10 things I love most about Korea - Day 2: Convenience Stores

Number 2 on the list is something that is very important to me, mostly because it sufficiently summarises most of my time here in South Korea:

Convenience Stores

...Are just that. SUPER convenient. Probably a little TOO convenient. They sell all the sorts of things that you might need last-minute, at a REALLY cheap price. I have one right under my dorm in my University and it has probably claimed most of my money. 

Each convenience store also has a seating area (some more classy/done-up than others) in which you can sit and eat your ramen/rice triangle/sandwich/apple juice/whatever, as well as microwaves and boiling water to heat them up!

A pair of unsuspecting exchange students enjoying their Gs25 snacks!

The microwave game is strong in between classes.

So, if you are home late at night and are super hungry (and Gonzaga curfew allows it), you can get some ramen on-the-go AND have a place to sit (some bowls of ramen are only a dollar). They also have alcohol for amazingly cheap prices (beers $1-$5, soju $3). Problem is, the money you spend here adds up. So be careful! (I still feel like it's worth it. Funnily enough I have had some of my fondest memories in the convenience store downstairs with my friends). 

A view - from the window of a campus cafe - of the Gs25 below our dormitory.

Allow me to introduce some of my favourite products, which can be found at most convenience stores here:

This, ladies and gentlemen, is Binch. It is a chocolate biscuit snack sent right down from heaven and the Buy 2 Get 1 Free deal is the bane of my wallet.

Spaghetti ramen - one of the many ramen selections in convenience stores - is one of my personal favourites. It is tomato sauce based and not spicy at all.

The items on this shelf are all delicious (my stealth photo taking is peaking here), but my personal favourites are the sandwiches they have here (so fresh!) and the rice triangle things. Each colour of triangle has a different filling and with 30 seconds in the microwave, they are perfect! My favourite is the tuna mayo ^^

I can't quite explain why I love the apple juice here so much, but it is unlike any apple juice I have tasted in Sydney! It tastes more like, apples. Yep, you're going to have to come and experience it for yourself because there is no way I can do it justice. It is so good that my friends and I have genuine cravings for it throughout the day.

Behold, packaged pineapple. Sold individually, a slice of packaged pineapple is an excellent way to start the day! I find that eating an entire pineapple is lethal to your teeth/tongue, so this quantity is perfect! They are delivered fresh every day and are so incredibly juicy... You can see that they are much more popular amongst students than the apples sold next to them.

This beautifully delicious froyo cone is made cooler (hehe) by the fact that it is Frozen-branded! The yoghurt is soft and fluffy, encased in a crunchy waffle cone ~

So there you have it! A glimpse into Seoul convenience stores through the eyes of an exchange student. We love these places. There are always interesting characters to meet, lots of snacks to eat (dat excitement when a new snack is released) and the prices are so cheap that you can afford to have them on a regular basis :D Like Sydney, Seoul has many 7/11s, with other common convenience stores being Gs25, MiniStop and CU.

Finally, here is a picture of me late at night with my two best friends, enjoying the wonder that is Gs25:

That's all for now! Tune in again tomorrow!

Signed in Seoul,
Kristin!

Kristin is supported by the Australian Government through the Australia-Korea Foundation of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade