Korea Life: Adopting a Cat in Korea

Before I moved to Seoul, I was constantly watching all these posts about cats that needed to be adopted. I wanted one so bad, but I knew that I would be making a move soon. I kept telling myself to wait and wait. After I moved to Seoul, I knew I would be here for awhile. I decided it was time to add an extra member to my one member family. I had a cat in mind, I wanted a middle aged cat, preferably black (I wear all black and the hair wouldn't be as noticeable).

There are some cat rescues in Seoul. I researched all the places to adopt a cat from in Korea. Google is your best friend here and there are lots of helpful websites about adopting. I decided I couldn't handle the rescue houses. How do you pick out just one cat from all the cute cat's that need homes??? For me, this wasn't an option. I would be weighed down by guilt. I was kind of hoping a needy cat would just fall into my lap one day. 

This didn't happen. So, I found this site (rescuekorea.org) where you can find cats that are in need of homes and can directly email the current foster parents. I stalked the website daily for a few weeks, unable to make a decision. Then one day I saw the cutest cat. He was nothing like what I had wanted. He was only a year old (I was honestly thoroughly against a kitten before this). He was ginger and white in color with the cutest pink nose. I tried to talk myself out of it because I had really wanted to take on an older cat.... but I loved him just from his picture.

The process was easy. I emailed the foster mom, whose email was provided at the bottom. The foster mom was the nicest person and she was really helpful. She answered all my questions and let me come and meet the cat before I decided to adopt him. So, one weekend I went to her house to meet the cat with my friend. This poor kitty was too scared to even come near me or my friend. He hid in the bedroom the whole time. You would think this would turn me off from adopting him, but it was the opposite. This made me want to take him home even more, so that I could love him and keep him safe. 

The next weekend, I spent the whole day shopping and preparing the pick up my new kitty. The next day, with everything ready for him, I went and picked him up. He was thoroughly scared and it didn't help that we had a 30 minute or so subway ride with him in a carrier. When we finally got back to my place, he refused to come out of the carrier, but this was expected. However, unexpectedly, that night he climbed into bed with me. He made himself comfortable pretty quickly and now owns my apartment (and my heart). 

My experience adopting a cat in Korea has been pretty easy and pain free. This is due to a great foster mom who was easy to talk to and really nice. There are lots of cats out there for adoption and even though the rescues are sad, this is still a much better option than a pet store. There are so many pet stores here that only cater to kittens and puppies. It is a really sad because when they get too old, either they become breeders or go to a shelter. So, putting any money into these businesses is something I am thoroughly against. I could go on forever on that topic. The rescue homes have a much more complicated process than what I went through but it is understandable. There are people out there that adopt for the year they live here and then decide they don't want to take the cat/dog back home with them. Which is another topic I could also kick off on. Anyways, if you are looking for any sort of animal, please go the adoption route and know that it may be the more tedious route, but so much more rewarding. 

In conclusion this is my new cat 부끄 and I am obsessed with him. I highly recommend adopting if you have the time, money, and maturity for adding a pet to your household.  

Korea Life: Moving from Cheonan to Seoul

I recently (read almost 3 months ago because I post everything ridiculously late) decided that it was time to make the move to from Cheonan to Seoul. I wanted to live in Seoul originally but....  when I moved to Korea, I didn't have any previous teaching experience. Seoul is a much bigger city with a much more competitive market for English teachers. I knew if I wanted a good job in Seoul, that I would need experience first. I picked Cheonan for a lot of reasons; it was close to Seoul, it was a transportation hub (I could get anywhere pretty fast), and it was a great place to save money. I loved living in Cheonan and it's a great city to live in. But I am from a big city and I wanted to be back in a big city surrounded by lots and lots of people. When my contract finished at the end of February, I made the move to Seoul.

