18 COMMUNITY
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Expat Living is a section dedicated to the daily
living of expatriates.
It is printed on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
To share stories about your life abroad, send stories
or story ideas to Matthew Lamers at
mattlamers@heraldm.com
Submissions may be edited for length or clarity.
Buses, taxis can
be improved
By Zheng Xuejiao
Before moving to Seoul, I wor-
ried if I would be able to adjust.
But after living here for two
years, I’ve adjusted quite well
and I don’t really have problems
anymore. But there are ways
Seoul could improve to help non-
Koreans have a more pleasant,
comfortable experience traveling
or living in Seoul.
Of Seoul’s public transporta-
tion options, it’s the bus system
that could use the most im-
provements.
Because of the many difficul-
ties in using public buses, of all
the foreigners I know almost
none take the bus.
First of all, it’s hard to even
find which direction to go in.
Subway maps are shown within
the context of the city map, so
they’re easy to navigate. But bus
maps have no geographical con-
text whatsoever; just a line with
a few dozen place names.
Moreover, they are usually
only written in Korean. Some
cynical expats will say “learn
Korean,” but what then are
tourists supposed to do? For that
reason, transport maps in major
world cities are always translat-
ed into English. And since most
professional expats are short-
term (living here for under a cou-
ple years), learning Korean isn’t a
reasonable option. The lack of
English on bus maps makes find-
ing your destination (or even
your location) impossible.
On top of that, even if you
know which bus to take, there is
also some discomfort when you
ride it. If you don’t get off the
bus quickly, the door will simply
be closed on you.
When it’s too difficult to use the
bus or subway, or when you’re not
sure exactly how to get to your
destination, people usually use a
taxi. A few problems some non-
Koreans have with taxis are com-
munication, dishonest taxi dri-
vers and confusion about the dif-
ferent types of taxis. Seoul has
done a good job in addressing
these concerns. First, there is a
free translation services (BBB
translation, call 1588-5644, avail-
able in 17 languages). Another
way Seoul has taken on the com-
munication barrier is by intro-
ducing “Foreign-friendly taxis.”
They’re the orange ones that
charge slightly more. For that
premium you get a driver that
has been trained specifically in
the art of picking up and drop-
ping off foreigners.
Regarding dishonest taxi dri-
vers that take you for a ride (a
shortcut that slowly turns into a
tour of Seoul), there’s not much to
be done about that, since this hap-
pens in every city in the world.
Another issue is lost items. It
has happened to everyone at
least once: You get off the bus,
subway or taxi, give your pocket
a quick feel to make sure every-
thing’s where it’s supposed to be
— but you realize you left some-
thing behind. In this case, Seoul
should be commended again for
creating a system where it’s not
too difficult to get your things
back. For lost items on the sub-
way, go to www.seoulmetro.co.kr
and www.smrt.co.kr; for lost
items on taxis, go to www.spta.
or.kr and http://hdtaxi.com.ne.kr;
for lost items on Seoul buses, call
(02) 415-4101; Gyeongi buses
(031) 246-4210. One criticism is
that the aforementioned phone
numbers are not multilingual, so
you’ll have to learn Korean your-
self (or if you don’t have time to
do that, have a Korean friend call
for you).
On the other hand, if you lose
something in a taxi, you are sim-
ply at the mercy of the driver and
chance. In Seoul, there are taxis
that are owned and operated by
companies, as well as taxis that
are personally owned and operat-
ed by the drivers themselves. If
you lose something in a company
taxi, you may have a chance of
being able to call the company
and seeing if anything was
turned in by a driver. But for the
privately owned taxis, there is no
such “Lost and Found” for the
driver to return your items. If the
driver is kind and there is some-
thing with your contact informa-
tion, chances are good for you to
be reunited with your lost items.
In my own experience, I lost my
passport while taking a taxi, but
was lucky that the driver called
me and returned it. However,
even if the taxi driver wants to re-
turn your item but has no way to
contact you, there’s no central
place for the kind driver to leave
your item for you to later retrieve.
I’d like to suggest that there
be a central “Lost and Found”
for taxi drivers, both private
and company owned, to return
items that have been left in
their cabs. This place should be
made well-known to both dri-
vers and passengers and would
be helpful to both non-Koreans
and Koreans alike.
The truth is, if you can use the
subway easily there’s no real
problem, but in order to better
feel and experience the city, I
think it would be better if foreign-
ers could use buses more easily.
There are some popular places in
Seoul that are hard to reach using
only the subway; if non-Koreans
could use the bus we could get
there cheaply and efficiently.
Zheng’s essay was chosen by
the Seoul Global Center among
the winners of a competition. The
opinions expressed are the au-
thor’s only and do not necessarily
represent those of The Korea
Herald. To comment, e-mail mat-
tlamers@heraldm.com — Ed.
Colin Roohan
EXHIBITION
THIS IS KOREA
The Photo Challenge is sponsored by
Hyosung Camera (English: 010-7203-
9599) and Babo Shirts (www.ba-
boshirts.com). Winners of the weekly
competition receive a 50,000 won store
credit at Hyosung Camera and a Babo
Shirt. To take part in the competition,
simply upload your photo at
www.flickr.com/groups/seoulphoto-
club — Ed.
By Aaron Raisey
Over the course of the year, some of
the best images produced by members
of the Seoul Photo Club have been fea-
tured here on the Expat Living page
and they are all coming together in one
place for the Seoul Photo Club-Expat
Living Photo Exhibition.
The theme of the show is “This is
Korea,” and the photographs really do
represent all of Korea through the eyes
of the expatriate.
