Quarantine Stay - Week 2

Justina Bui
Aug 18, 2021
5 min read

Updated: Sep 22, 2021

***Announcement: I make weekly posts on my Instagram Travel Blog @buoy_up_in_korea***

~ Daily Agenda: Eat, Sleep, K-Dramas, & REPEAT ~

With GlobalENS, I stayed at ibis Ambassador Seoul Insadong Hotel in Jongno Gu. This is how the lobby looked like when checking in, waiting for PCR test transportation, and checking out!

Korean Class Part 2

“Quarantine is wearing pajamas ALL DAY, showering, then changing into new pajamas.” - N.A.

^ GlobalENS' Korean Language Class Zoom Session Screenshot ^

During quarantine, I looked forward to my Korean language class every night. My teacher, also acknowledged as 선생님 (seonsaengnim) was Jinah. She was a former flight attendant with KoreanAir and is currently living in Bangkok, Thailand with her husband. Although it was three hours long, we still had fun conversations on cultural differences like time, school systems, work life, currency, way of life, etc. Interesting fact is my classmates were from all over the world: Belgium, Dominican Republic, Germany, Norway, Poland, and the U.S. Provided that, we learned the Korean alphabet, how to count, where are the best local spots, and basic phrases.

Here are some of my favorite sentences...

Hello, I am from America.
- 안녕하세요, 저는 미국출신입니다. (Annyeonghaseyo, jeoneun migukchul.)
I am a college student at Ewha Womans University.
- 저는 이화여자대학교 대학생입니다. (Jeoneun ihwayeojadaehakgyo daehaksaengipnida.)
How are you? I am good! Nice to meet you. 어떻게 지내세요? 잘 지냅니다! 만나서 반가워요. (Eotteohge jinaeseyo? Jal jinaepnida! mannaseo bangawoyo.)
Where is the toilet?
- 화장실이 어디에 있나요? (Hwajangsiri eodie issnayo?)
How much is this? Can I pay with cash or card?
- 얼마나 이거야? 현금이나 카드로 결제할 수 있나요? (Eolmana igeoya? Hyeongeumina cadro gyeoljehal su issnayo?)
I like... I love you
- 나는 좋아 ... 당신을 사랑해요 (aneun joha ... dangsineul saranghaeyo)
Thank you, goodnight!
- 고마워요, 안녕히 주무세요! (Gomawoyo, annyeonghi jumuseyo!)

Quarantine Meals

^ POV: Me looking out of the peep hole to see if food has arrived ;P ^

Here is a video of how it looks like when food is being delivered to your door. Depending on how many components go with the meal like the packed meal or beverage, the last person will ring your doorbell. One time, the bell rang and I immediately opened the door without checking the peephole when the worker was still passing out the drinks. A tip would be to wait for 5-10 before retrieving the meal from the chair because more items might be added. There were many nights where I could not sleep but I could hear them putting down the breakfast around 2:00-3:00 am.

Breakfast: 6:00 - 8:00 am

Lunch: 12:00 - 2:00 pm

Dinner: 6:00 - 8:00 pm

Regardless, most foods were served cold and there was no way to heat them. So maybe, if you have room in your luggage, bring something that heats food up or book a Goshiwon to order take out instead. I felt like my friends who didn't use the partner facility were better off in a way but the company prepared everything, so it depends on your comfort zone. To book with GlobalEns, you have to do a wire transfer and costs around $1,000-1,800 USD, not including transportation. I do wish they had a fixed price on the taxi service since I was charged $80,000, another was $100,000, or even $140,000. I felt like if I didn't take the Korean class, maybe they would've charged me more. Overall, quarantine was expensive, lonely, boredom for days yet I still learn more about myself and how I adapted to the circumstances.

