Korea is extremely advanced in the world of medicine and technology (I even got a real time sneak peak at my ‘delicates’ last check up… :/). You can rest assured knowing that you need not embark on a contraception journey from the middle ages. Where ever you’re from in the world, your local OB/GYN will probably be able to provide you with your contraception of choice.

What’s available: Birth Control Pills, Contraceptive Patch (Evra), Vaginal Ring (Nuvaring), IUD – Mirena & Copper, and Implanon.

Birth Control Available in Korea

My birth control pill supply from home has run out. What should I do?

It is not recommended you bring a whole years supply of the pill from home due to the expiration period of medication. So, if you are on the pill, you will probably need to update your prescription in Korea. This can be quite a daunting task as you never know how your body will react to hormonal changes. Never fear, a quick look at the ingredients will keep you in safe waters.

The BC pill contains 2 main ingredients: Estrogen and Progesterone. The Estrogen levels in the pill are generally the same across the board (about 0.03mg). Progesterone levels can range from 0.05mg – 3mg. Match the Progesterone levels from your preferred brand to a brand available in Korea and your body might not even know the difference.

Check out the comprehensive list of BC pills available in Korea (all of which are available over the counter except for Diane35/Clairette -Stragen UK, Yasmin -Shering, and Yaz -Shering. You will need a prescription for these):

Most OB/GYN’s have a basic command of the English language so it might be worth venturing into your closest hospital and giving it a go. If not, there are plenty of English friendly office’s in the Itaewon area.

All information was provided by Dr. Sung’s Obstretics and Gynecology Clinic.

Tel: (02) 790-0802, Fax: (02) 790-5678

BUT did you know that Korea offers a truly expansive list of opportunities outside of the bar? The type to carve the way for a better tomorrow?  Korea serves a truly unique platter of extra-curricular involvements from ‘saving the environment’ to ‘fighting for sight’. Before you ask: NO KOREAN SPEAKING REQUIRED! You can cancel the pre-emptive strike, these groups are made specially for you^^ Now that that’s out of the way, check out just a few of the organisations available to you in Korea:

Get down and dirty with your inner tree-hugger: Korean Mountain Preservation League Like hiking? Tag along with these guys, pick up a little trash, and keep some mountains clean for the next coming generations.

Korean Mountain Preservation League

Can’t bear to see animals suffer? Join The Bear Truth Just a bowl of porridge away from changing legislation, this group has caused such a stir about the inhumane treatment of Korea’s Moon Bear that they hit headlines at BBC:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11705543

The Bear Truth - November Campaign. Cheryl and the dancing Moon Bear.

Like to get your runners out and hit the pavement? Why not hit dirt with Team Dirt. This running group provides company and information for all your running adventures, as well as awareness for the rare inherited disease CHM. Ex-Pat FIGHTING … for SIGHT!!

Team Dirt

So, next time you find some random stranger reshaping your barstool bum-groove, don’t wait until that inconsiderate groove-ruiner has a bathroom break to steal back your chair (only to spend endless weekends getting it back into shape). Check out any number of exciting groups awaiting your involvement. You never know, you could leave Korea with a truly unique experience^^

Why are Koreans so concerned with sun protection, correcting sun damage, or staying so goddamn white?! Word around the traps suggests traditional hierarchy. You see, back in the ol’ days, farmers and labourers spent most of their time out in the sun , tending to their fields, soaking up the rays. Naturally, they would develop quite the (un)healthy tan. Meanwhile, royalty and dignitaries would spend their time inside, out of the sun (tending to what ever it is they tend to), maintaining porcelain white skin.

So, that explains the mystery of the missing bronzer. What alternative did cosmetic companies offer Korean ladies looking for a little shape in their face? Once again, ‘Get it beauty’ (onStyle) got the answer: Shader. Shader functions much the same as bronzer: to shape and contour the face, but with less ‘sun color’. It literally ‘shades’ your face. Ever so lightly. Ever notice how NON-contoured Korean style make up is?

How does it make you prettier?: Use the shader to slim down parts of your face: sides of your nose, under the cheekbones and around the hairline. Use in conjunction with ‘highlighter’ (shiny white stuff that, well, highlights) to make other areas stand out: bridge of your nose, top of the cheek bones, chin and forehead.

