My First Month as a Korean Alien Resident

My future posts plan to be myself documenting my experiences in Korea, possibly providing advice for perspective English teachers, while also reporting my days to any friends/ family that check my blog. So far my first month is done. The process of becoming a documented resident here was somewhat daunting but I have throughly enjoyed continuing to explore my new home.

When you arrive in Korea and get settled you must register as a teacher. Often times your school will help you, but in some cases they may just expect that you somehow are magically aware of this process. Mine was somewhere in between. The final goal is receiving an ARC card or an Alien Residency Card, with this magic piece of plastic you can get a ATM card for your Korean bank account and register for a monthly cell phone plan (if you need a phone right away you can get one from the Arrival Store without an ARC card). In order to get this card you must first get a health check (pee test included so beware) and then take the health check, a letter from your school and passport to the nearest immigration office. There is often a DMV worthy line at these offices, keep in mind that over 10 million people inhabit Seoul, and there are plenty more individuals trying to come in.

Next up some fun stuff. As far as nightlife goes in the Seoul area, I have been slowly finding bars which fit my niche. In order to discover these gems, I had to suscept  myself to nights of Pitbull, Justin Bieber and countless other god awful pop artists that I thought I had escaped while crossing over the pond. The three main areas I have ventured into are Hongdae, Itaewon and Gangnam (cue Psy's soundtrack.

Hongdae has proven to be my favorite so far. I especially like a place called Bar Exit.

Imagine a makeshift DJ set in your friend's man cave and you have Bar Exit. It is super crowded but they play excellent dance/house music and the people that tend to go there are laid back travelers (I choose this word over foreigners because there back at the Pitbull clubs). People also party in the alley way outside the bar, so if you're on a "first month I haven't gotten paid yet" budget, bring your own alcohol.

I have also heard there are some awesome LP bars that are more mellow, known to play good records and serve cheap beer in Hongdae. The two I have read about are Suzie Q and Byrds but I have yet to venture there. 

Itaewon is not much of my style. Mainly because it is right by the military base so there a lot of juiced up angry Americans that I saw all too much of being a resident of San Diego. Although, we did venture to "homo hill" one of the only gay districts within South Korea (to my knowledge).

The bar we stumbled into somewhere between beer 15 and 4am was "Why Not?" This bar is honestly just silly and somewhere to go just for the experience. To sum it up, when the bar closed all the gay men did a synchronized hand dance in a circle (my Irish friend attempting to join in after a few). Also I got kicked off the dance platform by a Korean gay man telling me he just wanted to twirl in his dress.

There is a wild Irish bar in Itaewon called the "Wolfhound." It is full of drunk foreigners with alcohol induced rosy faces and men taking their shirts off. But if you miss screaming Journey or Oasis at the top of your lungs and having your arms around a fellow western comrade: the "Wolfhound" is your place!

The only bar that I actually enjoyed in Itaewon is a beach bar called the "Bungalow". It is right up the hill from Hamilton Hotel and Itaewon subway exit 1. Depending on your party size you will be seated in a sand filled room with swinging chairs and dimly lit with scattered candles. The cheesy/fruity beverages are a nice way to begin a night out.

Lastly the birthplace of Psy's satire filled mega hit: Gangnam. Gangnam is known for being more of a ritzy area so the drinks often tend to be pricey, but I particularly enjoy a hookah bar/ lounge called "Rainbow Bar." 

It is very hippy-esque in the sense that there is pictures of peace signs, mushrooms and subtle hint towards marijuana usage (although it is banned in this country). You are given a bag to put your shoes in and then sit on floor pillows. They also have live music on the weekends and delicious bucket drinks that will get you on the right path.

Besides poisoning my body, I have also managed to sprinkle in a few cultural events.

Last weekend I went to the Noryangjin fish market near Ichon. You walk down an aisle of tanks filled with seafood and barter with ajimas for fair prices. They have everything from scallops, king crab, lobster, sashimi to sea urchin and some mystery animals (if you're feeling adventurous). Once you pick out your food, they kill it in front of you and then put it in a plastic bag (no censorship here). You then pick one of the restaurants which decorate the aisle way and have them cook or cut up your fresh seafood. Most of the restaurants are 5,000-10,000 won for the table and then you pay for drinks. 

I also went to a Doosan Bears baseball game at Jamsil stadium. Baseball is the most popular sport amongst Koreans and according to my friends, the games often sell out. We ventured to the stadium on a rainy Sunday and were lucky enough to walk up and buy $12 field line tickets. Although I indulged in a hot dog and ice cold beer, this game was nothing like one in America. They have party pumpers who whistle tunes, everyone is paying attention and somehow knows the same synchronized dances/chants. When they players come out their theme song is blasted and everyone gets into the music. The environment there was very lively and was totally worth getting rained on.

Overall I have really enjoyed my free time. Here are some various other pictures I have taken from the past couple of weekends.