7 little things that I missed about Korea
Hello!!!
It's been exactly a year since I came back from Korea. Not once have I forgotten about the beautiful, fun and cold days in Korea. Looking back, I realised that I have not written a summarised version of my journey. So, here's a list of the things that I missed so so much about Korea (It came out to have a few comparison of (something) between Korea and Malaysia).
1. The fresh, cold and clear weather
I remembered when I left for Korea, the air in Malaysia wasn't at its best, especially around my area where people still practice open burning (I supposed illegally). So, it made a huge difference when I first arrived in Korea.
As I stepped out of the train on the first day I arrived in Korea, I remembered the fresh cold air. It feels like it's been a while since I breathe in fresh air. The air when I went for a short trail hike in Ansan Jarak-gil, was especially fresh. ๐๐
Every time I leave the guesthouse, the first thing I would do was to look up the sky and I would be granted the amazing scenery of clear blue sky. It left me in awe of how clear a sky can be that if there were a speck of cloud, it would be considered a rare scene. With such a beautiful sky and cold weather, I didn't mind walking from a neighborhood to another. If I were in Malaysia, I would have dreaded doing that.
Clear sky in a sunset version.
Of course, there were occasions that the sky wasn't in this clear blue state. So, don't come complain to me if you do not witness it. ๐๐
2. The exchange rate
When I went to Korea, the exchange rate was 1000 won = RM 3.72 and RM 3.68 (I changed twice) 1 USD = RM 4.395 (just in case they don't accept MYR). The rate was bad during that time but when I went to Korea, the rate got better. It seems that the rate got even worse now.
We would always keep tab on the exchange rate and would change whenever we needed it. During that period, the rate fluctuates greatly, especially for USD. It changes from 1 USD = 1202 won to 1230 won. The place we changed would always be in Myeongdong near the China Embassy, especially the one in underground due to the better exchange rate and the only shop (that I see) that accept MYR.
I clearly remembered that whenever I purchased something my mind would always be doing some calculations. This was why I didn't really spend much for the first few weeks as I was not used to the "high price". For example, the street food in Myeongdong on average cost about 3000 won. This would mean in MYR, it was about RM 11. I was utterly shocked by the price. It was totally not worth it for the amount I could get.
How could I not think twice even if I have to eat? But there are still things that are cheap like the set below:
However, that is in term of forex. But now that I think back, the average living expenses in Korea isn't that expensive if I were to earn their money. I could say it is even cheaper than in Malaysia.
I asked the local about the average part time wages in Korea. It's about 6000 to 7000 won per hour. Malaysia average part time is about RM 6 to RM 7. So on ratio 1000 won : RM 1. So, if I worked for 5 hours, it would be 30000 won : RM 30. If I were to eat a cake for example. It costs on average 4000 to 5000 won but in Malaysia they sell a cake for an average of RM 12. I would have spent a third of my salary for one dessert! For commuting in a train, it costs 1350 won for 13km, but in Malaysia, it costs RM 3.10 for the same distance using lrt. Both offering the same service with 5 minutes waiting per train at the cashless price! (NOTE: it isn't the best comparison, don't use it anywhere).
3. The subway
It is the main transportation that I used. For the whole stay, I spent about 150000 won, about 1/10 of my total expenses (excluding accomodation and plane ticket).
One reason was because the subway stations are strategically located in the city. There is not much transfer needed as the places we had to go are all in walking distance. Even if we had to transfer (subway-subway of another line / subway-bus), they are mostly free within 30 minutes or 1 hour during peak hour. They do have a little charge depend on the distance. The ride is also smooth and comfortable.
Second, is because it is fairly cheap, especially for a little longer distance. They charge a base rate for a distance of 10km and then extra 100 won for every 5km, or if exceed 50km, 100 won for every 8km.
To pay, they have this amazingly useful card - T-money which has a similar function to TouchnGo, but even better. T-money can be used on subway, bus, taxi and even in convenience store and can be reloaded in every station and also convenience store, without extra charge. I was wondering why Malaysia does not build card reload devices in every station as it is really a hassle to find a place to reload, and there's extra service charge for it too. It makes the "no GST charged" on public transport pretty useless unless you pay by cash (but there's 20% off using cashless).
