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Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Survival Guide for Traveling in Korea
Taking a trip to a foreign country is exciting and challenging at the same time. We would like to give you some ideas or tips about Korea so that you feel less nervous. Above all, most Koreans are nice and speak at least some English. If you ask for help, they will speak to you in English. Koreans don’t expect foreigners to speak Korean, but if you try to use some Korean they will really appreciate your effort. So, it is a good idea to learn some very basic phrases before going to Korea.
▶ Hello = An-Nyung-Ha-Se-Yo
▶ Thank you = Gam-Sa-Ham-Ni-Da
Of course, eating is one of the first things you need to deal with. Many restaurants in Korea are open until late at night. Especially if you stay in big cities, you can find many restaurants open after midnight. Some Kimbop restaurants are open 24/7. They serve Kimbap and other kinds of Korean food. Many Chinese restaurants are open and deliver 24/7. We used to get Japchae (noodles with stir-fried veggies) and Tang-Soo-Yook (sweet and sour pork) delivered from a Chinese restaurant after 11 p.m. The delivery usually takes less than 20 minutes. No delivery charge or tip is expected.
Food will be delivered in actual dishes, not in disposable ones. The delivery person will come back within a few hours to take the dishes back. If you don’t finish your meal, it is okay to ask them to come back later. You don’t need to wash the dishes. Just put them outside your door. Of course, it will be nice of you to wash the dishes for them. Using actual dishes for delivery is to protect the environment. To throw away garbage, Koreans need to buy certain garbage bags from a store. It is a way to reduce the amount of garbage by making people pay for what they waste and encouraging them to recycle more.
A problem you may encounter is finding a public restroom. There aren’t many public restrooms in Korea. Of course, all restaurants and subway stations have restrooms. Also, if you are in emergency, find a bank or a hospital because they have their restrooms open. Some restrooms don’t have toilet paper. So it’s safe to carry a packet of tissue. Some restrooms have toilet paper, but not in the individual stalls.
Most bathrooms in Korea have drains on the floor of the bathroom – whether at home or in hotels. So it is no problem using water outside the bathtub. You don’t need to look for a shower curtain. Feel free to use the entire bathroom as if it is your shower.
For lodging, some hotels provide free shampoo and rinse, but some don’t. If they don’t, they usually have them in your room for purchase. To save money, carry a portable set of your own. J.J. often feels hot in Korean hotels. If you do, then ask for a fan. Most likely they’ll bring it to your room right away with no charge.
▶ Hello = An-Nyung-Ha-Se-Yo
▶ Thank you = Gam-Sa-Ham-Ni-Da
Of course, eating is one of the first things you need to deal with. Many restaurants in Korea are open until late at night. Especially if you stay in big cities, you can find many restaurants open after midnight. Some Kimbop restaurants are open 24/7. They serve Kimbap and other kinds of Korean food. Many Chinese restaurants are open and deliver 24/7. We used to get Japchae (noodles with stir-fried veggies) and Tang-Soo-Yook (sweet and sour pork) delivered from a Chinese restaurant after 11 p.m. The delivery usually takes less than 20 minutes. No delivery charge or tip is expected.
Food will be delivered in actual dishes, not in disposable ones. The delivery person will come back within a few hours to take the dishes back. If you don’t finish your meal, it is okay to ask them to come back later. You don’t need to wash the dishes. Just put them outside your door. Of course, it will be nice of you to wash the dishes for them. Using actual dishes for delivery is to protect the environment. To throw away garbage, Koreans need to buy certain garbage bags from a store. It is a way to reduce the amount of garbage by making people pay for what they waste and encouraging them to recycle more.
A problem you may encounter is finding a public restroom. There aren’t many public restrooms in Korea. Of course, all restaurants and subway stations have restrooms. Also, if you are in emergency, find a bank or a hospital because they have their restrooms open. Some restrooms don’t have toilet paper. So it’s safe to carry a packet of tissue. Some restrooms have toilet paper, but not in the individual stalls.