SkinFood's All Over Muffin Cake Finish

Mystery solved. The End.

In a world of such contrived appearances, what’s a girl to do? You could fork out a tower of bills and weeks of pain for your chance at permanent ‘beauty’ or … you could pop down to your corner Family Mart and pick up a pack of eyelid strips!! (right next to the blinged up bra straps and the nipple covers)

As an Austra-pino, I’m blessed to have my mothers almond shaped eyes and my fathers distinct eyelids. Non-the-less, I’m still fascinated by these little strips of plastic promising all the beauty an eyelid can bring.  So how exactly do they work? How does a little plastic strip and accompanying applicator (not unlike a little plastic fork) give you an eyelid?

According to the folks at “Get It Beauty” (OnStyle late night beauty show), it’s really quite simple.

1- With the end of your applicator stick, poke around your eye socket till you’ve found a good place to put your eyelid crease.

2- Pop on your eyelid tape to match the shape of your desired eyelid.

3- Using the 2-ended prong of your applicator stick, push your eyelid tape as far back into your eye socket as you can before you start seeing stars. If you look like a cat who has been patted too rough, you’re on the right track.

4- Apply eyeliner and eye shadow by the truck load to cover up the tape.

Voila!! You have a non-surgically enhanced eyelid! But how does it actually work? Well, when you push that tape to the back of your skull, it sticks in place keeping some of your eyelid back in the socket.

Tape sound too tricky? You’re in luck! Say hello to eyelid glue. It does practically the same thing just in liquid form. Paint a little along your ‘crease line’, let it dry a little then poke that applicator stick right up behind your eyeball.

Do you get self-conscious about your eyelids?

Ever tried eyelid tape? Every want to?

Are you now secretly checking out all your co-workers eyelids?

A couple years of observation and some sneaky surveys of my co-workers (plus a quick Google fact-check) show that these are the top 4 “Korean Beauty Foods”:

http://www.iscco.org/benefits-of-ginseng-as-an-anti-inflammatory-and-antioxidant.htm

1. Ginseng. Often referred to as the ‘root of life’, this interesting little root is revered as one of the world’s most potent natural medicines. Benefits: Ginseng is high in antioxidants. What does that mean? When your body is cleansing of free radicals and other nasties *cue antioxidants*, it shows through your noticeably sparklier eyes and clearer, more radiant skin. Oh, and did I mention it’s also a great anti-inflammatory, contains stress reducing properties, lowers cholesterol, is great for preventing infectious diseases and can improve physical and mental performance?

http://www.treelight.com/health/nutrition/KimchiHealthy.html

2. Kimchi. “Korean kimchi is undoubtedly the healthiest food on the planet” according to Eric Armstrong of treelight.com Whether or not it’s THE healthiest food on the planet, it sure can make you beautiful. Benefits: The answer lies in the ingredients. Spicy Peppers are great for your metabolism, Cabbage, Onions, and Unpasteurized Vinegar promote intestinal health, and Refined Sesame Oil has a very high concentration of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. What does it mean? Same as the antioxidant effects of ginseng, the state of your intestinal health shows on your face. Ever wonder why colonics is such a popular beauty treatment? Pardon my language but when you are full of shit, you look like shit. When your intestines are healthy, you will look healthy. As for the spicy peppers, giving your metabolism a kick in the butt means one great thing – puppies for everyone!! No, of course not (even though I wouldn’t mind getting a puppy for eating peppers). It means that your body will function better and faster. Read: lose weight, get prettier. Lastly, refined sesame oil is extremely unique in its high concentration of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. Think salmon but better!

