I was so worried upon receiving my packet back from the consulate, some items seemingly untouched and some items most definitely untouched (my official transcript was not opened). They took the money order as well as the visa application, so I took this as a good sign, but I was so confused as to why my visa had not been returned with everything else.
With much anxiety, I waited. Besides the tasks of registering for classes, packing, and finally dragging myself onto a plane, the visa was the final piece to my study abroad puzzle. My packet of paperwork and passport was returned to me last Thursday and I quickly made the impatient decision that I would wait until Monday evening to be sure I got nothing in the mail and then send an email to my ever-helpful team at OSU helping me get to Korea.
I felt guilty sending my query to the director of my program as I have had so many questions that I am certain they dread each incoming email from me (and there are sure to be more before August 21st, and perhaps after as well), but I was concerned that something had gone wrong with my visa.
This process will make you paranoid like that.
Some will think this is a "duh" sort of statement. I'm sure my best friend knew this, as he boyfriend from Chile just recently got a visa. But I did not ask her. I was trying to keep my crazy hidden (as if there is a chance of that...).
The response I received made me feel absolutely ridiculous. "Did they return your Passport with the Yonsei acceptance letters? If they returned your Passport, look inside. Your Visa should be in there! (If they did not return your Passport, then we have a problem.)"
Luckily I was too relieved to be embarrassed. Most will likely scoff at my revelation. But hopefully it will ease the mind of one person who, like me, is brand new to this.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Chapssalddeok: What could have been
Queries from friends and family, and my dismally small amount of playing money for Korea, have started me thinking about fundraising again. My friends are excellent bakers, and I, despite refusing to follow a recipe, can hold my own as well. It seems to only make sense to hold a bake sale to try to make a little bit of extra money so I can afford to leave my dorm room during my time in South Korea.
Though I am sure I will make cupcakes, cookies, muffins, and other popular baked goods, I thought it would be wonderful to make some traditional Korean desserts as well. One of the desserts I was looking to make was chapssalddeok (Korean mochi).
The wonderfully descriptive recipe that I found was this one: http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/chapssalddeok.
Despite how seemingly simple and well laid out this recipe was, it stood no chance against my first attempt.
I did not get through the entire recipe. When I had "finished" the filling portion, I realized that something had gone horribly, horribly wrong...
This is what the innards should have looked like:
This is what mine looked like:
Though I am sure I will make cupcakes, cookies, muffins, and other popular baked goods, I thought it would be wonderful to make some traditional Korean desserts as well. One of the desserts I was looking to make was chapssalddeok (Korean mochi).
The wonderfully descriptive recipe that I found was this one: http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/chapssalddeok.
Despite how seemingly simple and well laid out this recipe was, it stood no chance against my first attempt.
I did not get through the entire recipe. When I had "finished" the filling portion, I realized that something had gone horribly, horribly wrong...
This is what the innards should have looked like:
It was chunky and runny.
And tasted like what I would imagine kidney bean butt tastes like.
Yes, I said kidney bean and not red bean. The internets told me that the difference between kidney beans and red beans is negligible. I would like to say that this is a lie as to not take responsibility myself. In the end, the awful concoction ended up in the garbage. Just for the sake of hammering the point home, this is what it looked like going into the garbage.
YUM!
Perhaps I will try again...but not today...
Friday, July 19, 2013
Wire Transfer Woes
After a lot of work (so much work...), I finally have my visa application out and my dorm money sent through wire transfer.
Really, the visa application was merely a matter of getting it done. The only confusion here was that I purchased mailers for both ways, one to send to the Korean Consulate, and the other for them to send right back to me. Neither of these was necessary. FedEx will put it all in one of their mailers. If you want to be able to track your package on the way back, which I highly suggest since your passport will be in it, you need one of their mailers for the return as well. I really have no idea what all they will be sending back so I simply went with a USPS flat rate mailer. We joked that if they send me a complimentary brick along with my visa and passport, I will be set!
The hard part came with the wire transfer. When staying in one of Yonsei's dorms, which is now required as they no longer allow international students to stay off-campus, you will have to wire money in order to pay the housing cost. For my first term, Fall 2013, the cost was 1,650,000 KRW. They give you all the information you need for the wire after you have been accepted to stay in the dorms which you can print out from SK Global's site at "MY PAGE".
I will spare you the many problems I ran into an the array of misinformation I was given, and instead tell anyone else thinking to study abroad and who needs to wire money to their school that Western Union does not wire money to a bank account. You must go through your bank and pay their much higher fee (mine was $40). My bank was would not tell me the exchange rate because they don't want to be held accountable if it changes from the time they send the money to the time Yonsei receives it. My advice is to figure out the exchange rate yourself and then round up to be on the safe side (I rounded up four dollars). I was told that Yonsei will not be giving me a refund if I end up sending too much after my USD is changed to KRW. But rounding up a few dollars is a whole lot cheaper than finding out you are under and having to spend $40 more in order to send another wire transfer.