Most bathrooms in Korea have drains on the floor of the bathroom – whether at home or in hotels. So it is no problem using water outside the bathtub. You don’t need to look for a shower curtain. Feel free to use the entire bathroom as if it is your shower.
For lodging, some hotels provide free shampoo and rinse, but some don’t. If they don’t, they usually have them in your room for purchase. To save money, carry a portable set of your own. J.J. often feels hot in Korean hotels. If you do, then ask for a fan. Most likely they’ll bring it to your room right away with no charge.
Tourist Attraction in Korea ⑦: Jeju Island
The highlight of our trip to Korea was going to Jejudo. Jejudo is the Korean version of Hawaii. It is a beautiful tourist island. It used to be a popular honeymoon destination among Koreans before oversea travel became more commonplace. Jejudo is well known for three things that are very abundant: women, wind and rocks. There are black rocks everywhere in Jejudo because it is a volcanic island. We saw some very interesting structures made of those volcanic rocks.
The first place we went was Hallim Park. Hallim Park is an ecological park that has subtropical plants and palm trees that you can’t find anywhere else in Korea. One of the trees was 300 years old. J.J. said, “That tree is older than my country!” There are different kinds of birds, including a peacock and an ostrich. There are also two caves and a folk village in the park. We had fun in the folk village looking at the old style Jeju houses and traditional household goods.
On the second day, we climbed up the old volcano called Mt. Halla. There were two hiking trails to choose from to climb the mountain, Eorimok and Yeongsil. We took the Yeongsil trail because we heard it was a bit easier. We drove to 1280m above sea level and started walking up to the destination of Witse Oreum at 1700m above sea level. It wasn’t very steep, but there were a lot of steps. J.J. has flat feet and wasn’t ready for such extensive hiking. He was completely soaked in sweat as if somebody had thrown a bucket of water on him. He said he felt like he was going to pass out, but he made it eventually. Although it was a little hard, we enjoyed seeing the unique flowers, trees and very scenic cliffs. It took us about four hours to climb up and down.
After the climbing, we went back to our hotel and enjoyed the hotel sauna. Nothing feels better than soaking in hot water after extensive walking. Water in Jejudo is very clean.
On the third day, we took a ferry to Udo Island, a small island nearby. Udo is a good place for swimming and tanning. We went to the Geommeolle Beach and the Seobin White Sand Beach. Geommeolle means black sand in the Jeju dialect. As the name implies, the sand is black. 
The Seobin White Sand Beach is unique because the sand is made of coral. We didn’t swim but just waded in the water for a while. It was raining and it was tough to enjoy Udo on rainy days.
On the last day, we stopped by the Kimnyong Maze Park before heading toward the airport. An American named Dr. Dustin founded this park. The goal is to find the way out of the large maze and ring the bell on a bridge. Most people make it within 30 minutes. We competed with each other. Gina’s dad got out first, mom second, J.J. third and Gina last. Walking through the maze itself was a lot of fun. Also, it was really fun to talk about the experience with each other later on.Jejudo is a great place to visit. There are a lot of things to experience. Like any other tourist place, everything’s more expensive. Sometimes tips are desired. It’s probably the influence of foreign tourists. If you get a guide, pay a tip of about 15~20% of the total fee. Renting a taxi for the day may be a good idea because local taxi drivers know how to get around. We paid 100,000 won for each day with a 25% of tip to our driver. He was very knowledgeable about Jeju and was a very good tour guide.
한국어로 이 글을 읽으시려면, 아래 링크를 클릭하여 방문하여 주세요.
(To read this entry in Korean, please click on the link below)
ⓐ http://blog.naver.com/mstarcom1/80085722108
ⓑ http://blog.naver.com/mstarcom1/80086224595
Tourist Attraction in Korea ⑥: Whale Museum
We both really like ocean views. For a nice trip, we often go to places with ocean views. We miss the ocean a lot more because we live in a dessert now in Utah. On our first wedding anniversary, we went to the Iron Springs Resort in Copalis Beach in Washington, USA. Last December we went on a trip to Sequim, a beautiful port town in Washington. Sequim is across the ocean from Victoria, Canada. In Sequim, wild deer were walking around neighborhood. We found a place in Ulsan that reminded us of Sequim. The area is called Jangsaengpo. It is a small port town. There are no deer but the area is famous for whales. We went there to see the Jangsaengpo Whale Museum because Ulsan is well known for its whale watching tours.
