An update!

For those of you who are new here to my blog, my husband (Farmboy) and I have been teaching English in a small town in the South West corner of South Korea since June last year. We packed up our first little home after getting married in 2012 and decided to head out here to build a nest egg and do what we love doing most, traveling and adventuring together. We were here in Korea back in 2010, as a dating couple in the bustling metropolis of Daejeon. After finishing up one year we headed back home to South Africa to get married and get a feel for the job market (which obviously wasn't very exciting as here we are again!). This time around we are able to put a lot more money away as we now live together and share expenses (we chose not to live together before we were married) and because we are in a very small town out in the country. South Korea offers many benefits to their English Teachers (free housing, return flights, renewal bonuses, extra pay for being out in rural areas and for being at multiple schools and relatively inexpensive living costs). Farmboy teaches at 4 schools, whereas I am lucky enough to be at just one, an all girls middle school. It has been an amazing experience so far, and we have, as planned, decided to stay in our same town and at our same schools for at least another year. 

Since June last year we have been to Malaysia, Vietnam, had to cancel a trip to Mongolia and traveled extensively around Korea. There have been highs, and a lot of lows (being in a country where EVERYTHING is done so differently from your home country is difficult. The food is strange, the people can be strange, the way that a school is run is strange, the kids can be terrors and you will miss your family and friends more than you can ever prepare yourself for. But, at the same time, if you don't throw yourself head first into situations like these you will never find out how strong you are as a person and how much you are really able to handle. And then there are the positives too (our jobs aren't exactly rocket science and in most cases we are treated really well by our schools). There are days when all I want to do is go home, have babies and spend all day photographing them while baking up delicious chocolate treats. But then I am reminded that this opportunity here in Korea allows us to save for a house back home, meet interesting new people and travel the world.

You can follow more of our adventures and see more pretty pictures on my lifestyle blog...CityGirlSearching, or by following along on Facebook.

Have a lovely week!

{CHANGES}

Dear readers!

We have some very exciting changes brewing here blog. Please bare with us while the blog goes through some rough and tumble, chopping and changing, wonky looking images and funny layouts. We are perfecting our design and will be back up and running in perfect working order soon!

See you soon with some new and exciting blogging!

Have a wonderful day,

Farmboy and CityGirl

{Malaysia} 2013 and the Perhentian Islands

Photographs from our trip to Malaysia (and in particular the Perhentian Islands) in August this year.
We flew straight from Incheon airport to Kuala Lumpur on AirAsia (very reasonable return flights if you are flexible on your departure days) and then caught an overnight bus to Kuala Besut where we caught the speed boat to the islands.

On returning from the islands, we booked very cheap flights on AirAsia from the closest town from the jetty (Kuala Bharu) which was a short trip to Kuala Lumpur. We definitely recommend flying instead of the overnight bus. Its easier, much quicker, and only costs a little more than the bus. The only downside is you then need to catch a taxi from Kuala Bharu to Kuala Besut to the jetty. Kuala Bharu has a wonderful market filled with fascinating sights and sounds (see the photographs at the end of the post) where we spent an afternoon.

The Perhentian Islands are made up of two islands, Perhentian Besar and Perhentian Kecil. Besar is the bigger island which is more family orientated with bigger hotels/resort type accommodation, and Kecil is known for it's night life and a younger, more backpacker atmosphere. We spent our holiday on Kecil, which looking back now, wasn't the best decision we have ever  made. The island was very noisy at night, filed with party animals looking for a good time. If you're looking for a lively holiday filled with late nights and drinking what expensive alcohol you can get your hands on then head to Kecil. You won't be disappointed. Kecil has two sides, coral bay and turtle bay. Coral Bay is slightly quieter, and that is where the 'nicer' accommodation is. Turtle Bay is where most of the great restaurants and cafes are. You can easily walk (15 minutes) between the two bays through the 'jungle'. You can also easily get from one island to the other by taking a 'water taxi' which go to and fro all day and late into the evening.

