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This
is one problem you WON'T have in Korea |
Common Day-to-Day
Problems that can be Expected in Korea:
For foreigners
anyway . . .
Not big deals really - but if you are
aware and thus prepared, you are more likely to manage
them easily and be more successful on a day-to-day
basis. So . . . here we go!
Communication can be a problem at
times, especially in stores where most
of the clerks have limited or no English skills. This is
particularly true for
most of the mom and pop stores, which are on every
corner in residential
neighborhoods. If working in a larger city or a city
near an American
military base people generally have a better command of
the language.
Even with the language barrier, by using gestures,
pantomime, and
sometimes simple drawings, you are generally able to get
your message
across and communicate in some manner. This is
particularly true for
businesses, where they want to make the sale. Save
the packages of things you like that you might want to
purchase again - and take them with you when you are
looking for them. You will find some people will
go out of their way - way out of their way - to help.
Repay their kindness!
In
Hospitals, there are usually at least a couple of
doctors and nurses that know English fairly well,
especially the doctors, many of whom have studied
abroad. Most doctors have a fairly good command of
written English (since many medical journals and
research articles are in English), even though their
verbal abilities may be limited, you can always
write your needs (many people have MUCH better reading
skills than speaking skills).
In small health and dental clinics, the doctors may or
may not speak
English. If you go to one that doesn’t just go somewhere
else, you will find
someone that speaks the language without having to look
very far.
Hospitals are often where you will go for clinics and
for outpatient visits to a doctor.
Dealing with
City Hall can be a bit of a problem since
very few civil servants
know enough English to be much help. If you own or buy a
car or
motorcycle, you have to deal with city hall, along with
the insurance
companies, who also don’t generally speak much of the
language.
Fortunately your employer or one your students are
usually more than
willing to be a translator for you. Just be sure to
repay their kindness by
buying them dinner or a few drinks.
Quality
Medical Care could be a problem, depending on
where you live.
There are some very good hospitals in Seoul that can
handle any kind of
medical problem, but hospitals in smaller towns
generally refer patients to
larger hospitals for any thing serious. It’s a good idea
to be a strong
advocate for your own health care and not rely solely on
Korean doctors,
especially older ones in rural areas who have not been
to medical schools in
years and may or may not be up to the latest medical
information.
Food may a problem for some people, again depending on
where you live
and your tastes. There will not be many restaurants in
rural areas that serve
Western food, so you will have to settle for Korean
fare. The same with finding items in supermarkets in
rural areas– lots of Korean products, but
very little imported items. In larger cities and cities
near U. S. military
bases it is possible to find many of the items you can
find in U.S. and
Canadian supermarkets. I could never find canned refried
beans in the
small towns where I worked, but by a taking trip to
Seoul every couple of
months I could load up. If you like rice and noodles
then Korea is heaven.
My favorite place to find all kinds of imported foods
was DANDY'S GROCERY
and Imported Food Store located at 726-173 Hannam-Dong
Young
San- Gu Seoul, Korea in the basement of the 1st Volvo
Building.
Telephone number 02 796-2390
Driving can be a pretty terrifying experience. One has
to be extremely
defensive when driving in Korea (Koreans certainly
aren’t). I was constantly
amazed to the number of really stupid and dangerous
things that happen
on the road. Other cars and pedestrians have a tendency
to enter traffic
without looking. The general rule seemed to be who ever
had the biggest
vehicle had the right of way. Once you get used to it,
driving isn’t really
that bad– but be prepared for the unexpected.
Depending on where you are from and what you are used
to, the seasons
can be a problem. It is generally hot and humid
in the summer, with average temperatures of 23 degrees C
(73 degrees F), about 75 percent humidity. Winter
temperature average 3 degrees C (27 degrees F), with 22
percent humidity. Winters are cold and snowy. In the two
places that I lived, it would typically snow once every
two weeks or so, for a day or two. Snow would stay on
the ground for a couple of days before melting and road
conditions returned back to normal.
Finding your way around in a city can be most
difficult. Most streets do not have street signs, unless
they are major roads. The streets, especially in
residential areas, are not neatly blocked and can turn
and curve any which
way. These roads are also narrow, many times with just
one lane of traffic.
The cities are divided into large administrative
districts called Gu's, which
are further subdivided into Dong's. Buildings within
dongs may or may not
be numbered and may or may not be numbered in any
logical order.
Many buildings are not accessible to the
handicapped.
There are some buildings, but not many, that are
wheelchair accessible.
Most buildings and facilities built within the last
several years will have
elevators if more than three or four floors, and many will be
wheel chair
accessible. Older buildings over five floors will have an
elevator. Although a
building may have an elevator, it may still not be
easily accessible by wheel
chair due to lack of ramps to enter the buildings.
Modifying older buildings
to provide access to those in wheel chairs has not been
a priority in the
past, but progress in slowly being made.
Sidewalks can be a challenge in Korea, especially in the
winter. The
sidewalks, especially in smaller cities, are laid with
bricks (and not
concrete) thus they are uneven and have the potential
for nasty trips and
falls. It is not uncommon for bicycles and the
occasional motorcycle to
travel (for short distances) on the sidewalks, so care
must be taken at all
times, especially considering that the cyclist may not.
Also, there seems to
be constant repairs being made to sidewalks, with the
bricks being relayed
and evened out on a regular basis.
During winter months the sidewalks may become icy for
days at a time and
have the potential for disaster. Those not used to these
kinds of conditions
may find themselves slipping and sliding all over the
place. Store owners
generally will sweep or shovel away snow after a storm,
but the ice
remains.
The national roads and expressways are well maintained,
heavily traveled,
and road maintenance crews respond quickly to snowy, icy
conditions, thus
ensuring continued and safe travel. Major cities’ roads
are snowplowed after
heavy snowfalls, and because of the heavy traffic are
generally fairly safe.
Smaller residential streets are another matter. If it
snows heavily, snow,
and especially ice, may remain on the road for days, so
driving habits must
be adjusted accordingly.
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"Twenty
years from now you will be more disappointed
by the things that you didn't do than by the
ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the
trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream.
Discover." -- Mark Twain |
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Raise your hand if you'd like to spend your "working"
time in a Luxury Resort . . . 