The museum itself looked like a whale. The admission fee is 2,000 won (about two US dollars) for adults. There were foreign language brochures in Chinese, Japanese and English. The first thing we saw was a replica of the Bangudae Petroglyph, which was carved in the prehistoric age. The Petroglyph includes many drawings of whales. It was designated as National Treasure no. 285 in 1995. The actual petroglyph remains in its original location, but it is under water for half of the year. There are also many other whale related exhibits, such as a whale skeleton and maps of migration routes. The museum was small so it didn’t take us long to look around. Another interesting exhibit was the whaling boat located outside of the museum. We walked on the boat and looked inside through its windows.
Later on, we went to a whale meat restaurant near the museum. Most restaurants serve only whale meat and/or raw fish around this area. We have never had whale meat before so we tried it. Some parts tasted a bit like beef or bacon, but we didn’t really enjoy the whale meat. We went to a pizza restaurant afterwards because we were still hungry.
To watch live whales, you can take a whale watching cruise. Of course, there is no guarantee that you will see the whales. Whales swim around to seek their sources of food, rather than staying in certain locations.
※한국어로 이 글을 읽으시려면, 아래 링크를 클릭하여 방문하여 주세요.
(To read this entry in Korean, please click on the link below)
To watch live whales, you can take a whale watching cruise. Of course, there is no guarantee that you will see the whales. Whales swim around to seek their sources of food, rather than staying in certain locations.
※한국어로 이 글을 읽으시려면, 아래 링크를 클릭하여 방문하여 주세요.
(To read this entry in Korean, please click on the link below)
Tourist Attraction in Korea ⑤: Gangeolgot
This summer was very special for us, especially for Gina. We stayed with Gina’s parents in Korea for over two months. It really made us feel connected as a family. Also, Gina’s brother finished his two years of mandatory military service and had just gotten back from a tour of Europe. He also stayed with us for a while. We wanted to make special memories together, and decided to take a day trip to Ganjeolgot, Ulsan. Ganjeolgot is a cape where the sun rises first on the Korean peninsula. Many Koreans go there to see the first sunrise of the New Year and make a wish. No admission fee is required.
We drove there with our family, and the first thing we saw when we arrived was a big sign that said “A morning doesn’t come to the Korean peninsula until the sun rises in Ganjeolgot, Ulsan”. There were many snack stalls in the parking lot. But we weren’t hungry and so we walked directly to a 5m tall mailbox. Inside the mailbox free postcards are provided. You can write a postcard and put it into a slot on the front of the mailbox.
The scenery around the mailbox is beautiful. The colorful scenery is created by a large red mailbox, a white lighthouse, a blue ocean, green trees and gray stone sculptures. The sculpture that caught our attention was a sculpture of the wife and daughters of Park Jesang, who was a royal servant during the Silla Dynasty. They were waiting for Park’s safe return from Japan, but he never made it. We had a long distance relationship across the Pacific for the two years we were apart after our wedding. So, their story reminded us of our past.
If you go to Gangeolgot, you can also visit Ulsan Grand Park. It is an ecological park. When we visited the park, we felt like all our stress and tiredness went away, while we were surrounded by green trees in the middle of a big city. Also, take a ride on the Ferris wheel of the Lotte department store, which is located next to the Ulsan Express Bus Terminal. Right across the street is the Ulsan Intercity Bus Terminal. You can look out over the city of Ulsan from the Ferris wheel. It is very high but it moves slowly. There is no need to be scared.
※한국어로 이 글을 읽으시려면, 아래 링크를 클릭하여 방문하여 주세요.
