I Love My Neighborhood: Yeonguwon District, Daejeon (South Korea)

Welcome to another edition of “I Love My Neighborhood”, where I ask expats from across the globe to share the joys of local life they’ve found in their corner of the world.

If you’re just joining in now, check out the other cities that have been covered so far here.

Today’s guest post comes from Tom, a Brit in Korea whose blog I’ve followed for quite some time. His posts always crack me up, whether they be about European travel, his adorable Korean students or expat life in general. I’m absolutely delighted he’s tossed some of that wit my way for today’s post.

Tom of Waegook Tom: Why I Love Yeonguwon District

I lived in Daegu, South Korea, for two and a half years working as an ESL teacher and, during that time, found myself a man — yes, a man — (*shock, gasp*) so wonderful that I decided to change my location and move to Daejeon, a city about two hours north of Daegu.

My neighbourhood in Daegu was amazing and had everything I needed. My new neighbourhood in Daejeon is the polar opposite — there’s not much here at all. No cinema, no big supermarket, and definitely not a lot of other foreigners. I stare at any other white person I see.

“Who are you? Why are you here?”

Well, chances are they work at one of the many research institutes in the area, for that is what my neighbourhood is famous for throughout Korea. Daejeon is known as the research capital of the country, and a whole host of home-grown and international super brains work for companies that are no doubt researching cures for cancer, ways to survive nuclear war, and more pedestrian things like batteries and lighting. These research centres are called “yeonguwon” in Korean.

I prefer to consider the former two options personally as it makes me feel like I’m living in the midst of some kind of scientific action thriller. I’ve yet to see any chase scenes however.

Anyhow, I digress. Even though the area isn’t abuzz like certain areas of Seoul, Daegu, or even elsewhere in Daejeon, it certainly has its benefits, so allow me to introduce the Yeonguwon District….

Barbecue, Barbecue, Barbecue

I’m a ravenous carnivore and, much to my delight, Korea caters for my excessive meat-eating tendencies. The neighbourhood is full of barbecue restaurants, serving everything from artery-clogging samgyeopsal (fatty pork) to makchang (cow intestines ) and galmaegisal (a much leaner cut of meat). The places are always buzzing, the prices are cheap, and they come with unlimited side dishes. More raw garlic? Help yourself, especially if you choose to go to an all-you-can-eat for fourteen dollars pork rib restaurant with an adorable name and sign.

Tiger Leads the Way

No matter how inebriated or just downright lost I am, I have a rule that I use to navigate: Follow the Tiger.

There’s an elementary school in the neighbourhood with some pretty damn good paintings on it, if I do say so myself. The wall with the tiger on indicates that I have to turn down the next street to get home.

Luckily drugs are not readily available in Korea, so there’s no chance of any trippy encounters that will lead me to believing that the tiger is lurching out of the wall and ready to have a hula party with me, right before chomping my head off.

Maybe the angels will save me.

Edible Intestinal Treats

As well as a variety of restaurants, my neighbourhood also has a fair few delicious food carts that line the streets at night for anyone looking for a quick bite.

My favourite cart is owned by a lady that sells sundae, which is made from intestines and stuffed with meat, pepper and vegetables and then dipped in salt. Healthy? Certainly not. Delicious? Yes. The lady’s cart is super popular as her sundae comes in many varieties – regular, kimchi and curried sundae, to name but three – and she always throws on a fair amount of liver at no extra cost. Getting a huge heap of mixed sundae for six dollars has become a fortnightly Tuesday tradition.

Classy Cafes

Believe it or not, Korea has quite a vibrant café culture and there are coffee shops all over the place. I love to relax, unwind, and order the thing that least resembles actual coffee on the whole menu — caramel macchiato or green tea latte, anyone?

For a small neighbourhood, the place is chock-full of coffee shops. I mean, all those science types need somewhere to go over the blueprints for their humankind-conquering robots, right? For the less cranially blessed among us, they’re a great place to grab a drink, take advantage of free WiFi, and write guest posts for other fabulous bloggers or try to decide if I really do like Kindles.

My favourite in my neighbourhood is D’Ete, which is simple, crisp, chic, all the ingredients they use are organic and they don’t charge a fortune just for using the organic label.

Headquarters

It’s about a thirty-five minute walk from my apartment to my work, which takes me right past all the big research centres for major Korean companies – LG, Etri and Hanhwa, to name three. The buildings are all super modern, and their juxtaposition amongst the greenery and foliage that’s everywhere can be striking if the weather is in the right mood. The housing in the area is all owned by the companies and is given to their employees, with things being a little bit chicer than the ugly, grey concrete tower blocks that are omnipresent throughout the country.

Note that I said chicer, not chic.

Student Central

Just a five minute bus ride away and things are a little more buzzing, as riding the 704 Daejeon city bus will take you right to the stunning, and sprawling, Chungnam University. The university grounds are perfect to walk around whilst you admire the foliage, fountains, and somewhat attractive students.

Chungnam University is where I head to if I want to experience a slightly different vibe yet still be within the outer realms of my neighbourhood – and without having to haul myself to Daejeon’s new city, about a forty minute bus ride away. I attend a language exchange there most Sundays, and get to practice my Korean and help others with their English. Good old-fashioned, wholesome fun. Being a university area, the place is naturally crammed with bars, restaurants, and cafes that open later than 11pm in case I need a late-night caffeine fix. A night out here is perfectly doable, as the fare back to my place is a mere 3000 Won – about three dollars. Hey, if you’re from the UK like me, believe me, that’s a bargain.

If you’re ever in Korea and decide to come to Daejeon, do it – we’ll grab a coffee and stare at the white guy in the corner, trying to figure out if he’s a fellow teacher or a human reincarnation of Mojo-Jojo. And hey, we can try some all-you-can-eat meat and then go drool over some fine physical specimens, too. A recipe for the perfect afternoon in my neighbourhood.

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About the author: Tom has been living in South Korea since June 2009, masquerading as an English teacher whilst planning his round-the-world trip that shall finally come to fruition in 2013, or cramming down as much Korean food as he can get his hands on. He’d appreciate it if you could send him some good
cheddar cheese, too. Tom blogs over at Waegook Tom; you can also find him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter @waegook_tom.

All photos courtesy of the author.