Website: Global E&S Quarantine Reservation System (stay4korea.com)

^ GlobalENS Quarantine Hotel Prices ^

Keeping Busy

“It is time you need to disconnect and enjoy your own company.” - N.A

Me FaceTiming my Doggie <3

^ How I Felt vs How I Survived Quarantine Emotional Roller Coaster ^

From a viral Tik Tok song, "Bored in the House" by Tyga and Curtis Roach, they said how I was feeling best as "Okay, I'm bored in the house and I'm in the house bored (bored). Bored in the house and I'm in the house bored (bored)."

My dormitory check-in date was August 25, 2021, but we were required to complete a 14-day quarantine. There were no direct Hawaiian Airlines flights on August 10, 2021. So, many of us departed from Hawaii on Sunday, August 9, 2021, to be released on August 24, 2021. Be ready to book your flights respectively if you are expected to quarantine in future travels anywhere.

In quarantine, my usual routine was...

7-10 am: Wake up, shower, and eat breakfast
- Take my temperature to log down my information on my university's Google Form and government quarantine app
10 am - 3 pm: Watch movies and eat lunch
- FaceTime my family, watch my downloaded shows, go on my computer for school research, do laundry, and scroll through social media
3-5 pm: NAP TIMEEEEEE
- Snooze, snore, sleep
5-7 pm: Shower & Dinner
- Study previous lessons for class and set up my desk
7-10 pm: GlobalENS' Korean Language Class
- Log into Zoom with unstable Wi-Fi and learn
10 pm - 3 am: Night routine and SLEEEP

^ POV: How PCR testing process was and inside of the Ibis Hotel Lobby ^

To describe the hotel's amenities, we were given a hairdryer, kettle, mug, refrigerator, shampoo, conditioner, soap, tissues, television, 6-7 toilet paper, 5 hangers, towels, among other things. I would say the accommodation had everything you need to survive, but the Wi-Fi connection was poor. For example, I would cut out when video chatting or get kicked out during the Zoom meeting. As for the food, breakfast was always some type of pastry (bread), lunch was a sandwich or wrap, and dinner was with rice. My favorite meals were cereal, pizza, and bibimbap (pictures of my meals are in the gallery or other blog post). Lastly, for the PCR test, the hotel would Kakao Talk us when to come down to the lobby to be driven to the testing site in Seodaemun. Once you meet downstairs, you check in with the staff and a taxi driver who takes you along with two others to the site. At the place, you print a numbered ticket and fill out the information sheet (make sure to bring your passport). When the person inserts the swab in your nose, which hurts a lot, you are DONE!

Altogether, quarantine was not the worst experience but is something I probably don't want to do again unless I'm with somebody. The loneliness caused my homesickness to set it earlier than I expected it to. I really missed home-cooked meals, laughing with my loved ones, and being surrounded by a familiar setting. But I learned to be more appreciative of the things that I take for granted or often overlook that I have.

Here are some tips...

Download your favorite shows/movies/music since your location may not allow you to watch certain shows overseas
Make a weekly agenda on what you plan to accomplish (I will... exercise, read emails, research)
Bring your own snacks or pre-ready-made foods if you are picky with your foods
Pack medicine, energy booster, tea packets, and anything that helps you keep healthy
If you ever feel alone, text or call someone. Don't feel like your burdening them but be mindful of the time difference
Take advantage of the time! When you will ever get 14-days of doing nothing, use it wisely!

Group Chats + Apps to Download

In Korea, Kakao Talk is the main communication channel. It is an app that reminds me of Facebook Messenger, where you can text, call, video chat, and even send money. Before entering the country, I actually already downloaded the app to practice using it.

If you join the Facebook group or Ewha's PEACE Buddy program, you can join the Kakao Talk group channel. This is a space for exchange students to ask questions, get to know each other, vent about their problems, get place recommendations, see who's in your classes, find roommates, etc. Fun fact: I met my roommates through this app, which I will get into my next post.

Anyways, Kakao Talk is the best and most likely the only way to contact everyone. On iMessage, anyone without an iPhone does not have the same functions and the texts are usually green. I think that it's smart to have a centralize app for everyone to use despite their type of device brand!

Here are other apps to download...