We hadn't booked any accommodation before hand (which was a little nerve wracking as we were arriving in peak season). But on Kecil, the majoriy of the hostels are not online so booking is practically impossible. We spent the first two nights in a really crummy room, which was the cheapest we could find, but it was definitely on the dingy. With a back entrance that faced a sewer, it wasn't the most imviting of places, but it suited out purposes (a place to sleep and shower...even if showering meant a dripping pipe in a dark corner of the bathroom).

We decided to treat ourselves for two nights at Shari-La Resort (MYR250 a night per room), which to be honest was extremely over priced and old. Looking back, it was a huge waste of money, and the buffet breakfast which had so enticed us was a real let down. But, the rooms had hot and cold water, and an aircon.

The best place we stayed (when we were able to get there at the right time to grab a room from someone checking out) was Ewans Place & Cafe (click here for their Facebook Page). This was by far the best value for money, it was incredibly clean and comfortable, and Ewans Cafe is where we spent most afternoons using the free WiFi and eating good food. Ewan is a wonderfully friendly chap, who seems to remember each person who visits! At only MYR70 a night, it was by far the best value for money on the island. No aircon but the huge overhead fan was more than sufficient.

It ended up not being a very budget friendly holiday. Make sure to change all your money BEFORE going to islands as there are only one or two places where you can exchange money, and you will get ripped off. There are no ATMS either, so make sure to carry cash. Although you are able to pay with a credit card at most of the bigger hotels and resorts. They do charge a 5 % fee though.

If you have any questions about our trip, feel free to contact us at farmboyandcitygirl{at}gmail{dot}com and we'll be happy to help you.

Jeonju Diner, Jeonju South Korea

Over the long weekend here in South Korea, Farmboy and I headed to Jeonju to try out Jeonju Diner. I am a fan of theirs on Facebook and am always left feeling rather peckish from all the postings of delicious looking food that the owner Dave, posts throughout the day.

You can find more information (including their specials) by heading over to their Facebook page by clicking here.

We had a little trouble in finding the place (it didn't help that our taxi driver didn't know how to use his GPS and ended up charging us a fortune while he parked on the side of the road to figure it out). So if you do get lost, just phone them on 063-229-4010 and one of the friendly people there will help you out.

We stuffed our faces silly on a blue cheese burger and a steak burrito (and of course their home made fries went down a real treat too!). As it was Chuseok and Koreans traditionally give fruit as presents, we were given a plate of gourmet apples, peanut butter and maple syrup to wet the appetite (thanks for sharing your left over apples with us Dave!).

Prices range from W7 000 - W15 000. Yummy food and a great atmosphere makes for a delightful meal out in Jeonju.

Address:
698-6 Samcheondong 1ga, Wansan-gu, Jeonju 560812

Hours:
Mon - Thu: 10:00 - 22:00
Fri - Sat: 10:00 - 00:00

(make sure to check ahead on their Facebook page to see if they are opening earlier/later on in the day)

Happy Chuseok South Korea!

Today, tomorrow and Friday are all public holidays here in South Korea (yippee!) which means a wonderful 5 day weekend for Farmboy and CityGirl. We had planned (& booked!) an exciting trip to Mongolia, but alas, things didn't quite work out (click here to read more on that) instead we are heading up to Seoul tomorrow for 2 nights to start celebrating our 1 year wedding anniversary.

In the mean time, I want to leave you with the above wonderful photograph taken by the lovely Dorette from Dots.I.Am.Photography (Dorrette is another South African photographer here in Korea and takes wonderful photo's...click here to visit her Facebook page while her website is undergoing a few changes).

Chusoek is the  Korean Thanksgiving holiday, and is spent with family. The women cook and prepare yummy traditional snacks and the time is spent with loved ones.

Happy Chuseok friends, I hope you get spoilt with lots of fruit (especially apples as they are so expensive here compared to back home in South Africa!)

