Korea Megathread VI: Free Soju is Still Too Expensive

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Tourism & Travel > Korea Megathread VI: Free Soju is Still Too Expensive

Vaporware: May 22, 2004; Still not here yet.

I'm in the Atlanta area and Auburn isn't too bad. They have the big Kia plant nearby, complete with imported korean execs so auburn would be better than an hour in any given direction.
PM me/ Kakao @ Vapourware and I'll point her at my wife who can answer her questions directly.

# ¿ May 20, 2015 14:24

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 7, 2024 18:52

Vaporware: May 22, 2004; Still not here yet.

dantheman650 posted:

Back in the States now but need to mail some stuff to my wife's family. Mailing from Korea to the US was so cheap and easy - is there any decent option for the reverse? It's insane; we paid like 40 bucks for a massive 20kg box by boat in Korea but here the USPS wants 90 for a little box of snacks. It seems air is the only possibility here. Am I wrong?

Can you locate a Logen Shipping location? They're the shipper we use to send stuff to korea. ilogen.com

# ¿ Apr 6, 2016 01:32

Vaporware: May 22, 2004; Still not here yet.

guri posted:

Talked about this in chat but might as well post it here too just because it was a funny lucky thing to happen.

Riding my bicycle around the other day I found a bunch of furniture that someone moving out was throwing away. Included In the mess was an upright piano. They had the proper paper for throwing things away and the piano was listed with it all. I put a note on it saying "Please do not throw this away! I will pick up by Wednesday." and left my phone number. Contacted a friend who has a similar piano in his bar and he put me in touch with his friend who helped move that one. Went by the next day and while the city had picked up everything else they left the piano. After some delays by the moving guy and some (understandably annoyed) messages from the owner of the house who just wanted the thing gone I finally got it picked up and moved into my house today for 60k. Not a bad price for a perfectly working upright piano. I've gathered a lot of random furniture and stuff from the street but this is by far my favorite.

Observations --

What a country where you can just put a note on something to claim it and no one takes it. Of course something as heavy as a piano is a special circumstance but someone did call the day I originally said I was going to pick it up to call dibs on it if I couldn't take it.

I am glad I went with my friend's person who is a pianist and owns an instrument shop and thus knew what he was doing. I was quoted 170k by a moving company and that was just one person who would have had no idea what he was doing and I would have also had to help carry it.

I went to the 주민센터 to buy another sticker for throwing it away because I felt bad to waste the original owner's money and wanted a backup plan in case my plan didn't work out; having the city come to pick up/throw away an upright piano is 15k and a grand piano is 22k. Both prices seem very cheap for such pains in the rear end.

edit: not my story obviously

You can get scammed, pickpocketed, or run over by a car anywhere, but seoul is safer than any US city I've lived in.

# ¿ Apr 6, 2016 16:31

Vaporware: May 22, 2004; Still not here yet.

Wonton posted:

Thanks, we will probably just show up and do the test without a reservation. Fingers cross and hope they cancel the requirements.

can you cross your fingers for the won to come back up vs the dollar? I only need like a week to transfer some money back. now, I'm not looking for a monkey's paw thing, so don't be tanking the USD.

# ¿ Sep 30, 2022 13:38

Vaporware: May 22, 2004; Still not here yet.

Wonton posted:

Crap I think it went lower

Its OK, this kind of cycle happens regularly. for instance when I try to send money to korea or return from korea, then the won will die on the vine and lose 20% of its value. It will pop back up to $1:W1000 as soon as I want to buy something in won or travel to korea.

# ¿ Oct 5, 2022 15:14

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 7, 2024 18:52

Vaporware: May 22, 2004; Still not here yet.

Located in Atlanta, I just have family in korea and try to support them. And even if I was in korea I spent 95% of my time in dongducheon.

Sorry you're going to have to wait at least 4-5 months before we even start thinking about travelling again. Still trying to think of a way to pay off the trip this year that was 5 figures and a medical emergency.

# ¿ Oct 5, 2022 16:56

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Tourism & Travel > Korea Megathread VI: Free Soju is Still Too Expensive