Foreign Ideas

Next week, I'll be heading back to America for the first time in over three years. This has brought up a lot of discussion (mostly beginning with, "YOU HAVEN'T BEEN BACK IN THREE YEARS??????" (um, no, I'm a hagwon teacher)). On a recent Sunday night dinner with a friend in Myeongdong, we started talking about all the things I'll see in America that I haven't seen since I left (or the few times I've been near a base). Some, I'm looking forward to. Others make me glad I'll only be home for two weeks..

1. "Excuse me"
The joke among expats here is that there is no Korean word for "excuse me" (there is, it's just seldom used). It's the norm here to just shove past people. Somewhat related, it's also extremely common for someone to shove into a space you're occupying without waiting for you to vacate it (like a seat on the bus....I don't get it). After three years, I'm still not sure what to do when I need to get past someone who is taking up the entire pathway while they've stopped to finish their text.

2. The Sunday Couple Shuffle / Couple Red-Rover
I walk fast. I have places to be. However, Sunday seems to be the day that all couples have to go out and drag their feet. The slower they walk, the slower the day will go - duh*! I'd understand this, but they also like to latch on to each other and take up the entire sidewalk with their snail pace. Related: if they're walking toward you on a narrow path, don't expect them to detach. If you're in the mood for a game, keep your trajectory - see if they'll actually separate, or if you'll just walk right into their fused-together hands.
*Note: Students on their way home walk at a similar pace.

3. TRASH CANS
This is possibly the number one thing I'm looking forward to about being home. I've read a few blogs in which they've discussed this: what do Koreans do with their trash? Well, I know the answer: they pile it on any sort of raised platform. Or just throw it to the side of the sidewalk. I also understand why Korea is so trash can weary: very easy place to hide a bomb (we are just a few miles away from our enemies in the north). But it will be nice to have an appropriate place to put my Starbucks cup when I'm finished.

4. No "Servicee"
This is one I'll miss :( It's common Korean practice to thank your customers for choosing your place of business by giving them a free gift. Cosmetic stores give you free samples of their products (usually whitening cream and moisturizer). Restaurants give you a sample of their featured entree. Bars will give you shots. In marketplaces, it's common practice to ask for "service" when you've made a purchase.

5. Tipping
Selfishly, this is another one I'll miss. People here are paid minimum wage, and it is not common custom to pay anything extra for any kind of service. I've almost forgotten how it works - 20% is the rule of thumb, right? I've given a few tips - the most notable being an extremely large one to a taxi driver who gave me a free German lesson one Christmas. I'm torn on how I feel about the practice: on one hand, I like the idea that people who are better at their job get paid more; on the other, I know customers are people, and are selfish bastards, and don't exactly follow this ideology.

6. Spaghetti-Strap Tank Tops
This is a weird one. My first few months here, I was VERY AWARE of how Koreans don't wear anything that shows cleavage. They're becoming more liberal about shoulders: I've seen tank tops (usually with wider straps), but nothing that dips low. They will, however, bring those hemlines as high as they can without showing the goods. I'll try not to stare.

7. Customization
Around Christmas, my favorite Starbucks beverage is a peppermint white mocha. When I tried ordering that here, I was told that the peppermint mocha was a special drink and couldn't be changed. I also come across strange looks when I ask for an extra shot of espresso in a drink. At restaurants, if you try to alter the menu just a bit, it becomes way too complex for your server. Example: a friend and I once wanted to order a lunch set* that came with soda - we wanted to change the soda for milkshakes (understanding that we would be charged more). The server insisted that he would be unable to process that in the computer, nor would he allow us to order the items individually. There's a similar attitude behind ingredient substitution in restaurants (no, you cannot have salad with that! You have to have fries!). I get why: this is a culture where you accept things as the way they are. But it will be nice to be able to ask for no tomatoes, or only half the amount of syrup in a latte.
*I've kind of forgotten this isn't an "American" word. Set=combo

8. Overstimulation of WHAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT
Foreign languages are easy to tune out. However, when you live here, and hear English, your ears immediately go up and you immediately start to eaves drop. Foreigners?? What are they talking about??? A friend has described being in America after a long stint overseas as like being in the Buffy episode where she gets the ability to read minds: she is completely overwhelmed with all of the voices in her head.

9. Driving
Possibly just because I live in the city here, and in the country at home, but I will totally miss Korea's awesome public transportation. Yes, being on the bus is sometimes being like in the passenger seat of a NASCAR race, but it sure beats having to get yourself there. Here, I spend about $40 a week on transportation - at home, it was hundreds (could be up to thousands if you consider car payments and maintenance). Busses go everywhere - and, if you don't understand how they work, the subway works just fine. Trains are still a thing here - the KTX will get you to Busan faster than a car.

10. Non-Neutral Cars
This is a small one, but as right now I'm sitting at a cafe next to a window, it comes to mind. A good 90% of cars (this is not an exact figure =p) are white, gray/silver, and black. Weeks can go by before I see a red car. Months for colors like yellow and blue. A few years ago, Daewoo made a cute little lime green hatchback, but those have mostly disappeared from the roadway. This is a culture that likes to blend in - national identity is much more important than individual identity - and it's reflected in almost all outward appearances.

