Coming from a tropical country with 365 days of summer, I was thrilled to be assigned to work for a 3-months-project in a four-seasons-country — South Korea. It was for Winter Olympics 2018 and I was there since November 2017. Here are what I learnt and discovered so far:
1. Pack light
I departed with a 24kg check-in luggage and it was really way too much stuff I realized. I hardly utilize 2/3 of the clothes that I brought to South Korea. Thankfully, I went home to spend Christmas and New year and I brought 23kg check-in luggage, which included my unused clothes korean souvenirs and snacks, home.
When I return to South Korea, I realized I had more than enough to survive in the mountains where the winter games held — 2 T-shirts, 3 pull-overs, 1 fleece, 1 ski jacket, a set of pajamas,2 leggings and 2 outer pants for my remaining 2 months stay in South Korea.
2. Food in South Korea is not cheap
The food in South Korea is expensive than in Singapore. On average food court in the city prices are as such:
However, the prices in Gangneung and Pyeongchang cost more as they are located at remote area and have limited selections of food compared to the big cities. In my surprise, I always thought village food would be cheaper, not in South Korea~
3. Local groceries cost more and most fruits are sold in bulk
South Korean are famous for their winter fruits like Korean Tangerines and strawberries. However, I was shocked to see the cost of the local products are on par with the imported goods. Many times, I see fruits being sold in cartons, unlike in Singapore, Malaysia or Bangkok where we can hand-pick 1 by 1. Here like buying for the whole village.
4. Kimchi in almost every kind of meal
I had kimchi in almost every meal-type (regardless western, eastern, japanese, korean, chinese) that my feces turned orange. Oh well, I like Kimchi
5. I love Kimbap!
Being exposed to Ko Bong Min (고봉민) Kimbap for the first time, I instantly fell in love with Kimbap. I call it the korean sushi-roll and I could have it everyday.
6. Favourite Cafe — O´sulloc Tea House
If you’re a green tea person like me, a definitely must try in korea.
7. Weirdest food I tried
Had this Korean delicacy — raw fish/ octopus deep in icy tomato sauce. Honestly, I had a hard time finishing it and my taste buds liked the side dishes more.
8. Keeping fit in the winter
Here are the useful links I used to keep fit in the winter, whether to run outdoor or exercise in-door:
and the 7 min workout app on mobile
9. Highly international and diversed team
My project team encompasses people from various nations (Spain, Brazil, Russia, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Japan) and I enjoyed my time learning the different cultures, backgrounds and languages.
This Spanish Sausage is exceptional delicious by the way.
10. Body adapts to the cold pretty quickly
My body took a day to adapt to the cold. It was 30°C in Malaysia and -1°C in Seoul. Temperature was -18°C in PyeongChang. Honestly, layering and neck warmer is the best thing to keep you warm.
I kind of enjoy the the darkness outside the venue sometimes, especially when it comes to making snow pee in the wild.
