Listen up ladies!

Ok fellow vagina holders of the world, here's the official word. Everything you have heard, everything you have read, all the stuff your friends told you, its all crap! When moving to Korea I probably packed 5 lbs of tampons strewn about my suitcase, more shampoo, conditioner and deodorant than is humanly possible to use in one year and enough birth control to ensure I never get pregnant, ever. Well, I am here to tell you, straight from an expat's loud mouth, UNNECESSARY! Complete and utter waste of luggage space (and I had to pay extra for my bags to get on the plane, ALOT extra) because you can get everything you need here in Seoul, its not hard to find and not even that much more expensive.

There is an amazing store that is deemed "a western style pharmacy" where you can fill all your makeup and hair doin', good armpit smellin' and tampon wearin' needs! (They even have goldfish crackers sometimes) It's called Olive Young and its almost as good as Walgreen's (except that you can't walk around aimlessly at 4 in the morning buying shit you don't need, regular hours only, sadface.) They are all over the city and will save you lots of room in your suitcase for real things you can't get here like Reeses peanut butter cups or bras above a C cup.

Also, I recently came upon the information that I can go to any Korean pharmacy and ask for birth control pills (피임약) and you can get them without a prescription and for less than 10,000 krw a box (depending on what you need of course.) You don't even need to spread 'um to get it (for the doctor anyway) which is another bonus!

I'll fill you in on one more little secret, girls... and its a good one! Victoria's secret is finally revealed... they deliver internationally! I got new panties (the ones I bought before I came here have not faired well with the air drying system here in the ROK) and normal sized bathing suits sent here for only 30.00! It took a while, but was worth the wait. The package came today and made me so happy the girls in the office MADE me show them what I got, which made everyone turn a shade brighter even though I only showed them the bikinis... 

It's good to be a expat woman here in SK. I don't think the guys are so lucky with the "asian sized" condoms, (I hear that is the truth!) and I just want the truth to be known! There are much more important myths to figure out here in Korea, like fan death, but let it be known, tampons and deodorant roam free in SK!



Ellie Teacher

onedayillflyaway.com