Moving to a new country and integrating into a new community can be very challenging. I therefore decided to do everything that I could in order to meet people in Seoul and to feel comfortable living in this city. When I first arrived in Seoul, I stayed in a Goshiwon. Goshiwons are small cubicles that are very cheap and very small. I paid $10 for my Goshiwon that included a bed, shower and desk. In the Goshiwon, I met a lot of other Koreans in the shared kitchen. Later, I moved into a shared house. In the shared house, I live with four Koreans and one Chinese. It has been really nice living with Koreans because they teach me a lot about the local culture. Every Sunday, we usually go to the sauna and eat delicious food afterwards. Additionally, I found a gym. I try to go to the gym six times a week. I’ve met a couple of friends at this gym and got to learn a little more about gym culture in Korea. I also found a program that teaches foreigners Korean traditional instruments. Through this program, I learned how to play the Korean fiddle, the haegeum, and met people from Thailand, Korea, China, Britain and Russia. I also go to language cafes to practice my Korean and to meet others who are interested in language exchanges.