http://health.learninginfo.org/seaweed-benefits.htm

3. Seaweed. Seaweed is literally mermaid magic. Ok, maybe not ‘mermaid magic’ specifically but it’s equivalent to what it would do for you if they would just hand over their damn secrets! A wise man wrote a description plenty better than me so I will let him explain. Benefits: According to Seibin and Teruko Arasaki, authors of Vegetables from the Sea, “All of the minerals required by human beings, including calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium, iodine, iron, and zinc are present in sufficient amounts. In addition, there are many trace elements in seaweeds.” Edible plants from the sea also contain important vitamins including vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), B1, B2, B6, niacin, vitamin C, pantothenic acid, and folic acid. Analysis has shown trace amounts of vitamin B12, wich rarely occurs in land vegetables. What does it mean? Seaweed feeds the shafts and ducts of the scalp to help improve the health of hair. It has been said that the thick, black, lustrous hair of the Japanese is partly due to their regular diet of brown sea vegetables such as arame. Research has shown that minerals are important to healthy hair growth, and arame has a high mineral content. health.learninginfo.org

http://www.chineseop.com/cuisine/What-are-the--health--mental--physical--benefits-of-Chicken-Feet-and-why-is-chic.html

4. Dakbal (chicken feet) As you may have read in my previous post Scratch That, chicken feet are considered a top beauty food and delicacy in Korea as well as through out Asia. Benefits: Dakbal is renowned for its high concentration of collagen, found in all that crunchy cartilage surrounding the feet bones. What does it mean? Crunch away at those chewy feet and you can expect the collagen to improve your skin, keeping it young and supple beyond its years.

Do you have any secret Korean beauty ticks up your sleeve?

Heard any crazy ones from friends or co-teachers?

Any crazy beauty experiment stories?

Well, there is a much more practical, convenient and heart warming solution available.      시니어 클럽 (Senior Club) is a senior volunteer run organization that collects your used clothing, mends them back to tip top shape and sells/donates them to people in need. Hold onto last season’s fat pants, it gets even better! They will literally drive to your apartment or school to pick up your old clothes. It doesn’t get much easier than that! All you need to do is ring them up (261-2101 for those in Chuncheon), give them your location and organize a time and place for collection. As this is a volunteer organization, chances are you will reach some lovely ajuma’s and ajushi’s with limited English skills. My suggestion: go buy your co-teacher a present and ask them to do a little translating for you.

Onto an entertaining tangent, let me share with you the finest of inventive recycling from around the world!! (courtesy of  Australian Woman’s Health Magazine)

Pet Hair: The site says it best “IT’S AS EASY AS …1-BRUSH YOUR PET, 2-SEND US YOUR FUR, 3-RECEIVE YOUR YARN” vipfibers.com will spin your pets hair into yarn and send it back to you so you can knit that cat hair scarf you’ve always wanted!!

Sustainable jewelery: Want quality jewellery without 20 tonnes of mineral mining waste on your conscience? Check out ethicaljewels.com.au for jewellery made from recycled gold and platinum.

Sex Toy Recycling … Discretion is name of the game (unless you’re into THAT kind of thing …) when disposing of ‘pre-loved’ sex toys. Scarletgirl.com sells your ‘used goods’ to be recycled into things like running shoe soles and gives you credit for your next purchase in return.

Old tyre, new wallet … Too many tires, not enough wallets? Well newint.com.au has the answer for you. Tyreiwas travel wallet is made in Kenya (under Fair Trade principles) from old tyres that would otherwise be burnt or left to rot.

Happy recycling everyone!

Aqua Sherbet Ice Toner. From afar, this deceptive product looks like a standard addition to your average bathroom cabinet. Investigate a little further a.k.a. sales girl bombardment upon store entry, and you will find the MAGICAL POWERS of Etude House!! Yup, it’s actual magic. The proof is in the proverbial pudding -the oohs and aahs of customers lured by customer service demonstration.

Let me give you a brief description:1) shake can, 2) spray product (think slimy hair-mouse) into hand, preferably in the shape of a Mr. Whippy ice-cream, 3) wait 2 seconds as it solidifies then … voila!! You now have a solid-form applicator that seeps toner when squeezed …

Is it magic? You can bet your bottom dollar it is. Will I use it on my face? Not a chance.

Ice cream or face mask? Believe it or not, the face mask is the package with the picture of the potato ...

