I have to apologize for not updating lately. It's been difficult to get into the mood to write and of course there's that whole life piece that's going on too. Okay, and I will admit to doing some gaming off and on too. I have been active in other online circles though and one of them has been engaging in some talk and discussion with other soon-to-be expats. That's where this post comes in because I pulled it from a response I made about what things you should remember to bring with you.
As far as images go the one above is one of my favorite places to shop in Cheongju called Anipop. I figured since I'm talking about packing and whatnot, an image of things that will be sent home from here is slightly relevant at least. Anipop has lots of cute things, many geared toward children, but I love that there are things here and there that are from Studio Ghibli (think My Neighbor Totoro or Howl's Moving Castle for those unfamiliar with Ghibli) and a variety of Japanese imports, but many distinctly Korean things too. Many of them are finding their way home in my suitcase or being sent by Korean Post!
Rambling about my consumer habits aside, this is my updated list of things I would recommend bringing to Korea now that I've actually been living here for 9 months and have a better idea of what you really do need. In retrospect I feel like we did well enough with packing to get here, but there are some improvements that could have been made. You can't very well have knowledge from a future you haven't lived yet though, so we did what we could. Thank goodness for family that was able to send us things we found extremely useful and comforting as it helped us both a great deal.
All that said, the following is pulled from the response I made previously about the subject. I may do some editing as well if I find that there are things I've forgotten.
I thought that I was pretty well prepared when we first came here, and I was. There are some things I wish I had brought along though, in addition to what I already have. I also have to add that I’m a rather tall woman (for being in Korea) with long limbs and fairly large feet (5'9" and shoe size 9 1/2 or 10 US) and that has made things tricky too.
As far as things I have that I'm glad that I brought is deodorant. I’m not sure I've even seen much deodorant, if at all. Next time I got to Homeplus I'll look and see if they even have it.
Oops, I almost forgot this one! It's a good idea to bring any painkillers (Tylenol/Advil, etc.) that you might need because it just makes life easier. I would also HIGHLY recommend bringing any cold/flu medications from home that you prefer as going to the pharmacy can be tricky. I was so ill with constant colds and actually ran of out Tylenol/Dayquil/Nyquil in a few months. Things are foreign here— by that I mean the viruses and bacteria and I would anticipate that you're going to end up with colds or whatnot. Kids come to school sick and that means you'll probably catch stuff too.
I’m glad that I brought toothpaste from home because I’m just not a big fan of the kinds I've tried here, though that’s really a personal preference. You can get things like Listerine pretty easily though.
A towel is a good thing to have because you may not be able to find and/or make it to a store as soon as you might like. I would also recommend shampoo/soap/conditioner/personal hygiene items. We even brought a roll of toilet paper each, since we just weren't sure, even though we didn't end up actually needing them.
Converters/adapters for any electronics you may have are a must. It's much easier to bring one or two with you rather than needing to find the nearest Hi-Mart or something to find something that will work and let you use your computer/phone/tablet/e-reader/etc.
Bring a pillow from home. Another thing you don't want to go without because it’s your pillow and you will more than likely find that you need it (and it's nice in the airport too).
I would also recommend bringing a set of sheets for your bed because that is another thing you will probably want right away and not have to wait until you can go shopping.
Hobby-type things to do in the winter are wonderful. It was bitterly cold here over the winter and I honestly just didn't want to go out a lot. It may be different for you, but it’s always good to have reading material/craft/art type things for when it's too cold and you just don’t want to be out in it.
My other big one is comfort food. I didn't realize how much I would want to have some foods from home until after a while. I would suggest some non-perishable things, things that you like so that you can have a little tasty bit of home with you. There are many Korean foods and snacks that I appreciate, but it's nice to have mac and cheese sometimes or some Reese's cups (your mileage and/or preference may vary) from back home.
Finally, I'm going to stop at clothing. As I said above, clothing is hard for me. Koreans are pretty small and thus finding clothes and shoes has been difficult for me. I know it’s easier to find clothing in Itaewon if you’re in Seoul, but if you're not… well, you had better be prepared. Winter was rough and my family actually sent me some clothing and sweaters because I did not have the capacity for them when I brought my things over. They say you should pack 2 weeks worth of clothing for each season, which is fine, but be sure to bring enough warm weather things (also so you can layer your clothing) to prepare you for below freezing temperatures. Thermal underwear is a nice supplement too. Some schools are also kind of stingy with their heating and will not turn on the heat for a long time or will keep it low. Don’t worry about hats/gloves/scarves as you can find lots of lovely ones here if you like.
The rest of the things are pretty standard that I would recommend, camera/sd cards/little trinkets for the kiddos (they are fascinated by foreign things)/pictures from home/money (I would suggest bringing a decent amount of won along because it may be a month until you get paid)/small things that make you happy are nice too because it's nice to have a reminder of the familiar when things are decidedly not.
Otherwise (unless I think of something else), most things you can purchase here fairly easily.
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