First things first, the actual move. Due to the situation of having no time off between jobs, I had a very limited window of time for moving. I ended work on a Friday night, moved to a new city on Saturday and started at a new job on Monday. To say it was stressful is a complete understatement. My school helped me hire a truck for Saturday to take me from Cheonan to Seoul. It was supposed to cost around 120 dollars, which isn't bad for a city to city move. Well, I specifically asked for a moving truck because the amount of clothes I have was in definite need of a full on truck. Unfortunately, something changed last minute and the truck was unavailable. A medium sized van pulls up in front of my apartment right on time, but I looked at it and said "not happening, my stuff can't fit in that thing!". The grumpiest faced old stepped out of this van. He looked just severely pissed from the onset. Luckily, I wasn't going through this alone (my male coworker, who is a worrywart, wouldn't hire the truck unless he knew I wasn't going alone). We moved all my stuff down and out of my apartment and into this truck in maybe 10 minutes. We had to tetris my stuff in and the grumpy faced man kept sighing and asking why there was so much stuff. Once we loaded all the stuff, he said he wasn't going to drive for the same price. He wanted 60 more dollars because there was so much stuff. I had no choice but to say yes because my stuff was already in his truck. We all piled into this van and were off on the long ride to Seoul.

No joke, it took 5 hours.... 5 hours!! The trip is usually 2 hours but the traffic was horrible and my new apartment was on the Northern most edge of Seoul. Janelle was blogging the whole way and the van was hot. It was miserable. We were all whining and annoyed in the car. But the absolute worst part was how bad  I needed to pee. I needed to pee so bad. I cannot even begin to explain this pain. I should have gone before we left, but I didn't, I was stupid and my bladder, kidneys, whatever... it paid for it. I was literally crying by hour 3. I wanted to ask the man to stop but we were in such bad traffic, it wasn't moving, and I was scared of the driver because he was grumpy. I thought I was going to pee in the back of this man's van. Since, my friend was vlogging the whole thing, she caught the crying on camera. I wish I could say it was funny now, looking back... but it wasn't. The pain of needing to pee that bad will haunt me for the rest of my life.

Anyways, I made it and unloaded my stuff faster than it was loaded because the man was rushing us. But I was finally moved and I was in my new apartment. My friends went out to dinner with me for my first night and then they went back to Cheonan.

That was my moving experience in Korea. It was pretty bad. From the wrong truck, to the grumpy old man, to the bladder infection that I thought I would get.... it was rough. But I guess I successfully moved with all my stuff... so it's not as bad as it could have been. I could have been dropped off in the middle of nowhere and had all my stuff stolen or something. (I don't know, something definitely could have gone very wrong).

Adventure Time in Korea: Namsan Tower Visit

Namsan Tower

One weekend in Fall, we decided to make a Friendship Lock and make the trek to Namsan Tower. Namsan Tower is a tower in Seoul. Traditionally, people put "Love Locks" along the top of the tower. When you lock your love into the top of the it means that your love is forever. A lot of people put friendship locks up or they will put their names with their favorite idols (We put our names with sharpie on the wall with our favorite idols).

We bought a ridiculously cute lock, covered it with stickers and our intitials. We had a general idea of where we were going, however we were a little lost. We just kept trying to follow signs. Eventually we found the cable car that takes you up to the top. You can walk or take the car up and down. We opted to cable car up and then walk down. The weather was lovely but we didn't want to be sweaty on the way up. The cable car cost about 15 each..... possibly.... maybe.... something along those lines.

When you get to the top of the tower, there is a lot to do and see. There is even a movie theater there. First things first, we went in search of a spot to put our lock. There are literally millions of locks everywhere on around this place. There are lock trees and lock balls and lock benches. Just everywhere. We put ours along one of the paths that seemed a little less crowded. It was  fun to read some of the locks and see all the colors.

Love Walls

We then went exploring around the top. Most of the attractions are dedicated to "love." There are lots of cute things to take pictures with. If you walk up and down the layers, there are some great photo ops. There are even places to set up your camera to take the couple photos. There are some cafe's and food places inside. We found some really fun photo booths. We had a great time taking pictures and you are able to stick the pictures on the wall after you are done. A lot of people are making out in the photos on the wall. We were making guesses of which couples were still together or not.

