Arrival.... A very long (but actually not too painful process) In the evening of June 10, I arrived at Incheon! As soon as everyone got off the plane, we were directed to the line for customs. The government workers first checked our arrival card and covid test results, then we were taken to have our Korean contacts approved. Everyone who arrives in Korea must have a Korean contact so that the government can check on you during your quarantine period, and they literally make you wait in that area until your contact answers the phone. Thankfully another exchange student let me use their number because my sim card wasn't working and Yonsei did not pick up. Tip: I highly suggest having a sim card shipped to you before leaving for Korea so that you'll have a Korean number before arriving. Also, a lot of students said their sim card wasn't activated in time, so you may want to pre-activate it at least a day before your arrival time! I used trazy (about $75) and bought the premium classic plan (note that you have to pay extra by the minute to make international calls). After your Korean contact is approved, they'll ask you for your address and where you'll be quarantining. If they do not understand that you need to stay in a government facility, you can show them your K-ETA paper and they'll probably figure it out (that's what really helped me (: ) . You'll then be directed to another to have your fingerprints and picture taken, and they'll give you a lanyard with a red card on it to mark that you'll be staying at a government facility. Finalllyyyy, you'll be taken to one more approval spot and they'll tell you to wait in a quarantine area until the bus is ready. It might take a while so be ready to wait! I suggest bringing snacks because the entire process can take anywhere between 2-5 hours. For me, the entire process took about 2.5 hours, but if you arrive when flights are busier it may take even longer. I've heard that some government workers at the airport are not the nicest, but I had a really nice experience! Everyone was extremely nice and it wasn't too intimidating. Many of them were around my age and they actually joking around with each other hahaha. Oh btw! When you arrive at the airport they'll make you download a quarantine app, but then when you arrive at the government quarantine facility, they'll delete that app and make you download another one. It's a little confusing to setup but if you give them your phone and ask nicely, they'll set it up for you ((: Don't lose the arrival certificate they give you because you'll need it to check in at Yonsei's dorms! It's different from the arrival card you fill out so don't mix them up (: Quarantine!!! Due to the pandemic, visitors who are not Korean residents are required to quarantine for a 2 week period. Since I did not have a long-term visa, it was mandatory for me to stay at a government facility. I've heard from other students that the government facilities vary in quality, but I'm really blessed to have stayed at such a great hotel. I stayed at Grand Hyatt Incheon, which is right across the airport, and although quarantine is not the most thrilling experience, overall my stay was pleasant! Check-in was thankfully pretty quick. It took about half an hour to fill in our personal info in, choose the type of meal we prefer (I chosen Asian, but there's a lot of other options like American or vegan!), pay, and have our covid test taken. The cost was about $1,500 - I used my credit card to pay but you can also use cash! sorry - not sure why I can't rotate the pictures in the slideshow but you get the idea hehe (: When I got to my room I was soooo happy to find that my room was nice and big :D Here's a list of everything it came with... *Disclaimer, I've heard it varies by facility*
Tip: I really really really suggest bringing a lot of snacks from home because the meals are very similar and it can get a little tiring. I chose the Asian option and I definitely was able to get full everyday, but the snacks I brought from home really helped. For two weeks I've pretty much ate, worked out (a little lol), watched Netflix, and helped with some stuff for my internship back home. And I'm blessed to have family to facetime with and get me through the long period because I probably would've struggled a lot more without them. Everyone spoke English and they were extremely nice <3 As for the food, it was honestly pretty good. Some meals were better than others but overall I'd give the food 3.9/5 stars. Some people said their food was very cold but luckily mine was usually pretty warm. I didn't use my hotpot to heat up the food like I had planned, but I'm still happy I brought it because I felt that it was cleaner than the kettle provided for heating up my ramen. On your 12th day they'll come for your second covid test. Some people got their results texted to them but I had to call the front desk to have them print mine. Make sure you confirm that you'll be receiving your results because you need it to check into Yonsei's dorm. Also make sure you get a receipt or completion certificate before you leave! Also don't forget to submit your symptoms into the quarantine app everyday! Three days before you leave, you'll receive a survey that you must fill out by 10AM the next day. You will have the option of either taking a shuttle bus to a subway station or personal transportation (including taxi). Most shuttles take you to Seoul Station, but I guess since I was in Incheon area they were only going to take me to a station nearby. Since I didn't want to bring all by luggage on the subway, I split a taxi with three other girls who were also going to SK Global. The front desk helped us book a taxi since we couldn't use kakao taxi (no resident or alien registration number), and in total it was only 85,000 won! Make sure you have your address prepared for the taxi driver because they may not speak English well. Scroll down for my meals everyday (: I couldn't keep up with all the ramen/soup & water so by the end of my stay I had a lot leftover!
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