner which you can view below.  

In other news, the weather has gotten quite hot in Korea as is customary for the summer. The humidity has not hit yet but don't worry, it is just around the corner. Normally in July and August the humidity skyrockets and wallpaper begins peeling off the walls because of all the moisture in the air. The other thing Korean summers are known for are mosquitos. 

Last summer I didn't have that much of a problem with mosquitos but where I live now there are a lot of them. There is also a family of cats that live on the premises as well. I've seen the mother cat (I assume it's the mother, but you never know, they may have a stay-at-home Dad) and the kittens frolicking about at night. The parent cat loves to hiss at me when I walk up the steps in front of where I live. 

Also, the neighbor's dog, who used to bark at me every time I passed by, has finally chilled out. Today he just stared at me with no barks at all.

In regards to language school, I have almost no written homework which is good in one way but makes it hard in another. Now I have to really force myself to study a lot and preview the next day's material...with no worksheets or exercises to really guide me through the process. Considering I've become quite busy with a few other endeavors lately, I don't mind having anything to hand in every class.

Class in general is still structured but also more driven simply by student participation. There is a lot of chatting both by the students in class and by the teacher especially during the main block of time (reading+speaking). Writing class is quite casual as it was in level 5. Actually I rarely use that complex of grammar when writing. A lot of times the prompts just don't call for it either. There is quite a lot of vocabulary though so, I've been trying to at least integrate that.

Anyway, enjoy the videos below!

~

My Korean Life #23: Last term at language school is on the horizon

Starting on Thursday, it will be the first day of my last term in language school. It all flew by very fast. Just a year ago I was beginning my new life as a full time language student in Level 2 and now I am about to start Level 6. I still have a few days of break left and I've kept quite busy even though going into the break I had very few plans.

One thing that I experienced for the first time was a wedding in Korea. My good friend from Level 3 tied the knot this past weekend and I attended the wedding ceremony. I had just read about what a Korean wedding was like so experiencing it was interesting. Before the ceremony you can visit the bride in a special room and take pictures with her. At the entrance to the wedding hall, both sets of parents and the groom stand out front to greet everyone. You also have the desk where you can give your congratulatory money (no physical gifts) and in return you receive a meal ticket.

The actual ceremony was different from what I'm used to in the USA. During the ceremony there were still people chit chatting while things were being read and people were also taking a bunch of pictures or on their cell phones. Friends of the groom (I think) sang a song and the groom joined in at the end. The couple bowed to both sets of parents and a few hugs and tears were also exchanged.

After the ceremony, they had picture time. First was the couple, then the family, and then all the friends. Also, the throwing of the bouquet is prearranged and staged. Only one girl (usually set to get married soon) stands behind the bride to catch the bouquet. If the picture isn't satisfactory the first time around, they reset and do it again, haha.

Finally comes the meal, they had food set out on the table before hand and as we sat down they brought out hot soup and rice. Other things available were fruit, meat, seafood, japchae, kimchi, beer, soju, and soft drinks. The couple also came around to each table to greet guests and thank them for coming.

After eating, you're done! No big reception with dancing and drinking and cake :/ Oh well.

Also, I recently met a fellow language student and did a little interview/chat with her, check it out below. We've planned to make more vlogs together so stay tuned to my YouTube channel for those:

www.youtube.com/user/brightness86

My Korean Life #22: Again, hard to believe!

I am quickly approaching what will be my last term in language school. It's hard to believe about a year ago I had just stepped foot in Korea to start my life as an ex-pat. Also hard to believe I have completed 4 terms of language school with no break (besides the short vacations we get between semesters). Although I do know classmates that have done level 1-5 with no breaks.

I must say, the burned out feeling can come up and it has come up for me at times. No matter how hard I studied or reviewed vocabulary there were things that just didn't sink in. I think that is ok now. In my view, doing a language course like this does not mean you will become anywhere close to a native speaker over 18 months. Rather, it is an intense exposure to many facets of the language and culture...hopefully stimulating you to pursue further study or simply interaction with native speakers. 

Honestly, I still have trouble understanding some of my Korean friends. I still have trouble watching news broadcasts and Korean TV shows...but I'm ok with that. I know a lot of my friends are obsessed with watching Korean TV. I, myself, really like Korean music but it doesn't mean I'll become a highly proficient speaker just by listening to a lot of music. Nor should you have the expectation that watching Korean TV directly relates to becoming great Korean speaker.

I'll be entering what is considered "level 6" at Sogang during the summer. After completing this tier you are considered 'done' and you receive a certificate with the number of class hours completed. It's considered a big achievement and some people even wear hanboks to the graduation ceremony. I've struggled since level 3 and was on the brink of having to redo levels at least 2 times. The hardest part for me has been the vocabulary. And in the higher levels, a lot of the words are based on Chinese characters (Hanja) which leaves the Chinese speakers in class with a huge advantage...and the Japanese...anyway

My advice - how you do on the tests in class shouldn't determine how you feel about your skill level. Don't let a number or letter grade define how you feel about the language. In addition to class material, study things you are interested in. I actually really liked watching the food network in the USA so I've taken to watching Korean food shows. I've also watched a few movies that were only in Korean with no subtitles of any type. Study hard, but have some fun.

