If you can get your checking account set up with your stateside bank, then you could still get money in there. I would try to do that. Just need your routing and account number.
I think Korean paypal accounts only work for credit cards only. If they work for bank accounts, like most foreign banks, they tend to only facilitate deposits to the bank and not withdrawls. I’m not sure how easy it is to get KB to give foreigners credit/debit cards, but if China’s indicative of anything, it’s nearly impossible, for fear that you’ll run up a huge debt then skip the country, since they can’t pursue you for reimbursement internationally.
I know KB bank will give you a credit card (visa) but they just won’t give you a Visa Debit card…
I will just have to have my bank back home re-issue the card and have it sent here so I can transfer money.
Also, if anyone knows. Do Korean Xbox live card codes work on US xbox live accounts, or are the codes region locked?
If so I will have the same problem as stated before regarding my paypal, bank etc…
EDIT: This also might be some good information to add to the FAQ once we figure it out, or if someone knows.
No, codes are region-locked. If you want to use the Korean system to subscribe to Live, you must migrate your account to a Korean one. There’s one convenience in it in that it can charge the cost of the subscription to your phone bill, if that interests you.
But considering you can get codes quickly and easily off ebay, that may be the best way.
That actually is a good thought, I’ll put that up there.
Been in Daejeon since early September and I think I’m going crazy guys. Fucking hate it here and miss home so much. At least if I could play SF that would ease the daily stress. Was gonna have my ps3 shipped here but turns out it’s way more expensive then we thought so now I’m fucked and can’t play shit. Was actually contemplating just getting the pc version and play it on my laptop but there’s no place around here to get a damn stick. Haven’t seen a game store anywhere here and the E-Marts and Homeplus’ have jack shit.
Where are all the hot Korean hookers I’ve heard so much about? Guess that stuff is in Seoul. Maybe that would make this stay more bearable? Kidding guys…maybe.
The first 6 months is tough no matter where you are. You are just going through a bit of culture shock and home sickness. Especially if its your first time living abroad.
You have to try and maintain a positive outlook though, otherwise you will just hate it…
PS3’s are cheap now, you can get a new 250gb for $250 from any store.
If not, just pick up an XBOX360, you won’t have lag issues that way either. (has the bigger online community in asia for AE)
If you have a facebook, check to see if there are any groups that you can join for your are ie: Daejeon Teachers or something like that. Usually they have ones for teachers to get together in your area and help share information activities, and also sell used stuff (playstation) so check that for sure.
Here is a link you can try, it also shows a bunch of related groups you can join as well https://www.facebook.com/pages/Daejeon-Korea/114720495209997
You probably don’t know about Gmarket. It’s an online Korean shopping mall where you can literally order anything you have ever wanted and have it directly shipped to your house in a day. Make an account on there, you can find good deals.
Haruhi, really appreciate the help and info bro. It’s not culture shock now, I just don’t like it here. Basically everything is worse here then compared to back home, at least for me. It also doesn’t help that my fiance is home and I miss her like crazy along with many other things. Plus, the people I came here to work for weren’t exactly truthful with a lot of things so the daily stress I’m going through is really taking a toll on me but anyway back on topic.
If I could afford a system then I’d get one but with my situation here I can’t. So it seems like my only option is to get it for pc and hope to find a stick somewhere around here but I imagine the online community for pc in this region is probably nonexistent so would it even be worth it? Also I’m sure connections to people in the US would be ass and unplayable.
Yup, sounds like me in China right now. I got dicked bad by my employer and the people that even invited me over here. Anger isn’t even a descriptive enough word for how I feel around the people I’ve met here. The expat community has basically saved my life.
Actually, there’s some people playing on PC here. I’m pretty sure M. Lizard is a PC player, at least that’s what his XBL gamercard insinuates.
Haruhi is right, if you aren’t able to find a stick in Daejeon, I’d look on Gmarket. I could also see if I could find a TechnoMart in Daejeon for you, which should be a place to find a stick.
And :lol: gat damn, i share your sentiments on emart. You can’t find much there, and what you do find is drastically overpriced.
I almost flipped shit when I was buying a carry-on bottle of shampoo there and they told me the price was 4500. I literally just walked away. I went to the subway, and the exact same bottle of shampoo was 1000. I literally laughed when they told me that as I was pulling out my money.