Photo Booth Fun

After taking a million couple photos with eachother and thoroughly exploring the top. We decided to make the trek down. Fall is a great time to make this hike, it's not as hot as summer and the colors during the walk are stunning. The trees were all red, yellow, and orange. It was really a beautiful site.There are lots of stairs on the way down, and we saw a lot of girls walking up in heels. The hike up would not have been too bad, but the cable car was also a fun ride. We did the "basic" thing and took photos of the leaves on the ground. There were some great views and if you are good with a camera, you could probably get some great photos. (Note: Take a charger with you because my phone died on the way down because of all the pictures and videos at the top T.T)

View from the top of the Tower

Adventure Time Korea: Being a Hongdae Tour Guide

A few months ago (read like 6 maybe 7 months ago), I found out that my friends hadn't been properly introduced to Hongdae in Seoul. For anyone who has ever read anything about Seoul, Hongdae is mentioned A LOT. Hongdae is known as one of the places to go to party. There are many great places to go to party in Seoul, but if you want a crowded place with a lot of English speakers and other foreigners (that's not Itaewon) then Hongdae is for you. I took it upon myself to properly introduce them to Hongdae.... By properly, I do mean I took them to exactly the same places that my predecessors at work showed me.

We stayed at a great hostel that we have stayed at a few times since then. It was close enough that it was maybe a 5 minute walk to the main street. But far enough off to the side that the noise and drunk people didn't effect us. The owners are really nice and the beds are comfortable. Also, they have kpop posters on the wall and usually some band is singing on the TV. The showers are always warm (see previous post). We stayed in a 6 bed dorm for all girls. (Family House Tel Hongdae shout out).

First, I took them down the main street in Hongdae to look at a few of the murals and explore the shops. There are lots of street vendors and places to get cheap clothes and accessories. You could spend hours walking up and down the streets shopping and eating. A trip to Hongdae isn't complete without stopping to watch the street dancers. There is usually a few groups of competing street dancers. They are usually promoting something but they speak too fast and I can't understand them. However, I have gotten free coffee a few times while standing there. They are usually there from late afternoon and then leave to the clubs at maybe 10ish. There are also singers and magicians. Depending on your Korean level, you may or may not like the magicians. But most of them are really funny and entertaining to watch (magic is it's own language).

In the middle of shopping we stopped to try the latest rage here, Light Bulb Drinks. They are ades but they put them into light bulb shaped cups and the straws have lights. We went to one of the vendors with the longest line because there was a whole ritual the vendor had while making it. (You can see a video on my instagram). They don't taste any better than a normal drink and are actually quite small for their price. To be honest, it's just an experience to have. We enjoyed watching it being made and taking pictures with our cups (we did it for the gram) (see gram photo below).

This street is packed and sweaty as the depths of hell in summer (which is when we were there). But you can dip in and out of shops and cafes all day. You can see the sweaty sheen in all the photos (aka that glow life). We had to take quite a few showers over the course of the weekend.

Anywho, once you hit dinner time, there is a plethora of restaurants to choose from. You can get anything your heart desires. But as anyone who has lived in Korea for more than a few months will tell you, LOOK UP! There are so many restaurants and cafes on the second and third floors of buildings. You are cheating yourself if you don't look up and try the restaurants above eye level. Word to the wise, don't try to eat dinner too late, you won't have many options. I have mentioned before that most drinking places also serve food. But this is not proper dinner food, it is usually snack foods. If you want a proper meal, you need to go out at dinner time.

Speaking of drinking places, there are tons where you can sit and drink for hours with friends and meet new people. However, if you are a foreigner or want to meet foreigners, there is a place known for it's abundance, The Park. Do I know the name of this park.... no.... but I know how to walk there(hashtag foreigner life). But, honestly, I have not met anyone who has been to Hongdae more than once that doesn't know what you mean when you say The Park. Since it was my friends first time, I had to take them there. Now, let me paint a picture for you. There is a graffiti covered park with trash stacked up all around the sides. In this big open place, there are tons of people standing around with soju, beer or maeggoli(spelling is hard) bottles, just drinking. There is usually a group having a rap battle in one corner and maybe a few singers performing off to the side. You will see lots of foreigners just getting tanked. Soju is really cheap from the convenience store, so this is a cheap place to go that you don't have to buy food to drink there.

