My turn - 10 reasons to stay in Korea

Last time I posted an article of reasons to stay in Korea.  I didn't agree with most of them.  As much as I love my dog, cute dog clothes in Korea is not a reason to stay (especially since he is in America - and not really my dog anymore).  So, I decided to make my own list of reasons to stay.  There are 4 items on the previous list I agree with:  #4 - a girl is never too old for cute or K-pop ^^; #6 - Seoul Metro is the best!  Fast, easy and cheap;  #7 - Konglish,  I really love Konglish and the Korean language.  I will miss both when I leave.  #9 - ignoring people trying to talk to me in Korean.  Even if I understand, they don't need to know.  Also, most Koreans ignore street peddlers trying to talk to them, so at least I look less rude with my "I don't understand what you're saying" expression.  To make it 10, I'll add 6 more reasons of my own, in no particular order.

1.  Coffee Shops:  If you think America is inundated with coffee shops and cafes, come to Seoul.  Starbucks is hard to find, but there are plenty of other chains to keep you in caffeine.  The big names in Korean coffee chains are Caffe Bene, Angels in Us, Holly's Coffee, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, and Ediya (which is my personal favorite, because it's significantly less expensive than the others and the coffee tastes the same).  One of the criticisms of these chains is the less than superior taste.  I'm not a coffee connoisseur, so I don't mind going to a chain.  They're easy to find and easy to hang out in, and nearly all of them have free internet.  If you prefer a superior cup of coffee, there are tons of small, independent coffee shops to explore.

2.  Theme cafes:  and if you prefer your coffee shop to have an added attraction, then Seoul is the place to be!  You can enjoy your coffee with a cat on your lap in a cat cafe.  Or, if you're a dog person, go to the dog cafe.  You can have the dry skin on your feet nibbled off by fish at a cafe, and you can even pet a sheep!  You like cats and dogs, but are too allergic to spend time in a cafe with them?  No worries, you can hangout at a Hello Kitty cafe, or a Charlie Brown cafe.  Is that too cute for you?  Then, try a board game cafe with your friends.  Since most Koreans live at home until they're married, they need ways to spend time with friends outside of the home, hence, the theme cafe.  You can read more about it here.

3.  Noraebang (Karaoke room): Anyone who knows me knows how much I love to sing.  The Noraebang is one of the things I love the most about Seoul!  You have a private room for you and your friends, so no more singing in front of a full bar.  There are plenty of songs to choose from in English, Korean and Japanese.  I try to sing K-pop sometimes, but I can't read Korean fast enough to keep up with the song :)  If you want to see what a noraebang is like, watch this eat your kimchi video.  And if singing isn't your thing, you can go to a PC bang to play video games until your eyes melt or go to a DVD bang to watch movies (warning:  DVD bangs are used mostly by couples who need to find a cheap, private place to spend a little time together, if you know what I mean.  Beware of the upholstery), or you can go to a Multi-bang that has everything.

4. Temples and Palaces:  Being from Ohio, I'm used to a little more green in my environment.  Living in the city is far more enjoyable than I expected, but I still miss the green space.  Seoul does have parks, but I prefer to go to some of the Palaces.  They are beautifully landscaped, and have a lot of history.  My favorites are Gyeongbokgung and Changgyeonggung.  The latter was never used for government, but was built for the royal women, so the grounds are gorgeous.

And when life gets overwhelming, or I'm feeling homesick, I go to a temple to spend a little time with Buddha.  I always leave feeling better.  My favorite Temple in Seoul is Jogyesa.

5.  Shopping:  Seoul is a shopping mecca!  There are so many shopping districts to choose from.  Dongdaemun and Myeongdong are the top destinations for tourists.  You can find nearly everything - clothes, cosmetics, accessories, shoes, and of course K-pop paraphernalia.  Check out Seoulistic's 11 Best Places for shopping in Seoul.

6.  Last, but by far not least, K-POP! :  That is after all the theme of my blog.  I do love K-pop, and I love living in the center of the K-pop world.  I don't take advantage of it as much as I should, but I feel I'm a little too old to do the whole fangirl thing (hanging out at coffee shops in Apgujeong trying to get a peek of my favorite idol, for example).  But, I am able to attend a concert here and there and K-pop items are so easy to buy here.  I need to buy several pairs of K-pop socks before leaving Korea for good.  

These are my reasons to stay, and I think they are much better than Chincha's :)  Next time, I'll explore reasons to leave.  But, there will probably be a K-pop update first.    

10 reasons to stay in Korea?

There are so many blogs about life in Korea that I feel my little site is superfluous.  But, since this is about my personal experience in Korea, rather than a guide to living in Korea, I'll keep writing.  However, I'll use some of the information I've found elsewhere as inspiration for my ramblings.  For example, here is a post about why people choose to stay in Korea.  I'll will discuss these points in more detail.

1.  The Children's Park the article is referring to is in Hongdae.  Hongdae is an abbreviation for Hongik University (university in Korean is dae hagyo).  It's a typical university area with bars and clubs and college-aged people who like to party, even in children's parks in the middle of the night.  You can learn more here.

2.  It's a common practice in Korea to buy a beer at the local convenience store then sit at plastic tables in front of the store to drink the beer.  This was one of the strangest things for me when I first came to Korea, drinking in front of the 7-11.  Strange things are afoot at the Circle K (this is just for my amusement ^^).

3.  Same-same is a common Konglish statement.  And same-same is taken very literally here, as in couple shirts - matching his and her shirts to show you and your significant other are together.

4.  A girl never gets too old for cute in Korea, or idols.  I'm not the only k-pop ajumma here :)

5.  Hiking is a popular past time for Koreans.  Many people hit the trails on the weekends, regardless of weather.  But, Koreans are super careful about getting too much sun (not to protect themselves from cancer, but to keep themselves from getting a tan.  Dark skin is seen as a bad thing in Korea), so the ajummas wear these very attractive solar visors:

6.  I've said it before and I'll keep saying it until I'm proven otherwise:  Seoul has the best public transportation system in the world.  And just from fun, watch this.

7.  Since I'm American, I don't have to worry about ruining my pristine English ^^, but I think I'll miss Konglish when leave Korea.  I hope my friends and family will be patient with me while I slaughter the English language for my own amusement.  

8.  There are many rules of etiquette in Korea, including how one should give and accept things from another person.  One should either use both hands, or accept with the right hand while supporting your arm with the left hand.  

9.  The advantages of being a foreigner is the ability to ignore salesmen, proselytizers, and random propositioners without looking rude, even if you are able to understand what they are saying.

10.  There are some great dog clothes in Korea.  Koreans also like to dye their dogs' fur some crazy colors.

So, there you have it.  10 reasons to stay in Korea.  I only agree with half of them, but this will give some of you at home some insight as to why people like it here.