I pretty much steer clear of emart while I’m in Korea unless it’s something that I need to get there. For cheap stuff that I need on the daily, I just hit up Daiso.
TMYK: e-mart used to be Walmart in Korea. They didn’t get too much business, and Walmart sold off their controlling interest in the stores to a Korean company, and it became the e-mart we all know and hate.
But seriously, despite the arcades being a ghost, I would strongly suggest you take a train out to Seoul and stay for the weekend, or for a week if you hold out until winter break. At least coming out to Cong, or even hitting up Itaewon for some comfort food/drink would make you feel better. I’ve actually heard Daejeon is really rough on foreigners.
TechnoWorld: near the KBS tower. Manneyong-dong, Seo-gu. If there are sticks for sale in Daejeon, they would be here. That’s the best directions I can give you, but if you wanna PM me your address I could probably hit you up with some detailed directions.
Thx so much for trying to help. Yeah words just can’t explain how I’m feeling here. The worst two months of my life by far and it’s not getting better by any means. As far as E-mart goes, that was the very first store I went to when I got here. Needed to go food shopping and was just floored at the prices. I asked myself how anyone could afford to live here. Things that are everywhere in America are like 4 or 5 times more expensive here and everything is just smaller. I can’t tell you how much I miss Wal-marts, Targets, Wegmans, etc. Now I know how good Americans really have it and I’ll never take anything for granted ever again when I go back home.
I checked google maps and couldn’t find Manneyong-dong but did find the Seo-gu area. I’m in the Galma-dong area and it looks kind of close to me but not really sure. I’ll try to get there and check it out. I was supposed to go back home in early December because of the three month visa rules but am gonna try to get outta here earlier cause I don’t think I can make it till then. The worst part is that I have to come back eventually and I’m already dreading that.
Not terribly far. By bus, here’s the directions. This is just off Galma-dong, (Also in Seo-gu, “gu” is district, and “dong” is subdivisions) but may differ based on your exact address.
Go to the Galma Yuk-gyo bus stop (갈마육교). Take the Geup-haeng (급행) #3 bus 1 stop to Eunhasunegeori (은하수네거리). From there, take the Ganseon (간선) #301 bus 4 stops to Seo-gu Bogeonso (서구보건소) Once you get out, you should be standing right next to IBK bank (기업은행). Walk down the side of the building, turn left when you get to the end of it, then walk straight for a bit. TechnoWorld’s entrance should be on your left.
As far as food shopping, don’t even bother with e-mart unless you need to get import goods that you can’t get anywhere else. Opt for the local non-chain grocery stores. They are the cheapest options. Chain department stores in Korea are wallet-rapes. Positive thing is local mom & pop stores stay open because the chain stores don’t compete on price. Negative thing is for foreigners who are used to shopping at said stores get pissed off.
Like I literally HATE walking in e-mart. It takes everything in me to not start seething the moment I walk in there. And yeah, one of the first things I did when I got back to America was kissed the ground at Walmart. But if Walmart did this in the States too, then we’d still be shopping and local only stores and hate Walmart too.
Like the only thing I buy at e-mart is like frying pans and cooking utensils, and I could still probably find them cheaper elsewhere if I really looked. But I honestly never try to go in there. But yeah, buying from a smaller store will shave so much off your bill, and can be about as much as you’d expect on most items from America.
I’m here starting a business with some people. Right now our location is still under construction and isn’t really close to opening yet. Just one of the many untruths I was told before coming here. I can only stay for three months at a time cause of visa rules. So as long as I leave the country every three months or so I can keep coming back. Having to go through that 14 hour flight to JFK once is bad enough but over and over again is just beyond torturous.
Funny you guys should say that cause that was the initial plan. I would fly to Japan every three months and stay for a few days which would have been sick cause I would have loved to get some play at one of the arcades over there or check out Akihabara for some shopping but since my situation turned into a nightmare it’s way better to go back home and stay for a while before coming back.
Same thing with China for me. Thankfully, Korea’s more or less my second home by now, so any time I get back on the peninsula, I start to feel better. But yeah, going Stateside usually salves over all the crap I deal with on the regular.