From there, many people (I think... maybe.... so I've heard) go to one of the millions of clubs in Hongdae. I decided to take my friends to one of the most popular (or was one of the most popular.... I may not be "with it"). NB2 is a hip hop club. Usually clubs in Korea play EDM music, but NB1 and NB2 both play hip hop. NB2 is a giant club but it's always packed to the point of sardines. The line stretches way out to the street. (Pro tip: go to NB1 first, they will give you a wrist band for both clubs and leave your stuff at this much smaller club across the street. Then you can skip the line head into NB2 and by head in I mean try to push into the pit of people). Summer time in this club is stinky and death. The moment you step in, you are in a sauna of sweat and there is no relief. (Note: Winter time it's a nice warm place to dance). If you go onto the stage, there is an air conditioner and there is a back way onto the stage by circling the outer corners of the club buttttttttt the stage is still hot and packed. That being said, we still danced for hours and it's always a blast even through the uncomfortableness.

The next day we went to Sinchon. This is actually one stop over from Hongdae. There is every makevup brand you can imagine on this street. For any make up lover, this is the place to go. There is lots of shopping, cafes and food places as well. On the back streets there are a lot of drinking places for later at night. There is also usually some sort of singing or dancing exhibition going on. We happened to go on the day the Summer Water Festival was happening. There were blow up water slides and blow up pools with floaties. It looked like a lot of fun but unfortunately we were not dressed appropriately to play in the water. We took a few pictures and then went to a cafe to cool off. One of the best parts of summer in Korea is bingsu. Bingsu is a bowl of ice flakes filled with fruit and other sweet things. It is a great way to cool off on a hot day.

After lunch and desert we headed to Ewha Women's University. Also just one stop away from Sinchon. Ewha has great outdoor shopping in all of the latest styles in Korea. The clothes are really cheap but the quality isn't great. However, it is good shopping if you want to keep up with Korean fashion without breaking the bank. You can buy a whole new wardrobe without being too broke to buy food for the next month. I could write a whole "How-To" post about shopping in Korea. But I digress.....

After our millionth shower, we went back out that night and did it all over again. We called it an early night because we had to go back to Cheonan the next morning. My friends said that it was a great introduction to that area of the city and we got to do all of our favorite things. I can't speak for all the foreigners (duh) but from what I've read and heard (and learned from predecessors) this is a pretty normal introduction to Hongdae.

Korea Life: Drinking, Clubbing, and Karaoke Nights

My weekends have been filled with drinking and new people for the past couple months or so. But compared to the US, the drinking culture here is much different. I have realized here drinking is a marathon, not a sprint. Not a short marathon either, if you are going out for the night you aren't going home until the sun rises. It doesn't help that I feel like the clubs NEVER close here. So you could literally stay out dancing and walk out into the daylight without realizing you've been up for that long.

But lets get back to the drinking aspect. It's quite a practical/ magical thing. First, you aren't drinking hard liquor like in the US most of the time. You are drinking soju, which has a lower alcohol content than the liquors back home. But I would say the main difference here is that if you are drinking, you are eating. There are bars here that just serve alcohol, but they are few and far between. It is normal to sit at a place for hours, eating and drinking. And if you want to move to a new place, you need to order food again. Sometimes this can be a little annoying because you do get full and don't want to eat and sometimes want to just keep drinking. But I think, overall, this is a really good practice. You are never drinking on an empty stomach and the food stops you from drinking as much. The food here is also insanely delicious, so I don't complain too much about the food. Even at the clubs here, if you get a table they not only have a bottle of alcohol but also a tray of finger foods to go with the alcohol. The two things go hand in hand here. 

Drinking games are not uncommon and I have learned a lot of really fun games since I have been here. Most of the time you see people just talking and drinking, games tend to be played by younger people. They are all hand games, people are usually surprised when I whip out a deck of cards because they have never played drinking card games before. 

There is also an order of events that you start to notice here. First you go to a restaurant and eat and drink. Then you go to a club to dance and dance. Then you end the night at a karaoke place. I used try to skip the last one because I can't sing for anything but it's grown on me and I no matter how much I say I won't sing I end up stealing the microphone constantly. But it's not uncommon to want to go to a singing room here. I also feel like everyone I have been to a singing room with is an incredible singer, which makes me feel slightly ashamed but doesn't seem to stop me. 