4. The convenience store
The convenience store is an all time favourite place for people who lack money, like me. They have basically all the things that you need and the food is especially amazing.
The food is cheap, tasty and has a wide variety of choices. Our ultimate staple in the convenience store is triangle kimbap, which comes in all kind of ingredients such as tuna, cheese, fried chicken and more. It varies from one brand of convenience store to another. Some brands are more generous with the ingredients and cheap, but it is within the range of 800 ~ 1100 won. I especially love this tuna mayo triangle kimbap as they are very generous with the tuna! ๐๐
During Valentines month, the convenience store is definitely a place for chocolate lovers. They have promotions on most of the chocolates. For example, KitKat Chunky which usually sell 1000 won for one bar, is sold for 1000 won for 2! For the Loacker milk chocolate wafer, they sell 2 for 3500 won. So, during that month, I spend a lot on chocolates as they are even cheaper than in Malaysia!!
Oh, and the imported chocolates from Japan are really cheap. I bought this Kinoko chocolate for only 1000 won, but in Malaysia, I got it for RM 10.50! That's about RM 6 difference in price!!!
If you are craving for sweet things, they sell a wide variety of pudding and amazingly delicious yoghurt.
Also, not to forget the variety of drink they sold, including the all-so-famous banana milk drink and the series.
I definitely recommend those who travel to Korea to take your time to visit the convenience stores. Probably not during the day when you are busy following your schedule, but when you are craving for food and some alcoholic drinks! ๐
5. The meat
When you come to Korea, it's all about the meat craves! The all-so-famous chimaek, samgyeopsal, hanwoo, etc.
I couldn't recount how much meat I ate in Korea. So much, that when "meat" was mentioned, "AGAIN?!" would be our reaction. However, two of my friends are meat lovers that for them Korea is a heaven!
The chicken in Korea, even though, are fried, they are so tender, juicy and well-seasoned with different sauces and spices. It applies to almost the chicken that I have tried. I can understand why they love to eat them so much. Besides that, chicken meats are sold everywhere that there are so many restaurants specialised in selling chicken meat. Even to the point of fried chicken delivery!
Not to forget the famous BBQ restaurant that can be found almost everywhere. The BBQ in Korea is a little different from Malaysia. In Malaysia, the meat is usually dried and tough after BBQ-ed, but not in Korea. The meat remains tender and juicy. They are a little crispy on the outside and tender on the inside (depend on the meat that you order). It's really delicious!!
6. The people
The people I have met in Korea are pretty interesting. Let's not talk about those that I met in the guesthouse but others like the people in general.
I'm pretty surprised as where ever I went, most of the workers are fluent in speaking Chinese, especially the ones in tourist area. Well, they are most probably employed to boost sale from the China Chinese. But, I didn't expect an uncle who sell socks in an alleyway knew as well. It took me aback but at the same time, it made my life much easier, but at the same time I kind of want to speak Korean too. I was later told by my Korean friends and a worker in the guesthouse that quite a lot of them are from China as the way they pronounce Korean is different from local. So, I guess that's the reason why those aunties and uncles knew how to speak Chinese.
Besides that, the Koreans I met are really kind and friendly. Take one of the promoters from the Lotte Mart as an example. Most supermarket has loyalty card for customers and they could get discounts from the item sold in them. As I was only staying in Korea for a short period, there was no point in applying one. So, I told the promoter about it and as she could really see my strong intention to purchase her item, she immediately gave me a few free gifts for the purchase. I was so touched.
Also, there was a few interesting uncles that I met during my short trail to Ansan Jarak-gil, a place where there are a lot of elderly going there for exercise. As I was going alone, I had no one to take pictures for me. So, I asked an uncle who was also alone and was taking pictures to help me take a few pictures. Usually, a normal person would just go with their way after helping, but this uncle call me back a little while later and said, "you go there" and make a gesture to me. I immediately understood that he wanted to help me with a few more pictures. So kind~
When I finally reached on the top, another uncle, I supposed, he spotted me selfie-ing here and there, offered a help and immediately showed me to a few areas for pictures, like "go there", "maybe you should sit there" kind of gestures. It was kind of awkward and funny, but I felt warm at heart. Not a totally bad idea going alone.