We drove there with our family, and the first thing we saw when we arrived was a big sign that said “A morning doesn’t come to the Korean peninsula until the sun rises in Ganjeolgot, Ulsan”. There were many snack stalls in the parking lot. But we weren’t hungry and so we walked directly to a 5m tall mailbox. Inside the mailbox free postcards are provided. You can write a postcard and put it into a slot on the front of the mailbox.
The scenery around the mailbox is beautiful. The colorful scenery is created by a large red mailbox, a white lighthouse, a blue ocean, green trees and gray stone sculptures. The sculpture that caught our attention was a sculpture of the wife and daughters of Park Jesang, who was a royal servant during the Silla Dynasty. They were waiting for Park’s safe return from Japan, but he never made it. We had a long distance relationship across the Pacific for the two years we were apart after our wedding. So, their story reminded us of our past. 
If you go to Gangeolgot, you can also visit Ulsan Grand Park. It is an ecological park. When we visited the park, we felt like all our stress and tiredness went away, while we were surrounded by green trees in the middle of a big city. Also, take a ride on the Ferris wheel of the Lotte department store, which is located next to the Ulsan Express Bus Terminal. Right across the street is the Ulsan Intercity Bus Terminal. You can look out over the city of Ulsan from the Ferris wheel. It is very high but it moves slowly. There is no need to be scared. ※한국어로 이 글을 읽으시려면, 아래 링크를 클릭하여 방문하여 주세요.
(To read this entry in Korean, please click on the link below)
Tourist Attraction in Korea ④: Shilla Millennium Park
Many international couples have two wedding anniversaries, one for the wedding in the bride’s country and the other for the wedding in the groom’s country. On our third year wedding anniversary, we went to Gyeongju. Gyeongju is a beautiful traditional city. It was the capital of Silla, the ancient kingdom that ruled most parts of the Korean peninsula for 992 years from 57 BCE ~ 935 CE. The entire city is like a museum of the kingdom. We went to the city with J.J.’s family after our wedding because we wanted to show them the uniqueness of Korea. Gyeongju was the first stage of our honeymoon before we flew to Thailand. We wanted to go back there on our anniversary. We took a bus to Gyeongju, but we recommend you take a train. We both like to take a train because we can see rural parts of the country with unique scenery.You can book seats for a train online at http://info.korail.com/2007/eng/eng_index.jsp (English version). You can print your tickets at home or get them at a station by using an automated ticket machine. You need to take a Saemaul train for Gyeongju. Saemaul trains have a train café where there are computers with Internet connections, Karaoke rooms, a massage chair room, video games and chairs to sit and eat some snacks. The chairs are also comfortable with generous leg room. It takes about 5 hours from Seoul to Gyeongju.
Since it was our wedding anniversary, we didn’t want to push ourselves too hard by taking a long tour, and we had been to most of the tourist attractions in Gyeongju. So we decided to go to just one place: the Shilla Millennium Park. It was built in 2007 and we hadn’t been there before. The Shilla Millennium Park is a historical theme park. It showcases a village with houses that reproduce the style of houses during the Silla Dynasty.As soon as we got our tickets, we walked quickly toward the Hwarang Arena to watch an outdoor performance. It was a martial arts performance that included shooting arrows on horseback and sword practice. The park holds several outdoor performances every day and a night performance on the weekend.
After the performance, we walked around the park and visited the set for the popular drama, Queen Seondeok. This drama is about Queen Seondeok, the first queen in Korean history. The popularity of the drama helps attract more tourists to the park. 
We also found a pottery studio. Gina has wanted to experience making pottery for a long time, but this time she was afraid to get mud on her dress. So we made a necklace instead at a pressed flower studio. 
Making the necklace was easy and quick. It took 15 minutes and cost 10,000 won (about 10 US dollars). Gina cherishes the handmade anniversary necklace. There are also many other studios where you can make different kinds of handicrafts. We really enjoyed our time in this park. The park opens from 10 am to 8 pm every day, and its admission fee is 18,000 won for adults. You may be able to get 20% discount coupons from the hotel where you stay. We used a discount coupon for our entry and paid 28,800 won (tax included). It was a bit expensive but worth it.
