Harajuku Cafe

This is just a little off of the Hajimama song I Want My F2 Visa but the F2(99) visa (temporary long term sojouner) could be a reality for me. Let's look at the requirements:

1) 5 years on the same visa. You can have had more than 1 employer during this period as long as you transferred from one employer to another and used the same visa. If a visa run was required then you did not successfully transfer your visa. If you didn't work the full year of your contract but worked six months, then it is possiible to transfer from one employer to another. If you change from an E2 to an E1 the clock resets so take care about visa changing if you are close to the five-year requirement.

2)A Korean sponsor; this is the most important requirement after #1. The person should be someone that is in high regard in Korean society. Doctor, lawyer, tenured university professor, high-level executive in a chaebol company--there are the types of professions you should look for in a sponsor. The sponsor has to provide you with a form called an imgamseungmyungseo, in addition to the form required by immigration. There is a space that specifies how long your sponsor desires to sponsor you and the terms are two or three years.

3) A statement of your contribution to Korean society. This is a standard form that organizations give out to verify someone has done some volunteer work or helped out in different ways. If you have not volunteered in a manner that can be documented, you should look for opportunities. Community service is one of the things that applicants are judged by in Korean society so a foreigner applying to be a part of Korean society will be judged in the same manner. I am just lucky that I have been doing some things for the last few years and was able to get the form from a city official.

4) A statement of purpose that covers what you have done in Korea for the last five years and what you wish to do. This should be about four pages long and translated into Korean.

5) Copies of diplomas or any other qualification you have.

6) Anything that makes you seem like an attractive person to have in Korea. Video clips, newspaper stories, photographs of you doing traditiional Korean activities--all of these things will bolster your case.

For those completely unfamiliar with the F2(99) visa, there is no language requirement nor is there a financial requirement. There is also no automatic approval once you get everything on the checklist. The entire visa packet gets sent to the Ministry of Justice, where a person or persons review the application and then decide on your worthiness to remain in the country as a long term sojourner.

They will take your Alien Registration Card, which prevents you from leaving the country so make sure you have a pile of cash and a bed to sleep in.

Part 2 will be about whether or not I received the visa.

Last week I went with My Bish (Abigail Flores) and her sister and her friends to the European Christmas Market. When you're an expat in a generally non-Christmassy country, you look for events and activities to provoke that holiday spirit and this looked like it was measured to size. Took the #143 trunk bus to Hyehwa and then took the subway to Hansung Dae station (I know we could've taken the bus all the way to Hansung Dae station but I was following, not leading.) Right out of the exit was the market  straddled between one block and the other on the river overpass. Maybe fifteen yards at the most, with a small stage , a few pedestal tables, and the booths. The massive expanse of nine booths and yes, you read that correctly. Nine. As in "before ten" and "after eight". So tiny. I wasn't really hungry but I thought there would be a variety of beer and some lovely Christmas spirits available. Sadly only one booth had beer and another had spiced wine, and none of the remaining seven had any spirits at all. Two booths had some non-consumable items for sale, nutcrackers and cookies. What should've been a market was really more like a small mini-stop. I know that reads redundant but if you took a mini-stop, reduced it, and then filled it with a dozen Europeans serving food, you would have the correct ambiance. When we were on the far end, Maria told Bish that she was going to walk around the market again and the Bish said "See you in three minutes." No hyperbole whatsoever.

Here is the view as you exited the station.

Here is the view from the other end.

Like the euro, this market has fallen on hard times. The market was sponsored by the Global Village and it looks like they spent a lot of money with tents, stage, and Christmas tree, but I think they could've spent the money better elsewhere. The food, with reports of it being tasty, was overpriced and small, with most items being 4000 won. Here's my Bish with her sandwich:

As you can see, that's an awfully small sandwich with the only love being some spicy mustard. Here is Naomi with her lentils and hunk of bread:

The lentils and sausage was also 4000 won but with no bread.

That photo was taken before Maria (one of Bish's friends) started eating. Four ounces of lentil soup, three ounces of Italian sausage, 4000 won. The pleasure of ripping off tourists and expats desperate for a little slice of home--PRICELESS!

Afterwards we went to the Philippine market that is on every Sunday in Hyehwa. Big plate of pancit and lumpia shanghai for 4000 won, Much better pricing for street food. Of course you have the odd things that come in the Philippine market.

Me: Is this sausage longanisa?

Woman: It's chorizo.

(I start to walk away)

Woman: But the sausage becomes longanisa.

Me: What do you mean?

Woman: When we make it, it's chorizo but after you wait, it becomes longanisa.

(yeah, right)

The Christmas season is upon us once again and for some of you spending the holiday season as an expat is very much the norm but for others this may be the first Christmas away from your family and friends. For those people, their holiday routine is displaced and stress sets in, disconcerting themselves and those around them. We can all see the holiday decorations, especially since they were up well before American Thanksgiving, and the holiday music has been in full swing in the department stores and your friendly neighborhood Lotteria (but you don’t know that because no expat really eats there). People from back home have sent the emails asking why you aren’t coming home, parents and friends have sent their overseas care packages, and holiday themes are in running in every TV show you watch. All these things may actually stress people instead of comfort them. The holiday doesn’t have to disappear for you just because you aren’t home. Korea is different than home and you have to learn that how you spend your holidays here are different as well. The Harajuku Cafe would like to recommend some ways to make your holidays memorable and full of that holiday spirit that you may feel is lacking.

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I'm throwing a party this coming weekend; the first real party I have thrown in this apartment. It's a lot of work but I like throwing parties. I like seeing a lot of the people I know all in one place; this really is the thing I like about throwing a party. A person knows many people but how often do they see so many of them in one place. There's also those two people that you know that you think would also be great friends but getting them together is difficult unless you throw a party and they come.

Here is my standard party announcement:

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