Not that I really mind about it, but it is just too obvious to not take notice about it. Korea has a weird, can I say, culture of not apologising when bumping into people. I thought it was only me, but when I observed others, none of them apologise. I also asked my Korean friend and they said it was normal. However, there was once I met a nasty uncle that was an exception. That was when my friend from Hong Kong accidentally stepped into him. He kept scolding and said a lot of things that I couldn't understand, I only understand "pain" and "Are you from China" from what he said. My friend immediately apologised, but in English, pretending to not understand what he said. She later told me that, if I were to bump those people in the future, speak in English and never speak a word of Chinese as they are the "racist" one. Hope I didn't offend anyone here, just speaking what I have experienced.
The Koreans, to us, are a feast to our eye. I'm pretty sure most people know of the Korea compulsory military service. In Malaysia, it is rare to see people from the army. But in Korea, they are everywhere, wearing the macho army uniform. My friends were so excited seeing them. Besides that, Koreans, in general, are well-dressed with makeups and are known for their beauty. We were so "full" seeing pretty girls and guys.
7. The cosmetics
Korea is famous for its cosmetic products. I am very well aware of that. However, what I did not know is that the cosmetic stores are in almost every place. The subway, in a traditional market, and in every neighbourhood. Tourist and college areas, especially are saturated with the cosmetic stores. MyeongDong alone has rows of cosmetic stores. There are even the same brand opening just next to a few stores. Are they competing with themselves?
I, who had almost no knowledge of make up and was only starting to learn about basic skincare, had almost no interest in it. However, my friends are the pro. Thanks to them, I learnt a little while accompanying them and started to develop interest in it. I even bought a few basic cosmetic essential products like BB cushion. Due to my lack of knowledge and my cheapskate-ness, I thought that the products were expensive and I hesitated to buy. Only products that I think are worth for the price and are affordable to me, did I purchase it.
When I came back from Korea, it became a habit for me to check on the cosmetic stores and I was so surprised that there's a huge difference in price. Only did I realise that what I had bought was such a bargain, despite the exchange rate. I always talked of how cheap they are.
These are the list that I can think of and these are usually the things that I always talked about with the people around me. I had such a great fun staying in Korea that I was even reluctant to come back. Now that I am back from Korea, not once have I not missed about the little things that I experienced in Korea. I really hope to go back there once more.
It's been exactly a year since I came back from Korea. Not once have I forgotten about the beautiful, fun and cold days in Korea. Looking back, I realised that I have not written a summarised version of my journey. So, here's a list of the things that I missed so so much about Korea (It came out to have a few comparison of (something) between Korea and Malaysia).
1. The fresh, cold and clear weather
I remembered when I left for Korea, the air in Malaysia wasn't at its best, especially around my area where people still practice open burning (I supposed illegally). So, it made a huge difference when I first arrived in Korea.
As I stepped out of the train on the first day I arrived in Korea, I remembered the fresh cold air. It feels like it's been a while since I breathe in fresh air. The air when I went for a short trail hike in Ansan Jarak-gil, was especially fresh. ๐๐
Every time I leave the guesthouse, the first thing I would do was to look up the sky and I would be granted the amazing scenery of clear blue sky. It left me in awe of how clear a sky can be that if there were a speck of cloud, it would be considered a rare scene. With such a beautiful sky and cold weather, I didn't mind walking from a neighborhood to another. If I were in Malaysia, I would have dreaded doing that.
 |
| Here's a proof of the clear blue sky |
 |
| Sunset in Edae |
2. The exchange rate
When I went to Korea, the exchange rate was 1000 won = RM 3.72 and RM 3.68 (I changed twice) 1 USD = RM 4.395 (just in case they don't accept MYR). The rate was bad during that time but when I went to Korea, the rate got better. It seems that the rate got even worse now.
