So today I finally came to my new hometown of Naju. I was
able to see my apartment for the first time and I must say, it isn’t half bad.
Most people would consider it to be a small apartment, but it is perfect for
me. It is technically a one-room place, with a very small bathroom that is
somewhat closet-like. I have a new bed with one of the harder Korean-style
mattresses that my body is still getting used to and even have a new microwave.
Also included was one table and chair, a rice cooker, wardrobe, and small side
table and bookshelf. Out on my balcony/outdoor porch area of my apartment is
where I can do my laundry, hang my clothes, and store things. When you are used
to sharing a small dorm room with a second person, having an apartment this
small feels spacious. Especially since it is about the size of 2 dorm rooms,
but I have it to myself and it is complete with a small kitchen as well. Actually,
I feel like I have quite a bit of empty space. I look forward to decorating and
making the place feel more like home as time passes. As I make friends, or as my current friends have free time, I also
look forward to inviting people over to socialize and have dinner.
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| Kitchen |
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| My dinner |
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| Main Room |
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| How to decipher this?!? |
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| Bathroom with Sink Shower |
The few downsides to the apartment so far are mainly trivial
things that will pass soon. Things such as the fact that I haven’t the
slightest clue how to manage my thermostat properly,
and that I currently do not have Wi-Fi since I don’t have my ARC yet…these
issues will pass. I think my main battle will be my shower and the task of
showering without soaking my clothing, toilet paper, or trash that is in the
bathroom. I love the Korean-style bathrooms and think having the entire
bathroom be the shower is unique and inventive, however it makes keeping things
that need to be dry extremely difficult.
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| Trash Area...so much separating to do |
On the plus side, there is a convenience store near my
apartment and the bus stop is right across the street. I haven’t learned much
about the buses here yet, but I know that one of the buses that stops at my
apartment should take me directly downtown. Another miracle was that I learned was that being healthy pays off. Instead of taking the elevator from my floor (7
th)
to the main floor to leave I decided to take the stairs. It was then that I
learned there is WiFi I can connect to somehow on the 5-6
th floor
platform. So, if I want to stand awkwardly in the stairwell, I have the ability
to contact people. The halls are regrettably not heated though, so
communication comes with the price of freezing my butt off at the moment. A
plus to this though, is that when I return to my apartment I have nice toasty
warm floors for my cold toes.
The trash is also collected right outside my apartment, so I
need to learn and practice the new tasks of separating all my trash. Korea is
very particular about trash collection, unlike the USA. I need to make sure
that I separate between my recyclables (paper/plastics/cans – also separated
individually), any food waste, and my general trash (which has special bags).
There are many stray cats around my apartment too. Poor
things… They are so cute. It is going to be very difficult for me to avoid
feeding them and attempting to show them love. Having strays around is even a
learning experience for me. It was the moment I learned that going… “Here kitty
kitty kitty…” means absolutely nothing to a stray Korean cat…they are not used
to hearing English…ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ. I must learn how
Koreans talk to their animals. What do they say? Maybe…고양이~ 고양이~ 고양이~ ???? Maybe this
is it… ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
I was able to successfully buy essentials for my apartment,
so I have bedding and kitchen supplies now. It is a good thing that Koreans
know how to make some up-scale ramyeon, because it is most likely all I will be
able to afford to eat for a little while, that and rice.
I know very little about Naju so far except that it is known
for its pears and is apparently pretty famous if you follow the
Catholic/Christian faith due to a certain church located around here. I hope
that when the pears are in season that I can help that locals pick them! Maybe
I can even pick my own if I learn how to speak enough Korean to ask. There are
some trees right outside my apartment that I think are pear trees, so with any
luck I won’t have to go far. I found time to walk around my town and man did I
walk far…but I managed to stumble upon the KTX station and they had tourist map
pamphlets that I could take. It was my score of the day. Now if only I can
decipher the Korean at least a little I can figure out places of interest
nearby. This post has basically been my ramblings about some pretty basic
Korean living situations, not too exciting, but I wanted to get some basic info
about my new home out there.
So Taylor can you post a picture of the outside of your apartment building. And also since these older Korean ladies are worried about you, should your grandma be worried 😊 And finally do you know anyone else in Naju?
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