Amarula Cheesecake right here in South Korea! {SA Spaza Shop}

Last week I ordered 4 Amarula Cheescakes from the wonderful Vanita who runs the South Africa online store SA Spaza Shop. Basically, South Africans can get hold of all their favorite treats from back home, right here in South Korea. I've just stocked up on my 5 Roses tea (the Tesco & Lipton brands here in Korea just don't cut it at all!).

Recently Vanita held a charity drive for all Amarula Cheese cakes ordered. She donated all the money to a fellow South African in need, Peter J Venter. Peter has cancer, and is currently  living in South Korea where he is trying to stay afloat after the huge expenses for his treatment. If you'd like to find out more you can join the Facebook group by clicking here.

Vanita started off with 3 orders for cheesecakes (all to cover Peter's latest scan costs which came to 2,380,000 won). My order of 4 certainly helped her goal of 35, which she reached in record timing! All the money has since gone to Peet to help him. We are awaiting more news from him.

I have never really been a big cheese cake fan (and I"ve been rather happy with this as I know just how many tubs of cream cheese go into each one!). BUT after catching a whiff of these delights, Farmboy and I polished off a whole one to ourselves this weekend. The other 3 I had delivered to my school as a treat for my co workers. Will I be ordering more?! ABSOLUTELY!

If you're craving some Ouma rusks for your morning coffee, or need to satisfy your craving for niknaks or zoo buscuits then Head on over to the SASpazaShop website, and join the Facebook group for up to date ordering and other info.

 I'll leave with some pictures of what can only be the most photographed cheesecake in the world :)

Bonito Coffee {Buan, South Korea}

Here are a few Instagram snaps (you can follow along @roxypearce for more) from the delightful little coffee shop right in front of our apartment in the little town of Buan.

As with all the coffee shops here in Korea, the decor is lovely and they also stock boutique clothing items. The make a mean hot chocolate too!

Japanese Noodle Bar, Daejeon

On a recent trip to Daejeon (Farmboy and I taught in Daejeon back in 2010) we headed to one of our favourite restaurants. We had been dreaming of these japanese noodles for the past 3 years since being out of Korea, and now that we are back we were dying to head back there for lunch.

The food was great, not quite how we had imagined it, but I think that tends to happen when you look forward to something too much. Still, it was yummy, and there was so much of it. I had the Miso Ramen, and Farmboy had the Seafood Miso Ramen which was incredibly spicy, so watch out! 

The food was very reasonable, and prices hadn't changed since we were there last 3 years ago. The Miso Ramen was W6000 and the Seafood Miso was W7000. Definitely worth a stop if you're in daejeon (its even worth the trip across the country like we did!).

Directions:
By bus (48, 101, 102, 105, 106, 109, 113, 114, 115, 119, 121, 704, 706)  towards Yuseoung, get off at HongIn Hotel (the name is announced in English). Hop off and walk about 200m towards the big bridge, cross the road and turn right just before the bridge. Its next door to the music shop.

If you’re taking the subway, get out at Yuseoung Spa, headings towards the Chugnam University (it's exit 6 and 7). Once you get to the big bridge (its about 500m) cross the road before crossing the bridge and turn right. Its next to the music shop, with red lanterns hanging outside.

They are open from 11am.

Nonghup Internet Banking in English

If you are with the Public School program here in South Korea, you will have to set up a bank account with NH (Nonghyup). This is the standard bank the government/education department uses to pay your salary. You can open another account at a later stage (we use KEB to send money home easily to South Africa...post on that to come soon).

You can ONLY use Internet Explorer. NH Internet banking will not work with Chrome, FireFox or any other better options. Mac users beware.

To set up internet banking with NH you need to visit a branch. Do this straight away when you first go set up your account (hopefully you have a friendly co-teacher/friend to help you). We both have check cards that we can use for paying for goodies online. A check card is basically a debit card which acts as a credit card without any overdraft. You can use it to pay online but the money is automatically debited from your account. As far as I know, I can only use my check card here in Korea. I tried to use it to pay for flights like I used to be able to use my South African check card, but no luck so far.

