Basic Homesick Tools

It’s been a few days since I finally completed my mobile phone and home internet subscriptions here, also remembering the first twenty-one days when I initially had no means of communicating with my folks back in the Philippines, other than the office internet and the after-work computer rentals in nearby PC “bangs” (rooms). Accomplishing the task wasn’t easy though, and we sure needed help from Korean colleagues who have been nothing but really helpful in assisting us with the transactions.

You see, I have had a couple of visits to this telecom store near our officetel to ask for requirements, anticipating the entirely different procedure that they may impose on foreigners like me who would want to apply for a phone line. You could almost guess that the language barrier is the number one culprit, making me go home, always half-filled with the information that I would want to know. I tend to get tired and frustrated faster than being able to remember all other inquiries that I have even written on a post-it as guide.

There sure are a lot of things to clear about, especially in regard to the rates that the telecom company would have to charge, especially now that I am getting a post-paid subscription. Oh, the monthly bills. So I’m getting a hand of them. And I wouln’t want those papers to bury me alive here.

South Korea has three major telecom companies—SK Telecom, LG Telecom, and KTF. I got SK Telecom. I was told that it has better services, even if it is a little more expensive compared to the privately-owned LG and the government-owned KTF.

I had to get a line because it seems to be the common thing in Korea. I showed them my GLOBE prepaid sim card here, and they (hell) have no idea what it is. South Korea obviously has a different telecommunication system— the CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), a mobile radio technology that is basically more hybrid (and I guess more high-tech?) compared to the TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), used by GSM phones in countries like the Philippines. Anyone who is super knowledgeable with these terms, please make friends with me so you can do your speech in this particular topic. Hehehe.

I entered into a two-year package contract with SK Telecom, which gave me the LG CYON handset for free. There is an activation fee of 55,000 KRW which will be divided into five months, as will be shown in my next five bills. Fixed based rate is 12,000 KRW— rate charged whether I make calls or not. Then there comes with the package a 2-month free unlimited internet service for 10,000 KRW per month. I asked if they could not include it, so I won’t have to pay additional 20,000 KRW for two months, but they said I cannot. Settled then. No choice, hehe.

I expect inclusion in my next months’ bills to be as follows (in won):

In November, I will need to call up SK and ask them to cut that web mobile service unless I would want additional 10,000 KRW every month. I of course will not do that, for I don’t find the constant urgent need to get online via my mobile phone. Anyway, my mobile bill will always be due on the 21st of every month, automatically deducted from a bank account that I registered with them. No hassles with payments and falling in line, therefore. ;-)

The internet set-up was made possible by a Korean colleague who even went inside our studio room to assist the Korean-speaking ‘engineer’ from Korea Telecom (KT), the MegaPass internet provider. Monthly bill will be at around 30,000 to 40,000 KRW, sent on the 23rd of every month. Prior to the set-up, the same Korean colleague has made several calls to subscribe to a DSL internet service. Subscription and application can always be done via telephone and fax, if it’s for anyone’s convenience.

First most practical benefit that I got from having my mobile phone was this recent meet-up with a fellow Filipino masteral scholar, who is a friend of my sister. I was able to meet up with her in Hyehwa, the Filipino-flocked place in Seoul that I already mentioned about. From that same place I bought international calling cards, which I have squandered on calls to two friends and my mother, of course.

I don’t really intend to get myself used to calling people back home via mobile phone because it is very expensive (even the prepaid cards costs 10,000 won for an hour of call). I anyway have unlimited internet for not more than 40,000 KRW per month, where I get to abuse Chikka, Yahoo Mail, and Yahoo Messenger to get in touch.

Nah, I'm missing everybody back home.