If you want to take a city tour, take a tour bus from your hotel. It takes you to tourist attractions in Gyeongju. Most bus tours usually start in the morning and end in the evening. Using a taxi is expensive in this city. The taxi fare goes up a lot quicker than in other places in Korea. So take advantage of a bus tour.
※ Gyeongju Tourism website: http://eguide.gj.go.kr/
※한국어로 이 글을 읽으시려면, 아래 링크를 클릭하여 방문하여 주세요.
(To read this entry in Korean, please click on the link below)
☞ http://blog.naver.com/mstarcom1/80074832630
Tourist Attraction in Korea ③: Jongmyo
In the second week after we got to Korea, we went to Jongmyo. Jongmyo is a Confucian royal shrine that houses the ancestral tablets of the kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty, the last Korean dynasty that ended in 1910. One of our business contacts wanted to show this place to us because Jongmyo was a very meaningful place in the more than 500 year long history of Joseon. This shrine was also designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995. It is one of the nine UNESCO World Heritage sites in Korea as of 2009. The admission fee is only 1000 won (about one US dollar). It is closed on Tuesdays.We watched a video about Jongmyo. The video is useful for understanding Jongmyo and has versions in different languages with Chinese, Japanese or English subtitles. Unfortunately, you can’t choose the language at a time you want. It automatically plays each version in sequence. When we entered the video room, it was playing the Japanese subtitled version and then continued to the Chinese subtitled version. We didn’t wait until the English version started.
The main hall called Jeongjeon is amazing architecture. It is very wide but still well balanced. Especially if you visit Korea in May, Jongmyo is definitely a place to go. This shrine holds an annual ancestral ceremony called Jongmyo Jerye on the first Sunday of May. Jongmyo Jerye was also designated as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2001. We’ve never seen this event, but we want to see it some time. We appreciate traditional events and places because they present unique parts of a country. Metropolitan areas almost look the same in many countries: tall buildings, shopping malls, crowds and pollution. The only difference is often just the language you hear.
If you visit Jongmyo, we would recommend that you go to Samcheongdong and Insadong nearby. They are both ‘commercialized’ traditional districts, but still have interesting elements you can enjoy. You can see traditional Korean houses, buy traditional Korean souvenirs and eat traditional Korean food. If you don’t have much time, Insadong will be a better choice. You will have fun looking around, though everything is more expensive there than non-traditional places. 
※ Official Seoul City Tourism website by Seoul Metropolitan Government:
※한국어로 이 글을 읽으시려면, 아래 링크를 클릭하여 방문하여 주세요.
(To read this entry in Korean, please click on the link below)
Tourist Attraction in Korea ②: Itaewon
Whenever we are in Korea, we go to Itaewon. Itaewon is a district that is popular with foreigners. Foreigners from over 80 countries live there. So there is a lot of different international cuisine, including Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian, Pakistani, Vietnamese, Italian, French, Swiss, Spanish and more. Also, it is a good place for shopping. There are larger size clothing and shoes stores. We go to Itaewon often to enjoy international cuisine.
This year we went to Itaewon for our third wedding anniversary. We stayed a night at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul. This hotel has a free shuttle bus to Itaewon from 9 am to 7 pm at one and half hour intervals. We missed the last shuttle and took a taxi.
We went to La Plancha, a Spanish restaurant where we used to go all the time. We sometimes went there 2~3 times a week. We always got the same combo menu that consisted of chicken, steak, sausage, bacon and a clove of garlic along with a side of four kinds of sauce, fries, potatoes and salad. We also loved their dessert menu. However, we were very disappointed this time. The restaurant had expanded, but there was less on the menu and the quality of food was not as good. Also, there was no dessert menu. But it was our wedding anniversary, so we still had a good time.
Two years ago we used to see more foreigners than Koreans in Itaewon, but now a lot of young Korean women in their 20s and 30s hang out there. Even late at night, Itaewon is still bright and crowded. It reminds us of Las Vegas: diverse food and diverse people. We don’t think it is dangerous in Itaewon, but you might feel a bit scared at night. If you travel only with women, we would advise you to go there during the day. Lunch time will be the best.