So... You Lost Your ARC and Bank Card in Korea.... (me too....)

Before we get into this, I'm gonna share a bit of cruel fate with you: five days ago, I'd lost my debit card (I'm pretty sure I threw it away at Burger King like a champion). Got it replaced the next day - which was not only a relatively easy experience, I also discovered that I'd racked up like $200 in points. I'm not entirely sure what the Korean obsession is with "points" - usually this eludes me as I'm not sure how to redeem said points (maybe I should figure it out and write a blog entry on it?) but this was kind of cool. In another twist of above-mentioned cruel fate: the day I lost my wallet, I'd just replaced my online banking security card. Let us begin.

I'd discovered Tuesday afternoon that my wallet wasn't in my purse. I have a really good habit of taking my wallet out to have secret whispered conversations with it about all the things we want to buy (or, taking it out because I'd tossed a note in there earlier that day that I needed for lesson development - whatever). Wasn't in any of the usual places I like to let it rest for the night. Which brings us to the first step in the process...

Step one: Cry. (Or, if you're male, break things.)
I know this doesn't seem like a logical first step, but it needs to happen. In your home country, this is stressful enough, but in a foreign country, it just maximizes. You need to freak out and get it all out of your system, and the best place to do this is in the confines of your own apartment (as opposed to being That Girl Who Cries on the Subway). Once you're done freaking out, remind yourself that if I, a complete idiot (go read the entry about the time I almost crawled under the bus to save my cellphone for proof) can do this, so can you. 

Step two: Call your bank and cancel your card!
If you've lived here long enough, you know that you can just draw a happy face on the sign pad and they'll accept that as your signature in stores. I know two people who actually sign their name, and I think both are completely endearing. Most banks have an English hotline (Shinhan's is 1577-8380) and they'll put a stop on everything. You'll probably also want to know if your account has been used. If you don't know your number (which I didn't - I was on the subway....being That Girl Who Cries on the Subway), they can actually run it through the phone, and you just need to key in your PIN. 

Step three: Stop reading those posts about having to file a police report.

That's total bs. Immigration won't ask you for a police report to replace your ARC. I wanna punch the person who started that rumor. However, the rumors about not being able to get a new debit card without your ARC are kinda true. See next step. 

Step four: Go to the bank. 

Do this before you go to immigration. It didn't happen to me, but I have read things about immigration keeping your passport, which will leave you SOL for the bank. Plus, you're going to need money to get your ARC replaced - and then at least 3 weeks worth of cash while you wait for it to be delivered. You need to bring your passport and your passbook (that thing that we never use). If you *don't* have your passbook, it's ok - they'll make you a new one. If you are lucky, they will issue you a new debit card, and you can proceed immediately to Step 5. If you are me, such luck won't happen (sorry), and you're going to spend an hour at the bank. 

The teller is going to tell you that you can't get your debit card replaced. If you feel like arguing the point, do it - but she doesn't have a lot of power. This is the country where you can't get a Starbucks barista to make you a white chocolate peppermint mocha ("that's impossible") - so you're definitely not going to get them to budge on things like bank procedures. However, you are allowed to withdraw cash using your passport as ID. If, like me, you totally lost your passbook, your passport will serve as enough ID for them to make a new one for you. I know - they'll let you withdraw all the money you want, but they won't let you have a new debit card. I don't get it either. Especially as passports are kind of *the* internationally recognized form of ID. Next week, I'm going to the Shinhan Global Center to see if I can't get a different answer. 

Step five: Go to immigration
This was the part that inspired me to make this blog post as there were so many conflicting answers about what happens at immigration at this point. I know Korea tends to make up procedures as it goes, so what happened to me may not necessarily happen to you. You will need your passport, at least 30,000KRW, and a passport photo. 

Take a number. The machine is really confusing. There are 4 categories, you want to take a number from category 1.

Fill out the main ARC application form (if you're not sure what to put, just fill out the main information form with your name, address, passport number, place of employment, and sign the bottom). 

Find the lost ARC form. It's the most simple form they have - just wanting to know your name, address, passport number, ARC  number, and reason you lost your card (I know.. "I...just lost it?" - apparently, "because I'm dumb" isn't an answer, so I wrote, "lost my wallet"). 

If you're at Omokgyo, I can save you some time: go to the second floor (not the third - you don't need stamps), turn left, and go to the Woori bank area. Tell the person you lost your ARC, and they'll ask you for your passport and 20,000 won (I heard this amount varies). They'll take your money to the ATM and give you a receipt. Keep that! Behind you is a mail service counter. If you don't want to have to come back to immigration to pick up your passport, go there and fill out an address label. That'll cost you 4000 won (totally worth it). 

So, just to dispel some of the rumors out there:

• Immigration won't keep your passport. But go to the bank first, just in case
• You probably won't get a debit card replacement using your passport. Withdraw enough money for the next few weeks.
• It will take up to 3 weeks to get a new ARC
• You don't need to fill out a police form
• The bigger the bank, the more they'll work with you. If you live near a bigger city, go there to see if they'll let you get card replacements.