It`s a heavy
burden on a woman to try to be Martha Stewart when you live in
a country where you don`t speak the language and goods from back
home are not available in Korea.
But, If you
happen to be a Domestic God or Goddess, Head of Domestic Affairs or a
Life Consultant (translation: a wife), here is some useful information
on how to make Korea feel more like home:
You
can get loads of samples at the Supermarket at the Shinsegae.
You almost don't even have to eat lunch! |
You
can get all kinds of veggies at the Shinsegae |
Supermarkets:
Hannam
Supermarket:
(B1 of the Volvo Building before you reach the Hannam Bridge on
ramp) This supermarket is slightly overpriced, but you can get
things like fresh basil and other fresh herbs and spices. Plus
they deliver for free if you are in the area. There are also two
small shops in the basement next to the entrance.
One
sells a wide array of imported cheese (blue, apellenzer, gruyere)
cold cuts (salami, chorizo etc..) and yummy bread. The other one
sells other miscellaneous imported goods. Check the expiry dates
on the products. Hannam sometimes sells outdated goods.
Haddon
House:
(This place is just past the UN village entrance in Hannam Dong)
This supermarket is a favorite of women that like to cook. The
produce is really fresh and it`s a little less expensive and slightly
bigger than Hannam supermarket. They don`t deliver and you should
definitely take your car there as it`s pretty difficult to catch
a taxi around there.
The
Supermarket under Gecko`s Terrace on Itaewon Dong:
This is a pretty good supermarket and conviently located right
off of Itaewon dong for those who aren`t buying too much and want
to take a taxi afterwards. A lot of foreigners shop here and they
have all the basic foodstuffs here. There is a limited array of
imported goods.
Home Mart
at Chung Hwa Apts:
If you are on Itaewon Dong and you turn down the Burger King Street,
you will see Chung Hwa Apt. Homemart is there and there is parking.
This supermarket has just been renovated and now you can get all
kinds of imported goods such as cheeses, and cold cuts. The produce
is fresh and its location is convenient for those living in Itaewon.
Shinsegae
Dept. Store at the Express Bus Terminal Station:
This supermarket rocks! The only thing they don`t have is specialty
imported cheese. There is kimchee of every kind, a huge produce
section selling all kinds of meats, fresh fish and sweet strawberries,
and great veggies for mixed salads. Its price is comparable to
Hannam supermarket.
Halal
Shop in the alley behind the Hamilton (across from Three Alley
Pub and Le saint Ex):
This small market sells things you need to make Indian or Middle
Eastern food. They have spices you can`t find elsewhere and other
things like Basmati rice, pre-mixed marinades and Lamb (They have
surprisingly big freezers!) This shop supplies alot of the restaurants
around town.
This
is what the express bus terminal building looks like |
You
can get all kinds of things for the home such as picture
frames, baskets and candles |
Housing and Home Decoration
Express
Bus Terminal:
This place is a treasure trove of things for your home if you
look carefully enough. It's rectangular shape makes it well organized
compared to Namdaemun.Here's the lowdown on things you can get
at the Express bus terminal:
FLOWERS:
The entire 3rd floor is filled with flowers. You can get lilies,
calalilies, roses, peonies, birds of paradise orchids etc... You
can also get real trees and fake trees. There are shops that sell
just vases and shops that sell fake flowers. You can get potpourri,
florofoam and even stones for the bottom of the vase! The fresh
flower wing closes at 1pm, but the fake flower and vase section
is open till 6pm. Here are some of the shops I thought were pretty
good:
Shop 192-
Glass Vases
Shop320-
Big Fake Trees such as Palms, Ficus, and Bamboos
Shop
23- Roses, Lilies, Calalilies
Shop
274- Fake Flowers
Shop
173- Interesting Ceramic Pots and Pottery Items
Shop
18- Modern Minimalist Ceramic Pots
CURTAINS,
SHADES, ROMAN BLINDS:
2NDand
4th Floors (Bring a Korean friend or a photo and measurements.
Most don`t speak English)
OTHER KNICK
KNACKS:
Basement
1, officially known as the Gangnam Underground Shopping area has
things like this:
Shop 26- Laundry
Baskets, Breakfast in Bed Trays, Magazine Racks
Shop
11- Floating candles, Tealight candles, Aroma candles
Shop
38- Nice White Dishes
Shop
30- Art and Frames
Take Subway
line 3 or 7 to the Express Bus Terminal and follow the signs.
There`s also a great sauna at this train station called Central
Spa. It is in front of the JW Marriot.