Itaewon is not far from Seoul station. You can take a taxi or a subway. Take subway line 6 and get off at Itaewon station. Go out to Exit 1. Then you can find good restaurants. Itaewon is a fun place to visit for eating out and shopping.
※한국어로 이 글을 읽으시려면, 아래 링크를 클릭하여 방문하여 주세요.
(To read this entry in Korean, please click on the link below)
This year we went to Itaewon for our third wedding anniversary. We stayed a night at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul. This hotel has a free shuttle bus to Itaewon from 9 am to 7 pm at one and half hour intervals. We missed the last shuttle and took a taxi. 
We went to La Plancha, a Spanish restaurant where we used to go all the time. We sometimes went there 2~3 times a week. We always got the same combo menu that consisted of chicken, steak, sausage, bacon and a clove of garlic along with a side of four kinds of sauce, fries, potatoes and salad. We also loved their dessert menu. However, we were very disappointed this time. The restaurant had expanded, but there was less on the menu and the quality of food was not as good. Also, there was no dessert menu. But it was our wedding anniversary, so we still had a good time.Two years ago we used to see more foreigners than Koreans in Itaewon, but now a lot of young Korean women in their 20s and 30s hang out there. Even late at night, Itaewon is still bright and crowded. It reminds us of Las Vegas: diverse food and diverse people. We don’t think it is dangerous in Itaewon, but you might feel a bit scared at night. If you travel only with women, we would advise you to go there during the day. Lunch time will be the best.
Itaewon is not far from Seoul station. You can take a taxi or a subway. Take subway line 6 and get off at Itaewon station. Go out to Exit 1. Then you can find good restaurants. Itaewon is a fun place to visit for eating out and shopping.
※ Seoul Metro (Seoul subway info.): http://www.seoulmetro.co.kr/eng/
※ Seoul subway guide by Korean Tourism Organization:
※한국어로 이 글을 읽으시려면, 아래 링크를 클릭하여 방문하여 주세요.
(To read this entry in Korean, please click on the link below)
Tourist Attraction in Korea ①: Aiins World
Every summer, we visit Korea to see our family, friends and business contacts. This summer we spent two and a half months in Korea from May 25 through August 10. It was the longest time we spent time together in Korea. We went to many places during the trip, and would like to share our experiences with you. Most Koreans are very eager to introduce different parts of Korea to foreigners. Our cousin’s friend brought us to a theme park called Aiins World in Bucheon, Gyeonggido. Bucheon is close to Seoul. We took a taxi to get there.
Aiins World is a miniature park that has miniature versions of famous structures throughout the world. These include the Empire State Building (USA), the Eiffel Tower (France), the Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italy) and St. Basil’s Cathedral (Russia). If you take pictures there at the right angle, you can make it look like you are actually in the different countries. This park is never crowded. So, it is easy to take good pictures. The park opens from 9:30 am to 7 pm Monday through Friday, and from 9:30 am to 9 pm on Saturday, Sunday and holidays. The admission fee is 8,500 won for adults (less than 10 US dollars).
Taxis are cheap in Korea. The initial charge is 2200~2400 won, depending on the region. The initial charge is 2400 won in Seoul and 2200 won in Busan. Be advised that taxi fares are 20% more expensive between midnight and 4 am. You do not need to tip the driver. If you don’t speak Korean at all, ask some Koreans passing by to write down your destination in Korean. This is what J.J. did in Korea. Gina wrote down his destination on paper so that he could show it to taxi drivers. If you want to practice Korean, say “(your destination)ro Ga-ju-se-yo”. Ro means ‘to’ or ‘toward’, ga(da) ‘go’ and Ju-se-yo ‘please give me’. Basically this phrase means “Please take me to (my destination)”. Or it would be okay just to say your destination.