Korea Life: Cheonan

When I was interviewing for a job here in South Korea, I know I wanted a big city. I really wanted Seoul but knew that I did not have the qualifications for a good job in a city of that size. So I decided that I would be OK with a medium sized city that wasn't too far from Seoul. When I interviewed for my job here in Cheonan, the city was one of the things that drew me to the job.

Cheonan is a pretty great city to live in. It's not the most exciting city, but it is by no means boring. The city has a lot of great aspects to it. First, it is surrounded by mountains. Not only does the air seem really fresh here compared to the big city, but it has really good hiking trails. I have gone for quite a few hikes up some really beautiful trails since I have been here. Cheonan is also known for "hodugwaja", which is a really delicious walnut bread. You can find it in stands on the street corners. The smell is even better than the taste. You can usually smell it from a block or more away and it makes your mouth salivate like crazy.

Since it is a medium sized city, there is still a good night life here. The clubs are always full and there are lots of people partying on the streets whenever you want to go on a rager. This also means that there is a good number of cafe's and restaurants here. It is not limited in it's food selection. You can get almost any type of food you want and nothing is too far away. I have had a really great time trying all the new food and trying the fusion restaurants.

As I have mentioned, it is not the biggest city but there is still a lot to explore and do. The shopping is really great and there is underground shopping as well as a couple of malls. I have still barely scratched the surface of the city. There is still a lot more to see and even more to eat. 

Korea Life: My First Trip to Seoul

For the Chuseok holiday I took my first trip to Seoul. A coworker and I packed one carry on suitcase and headed for the big city (according to the people we met in Seoul, we are living in the country).

Luckily Cheonan is a transportation hub. So we have the KTX (high speed train), it only took 30 minutes from Cheonan to Seoul (2 hours or more by bus). The tickets only cost 16 dollars for a one way direct. If we had bought a standing ticket, it would have only been 10 dollars.The Seoul subway was actually easy to navigate. We downloaded an English app and we were able to find everything easily on there. It is also very cheap, much better than a cab.

Our first stop was Itaewon-dong because I had heard about a Mexican restaurant their that I had been craving for the past month.The restaurant did not disappoint. It was called Coreanos and the food was excellent. I got a chicken quesadilla and it was a great reminder of home. As you can see by the picture, I could not wait to eat it. We then made our way for coffee and dessert. We found this cute little place called Hello Pudding. We got a cookie, carrot cake, and some coffee. Everything was delicious.

After that we went to find our hostel. We were staying in Hongdae-dong. We were recommended a hostel called Fortune Hostel. Neither me nor my coworker had ever stayed in a hostel before, so we did not know what to expect. All we could think of were the really crappy hostels you see in movies, we were quite scared to be honest. However, we were pleasantly surprised. The hostel was very clean and quiet. We stayed in a 6 bed room, the floor we were on was girls only, so no worries about pervs trying to peak. The price was good, 180000won a night (around $18 US). We were right in the center of all the action too. We could walk anywhere to get anything. Everything was right beside us, including a great night life scene.

Since it was Chuseok weekend (korean thanksgiving), lots of Koreans had gone back home to see their families. There were sooooo many foreigners there for the long weekend. All the bars were filled with foreigners from around Korea (mainly English teachers). We met lots of cool people and made many new friends.

We spent most the days walking around and exploring. Seoul is so big, with lots of really cool things to see. I feel like I was posting too much and not enough on instagram all at the same time (a_is_for_amyzing if you want to see more pictures). We tried lots of food and bought stuff from a lot of small vendors. I am pretty sure I gained 15 lbs from sweets and street food. But it was all worth.

Before we left, we went to the Hello Kitty Cafe. It was everything you would expect and more. It was like pink and cutesy puked on the whole place. I loved it. The food and coffee were ok, it is definitely a place you go to for the experience. The place is two stories high and filled with Hello Kitty everything. The top floor has a Hello Kitty bedroom where you can take pictures. There is also a gift shop to buy overpriced brand name things (you can get them on the street for a lot cheaper). But it was a fun experience and  I was really happy to go there.