There will be photographs taken liter-
ally from one end of the country to the
other. From broken dancer sculptures in
Paju to a Hallasan sunset on Jeju, the
gritty byways of Busan to the fortress
walls of Hwaseong, Suwon. Seoul fea-
tures prominently of course — images
as diverse as club action in Hongdae
Simon Bond
and Buddhist sculpture. What the SPC
sees through the viewfinder is indeed
varied, interesting and representative
of the many different ways of looking at
this unique nation.
Almost every different style of pho-
tography will be represented.
Landscape, street, portrait and night
photography. Natural light, controlled
light and black & white. Film and dig-
ital. It will all be there.
So when and where does it all take
place? This Saturday evening is the
opening event, from 5p.m. at Gallerie
Cafe Ohoo in Hongdae. It’ll be a great
opportunity to meet the people behind
those cameras, as Seoul Photo Club
members from all over Korea will be
there. It could be a good opportunity
to share a drink, ask some questions,
and get (or give!) a few tips. You’ll dis-
cover that expat photography in this
country is practiced by ordinary peo-
ple just like you and I — living, work-
ing and traveling here in Korea. If you
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2009
PHOTO CHALLENGE
— weekly winner —
In Wando, Jeollanam-do,
a unique perspective is seen
from the back of a ferry, on
Sept. 12.
Simon Bond
Dave Heidloff
miss out on the opening night, the ex-
hibition runs for two more weeks, so
there’s plenty of opportunity to check
it out.
This is only the first SPC exhibi-
tion. We have another planned for
spring next year, and we’ll be select-
ing the exhibitors each week until
then. If the idea of winning a 50,000
won voucher from Hyosung Camera,
a Babo shirt, having your image in
the newspaper (a fantastic souvenir
of your time in Korea, by the way)
and being a part of this event ap-
peals, then head over to the Seoul
Photo Club on Flickr
(www.flickr.com/groups/seoulphoto-
club) and just upload a few pics a
week. It’s that easy. And as all of the
photographers you’ll meet on
Saturday evening will testify, it really
is an excellent incentive to get out
there and develop your photographic
skills and travel the country. See you
on Saturday.
(raisey@hanmail.net)
For more information on the exhibi-
tion, including directions and the open-
ing time, e-mail mattlamers@her-
aldm.com — Ed.
RE: Struggling to fit in,
Filipino wants equality
Korea not
that bad
As a foreigner myself, I do admit that
living in Korea can be difficult at times,
but that hasn’t made me turn into a
complainer. It has only made me more
determined to try and fit in. Why should
the Koreans change to suit us and our
different cultures? Remember, we came
here.
In the article about Joon, it doesn’t
mention if he can speak Korean. I think
that is the No. 1 way to fit in and adapt.
I have already enrolled in Korean
Language School and I have only been
here six months.
I came from Vancouver, Canada,
where homeless people roam the
streets, hassling everyone; drugs are
everywhere; crime is rampant; personal
property is stolen everyday; festivals
and events are a haven for drunken
hooligans; graffiti and vandalism lay on
every street corner; and personal safety
is being eroded.
Now, let’s talk about Korea. Seoul is
probably the safest big city in the world;
personal safety is never an issue. Where
are all the homeless people? Crime is
relatively low; personal property is re-
spected and not stolen by some drug ad-
dict; families can go to festivals and
events and have a good time.
I can put up with a little bit of spit-
ting, being bumped, garbage on the
street, being stared at because I am dif-
ferent. I like it here and Koreans are
nice people.
Brad Anderson, Suwon
Teaching
English
Joon is right in many ways. Teaching
English should not be based on which
passport you carry or your country of
origin. In teaching English, a teacher
should have not only skills, but also an
educational background, experience
and desire to teach English.
Filipinos are versatile teachers as
well as creative. Korean people must be
aware that a speaker’s accent is no in-
dication of his or her ability to speak
English. Professionalism is much more
important.
As long as a person is educated, well
traveled, skilled and creative, he is
qualified to teach English. I too experi-
enced what Joon has experienced here
in Korea, which I’ve never experienced
in other countries. If Koreans want to
compete and want to excel in English,
they must open their minds and hearts
to the world, not just to a few of its
English-speaking countries. It’s time to
explore the true and different colors of
English.
I am thankful to The Korea Herald
for taking this issue up. I hope Korean
people soon give us equality and realize
that Filipinos are qualified to teach
English. Because many of us are eager
to share our knowledge.
Hali Possa
WHAT S HAPPENING
Pusan International Film
Festival
What: 14th Pusan International Film
Festival
When: Oct. 8- Oct. 16
Where: Busan
Cost: Opening/Closing: 10,000 won
General show: 5000 won
Tickets go on sale Sept. 21for the open-
ing and closing nights. Tickets for the
rest of the events go on sale Sept. 23.
For more information, go to the PIFF
website www.piff.org
Comedy night in Seoul
What: Professional standup comedy
When: Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.
Where: Roofers Bar, Itaewon, Seoul
Who: Jonathan Atherton (Australia)
and Terry Johnson (U.S.)
Cost: 35,000 won
To get to Roofers Bar, go to Itaewon
Subway Station (Exit 3) walk straight,
and turn right at Mr. Kebab. Roofers
Bar is up on the right. Ticket includes
one free drink. To make reservations, e-
mail spotlightcomedyclub@yahoo.com,
call 019-802-2474 or 016-695-4624.
International Seoul
Marathon
What: 8th International Tourism Seoul
Marathon
When: Sept. 27 at 9 a.m.
Where: Sangam World Cup Stadium
Square of Peace, Seoul
Cost: 20,000 won for 5 km; 30,000 won
for full course
For more information on this and other
marathons, go to go to
www.seoulmarathon.co.kr