We would always keep tab on the exchange rate and would change whenever we needed it. During that period, the rate fluctuates greatly, especially for USD. It changes from 1 USD = 1202 won to 1230 won. The place we changed would always be in Myeongdong near the China Embassy, especially the one in underground due to the better exchange rate and the only shop (that I see) that accept MYR.
I clearly remembered that whenever I purchased something my mind would always be doing some calculations. This was why I didn't really spend much for the first few weeks as I was not used to the "high price". For example, the street food in Myeongdong on average cost about 3000 won. This would mean in MYR, it was about RM 11. I was utterly shocked by the price. It was totally not worth it for the amount I could get.
 |
| 3000 won each |
 |
| About 9000 won = RM 33 for the choc bingsu and about 11000 won RM 41 for the strawberry one |
 |
| 4000 won = RM 15 for all 3 |
I asked the local about the average part time wages in Korea. It's about 6000 to 7000 won per hour. Malaysia average part time is about RM 6 to RM 7. So on ratio 1000 won : RM 1. So, if I worked for 5 hours, it would be 30000 won : RM 30. If I were to eat a cake for example. It costs on average 4000 to 5000 won but in Malaysia they sell a cake for an average of RM 12. I would have spent a third of my salary for one dessert! For commuting in a train, it costs 1350 won for 13km, but in Malaysia, it costs RM 3.10 for the same distance using lrt. Both offering the same service with 5 minutes waiting per train at the cashless price! (NOTE: it isn't the best comparison, don't use it anywhere).
3. The subway
It is the main transportation that I used. For the whole stay, I spent about 150000 won, about 1/10 of my total expenses (excluding accomodation and plane ticket).
One reason was because the subway stations are strategically located in the city. There is not much transfer needed as the places we had to go are all in walking distance. Even if we had to transfer (subway-subway of another line / subway-bus), they are mostly free within 30 minutes or 1 hour during peak hour. They do have a little charge depend on the distance. The ride is also smooth and comfortable.
Second, is because it is fairly cheap, especially for a little longer distance. They charge a base rate for a distance of 10km and then extra 100 won for every 5km, or if exceed 50km, 100 won for every 8km.
To pay, they have this amazingly useful card - T-money which has a similar function to TouchnGo, but even better. T-money can be used on subway, bus, taxi and even in convenience store and can be reloaded in every station and also convenience store, without extra charge. I was wondering why Malaysia does not build card reload devices in every station as it is really a hassle to find a place to reload, and there's extra service charge for it too. It makes the "no GST charged" on public transport pretty useless unless you pay by cash (but there's 20% off using cashless).
4. The convenience store
The convenience store is an all time favourite place for people who lack money, like me. They have basically all the things that you need and the food is especially amazing.
The food is cheap, tasty and has a wide variety of choices. Our ultimate staple in the convenience store is triangle kimbap, which comes in all kind of ingredients such as tuna, cheese, fried chicken and more. It varies from one brand of convenience store to another. Some brands are more generous with the ingredients and cheap, but it is within the range of 800 ~ 1100 won. I especially love this tuna mayo triangle kimbap as they are very generous with the tuna! ๐๐
During Valentines month, the convenience store is definitely a place for chocolate lovers. They have promotions on most of the chocolates. For example, KitKat Chunky which usually sell 1000 won for one bar, is sold for 1000 won for 2! For the Loacker milk chocolate wafer, they sell 2 for 3500 won. So, during that month, I spend a lot on chocolates as they are even cheaper than in Malaysia!!
 |
| Too bad they are not imported to Malaysia |
If you are craving for sweet things, they sell a wide variety of pudding and amazingly delicious yoghurt.
 |
| I heard these pudding are famous |
I definitely recommend those who travel to Korea to take your time to visit the convenience stores. Probably not during the day when you are busy following your schedule, but when you are craving for food and some alcoholic drinks! ๐
5. The meat
When you come to Korea, it's all about the meat craves! The all-so-famous chimaek, samgyeopsal, hanwoo, etc.