We only stayed for 2 days, but I will go back soon and explore some more. It may be a lot different on a non holiday weekend. It will probably be a lot more packed full of people. Which is fine, because it made Cheonan seem so small.

Although I loved Seoul, I was happy to arrive back in Cheonan. I needed a full shower and a full night of sleep. But I will be going back soon.

Korea Life: Coffee Shops

I had a given up drinking coffee on a regular basis about a year ago. I had switched it for green tea. But it is so hard not to be a coffee drinker in Korea. Why? Because there are cute little coffee shops EVERYWHERE! Down every road, on every corner I find them. The cutest, most welcoming coffee shops that say "Come in, Have a sweet latte." How can I resist the coffee shops. Yes I know they serve non coffee beverages, but I do love the taste of coffee. So it is hard for me to go to a coffee shop and not get a latte.

In Houston, we have Starbucks everywhere. And most starbucks look exactly the same, with a few minor difference. But the menus are the same and the people look the same. But here there are so many small, local shops. All of them have different drinks and items, all of them look so different. It is absolutely wonderful. I have fallen in love with all my local shops and a new one just opened up two doors down from me that I am dying to try.

It may not be healthy, but it is relaxing. I love a warm cup of coffee and the weather is only getting cooler. I know in winter I will really appreciate all the coffee shops being so close to warm me up.

It is also nice to have the fresh coffee, because most of the coffee in the stores is instant coffee. The instant coffee here is good. But after drinking it all week, it is so nice to have a fresh cup of coffee at a cafe.

Korea Life: Living Off Convenience Store Food

The first few weeks I was here  I could not find an international ATM. So, I was not eating out but living off of cheap convenience store food (thank you GS25). When I say convenience store food, I do not mean the really processed, disgusting hot dogs and nachos you get in the states. Here convenience store food is much different. You can get as healthy or as bad of food as you want. I probably now have an unhealthy love for Korean convenience store sandwiches. Most of them have eggs/egg salad and are oh so delicious. But I have gotten kimbap to sandwiches to a full on stew from the convenience store. None of it cost over 25000won (2.50 US). The point of this being you can live off of convenience store food for cheap. Now the second point, this blog has a lot about losing weight and healthy living. Even though I was poor and eating from the convenience store. I still ate in moderation and chose wisely. So instead of gaining, I lost weight the first few weeks. Meaning that even if you have to live poorly your first few weeks here or even months here, that does not mean you will gain weight. Choosing wisely and eating in moderation are still big factors.

Lets move on to my real obsession that I buy from the convenience store.... banana flavored milk. It was honestly one of the things I wanted to try most when I came here. It is a hit or miss among foreigners, but it was a bullseye with me. I love the stuff. I would drink a bath of it. Even though I grocery shop now, it is something I still need to buy from the convenience store (this is to discourage me from drinking more than one a day because they are high in sugar).

I can now report that I can access my money back home and am back to cooking for myself. But I still treat myself to an egg sandwich once a week and banana milk a little more often. I am very happy I went through those broke convenience store times because there are other gems I found that I will probably continue to eat as well.

Korea Life: Teaching Kindergarten

Before I came here I was not a kid person. They annoyed me. When they screamed, I winced. When they ran, I wanted to trip them. I did not want them in my restaurants, I did not want them touching me. So why did I move to South Korea to teach English to kindergarteners?? For adventure, for experience, for money, but now.....

Oh... how things have changed. Teaching Korean 7 year olds (in the US they would be 5/6 year olds) has really changed how I feel about small children. It may be the mothering instinct that I suppressed for so long or it could be the responsibility you feel for your class. Or it may be the fact that they are all soooooo cute, I mean seriously adorable children. But I love all my students, even the ones that are complete brats (and I have many brats).

I feel like it may not be my place to comment on these things because I have only been teaching a month and a half. However, it did not take long for me to love my students. As soon as they were put into my care, I felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility for their well being. They are only children and so small, so you have to take care of them. It has been a challenge though. Going from not being around kids at all to teaching them all day, it has been hard. I will probably spend the whole year learning how to best cope with them and how I can take care of them better. (I think anybody would do the same though because in all aspects of your life you never stop learning.)