A
wide variety of dishes is available at the plate market
in Namdaemun. |
You
can get pretty flowers, fake and real at the Express Bus
terminal |
If
you see this bridge, you know this is the building that
has the plate market. |
These
are some of the plates you can get at the plate market |
You
can get any kind of wrapping paper you want in the alley
just past the Gate 1 entrance |
I
like this shop full of woven goods for the home. It is just
past the the Gate 2 entrance. |
Namdaemun:
The Koreans have a saying, `If you lost your gun during the military
service, chances are you will find it in Namdaemun`. Basically,
you can get anything you want there. During Christmas time, we
found decorations, santa outfits, food warmers, display platters
and whole range of presents under 10,000 won for our guests. We
also found paraffin for the warmers, wrapping paper and chocolate
candy that looked like rocks.
Dishes
mall:
Namdaemun has an amazing plate mall where you can find everything
you need for the kitchen: glasses, utensils, plates, platters,
casserole dishes, champange buckets, ice holders, etc..etc..etc..
just go there and see for yourself. Enter at Gate 2 or Gate 1
and look for the triple bridge which is pictured above. The plate
market is on the 3rd floor of that building. The 2nd floor has
assorted knick knacks like picture frames, lighting etc..
Alpha Stationary
store:
Just after the Gate 1 entrance on the right hand side, you will
see a sign for Alpha stationary store. This store is huge! you
can find things like photo albums, greeting cards, pens, art supplies,
glue, stuff for crafts, party supplies etc.. You can find alot
of supplies here for your kids that are in school.
Wrapping
paper:
Just past Alpha is a wrapping paper alley. You can get a huge
array of wrapping paper here, including Hanji type paper.
Foreign Schools
Deutsche
Schule Seoul Tel : 792-0797
4-13 Hanam-Dong,
Yongsan-Gu, C.P.O. Box 5363, Seoul
Early
Childhood Learning Center
Tel : 795-8418
6-4 Itaewon-Dong,
Yongsan-Gu, Seoul
Franciscan
School
Tel : 798-2195
707 Hannam-Dong,
Yongsan-Gu, Seoul
Global
Christian School
Tel : 797-0234
243-5 Pogwang-Dong,
Yongsan-Gu, Seoul
International
Christian School
Tel : 773-1933
1206 Yongsan-Dong,
Yongsan-Gu, Seoul
Kent Foreign
School
Tel : 2201-7091
619-30 Guui-Dong,
Kwang Jin-Gu, Seoul
Korea
International School
Tel : 561-0509
155 Gaepo-Dong,
Kangnam-Gu, Seoul
Seoul
Foreign School
Tel : 330-3100
55 Yonhi-Dong,
Sodaemun-Gu, Seoul
Centennial
Christian School
Tel : 905-9275
820 Wolgye
2-Dong, Nowon-Gu, Seoul
Seoul
International School
Tel : 2233-4551
Songpa P.O.
Box 47 Seoul, Korea 138-600
Women`s
Support Groups
Whether you're
a young single, a newlywed, a mom with kids or a seasoned ajuma
one thing remains the same: women like to get together for a drink
and chat!! If you are having trouble finding people you click
with try contacting these women's groups: (If any of these phone
numbers or e-mail adresses are outdated, please let me know by
emailing me here)
Seoul International Women`s Association (SIWA):
www.siwapage.com
Australian
and New Zealand Society:
http://www.anzakorea.com/
FOCUS-
(Foreigners` Community Service):
02-797-8212, 798-7529 focussel@shinbiro.com
American
Women`s Club:
http://www.awckorea.org/
Hospitals
Severance
Yonsei Univ. Hospital Tel : 361-6540
134 Shinchon-Dong,
Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul
Asan Medical
Center
Tel : 2224-5002
388-1 Pungnap-Dong,
Songpa-Gu, Seoul
Kangbuk
Samsung Medical Hospital
Tel : 2001-2912
108 Pyong-Dong,
Chongro-Gu, Seoul
Gangnam
Cha Women's Hospital
Tel : 3468-3113
650-9 Yeoksam-Dong,
Kangnam-Gu, Seoul
Seoul
National Univ. Hospital
Tel : 760-2890
28 Yangun-Dong,
Chongro-Gu, Seoul
Samsung
Medical Center
Tel : 3410-0200
50 Ilwon-Dong,
Kangnam-Gu, Seoul
Soonchonhyang
Hospital
Tel : 709-9158
651 Hannam-Dong,
Yongsan-Gu, Seoul
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