Mailing packages, getting a subway card, and getting birth control

This is the second post I consider part of my "how to" series (the first was the smartphone post). I want to make my blog more informative and helpful - something that will assist new foreigners in adjusting to life in Korea. I hope its useful to some readers, without being a hindrance to my friends and family back in the states.

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If there is one thing I never get sick of, it is mailing and receiving letters and packages. The Korean postal service is pretty spectacular. It's much cheaper to mail things from Korea to the States than vice versa.

The offices sell boxes of varying sizes.

The boxes are cheap! For those in the states, it's about 30 cents to a dollar and change.

Even better, they have tape, scissors, markers, and so on - everything you need.

To answer the basic questions - yes, they place to and from addresses in the traditional places; yes, they will have you fill out a customs form listing everything inside along with its quantity, weight, and price. They accept cash or cards. You can mail surface, air, or express. Surface is the cheapest but can take one to three months. Some locations are open Saturday mornings, but not all are. I've had the best luck with English speakers early in the morning on weekdays, for some reason.

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In Daegu, you can buy one of two subway cards. The top one is called Toppass, and can be used in Daegu, Busan, Seoul, and some other cities. The bottom is only for Daegu. They both cost 2,000 Won, and when you buy it, they will put credit on it if you give them cash.

One of the most beneficial aspects of having the card is that you have free transfers from bus to bus or bus to subway. There are some time limits on this, such as the fact that you cannot take one bus somewhere, and the same bus going the opposite direction for free. When you exit the bus, simply swipe your card on the card reader by the exit door (if you forget to do this, it will charge you for the next fare).

** When I was in Seoul in December 2011, I could use my card, but I couldn't recharge it. Make sure you put on enough money to last your trip to Seoul!

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Getting birth control in Korea is easy and affordable. You do not need a prescription. Just go to the pharmacist and ask for it by brand name; Mercilon is pictured and only costs 7,000 Won per month. There are pharmacies all over Daegu; you can identify them by the traditional red cross symbol in the window. You can buy more than one month at a time if you ask for it.

As a side note, I am a big advocate in regular gynecological exams and believe that living in a foreign country is no excuse to not go. This is a extremely helpful blog post about Hyosung Women's Hospital in Daegu, and I recommend the hospital personally. It coordinates with US military bases and is accustomed to having foreigners as patients. I can tell you that Ms. Ku (the woman who will help you set up an appointment and ensure that you fully understand the doctor) is kind and helpful, even better, her English is phenomenal.

If you're outside of Daegu or looking for a doctor outside of the OBGYN field, this site has a list of medical services with English speakers of all types from around the country.

Getting a smartphone in Korea

I've thought a lot about getting a smartphone. My previous school provided a cheap plan with a handset, so it was never worth the cost. Now, I have that handset, but it is prepaid (this is called PPS in Korea). The phone is alright for calling and slow for texting - but it works. 20,000 won doesn't last very long, though, and I feel like I could pay more for a better deal.

A few friends (Chevelle and Mara, two fantastic ladies) recommended a cell phone store in Daegu with a fluent English speaker(!!!!!), so off I went. This is what I learned:

Korea uses two year contracts, and phone prices are astronomical. The Iphone costs 794,000 won (about $740 USD)! However, they give a 602,000 won discount as you complete the contract.

Here is an example:

Iphone: 794,000
- two year contract:

phone cost discount: 602,000

total phone cost: 192,000

monthly phone cost over two years: 8,000

- cancelling after one year of your contract (as if you were going to your home country)

monthly fee paid so far: 8,000 x 12 months = 96,000

buying off the remainder of your phone: about 400,000

total phone cost: about 496,000

Nexus S: 602,000

- two year contract:

phone cost discount: 602,000

total phone cost: 0

monthly phone cost over two years: 0

- cancelling after one year of your contract (as if you were going to your home country)

monthly fee paid so far: 0

buying off the remainder of your phone: about 300,000

-He mentioned that cancelling after a year and six months may lower that cost to about 100,000

Furthermore, there are some initial fees which are rolled into your first three monthly bills:

-Registration fee: 24,000

-Bond Security fee: 20,000 to 30,000

-SIM Card: 5,500

Then there is the plans. The most popular plan is 55,000 a month; this includes unlimited data, 300 texts, and 300 minutes. Not a bad deal in and of itself.

Monthly bill for the Nexus S (after initial three months with higher bills to extra start-up fees):

-plan itself: 55,000

-insurance: 3,300

-VAT (taxes): 5,500

63,300 a month

For more information about plans and handsets, check out this great website: Kt's "Expat Blog" in English.

Getting there: Take the subway to Beomeo (on the green #2 line, three stops from Banwoldang). From there, you can take a cab (simply say "Hongum Home Plus-ah) for about 2,500 won. Alternatively, you can walk for about 20 minutes. Right in front of the Home Plus, you will see a Shinhan Bank, it is a little farther down than that.

Getting in touch: You can e-mail him at cpwon@frux.co.ke. From there, he may give you his number- he is quite fluent, I had no issue communicating on the phone.

Personally, I don't think it is worth the phone cost, since I don't plan on staying for a third year. I did love the Nexus S - Android's OS is amazing and it is produced by Samsung.

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As a side note, I have a new header for my blog! I got it from this fantastic site, lots of inspirational travel quotes and pictures!