I like to think my classes warmed up to me as quickly as I warmed up to them. They are very affectionate and give me lots of hugs and cuddles. They say very nice things to me and give me pictures they draw for me and cards with cute things. It is a very rewarding job, but not easy by any means. We do lots of fun things in class (although sometimes it is hit or miss with the activities). So,
I am constantly moving around with them and lifting them (or peeling them off of my legs) so it is an all day workout. I knew it was gong to be a different lifestyle than the cubicle I was used to. But I did not know how much until I was on my feet and lifting small (but heavy) children all day.

I am sure I will have more updates about teaching as the year goes on. But I think this is a good overview of how it feels to start teaching in South Korea, specifically  coming from being a person who disliked (now past tense) kids.

Korea Life: My Apartment

I have been living in my apartment just over a month a now. I read a lot about how I would have to adjust to a lot of things. However, so far, I have found the differences minimal, to say the least. The apartment is small, but I think it is perfect for one person. Just enough room. I have everything I need in the apartment, with a little room to spare. It is comparable if not bigger than a studio apartment in Houston or any other big city.
It is a one room apartment with a small kitchen and a bathroom. As you can see it is not the biggest thing ever. But it holds a desk/table, bookshelf, tv/stand, queen size bed, drawers and has a nice size closet. The floor has a good amount of space for my workouts in the morning. I have enough room in the bottom of my closet to store my weights and yoga mat. I am sad that I filled the top up and my clothes are trying to bust out of the closet. My kitchen is very small and cannot hold much food. But, as I have said, it is enough for one. It is a pain to cook in because there is no room to cut veggies. There is no oven, only a stove. It saves on a lot of space and a lot of heat, so I do not mind.

So, let's move on to the differences. The main one is the bathroom. It is not like a traditional western bathroom. There is no shower or bath tub, it is just one tile room. Your shower head is connected to the sink. So you have to take a shower in the middle of the room. There is not curtain or anything. Just you in the middle of the bathroom showering. It means everything gets wet in the bathroom, at least at first. It is not bad, just different. Another difference is the washer and dryer, or lack thereof. There is only a washer and then lots of drying racks to hang your clothes. My porch, which in the US would be used for patio furniture, is solely used for my washer and drying racks. The last difference is that it is not normal to keep the A/C on for a extended amounts of time. In Houston, the A/C stays running, even when it is cool outside. It is not normal to keep the windows open all the time. But here it is very normal to keep your windows open instead of turning on the A/C or fan. So, my windows stay open all day and night, I have only turned on the A/C  a few times since I have been here. This could be because of a slight weather difference (hot/humid is all Houston is and the weather is beautiful here) but I also think it is just something we get used to doing now. There are a few other nuances that I think are well known. You don't wear your shoes indoors, so there is a spot in the front to take them off and put them. The plugs are different. You have different controls for the hot water. But those are all a given.
I am not done decorating yet because I need more on the walls to complete it. I have been on a search for really cute things to fill my apartment with. You know, the quintessential Asian cute stuff they are known for. I have found a few things. Cute stickers for my kitchen and bathroom walls. But nothing that I am super excited over. I will try to remember to take more pictures when I am done completely decorating. That could take awhile though.

Korea Life: The Arrival

I have been living in Cheonan, South Korea for a month now. I meant to update sooner buuuuttttt surprise surprise three prong chargers are not easy to find in Korea. However, I finally got one on Friday.

Sooooo, my Korea adventure started a month ago. I have not taken many pictures. But that does not mean I have not been exploring everything, everywhere that I can. I have been trying lots of new foods and meeting new people.

I spent my first week in a love motel. It was kind of funny, because I was not expecting it. But the motel was very cute and super clean. It was fun for my first week, although a little creepy.. I think some people got the wrong impression of what I was doing there. For anyone that doesn't know what a love motel is, it is a cheap motel where people can go for uhhhhh "love".

I will post more specific blog posts about my apartment, food so far, and teaching kindergartners in Korea.