There are taxis specifically for foreigners in Seoul and nearby metropolitan areas. These taxis are called international taxis. You can use these taxis by making a reservation online at http://www.internationaltaxi.co.kr/ (English and Japanese versions available). Except for the international taxis, don’t expect taxi drivers to speak in English. We recommend you ask for help from Koreans in their 20s and early 30s. These groups of people usually spend a good amount of time and effort learning English or other foreign languages. Women tend to be more helpful and friendlier. Don’t worry about getting around in Korea. Public transportation is very good. The bus system is well developed throughout Korea, and you can use the subway in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Daejeon.
Aiins World is a miniature park that has miniature versions of famous structures throughout the world. These include the Empire State Building (USA), the Eiffel Tower (France), the Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italy) and St. Basil’s Cathedral (Russia). If you take pictures there at the right angle, you can make it look like you are actually in the different countries. This park is never crowded. So, it is easy to take good pictures. The park opens from 9:30 am to 7 pm Monday through Friday, and from 9:30 am to 9 pm on Saturday, Sunday and holidays. The admission fee is 8,500 won for adults (less than 10 US dollars). 
Taxis are cheap in Korea. The initial charge is 2200~2400 won, depending on the region. The initial charge is 2400 won in Seoul and 2200 won in Busan. Be advised that taxi fares are 20% more expensive between midnight and 4 am. You do not need to tip the driver. If you don’t speak Korean at all, ask some Koreans passing by to write down your destination in Korean. This is what J.J. did in Korea. Gina wrote down his destination on paper so that he could show it to taxi drivers. If you want to practice Korean, say “(your destination)ro Ga-ju-se-yo”. Ro means ‘to’ or ‘toward’, ga(da) ‘go’ and Ju-se-yo ‘please give me’. Basically this phrase means “Please take me to (my destination)”. Or it would be okay just to say your destination.
There are taxis specifically for foreigners in Seoul and nearby metropolitan areas. These taxis are called international taxis. You can use these taxis by making a reservation online at http://www.internationaltaxi.co.kr/ (English and Japanese versions available). Except for the international taxis, don’t expect taxi drivers to speak in English. We recommend you ask for help from Koreans in their 20s and early 30s. These groups of people usually spend a good amount of time and effort learning English or other foreign languages. Women tend to be more helpful and friendlier. Don’t worry about getting around in Korea. Public transportation is very good. The bus system is well developed throughout Korea, and you can use the subway in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Daejeon.
Our Recommendations for Eating in Korea
Many of you who have visited our blog are interested in visiting Korea. Traveling in foreign countries is a lot of fun. We also love traveling. J.J. has been to Korea, China, the Philippines, England, the Netherlands, France and Australia. Gina also has been to China and of course the United States. Also, we took a trip to Japan, Thailand and Canada together. We went to Thailand for our honeymoon.
Wherever you go, one of the first choices you need to make is what to eat. Many people end up going for their national food or at least familiar food. That’s not because they don’t want to try local food, but often they don’t know how to order and what to order when visiting a foreign country. The same thing happened to us. When J.J. first got to Korea in 2002 as an ESL teacher, he went to American fast food restaurants. When Gina first got to the States, she just ate pizzas for a month!
There are a lot of western restaurants in Korea, including Bennigan's, Burger King, KFC, McDonalds, Outback Steakhouse, Popeyes, T.G.I. Friday’s and Tony Roma’s. Especially in Seoul, you can probably find your national food, regardless of where you’re from. However, non-Korean dishes are of course much more expensive than Korean dishes. You can have a good Korean meal for only 5,000 won (about 5 US dollar), but steaks are 4~5 times more expensive. If you are in Korea, try Korean food. Trying unfamiliar local food is a fun thing to do during a trip.
We would recommend Bulgogi, marinated barbecued beef. It’s a favorite Korean dish among foreigners so it will be a safe choice. Or if you are vegetarian, Bibimbop is good. It is rice mixed with an egg and assorted vegetables. You add as much pepper paste as you like. Bibimbop is Gina’s favorite. She loves the flavor of Bibimbop created by a nice combination of fresh veggies and spice.
