If we weren’t ex-pats in South Korea, daily would be uneventful. But in South Korea, everything from shopping to going to a restaurant, going to the movies, or riding in a taxi is an opportunity for adventure. And this is what I love about living in Daegu. The ordinary can be made into the extraordinary.
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Life in Daegu
Riding the Metro Can Be an Experience
After agreeing to purchase a much-needed 2nd fan a couple of days ago, I took my trusty blue cart to pick up said fan a mere 12 stops from mine on the air-conditioned green line. No transfers. I didn’t even have to leave the station. Because Chris was selling his fan and met me inside the station, can you say turn and burn? Chris advertised his fan on the Daegu Flea Market page.
I handed him 25,000￦, and he handed me the fan still in its original box. We briefly discussed the weather and our experiences growing up in the icy north. He’s from Canada, and I’m from Upstate New York. Then I met his little dog Lucky, who wasn’t interested in meeting me and headed back home.
Getting Around the City
The metro makes living in Daegu easy. The ride on the train wasn’t too bad once I figured out how to keep my cart from rolling away from me. I found a seat on the end and crossed my feet around the wheels. I have no idea where the elevator was when I reached my stop, but so what? Thankfully, I managed to get everything in it up to the stairs without hurting anybody.
The Underground Malls
A lot of Daegu life takes place underground. I bought a pretty pair of drop earrings and a new pair of shoes in the underground mall near my apartment. Then strolled into Hyundai Department Store. I walked past a security guard eyeing my cart. There are so many security guards in the malls.
The elevators are at the opposite end of the mall. And I briefly considered stopping at Cold Stone for some butter pecan or pistachio ice cream. That was until someone jabbed me in my back.
Nope, gotta get the heck outta this crowd and the heat. It took 20 minutes for the sardine-packed elevator to arrive and again I squeezed in. The trip took approximately 2 hours to start to finish. Would I drive next time?
Without a doubt.
Every Day is an Experience
If we weren’t in South Korea, most of my days would be considered pretty uneventful. But in Daegu, everything from shopping to going to a restaurant. Going to the movies or riding in a taxi is an opportunity for adventure. So I’ve put together a few tips that have helped me survive the past year.
1. Four-Wheeled Cart
I bought this cart on amazon.com and I love it. It helps me bring in my groceries from the parking garage up to my 15th-floor apartment. And take the recyclables back from the 15th-floor to the recycle bins on the ground level.
2. Cheat Sheets
I had a Korean friend translate a few places I go often translated and on my phone. The cheat sheets come in handy with taxi drivers who seem to not understand anything I say to them. I also like to bring up pictures of some popular landmarks to show them if it puts me close to my destination.
3. A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Pictures also work well when you are trying to purchase particular items at the grocery store or mall. Just pull it up on your phone.
4. Get the Phone Number of a Reliable Translator
My Real Estate Agent
Acts as my go-to translator no matter what time or what I need to be translated. If my building management broadcasts anything, I call him, he calls the office and calls me back. He has translated pollsters who come to my door, called the airport when I lost my luggage, and translated the mail and text messages. Having his number handy makes life in Daegu that much easier.
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