This part of the process was approximately 0% fun. But hopefully if someone runs into this you are saved a tiny bit of headache. Though it was a pain, it sure feels nice to be done. But do you know what will NOT feel nice? My TB test tomorrow.
Really, the visa application was merely a matter of getting it done. The only confusion here was that I purchased mailers for both ways, one to send to the Korean Consulate, and the other for them to send right back to me. Neither of these was necessary. FedEx will put it all in one of their mailers. If you want to be able to track your package on the way back, which I highly suggest since your passport will be in it, you need one of their mailers for the return as well. I really have no idea what all they will be sending back so I simply went with a USPS flat rate mailer. We joked that if they send me a complimentary brick along with my visa and passport, I will be set!
The hard part came with the wire transfer. When staying in one of Yonsei's dorms, which is now required as they no longer allow international students to stay off-campus, you will have to wire money in order to pay the housing cost. For my first term, Fall 2013, the cost was 1,650,000 KRW. They give you all the information you need for the wire after you have been accepted to stay in the dorms which you can print out from SK Global's site at "MY PAGE".
I will spare you the many problems I ran into an the array of misinformation I was given, and instead tell anyone else thinking to study abroad and who needs to wire money to their school that Western Union does not wire money to a bank account. You must go through your bank and pay their much higher fee (mine was $40). My bank was would not tell me the exchange rate because they don't want to be held accountable if it changes from the time they send the money to the time Yonsei receives it. My advice is to figure out the exchange rate yourself and then round up to be on the safe side (I rounded up four dollars). I was told that Yonsei will not be giving me a refund if I end up sending too much after my USD is changed to KRW. But rounding up a few dollars is a whole lot cheaper than finding out you are under and having to spend $40 more in order to send another wire transfer.
This part of the process was approximately 0% fun. But hopefully if someone runs into this you are saved a tiny bit of headache. Though it was a pain, it sure feels nice to be done. But do you know what will NOT feel nice? My TB test tomorrow.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Fundraising and Other Failures
I was convinced that my summer would be so free. But that certainly hasn't been the case. Ten hour days have really taken it out of me, and the paperwork for studying abroad has not stopped.
I got the "PASS" for SK Global house dorms. This means I now need to pay them the equivalent of about $1500 for the first term, and also that I must complete my first wire transfer of my life. It is times like these that I wish I had gotten some form of scholarships.
Rather than exciting fundraisers such as a bake sale or a spaghetti dinner, I have been cleaning people's houses, doing yard work, and picking up extra hours at work. It isn't very much fun, but I feel fairly confident that I won't starve. But other than that my focus has been on not finishing my visa application and neglecting to wire my dorm money.
On the positive side, I do come with advice for anyone considering study abroad in South Korea. One of my carpool buddies for the pre-departure orientation is currently attending Yonsei University for the summer and had some important advice for me.
1) Bring bug spray. In the first night she got herself covered in bug bites.
2) Don't bring a lot of clothes. Clothes in Seoul are apparently dirt cheap.
3) Bring your own towels. South Koreans only use tiny towels. This may suffice for them, but I prefer something between a beach towel and a parachute to dry myself off.
It seems so weird that in only 5 weeks I will have my own set of advice that I will wish someone had given me.
I got the "PASS" for SK Global house dorms. This means I now need to pay them the equivalent of about $1500 for the first term, and also that I must complete my first wire transfer of my life. It is times like these that I wish I had gotten some form of scholarships.
Rather than exciting fundraisers such as a bake sale or a spaghetti dinner, I have been cleaning people's houses, doing yard work, and picking up extra hours at work. It isn't very much fun, but I feel fairly confident that I won't starve. But other than that my focus has been on not finishing my visa application and neglecting to wire my dorm money.
On the positive side, I do come with advice for anyone considering study abroad in South Korea. One of my carpool buddies for the pre-departure orientation is currently attending Yonsei University for the summer and had some important advice for me.
1) Bring bug spray. In the first night she got herself covered in bug bites.
2) Don't bring a lot of clothes. Clothes in Seoul are apparently dirt cheap.
3) Bring your own towels. South Koreans only use tiny towels. This may suffice for them, but I prefer something between a beach towel and a parachute to dry myself off.
It seems so weird that in only 5 weeks I will have my own set of advice that I will wish someone had given me.
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