First Snow Pack – avail in Aloe Vera and Potato. Also very deceiving in appearance. At a brief glance, one would assume this was some type of delicious, frozen confectionary (if you’ve ever scoured the ice-cream freezers at your local FamilyMart, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about). On closer inspection, one will discover a variety of face masks designed to improve your skin in a variety of different ways. Personally, the only improvement I foresee is temporary cooling of my face on a hot day (if I kept it in the fridge next to my ice cream). This might drive me to the closest stockist on a steamy summer day save for one foreseeable disappointment: swallowing a giant mouthful of left over face mask next time I’m searching my freezer for a refreshing ice-cream.

Thoughts in a nutshell: big thumbs up to the creators of such novelty items. You’ve definitely caught my attention. Pity these creative brains were only used for developing packaging instead of higher quality products. Would anyone in their right mind put chemicals that turn foam into a sponge onto their face?!

... from Korea?!

Once upon a time, I cared about …

… my carbon footprint …

… my responsibility to society …

… never giving into ‘the man’ …

Let’s face it, as soon as you land in another country, maintaining the integrity of your conscience gets a bit tricky. For the first couple of months, your lifestyle maintenance list (e.g. my chosen responsibilities to the world-as seen above) will naturally grow shorter. Priorities lean towards hygiene (well, at least showering/going for a swim every now and then. I’m ashamed to say that once that backpack is on, the rest can wait. So many exciting adventures ahead!!), nutritional needs (grabbin’ a feed, hopefully something cheap, delicious, unrecognizable, and from a dirty stall on the side of a street), and experiencing everything you possibly can while you have the opportunity to do so.

However, once you settle down, the importance of getting back to your lifestyle maintenance list becomes shockingly apparent. How on earth can you change the world from Korea? Not only are you so far from home but there is a very distinct communication gap between you and your former conscience! Over a series of posts about environmental/global awareness, I’ll fill you in on a couple of tips and tricks I’ve learnt along the way.

Admittedly, this topic get’s fairly heavy so I thought I’d start with something to lighten the load a little. I’m thinking of an internet purchase that gives back, is useful, and looks pretty darn nice. Think ‘save-the-world’ meets ‘city safari’ (this summer’s trend-to-the-max!) I’m talking about a bag, a functional and fabulous carry-all tote to be more precise. Let me introduce you to FEED 2 BAG from feedprojects.com:

Picture credit: www.styleq.com

Not only is it completely on trend, it also feeds 2 children in school (through UN World Food Program) for a WHOLE YEAR!! (Not literally, it would be mean to make a starving child eat from your handbag, let alone make him/her do it for a year. You are a cruel reader, indeed). The FEED 2 BAG is big enough to carry a book, a beach towel, sunscreen, and some wedges. Perfect to take you on your amazing summer getaway and for giving you really, really warm feelings in your tummy <3

So, how much does it cost to tote around this sack of happy feelings?

Picture credit: www.kaukaushop.biz

It’ll set you back USD$100 plus shipping. A bit hefty? Check out other bags in their collection like Rugby by Ralph Lauren’s FEED HAITI BAG For USD$35 (plus shipping) you can provide 50 meals to the children of this disaster stricken nation.

So maybe give the underground mall’s a skip this season. Sure you can get 10-15 Korean bags for the same price, but I’m sure the starving children of the world would give you a big thumbs up for the effort.

Let’s face it, shopping here is hard. The size charts are completely different; most shops accommodate a different set of body shapes, and a lot of the clothes we can’t even try on! As a self-confessed shop-o-holic, I found a way around the system. Yep, as a foreign girl, it’s actually possible to buy cute, comfortable, WEARABLE clothes in Korea.

How does the dry-cleaner come into the mix? Well, your local dry-cleaner is also an expert tailor! That’s right, they can alter clothes to fit YOUR body. Not only that, they will do it very quickly (usually in 2 or 3 days) and very cheaply (seriously, between 2,000w-5000w to hem your pants. Prices may vary from store to store).

Let me show you what I mean. The ever prepared Ashley came to Korea equipped appropriately for the chilly Chuncheon winter. As a Canadian, she new to bring layers, heat trapping fabrics like polyester, and lots of long sleeves and pants to protect her appendages. Unfortunately, Dynamic Korea’s sweltering summer was just around the corner. Ashley needed a lot (a whole wardrobe actually) of new, appropriate clothes and she needed them pronto! So, we trundled off to the underground mall to ‘get our bargain on’.