I couldn't recount how much meat I ate in Korea. So much, that when "meat" was mentioned, "AGAIN?!" would be our reaction. However, two of my friends are meat lovers that for them Korea is a heaven!
The chicken in Korea, even though, are fried, they are so tender, juicy and well-seasoned with different sauces and spices. It applies to almost the chicken that I have tried. I can understand why they love to eat them so much. Besides that, chicken meats are sold everywhere that there are so many restaurants specialised in selling chicken meat. Even to the point of fried chicken delivery!
Not to forget the famous BBQ restaurant that can be found almost everywhere. The BBQ in Korea is a little different from Malaysia. In Malaysia, the meat is usually dried and tough after BBQ-ed, but not in Korea. The meat remains tender and juicy. They are a little crispy on the outside and tender on the inside (depend on the meat that you order). It's really delicious!!
6. The people
The people I have met in Korea are pretty interesting. Let's not talk about those that I met in the guesthouse but others like the people in general.
I'm pretty surprised as where ever I went, most of the workers are fluent in speaking Chinese, especially the ones in tourist area. Well, they are most probably employed to boost sale from the China Chinese. But, I didn't expect an uncle who sell socks in an alleyway knew as well. It took me aback but at the same time, it made my life much easier, but at the same time I kind of want to speak Korean too. I was later told by my Korean friends and a worker in the guesthouse that quite a lot of them are from China as the way they pronounce Korean is different from local. So, I guess that's the reason why those aunties and uncles knew how to speak Chinese.
Besides that, the Koreans I met are really kind and friendly. Take one of the promoters from the Lotte Mart as an example. Most supermarket has loyalty card for customers and they could get discounts from the item sold in them. As I was only staying in Korea for a short period, there was no point in applying one. So, I told the promoter about it and as she could really see my strong intention to purchase her item, she immediately gave me a few free gifts for the purchase. I was so touched.
Also, there was a few interesting uncles that I met during my short trail to Ansan Jarak-gil, a place where there are a lot of elderly going there for exercise. As I was going alone, I had no one to take pictures for me. So, I asked an uncle who was also alone and was taking pictures to help me take a few pictures. Usually, a normal person would just go with their way after helping, but this uncle call me back a little while later and said, "you go there" and make a gesture to me. I immediately understood that he wanted to help me with a few more pictures. So kind~
 |
| A good picture, right? <3 |
 |
| It started to snow at the same time |
The Koreans, to us, are a feast to our eye. I'm pretty sure most people know of the Korea compulsory military service. In Malaysia, it is rare to see people from the army. But in Korea, they are everywhere, wearing the macho army uniform. My friends were so excited seeing them. Besides that, Koreans, in general, are well-dressed with makeups and are known for their beauty. We were so "full" seeing pretty girls and guys.
7. The cosmetics
Korea is famous for its cosmetic products. I am very well aware of that. However, what I did not know is that the cosmetic stores are in almost every place. The subway, in a traditional market, and in every neighbourhood. Tourist and college areas, especially are saturated with the cosmetic stores. MyeongDong alone has rows of cosmetic stores. There are even the same brand opening just next to a few stores. Are they competing with themselves?
I, who had almost no knowledge of make up and was only starting to learn about basic skincare, had almost no interest in it. However, my friends are the pro. Thanks to them, I learnt a little while accompanying them and started to develop interest in it. I even bought a few basic cosmetic essential products like BB cushion. Due to my lack of knowledge and my cheapskate-ness, I thought that the products were expensive and I hesitated to buy. Only products that I think are worth for the price and are affordable to me, did I purchase it.
When I came back from Korea, it became a habit for me to check on the cosmetic stores and I was so surprised that there's a huge difference in price. Only did I realise that what I had bought was such a bargain, despite the exchange rate. I always talked of how cheap they are.
These are the list that I can think of and these are usually the things that I always talked about with the people around me. I had such a great fun staying in Korea that I was even reluctant to come back. Now that I am back from Korea, not once have I not missed about the little things that I experienced in Korea. I really hope to go back there once more.
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