Then you set up internet banking at the bank, you need to give them your passport (they will make a copy for you), you also need your ARC card (if you don't have this yet you need to show them your ARC certificate which you get from your nearest education office when you apply for your ARC card. It acts as a temporary ARC card until yours arrives). There is also a charge, it was a whopping W1000 when I opened mine a few weeks ago.

NB NH internet banking only works on INTERNET EXPLORER! I asked about using it on safari as I have a MAC, they told me it would work. It doesn't. Most of the facilities here in Korea only function correctly on Internet Explorer. A huge pain, but just use your school computer in emergencies.

We live in a very small town with very little English assistance and we were both able to go into our nearest NH branch and set up the above with no problems. Don't worry about having to go into a big branch in the big cities.

Bring:
-passport
-ARC card/temporary certificate
-cash (it was W1000 a few weeks ago)
-address (of your apartment or school)

They will give you:
-an Internet banking registration form
-a banking password card (this looks like a credit card with a load of different number combinations)
-a bank card
-an account book (which is actually pretty important in Korea, and you can use it to withrdraw money without your bank card, and to print out statements)

Once you are all set up you will have to create an internet banking pin (usually 10 - 15 numbers and letters) to make transactions. And you will need to create your card/ATM pin (4 letters) and another pin called a User ID to log onto internet banking. Keep those all somewhere safe.

You will then be given a OTP (one time pin) to use to set up internet banking for the first time. You usually one have 2 -3 days to use it before it expires.

To use internet banking you also need to have a certificate which gets loaded onto a USB. You use this every time you log onto internet banking so make sure you keep this on you all the time. If you lose it, its pretty easy to re-issue. You issue it for the first time through NH (click here) on the top menu bar = Certificate Centre.

Here are some wonderful step by step instructions from Asrune at TeachTravelLearn

On a computer with Internet Explorer:

1. Go to http://banking.nonghyup.com/nhbank.html

2. In the top right hand corner, select "Global Banking" and "English"

3. You will see this page. It is prompting you to download a keyboard protection program. Click the left hand option to download and continue:

4. Go to the "Certificate Center" and click "Issue a Certificate"



5. Enter your ID, which you created at the bank. It is listed on your registration form under "이용지명 ID:" on the second line of text.

6. Enter your foreign number (National Identifiaction Number), or passport number. Select the free certificate, and confirm




7. Accept the terms of Service

8. Register. Have your registration form and password card ready.


9. Create your banking password.

A pop up message will appear and ask you to create a Banking password. It must be 8 digits with both letters and numbers.

10. Save your Certificate to a USB device.

You can use a USB so that you can log on any computer, or save it directly to your computer. You have to have a certificate to access Internet banking in Korea. A USB is recommended. After you have Internet banking set up, you can also add it to your phone, but that's a whole other thing.

11. Log on! A pop up window like this will show up. Find where you saved your certificate, select your name, and enter your 8 digit banking password at the bottom.

If you have any other problems, call the NH English customer service at 1588-2100 *730 for English Help.

Brians House Grill Burger Bar, Daejeon

A late night stroll around Daejeon with friends just would not have been complete without a trip to Brian's Burger bar. Thanks Claire and Andrew for taking us there to stuff our faces with good old proper french fries and amazing beef patties. 

Burgers from W7 000, and sets which include fries and drink from W9 000.

Address:

Just behind Lotte Department Store, Daejeon

Building #119 Orange Town

423-3

Geojong-dong

Seo-gu, Daejeon

042-528-6639

Wednesday to Monday (Tuesday closed) 11am - 10pm

Brian is opening another branch in Daejeon this month, lucky Daejeon people.

Happy Liberation Day South Korea

{source}

Thursday 15th August marked Korea's 68th annual liberation day. 

Liberation day (or 광복절) is held to honour Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule at the end of World War Two. Buildings and homes are encouraged to proudly display the Korean Flag.

For us, we spent the day in Daejeon with friends, passing many South Korean flags along the way. 

Happy Holiday South Korea!