ABOUT ME
This blog is about my experience living in Seoul, South Korea. I have lived in Seoul since August 2008. I will return to Minneapolis in February 2010. I was born in 1978 in South Korea (you can do the math regarding my age) and adopted to a white family in Minnesota a few months later. I didn’t grow up with other Koreans, learn the language, or experience the culture. I did go to Korean culture camps in Minnesota one week out of the year (2% of the year – I did the math for you!), and while that helped me to meet other adopted Koreans from my earliest years, I still grew up feeling like a minority the other 98% of the time. I felt a void with my birth country and to this day have mixed feelings about Korea. It is beautiful, historic, magnificent, dynamic, political, hostile, hypocritical, caffeinated, religious, and so much more… For myself, living here has been surreal and personal, yet I find myself blogging about it anyway. I will likely keep this blog even when I move back to Minneapolis because I will always reflect on this experience and I will continue to be just another adult Korean adoptee making my way in the world today, complete with a dual, transracial and hyphenated identity, both in Seoul – and in Minneapolis.
Note: Serenity is the meaning of my Korean name, which was given to me by my birth parents.
MY PERSONAL TIPS
…for living in Korea:
- Yes, rent a phone upon arrival until you get your F-4 or other applicable visa.
- Adoptees, get your F-4 Visa (applicable to Overseas Koreans).
- Minnesota adoptees, click here for the Chicago consulate website to begin the F-4 Visa paperwork.
- Learn to use the subways and get a T-Money card or T-Money cell phone charm at convenience stores.
- At the very least, spend a few hours learning the Korean characters (hangeul) so you can at least read and write.
…for trying to be dairy-free in Korea:
- Starbucks and Caribou Coffee are two chains I am certain carry soy milk.
- Purely Decadent Vegan “Ice Cream” has cafes all spread out in Seoul. See my Delicious page for more information.
- Traditional Korean food doesn’t have dairy in it, though these days Koreans are adding dairy to even the most traditional of dishes, such as bibimbap…so just be on the look out for that.
- The non-Korean restaurants in Korea, such as Indian and Italian places use dairy. I find it much more difficult to order anything without dairy in it at these establishments. Usually I end up with plain old marinara spaghetti at an Italian place (yawn). Indian restaurants sometimes don’t clearly label their menus with what has dairy in it, so ask a lot of questions before placing an order. (I learned the hard way.)
…for trying to be meat-free in Korea:
- It can be done. Mind over matter.
- I say “Kogi Pae Jusaeyo” A LOT, which basically means, “Take out the meat, please.” Some places will understand this, and others will not.
- See my links for ideas on restaurants that are either completely vegetarian or mostly vegetarian.
- Be ready for the fact that substitutions within meals is NOT a well-known concept here, though it’s getting better.
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