Feel free to ask me anything about the program.

~

Spring Vacation Trip Osaka, Japan: Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan (海遊館)

Osaka is home to quite a large aquarium called Kaiyukan. It is easily accessible from the subway via Osakako station. The layout of the aquarium has you start from the top and work your way down the levels. The permanent exhibit is quite large and hosts a variety of sea creatures. There are themed areas as you work your way through the exhibit and at the end there is a hands-on area where you can touch some fish. Below are some photos from my visit. I won't spoil the whole thing for you :)

The exterior of the aquarium

This is how thick the glass is in the main aquarium

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan (海遊館)

Website: http://www.kaiyukan.com/language/eng/

Hours: 10:00AM-8:00PM *Last admission one hour before closing, admission hours can vary depending on seasons/holidays
Admission: Adults are 2300 Yen each (Discounts can be found for tourists usually)
Getting there: Subway Osakako Station
What to bring/wear: Good walking shoes, a camera/camcorder if you want to take pictures.
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/p2z7A

Spring Vacation Trip Osaka, Japan: Shitennoji (四天王寺) and the Osaka Museum of History (大阪歴史博物館)

Below are a few snapshots from my visit to Shitennoji (oldest officially administered temple in Japan). The interior of most of the buildings did not allow photography (that or I didn't deem it respectful to be taking pictures inside) so these are of the grounds and exterior. The weather was still amazing so as you can see the cherry blossoms were in full bloom and the sky was blue with just a few clouds. There was also this pond with a ton of turtles in it.

Shitennoji (四天王寺)

Website: http://www.shitennoji.or.jp/

Hours: 8:30AM - 4:30PM

Admission: Small fee for entering the center grounds (300 Yen)

Getting thereAccessible via the subway system (Shitennojimae Yuhigaoka Station or tennoji station are the closest I think)

What to bring/wear: Good walking shoes, a camera/camcorder if you want to take pictures.

Maps: http://goo.gl/maps/m6V5k

I also went to the Osaka Museum of History on the same day. I must say I was quite impressed with this museum. The detail in the models of the city and exhibits was done very well. There were also plenty of volunteers and staff around to man the hands-on exhibits. My friend and I played a traditional game and also put together some puzzles. A lot of the exhibits had text translated to English and Korean though not every exhibit has translations.

Osaka Museum of History (大阪歴史博物館)

Website: http://www.mus-his.city.osaka.jp/index.html

Hours: 9:30AM-5:00PM *Please Enter 30 Minutes Prior To Closing
Admission: Adults are 600 Yen each
Getting there: Subway Tanimachi Line and Chuo Line, “Tanimachi 4-Chome” Station, Close To Exit “9” or “2”
What to bring/wear: Good walking shoes, a camera/camcorder if you want to take pictures.
Layout of Exhibitions: http://www.mus-his.city.osaka.jp/eng/exhibitions/permanent.html

Spring Vacation Trip Osaka, Japan: Osaka Castle (大坂城) and Dotonbori (道頓堀)

The below photos are from Osaka Castle (大坂城) during one of the peak times for the blooming cherry blossoms. I got lucky with the time I chose to go to Osaka as most if not all the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. The weather was (as you can see) pretty much perfect. Barely a cloud in the sky and the temperature was neither hot or cold. A ton of Japanese and tourists alike were out that day. The actual building you see has been converted into a museum with an observation level and small gift shop at the top. There is a small charge to go up into the actual 'castle'. 

Osaka Castle (大坂城)

Website: http://www.osakacastle.net/english/
Hours: Entrance to the Museum is from 9AM - 5PM (extended seasonally) with the last admission at 4:30PM.
Admission: 600 Yen to enter the Museum (Grounds are free)
Getting there: http://www.osakacastle.net/english/access/index.html
What to bring/wear: Good walking shoes, a camera/camcorder if you want to take pictures. There are some food options/vending machines available onsite.
Maps: http://www.osakacastle.net/english/park/index.html

After spending the day at Osaka Castle, I visited Dotonbori, a large tourist area that straddles a canal that runs through Osaka. Here you can find a ton of restaurants and shopping as well as a sea of people when night time hits. The iconic Glico Running Man is also located here (picture below). My dinner here consisted of a visit to Kamukura Ramen. To order food, you use the vending machine outside of the restaurant for a meal ticket and then just go in a find an open seat. I chose a set meal that include gyoza and rice formed into a triangle. Everything was delicious!

Dotonbori (道頓堀)

Website (Japan National Tourism Organization): http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/osaka/dotonbori.html

Hours: Restaurant and shop hours vary. Place comes alive at night.
Admission: None
Getting there: Accessible via the subway system (Namba and Nipponbashi Stations) and various other methods
What to bring/wear: Good walking shoes, a camera/camcorder if you want to take pictures. An appetite.
Maps: http://goo.gl/maps/FPaJf