Jeannie and I were supposed to go to Seoul today to check out the different accommodation choices available in Anam but we we managed to contact Ms Wonjin Rhee from Korea University Business School International Office. She is in charge of arranging KUBS exchange students' off-campus accommodation after an unprecedented number of exchange students were rejected for on campus housing placings. Apparently, she didn't receive my email with Jeannie's and my applications sent last Friday because they ended up in the Spam box as the exchange office uses a hotmail account. Thank goodness we called her! Furthermore, our accommodation reservations were confirmed within minutes of calling. Initially, we settled on Isak Livingtel for 490,000KRW per month or 1,960,000KRW for 4 months.
But after discussing, we realised that the rooms are too narrow and the place is further from school as compared to Co-m Livingtel. In the end, we chose Co-m Livingtel instead for a room with windows for 510,000KRW per month i.e. 2,040,000KRW for 4 months.
This is 80,000KRW more expensive than Isak and 40,000KRW more expensive than staying in CJ International House, one of KU's 2 on campus residences. I had looked forward to staying at CJ International House especially with the gym and piano room available :( Just a piece of advice to those who are going to KU for exchange in future and applying for CJ International House, the first thing you should do is to find out the exact date that applications for CJ opens and to ensure that you have your KU Student ID before that. Make your fund transfer on the very day applications are open before 2pm- the cut off time for local banks to process telegraphic transfer. But to be on the safe side, get someone in Korea to transfer the money to KU first on the very day before paying your friend/relative. I have not heard of any Singaporean girl who managed to get a place at CJ House this semester and all of us have to look for off-campus accommodation. I also heard that a Singaporean made payment on the very day via telegraphic transfer but also didn't get a place because 715 students applied for 267 places at CJ this year so I'm one of the 448 students rejected. Telegraphic transfer takes 2-4 days to reach the other party. This year, applications opened on 9 June Wednesday but I didn't know...and when Jeannie told me the next day (10 June), I made the TT at 2.47pm and missed the cut-off time for same day processing of 2pm. As such, the bank only processed my TT on Friday and it reached KU on 14 June Monday, a good 5 days later :(:(:(:(:( A lesson learnt indeed.
We were supposed to meet Junho oppa for dinner and also celebrate National Day together because he's such a Singapore-fanatic but Jeannie's ankle's condition is worse than yesterday's so we stayed in Bucheon today instead.
Also, we decided not to go to Jeju next week anymore and that means we have to cancel our JejuAir tickets and forfeit our accommodation deposit at Jeju Hiking Inn. Almost every Korean I/we met advised us against going to Jeju next week because of the unbearable heat. In the late morning, Sujeong, Youngjin's cousin whom I also taught in Singapore for about 2 months came over to Youngjin's place. She told us that it'll most probably rain in Jeju almost everyday next week and there will be many mosquitoes. She's the 5th person who told us that going to Jeju next week isn't so much of a good idea so that just did it. Jeannie and I decided not to go and that means we'll be in Bucheon till 21st August Saturday.
Breakfast for today was rice cake and a king dumpling 왕만두, followed by ice cream. I didn't eat the rice because I was so full from the rice cake!
Later in the day, 어머님 brought us to KB Kookmin Bank at Home Plus to open our bank accounts with our passports (+ student visas), NRIC + deposit amount. Jeannie found out that we don't need to have an alien registration number to open a bank account for KB Kookmin Bank but we need it for Hana Bank and Woori Bank and perhaps the other banks as well. Thank goodness 어머님 went with us too because she did some translations for us, guided us on the filling up of many documents and let us use her address temporarily.
Taehun got bored so after opening my bank account, I followed him and Youngjin out of the bank while Jeannie opened her account.
We shopped around and I bought a shirt dress for 39,000KRW. Last year, I thought shopping in Korea was cheap and good because I bought many cheap tops that were quite the in thing in the Korean fashion scene but of lower quality material. This year, my taste changed and I no longer like those cheap tops BUT that means my expenditure for clothes is increasing and things don't seem that cheap anymore :(
We went to Youngju's place to pick her up and while she got ready, Jeannie and I were frightened by her dog called Gummy which kept climbing up onto the sofa to sit beside me. It wanted to lick me and I had to call out to Youngjin a number of times for help.
On our way to an eatery for a late lunch. Youngju's elder brother, Dongsu, joined us. He's the same age as Jeannie and I.
Breakfast for today was rice cake and a king dumpling 왕만두, followed by ice cream. I didn't eat the rice because I was so full from the rice cake!
Later in the day, 어머님 brought us to KB Kookmin Bank at Home Plus to open our bank accounts with our passports (+ student visas), NRIC + deposit amount. Jeannie found out that we don't need to have an alien registration number to open a bank account for KB Kookmin Bank but we need it for Hana Bank and Woori Bank and perhaps the other banks as well. Thank goodness 어머님 went with us too because she did some translations for us, guided us on the filling up of many documents and let us use her address temporarily.
Taehun got bored so after opening my bank account, I followed him and Youngjin out of the bank while Jeannie opened her account.
We shopped around and I bought a shirt dress for 39,000KRW. Last year, I thought shopping in Korea was cheap and good because I bought many cheap tops that were quite the in thing in the Korean fashion scene but of lower quality material. This year, my taste changed and I no longer like those cheap tops BUT that means my expenditure for clothes is increasing and things don't seem that cheap anymore :(
We went to Youngju's place to pick her up and while she got ready, Jeannie and I were frightened by her dog called Gummy which kept climbing up onto the sofa to sit beside me. It wanted to lick me and I had to call out to Youngjin a number of times for help.
On our way to an eatery for a late lunch. Youngju's elder brother, Dongsu, joined us. He's the same age as Jeannie and I.
Very delicious barley rice mixed with sesame oil and gochujang 고추장
Taehun loves his so much that he wanted to eat in peace without any disturbance.
수제비 sujaebi for 3 persons. It's delicious :) It's a traditional Korean soup made with flour dough.
콩국수 kongkuksu cold soybean noodles
Taehun doesn't like 수제비 and started crying as he ate, saying that it wasn't delicious at all and he wanted 칼국수 kalkuksu instead. 어머님 ordered that for him for 6,000KRW and we tried some. It's quite nice! In the meantime, he started playing with the 수제비.
Taehun's 칼국수
Free ice cream for dessert
Back in the apartment, I started blogging to clear the backlog accumulated over the past few days and played games with Taehun to keep him entertained. Or rather, I was the babysitter because 어머님 went out for awhile and Jeannie was sleeping in the room. 어머님 bought for us 순대 soondae for dinner before she went out. It's been a really interesting experience staying with Youngjin and his family. I think his parents are really nice, especially his mother! She's a full time housewife and takes her responsibilities seriously. She doesn't let her younger son get his way all the time and will talk to him to make sure he understands the rationale behind her decisions especially when he starts fighting with Youngjin. I think she's a very good mother :) She's not like those mothers who spoil their youngest child by letting him/her get her way all the time and getting the older children to give in to the youngest.
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