Parameters: Sleeves, skirt or dress (preferable longer so it can be worn at work easily ie – no 18+ shows when you pick up the chalk), breathable materials.

Fit: Accentuate the waist, conceal the bottom half (if you’ve ever muttered ‘does my bum look big in this?’, I’m sure you can relate).

This is what we came up with:

Is this not one of the cutest work appropriate outfits ever?!

Ashley is wearing a tank from the new shop in Myeongdong’s pedestrian street (closest to the crosswalk by Dunkin Donuts with the racks out front). The belt, white button shirt, and skirt are from the underground mall. Total: under 35,000w

Dry cleaner magic: The skirt and white shirt were ‘F size’ (free size NOT fat size though sometimes I beg to differ) and weren’t at all flattering BUT the materials breath so well and there was enough of it to tailor: obvious choice. Skirt: According to fashion super-hero Tim Gunn, the skirt should end just above or below the knee. This skirt was really long and inconsistent with the length of the lining so our magic-maker bought it up to Gunn standard for us. Shirt: Ashley has quite a cute waist and it would have been a shame to lose it under this loose but super-cool, summer-button-up (note-to-self: acquire immediately. Awesome beach cover up!). To make the most of this shirt, we had dry cleaner Dan bring up the hem about 3 inches (he even followed the curve of the original hem). In the name of summer and all things cute, we threw a bright belt around her waist, accentuated her figure, and kept her shoulders covered (a MUST in this conservative county).

Here is a list of handy things your dry cleaner can do to your clothes to improve their integrity and keep them up to date:

-Re-sew dodgy hems/seams. This is where most of the quality is lost with cheaper clothes.

-Resize your pant legs so they are at an appropriate length.

-Bring the waist in! My biggest trouble is finding pants with an ok length, snug fit around my bum but the waist of a pregnant, fat-man’s beer gut.

-Completely re-do your jeans. If you bring in an old pair of jeans that fits well, he will be able to pull them apart and use them as a template for a pair you need altered.

-General maintenance ie sewing on buttons, fixing zips, mending holes (in most cases).

-Funnily enough, they even dry clean!! And iron, and they’ll let you use their dryer if you really need it …

p.s.- I <3 u Korean dry cleaner man

http://blog.zakka-zakka.com/korean-goodies.html

Believe it or not, BB cream (Blemish Balm) did not come from Asia. It is actually a German skincare product. It originated as an ointment prescribed from dermatologists to help women who had undergone laser skin surgery. These poor ladies needed some extra gentle coverage with rejuvenating qualities for their post-surgery scarring and redness…Voila! BB cream was born.

Somehow, Korea caught wind of this and started producing it commercially as a beautification product. Korean drama actresses and pop stars were the first to start using BB cream. Coincidentally, these celebrities started to became extremely popular internationally. As their popularity grew, so did the market for their beauty secret. Right now, BB cream is sought after in Japan, China, South East Asia, and slowly breaking into the US and European markets.

So what is it exactly??

In a nut shell: a blessing! Basically, it’s a skincare/healing/rejuvenating product PLUS a make-up. BB cream is a lightweight foundation (buildable so it can be used as a concealer as well), probably closer to a tinted moisturizer, thin enough not to clog pores, a sunscreen, and a skin rejuvenator. It also contains any mix of (but not exclusive to) the following: anti-aging cream, whitening cream, acne treatment, oil-control, pore-tightening cream, and … well, the list goes on.

Unfortunately, this BB dream is not without its flaws. This miracle cream only comes in a select few colors, most brands only releasing 1 or 2 shades per product *sob*. Sadly, I have the skin of a south-east Asian, quite a few shades off the target BB market. Non-the-less, it has been by far the best concealer I’ve ever used. It works as a great ‘zit-zapper’ as well as a cover-all.

BB-cream has earned a permanent spot in my daily beauty routine but until the variety of shades broadens, I’ll just stick to the ever expanding BB-sample arsenal in my bathroom cabinet