You finish your meal at a restaurant in Korea, but no bill arrives at the table. Should you wait for a server, take something to the counter or walk towards the entrance with your card? At many everyday Korean restaurants, customers finish eating and pay at a counter near the entrance. This is the method … Read more
You arrive at a popular restaurant in Korea, but there is no clear line outside. Several people may be standing nearby, yet no one seems to be waiting in order. Beside the entrance, you may find a clipboard, a ticket machine or a tablet asking for your group size and mobile phone number. That may … Read more
I still remember being surprised when I first travelled abroad and realised that floor numbers were not the same everywhere. In Korea, I had always understood the level entered directly from the street as the first floor. The next level was the second floor, followed by the third floor. Then I visited countries where the … Read more
Foreign-issued cards are widely accepted in Korea. Hotels, department stores, convenience stores, restaurants, cafés and many ordinary shops routinely accept card payments. Still, no single card is guaranteed to work at every shop, kiosk, ticket machine, ATM or Korean website. A card that worked earlier in the day may fail at the next place. This … Read more
Eating alone in Korea is usually easier than many visitors expect. Most everyday restaurants have something that one person can order. This is especially common in business districts, shopping areas and neighbourhoods where office workers regularly eat alone. The confusion usually begins when a particular dish, rather than the restaurant itself, requires a minimum order … Read more
Korean city buses can take you through neighbourhoods, markets and local streets that the subway does not always reach. The difficult part for a first-time visitor is often not getting on the bus. It is knowing exactly when to press the stop button, when to move towards the door and whether to tap the transportation … Read more
You have finished your meal at a restaurant in Korea, but no one brings a bill to your table. Should you wait for a server, take a receipt somewhere, or simply walk towards the entrance? At many Korean restaurants, customers pay at a counter near the entrance after eating. However, some places require payment before … Read more
I have not personally needed to use a coin laundry in Korea, but several people around me do. Some have washing machines at home and still visit a coin laundry for blankets, curtains and other bulky items that do not fit comfortably in a household machine. Friends living alone or in small officetels also use … Read more
Eating alone in Korea is not unusual. Office workers may normally have lunch with colleagues, but schedules do not always match. Someone may have a meeting, a deadline or work that cannot be left until later. On those days, eating alone is simply the most practical choice. The same is true outside work. I often … Read more
Cities often change so gradually that people living in them do not notice right away. I realised that public trash bins had become harder to find in Seoul only on a day when I actually needed one. I was walking with a small piece of waste in my hand and expected to see a bin … Read more