Kimbap is another good choice. You can find Kimbap everywhere in Korea. You can buy Kimbap even from convenience stores like Seven Eleven and GS24. It looks like Sushi, but doesn’t use raw fish. Instead, it uses eggs, crab meat, ham, spinach, and pickled radish. Ingredients can be varied. Kimbap just means rice wrapped in seaweed. Our favorite kind of Kimbap is tuna Kimbap.
Ordering food can be stressful in a foreign country, but it’s not that difficult in Korea. Just remember this simple phrase, “Ju-se-yo”. This will be extremely useful. It basically means “Please give me ~”. If you want Bibimbap, just say, “Bibimbap Juseyo” (= I’ll take Kimbap). After you make your choice of food, there will be no further questions. You don’t need to tip in Korean restaurants or anywhere in Korea. Tipping is not a Korean custom. If you want to express your appreciation of something, say “Gam-sa-ham-ni-da” (Thank you). That will be enough.
Wherever you go, one of the first choices you need to make is what to eat. Many people end up going for their national food or at least familiar food. That’s not because they don’t want to try local food, but often they don’t know how to order and what to order when visiting a foreign country. The same thing happened to us. When J.J. first got to Korea in 2002 as an ESL teacher, he went to American fast food restaurants. When Gina first got to the States, she just ate pizzas for a month!
There are a lot of western restaurants in Korea, including Bennigan's, Burger King, KFC, McDonalds, Outback Steakhouse, Popeyes, T.G.I. Friday’s and Tony Roma’s. Especially in Seoul, you can probably find your national food, regardless of where you’re from. However, non-Korean dishes are of course much more expensive than Korean dishes. You can have a good Korean meal for only 5,000 won (about 5 US dollar), but steaks are 4~5 times more expensive. If you are in Korea, try Korean food. Trying unfamiliar local food is a fun thing to do during a trip.We would recommend Bulgogi, marinated barbecued beef. It’s a favorite Korean dish among foreigners so it will be a safe choice. Or if you are vegetarian, Bibimbop is good. It is rice mixed with an egg and assorted vegetables. You add as much pepper paste as you like. Bibimbop is Gina’s favorite. She loves the flavor of Bibimbop created by a nice combination of fresh veggies and spice.
Kimbap is another good choice. You can find Kimbap everywhere in Korea. You can buy Kimbap even from convenience stores like Seven Eleven and GS24. It looks like Sushi, but doesn’t use raw fish. Instead, it uses eggs, crab meat, ham, spinach, and pickled radish. Ingredients can be varied. Kimbap just means rice wrapped in seaweed. Our favorite kind of Kimbap is tuna Kimbap.
Ordering food can be stressful in a foreign country, but it’s not that difficult in Korea. Just remember this simple phrase, “Ju-se-yo”. This will be extremely useful. It basically means “Please give me ~”. If you want Bibimbap, just say, “Bibimbap Juseyo” (= I’ll take Kimbap). After you make your choice of food, there will be no further questions. You don’t need to tip in Korean restaurants or anywhere in Korea. Tipping is not a Korean custom. If you want to express your appreciation of something, say “Gam-sa-ham-ni-da” (Thank you). That will be enough.
Our Korean/American Fusion Lifestyle
We’re a Korean/American couple, Gina and J.J. Let us briefly introduce ourselves. Gina is Korean and works as a translator and writer. J.J. is American and works as a professor of Communication. We met in a graduate school in 2004 and fell in love. Two years later we got married! We appreciate each other’s culture and integrate both cultural elements into our daily life. Food is a crucial part of our fusion lifestyle.Although J.J. is American, he loves Kimchi, a spicy fermented cabbage. Raw Kimchi smells strong, which sometimes turns off some foreigners. However, we discovered that sautéed Kimchi smells much milder and surprisingly tastes a bit cheesy. Since this discovery, we use sautéed Kimchi as a spice in most of our dishes. We have made Kimchi fusion tacos, Kimchi fusion BBQ burgers, Kimchi fusion tuna sandwiches, Kimchi fusion pasta and Kimchi fusion pizzas.
▲ How to make Kimchi Fusion Tacos
▲ How to make Kimchi Fusion Barbecue Burgers
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