just another American teacher in SK

Aveda.  Land O’Lakes.  Spam.   My god, if I see a General Mills or Cargill product, my circuits may blow!!

At the Hyundai Mart, you can find products from the USA and all over the globe, but the prices are pretty crazy.  For example, a 6-ounce block of Land O’Lakes cheese is 8800 won (approximately $6.95, or $18.50/lb).   A liter of milk is 4000 won ($3.15).  A gallon of Seventh Generation laundry detergent is 26000 won ($20.50).   I can find a substitute for the laundry detergent, but the cheese I MUST have ~ cheddar, pepper jack, and “cheddarilla” (I don’t know exactly what that is, but I’m getting some …)

Moving on to the “spirits” section ~ there is no such thing as a “3-buck chuck”.  For example, a bottle of Kendall Jackson Chardonnay  is 39000 won (approximately $31), a nice Spanish Rioja that would cost about $40 at Surdyks’ will set you back 190,000 won ($150).  In the beer section, a six-pack of Beck’s bottles is 24,000 won ($19), compared to a “pitcher” of domestic beer (Hite or Cass) for 4800 won ($4).   Amazing.  The wine purchase will have to be put on hold for a special occasion, but the Beck’s seems a reasonable purchase. 

I left the Hyundai Mart, content with my purchase of cheese and beer, pleased that there is a place where I can purchase what I “need” to ease some of the homesickness.  The adjacent COEX Mall offers many comfort options for the expat ~ there are several “Western” eating places, a Bandi & Luni’s bookstore (yes, they have a good English section), and a movie complex (though most of the movies are in Korean).  I prefer the Gangnam area to the popular expat areas of Itaewon and Hongik University ~ it’s just so much nicer. 

I have found a few places where I can get “western” stuff ~ Hyundai Mart and COSTCO are probably the most popular.  Unfortunately, the COSTCO stores (3 in the Seoul area) are not that conveniently located, and everything is (of course) packaged in bulk, which doesn’t really make a lot of sense for one person.  I am looking into a delivery service that is affiliated with COSTCO, but I need to know my home delivery address in order for that to happen!  (Believe it or not, I have no idea what my home address is …) 

Like I said, the stuff is available ~ it just depends how badly you want it, how much you are willing to pay, and how much hassle you can deal with to get it. 

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