shiyeliainkorea

My Untold Experiences in South Korea (Part 1)

This week I'm celebrating my 10 years in South Korea, so I decided to share on how I survived back then in 2011.

International Students Festival 2011 @Keimyung University Daegu.

When I got the full tuition, dormitory and stipend ₩450,000 scholarship I thought it would be enough. Even though the rate to US to won was fluctuating between 1,000 to 1,200 won, I just thought it would be enough. When I arrived at Incheon International Airport and tried to buy some snacks that's when I realized this allowance wouldn't last for two weeks.

My settling week, everything became real! We could only get breakfast and dinner! Buy our own books every Korean language semester. Unlike in Zimbabwe we used to recycle books, but here the teachers wanted you to use personal copy that you write the answers inside. As a lady I also had to balance to buy monthly toiletries. Which were even 10-times more more expensive than back home. For a semester I managed to pull through with my toiletries from home.

The good thing was the settling in anxiety and culture differences! I didn't focus much on my stipend. Fast forward to the second semester, I could speak little Korean, I could ask how much a product is in Korean and all the survival Korean skill. Then we used to get the 450,000 won at the beginning of the semester to cater for 3- full months 😥. I had to buy new books, leave lunch money, toiletries and transportation to church and other activities with friends. It wasn't enough, one trip by subway was around 1,000 won so I cut off shopping and hanging out with friends. I would just go nearby our school. I mastered eye shopping those days. Just go and watch and admire the products and leave it there. It wasn't easy because most people were on a well sponsored scholarship which gave them almost $800 to $1000 per month. Mine was just ~$125 per month. It was a partial scholarship but they didn't really specify the need for back up funds so I just assumed it was enough 😁. Well, I needed backup and in 2011, back home we were recovering from the 2008 inflation and I didn't want to bother anyone to support me, I just tried to survive within my tight budget.

I thank God for the support we got from our international church the Abundant Life Worship Center in Daegu. We used to get winter clothing and some supplies. My first 6 months in Korea were the toughest, but I pulled through. I can only express in words what I went through. Fortunately, around 2012 my scholarship grant from University of Zimbabwe was processed. That's how I managed to complete my studies at peace as a normal stress free student.

My advice to anyone accepting a partial scholarship in Korea is; "take it, if you're really desperate." Take it knowing that there are high chances that you can't do part time in Korea. Though most people do work illegally. I also think now the immigration wants to see backup funding of around US$10-20,000 per year when you renew the visa. Back then, we just used the scholarship certificate that's all. We used to get student visa extension easily, irregardless of the stipend amount on paper. Whenever you want any information about visa processing, please visit the official websites because my information is outdated. Things changed so fast and they are changing every day. I hope my story will be helpful to someone.

Part 2 is coming soon, you may comment below or inbox me through my Instagram @shiyelia_in_korea. I will be glad to share more information only if you ask.

How I survived when I couldn't speak, read, or write Korean

In this post I will share four survival tips on how I used to select Korean meals back then when I couldn't speak, read, or write Korean. But before I do so, you have to know or you may know that the most common ingredient in Korean food apart from chilli, tofu and radish is eggs!

Korean food: Bibimbap with sunny-side egg.

I always thought eggs were for breakfast or salads. Not until I came to Korea, I was surprised to see sunny side eggs served with rice. In most soups they just break an egg and let it boil with other vegetables. In Kimbaps the egg is always in the middle, popping up. Not forgetting the dip fried Korean street foods, most of them are coated with eggs!

In the next paragraph, I listed the 4-tips on how I used to select Korean meals and I also recommend these tips to all non-Korean speakers.

1. Use your sense of sight because what is you see is what you get .

2. If it's looking reddish it's spicy so if you can't handle spice move to whitish soups

3. Check the main ingredient, ask again and tell them what you don't take (with google translate and picture, lol). You have to be careful with meat dishes because sometimes pork can look like chicken or fish.

4. Ramen soups contain trace elements of pork it's written on the box, best way to eat ramen is to ditch the soups and use your own SEASONINGS.

I wasn't a picky eater not until I discovered that eggs were the main culprit causing allergies on my elbows and sometimes on my chest. I did the elimination method and to my surprise my skin became flawless! I didn't need any doctor, it was clear to me that eggs do no good to my system.

I envy you all who eat eggs without allergies. As for me I now avoid fried rice because of egg. Some Korean soups contain eggs, ramen too so my ramen intake is also low, I resort to the rice noodles and I now prepare my Egg-free Kimbap at home!

Who else is allergic to eggs?

I hope you enjoyed reading this post. That's how I survived when I couldn't speak, read, or write Korean.

Review on the 'good' scholarships offered in South Korea

Most people want to know if there are any good scholarships offered in South Korea so for clarification I will do {Q} and {A} blog.

Q: Are there GOOD scholarships in Korea?

A: yes, there are many scholarships offered in South Korea. The good scholarships are fully funded type of scholarships. One good example is the Korean government scholarship. This is the best since it's fully funded with a two way air-ticket from/to student's country of residence and a health insurance too. If you get the government scholarship, you pay nothing. However, the Korean Government Scholarship (KGSP) has ONE requirement: passing Korean Language Proficiency Test (TOPIK level 3 or 4, you will get all information from the time of applying).

Q: Where to get the forms?

A: South Korean Embassy in your country. (Information also available on Korean Government Scholarship websites)

Q: Do you need to pay any processing fees etc.?

A: I may only say yes on your side to process your passports and get your certifications ready for submission. (I do not know exactly but once you start applying for the scholarship you communicate directly with the coordinators in charge of those scholarships.)

Q: Does knowing Korean help in any way?

A: I think yes, you may have a better chance to respond to the applications with confidence since you already have interest in Korea by knowing the language.

If lucky then it means your days in language school or in Korean (if you get the scholarship) will be smoother than someone who learns the alphabet or characters from scratch in class.

Enough said about Korean Government Scholarship; yearly they enroll, breakdown of finances, figures and statistics available on the website. No need to think of saving money to cover expenses!!!

Q: Other examples of scholarships sponsored by the Korean government are:

Types of government scholarships:

1. NIIED Scholarship (or popularly known as KGSP)

2. KOICA Scholarship KOICA or MURD (government workers in developing countries)

Q: is there age limit? Other restrictions?

A: AGE LIMIT, is the main cut off point for the KGSP scholarship.

Pregnancy test and other health check ups also mandatory during application period.

The KOICA and MURD scholarships are for sponsoring government workers in selected countries, so the age limit is not really important.

In conclusion:

Q: How many people do they select?

A: They only select a few, in some cases one person per country or two people it all depends on their selection criteria.

This means, chances are slim to get it but it's worth trying!