Korea's Top 10

It's been nearly a year here in Korea, so I feel (somewhat) qualified to make a 'best of' list. These are items that aren't specific to me (meaning no bragging about my awesome students), but can be experienced by everyone coming to Korea.

10. Fashion/makeup

Korea is rapidly becoming a fashion capital of the world. Here in Daegu, which is apparently the fashion capital of the fashion capital, women are dressed impeccably at all hours (myself excluded). Even my co-teachers, who you'd think would adopt a slightly grunge-look after dealing with screaming and fighting children all day, almost always look as if they'd just arrived from a frickin photo shoot. I'm totally not jealous. Totally.  That said, women put a lot, and I mean a lot of money and time into their appearances. Because of this, it's impossible to walk 5 feet in any direction and not run into a clothing boutique or a makeup store. Heck, even just a makeup store. I've lost count of the number of brand name stores (one day I'll write a whole post detailing the most recommended and my favorite items from each), but luckily this provides an excellent realm of gift shopping! I literally would run out of friends before I ran out of gift options for them. That was not meant to be as self-deprecating as it sounds. 

9. 찜질방 (Jimjilbang)

While public nudity isn't really my speed, even I have to admit the efficiency of a Korean-style public bathhouse. They're divided by gender in the changing and bathing areas, and often open into a mixed gender, clothed area with steam rooms and saunas. Jimjilbangs are incredibly common, although they vary greatly in size and design. There are very simple ones with one hot tub and one sauna, or ones that have more steam rooms than you have moisture in your body. Many of them allow an overnight stay for a very small fee, which make them even more appealing to travelers on a budget. My personal favorite is Spa Land in Busan, an enormous inside and outside facility attached to the largest department store in the world. At only 12,000 won (~$12), it's worth the experience. Just close your eyes for the first 15 minutes or so.

8. Market shopping

Open air markets are not a new thing, especially when I recall that in every single country I've visited, I've found at least one. The people running the shops (generally middle-later aged women), are incredibly nice and helpful at picking out items for me. Not only that, but I can find nearly anything at Seomun market here in Daegu, and Dongdaemun is a frickin godsend to any shopaholics. My sister and I went shopping at 1 in the morning, and walked away with quite a few good deals. I'd like to think it's my amazing haggling skills, but I acknowledge that it's more likely that they wanted the weird foreigners to leave them the hell alone.

7. kpop

I started listening to Korean pop music about a year before I came here, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't slightly influence my decision. These upbeat songs are just so damn catchy! Beyond it helping make a connection with my students, I genuinely enjoy kpop in my free time. Anyone looking to bravely venture into the crazy brightly colored and bizarre world, here are some of my favorite groups (Big Bang, SHINee, f(x), U-Kiss) and individual songs (Tarzan- WonderBoyz, Poison - Secret, Sweet Dream - MFBTY).

6. 팥빙수 (Patbingsu)

This is a dessert/snack item that's very popular during the summer. Bingsu is shaved ice, and while there are many varieties of toppings, my favorite is red bean (pronounced like pot, if you're curious). Red bean is VERY common in desserts and is definitely not for everyone, although I enjoy it myself. The coffee shop down the street has my favorite patbingsu, and the ingredients are as follows: shaved ice, condensed milk, red bean, granola, cornflakes, and a bit of whipped cream. It's magnificent on a hot day when you want nothing more than to take an ice bath, which is apparently inappropriate in public.

5. Eating style

Surprisingly, most Koreans don't care what they look like when they eat. The object of most meals seem to be to get the most amount of food in your mouth in one bite. Considering the amount of time and effort everyone puts into their appearance, I was shocked when I saw dolled up 20 somethings shoveling ramyeon into their mouths at an alarming rate. IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY. One of my favorite Korean foods is 쌈, when you make a lettuce wrap with pork, rice, some sauce, and whatever else you want to toss in there, and shove it in your mouth. ...And now I'm hungry.

4. 냉면 (Naengmyeon)

Another delicious summer food is this noodle-soup-thing. It's light and refreshing and smidge acidic and absolutely fantastic. The wheat noodles are served in a cold broth (sometimes with actual ice chunks still in it), with half a hardboiled egg, some pear or radish shavings, and a spoonful of gochujang (hot pepper paste that you cannot escape here). On the side you'll be given spicy mustard and vinegar to add for tailoring to your palate. I add a bit more vinegar than most, and skip the gochujang completely, although I am known to toss in a bit of mustard if I'm feeling daring. I'm usually not. But I already wrote something about that. Keep up, will you?

3. Cuteness everywhere!

Did you think that panda hat/scarf/mitten contraption was just for kids? False. Although many people take it too far (which is called aegyo), it encourages the childish fun that I've always enjoyed. So what if I want to wear a giant blue scarf that takes up half my face? Spend half an hour making ridiculous faces in a photo booth? How about thick rimmed rainbow hipster glasses, without the glass? Check all of the above!

2. 노래방 (Noraebang)

Whether you're a fan of alcohol induced craziness, or your neighbors deserve a break from listening to you sing in the shower, noraebang is for you! It's a cheap (depending on where you go) night out with friends that provides instant entertainment for as long as you keep up the energy. The singing rooms are private and mostly soundproofed, so it's the perfect place to let loose and sing the Mariah Carey notes that you had only attempted at that Christmas party that one time. They're easy to spot on the streets (just look for the flashing neon signs. Odds are, it's a noraebang), and have drink and food menus to encourage customers to stay for hours. Protip: have a no camera rule inside the room. No one needs to see or hear that.

And finally....

1. 호떡 (Hoddeok)

This amazing goodness tops my list partly because it's winter right now, and it's everywhere. The closest equivalent in the US would be fried dough, except hoddeok has brown sugar and sesame or sunflower seeds melted together in the middle (think a pancake stuffed with the sugar and seed mix, then deep fried to delicious perfection). It's a very common street food, and can be found on nearly every corner as the weather gets colder. If for some reason you can't find one, hoddeok mix is easy to find at Emart or Homeplus, and tastes almost as good as the real thing. But because most stands charge 1,000won for one, it's so cheap that it gives the impression that I'm losing money by not buying one. Or four. Or twenty.

So there you have it, Katherine Teacher's list of the best Korea has to offer (as experienced in 10 months). Anyone that lives/lived in Korea, do I have any glaring omissions? If you're a future visitor, any questions about specific numbers? Leave a comment!

Regardless, 2013 has been quite an adventure, and it's gearing up for round 2 in 2014. Stay tuned!

안녕!