Miracle in Room No 6

Here are some photos of my room. Simply great. I get lots of shelves, wardrobe, hanging bar, strong bed, WiFi and LAN, fridge, TV, mirror. I found a stack of clothe hangers on the top "recycling section". I guess many students move in and out. And some just left their still in good condition stuff for others to use.

Top shelve with small packets of "kim"
(seaweed/laver like 6 thin slices per pack weighing 2 grams)
Some Koreans just take it and slab some rice and eat as a snack or meal

Fridge with Cheonyeon cider bottles and bokbunjajoo wine (red bottle)

Two nights on a comfy single bed goshiwon style

There's nothing better than a firm bed. A bed shouldn't be too soft, nor hard like a floor. But firm is a combination of both strength and malleability. It should be able to support our body weight especially at space on the trough of the lumbar curve, the hips, the parts where our body has more mass.

As a comparison: There more often too much "softness" in hotel beds, 5 star hotels and Tune Hotel's bed. The new tech honeycomb design, with air pocket sponge doesn't treat the body well.

So back to my short story. I'm living in a goshiwon with a strong firm bed that is still comfortably not hard. Well you have to think as the goshiwon owner. Perhaps it should last 5 years of "heavy duty" usage by dozens of students renting the place, in and out throughout the year. Investing in a proper quality bed would seem expensive but eventually it would last long instead of a yearly change of bed.

Besides the condition of the bed, the positioning is a winner. The reason I am emphasizing this aspect is that most other goshiwon, the bed position is stuck at a corner whereby it is lodged onto a section of a desk or table, whereby your legs (or if you choose your head position) will be just beneath that extra real estate of a flat tabletop.

Here's my current bed. Do check out other pages with goshiwon and compare the photo of the bed position. Else there are plenty of hotels, motels, guesthouses. Local people even though living within Seoul area uses motel/hotel when they rather stay a night than travel back to outskirts or suburbs. So there are plenty of choices and price range.

1980's style filter to suit the "ambiance"!

Good morning from Hongik University

Yesterday was my first day inside a goshiwon. What is a goshiwon? It is another superb Korean creativity to the max fusing the needs of students yet accomplishing a "system" that is Korean and not easily replicated elsewhere partly due to the very strong family values, respect for elders and society and law, if you asked me.

A goshiwon is a little room that you can rent to live in for a much lower cost than a regular apartment, house, room. For instance an apartment may cost 800 000 KRW plus key-money (large cash deposit that is usually about 1-2 years rental anyway, which is ANOTHER unique Korean style creation). A goshiwon could be had for 250 000 KRW to 500 000 KRW.

There is usually some cabinets, wardrobe, a TV, fridge, single bed, high-speed internet (10Mbps anyone?!), shower/toilet, and amazingly there is a basic staple served (self-service): there is a huge fridge with 2 large boxes of kimchi vegetable, and daily cooked pots of rice. Some even offer basic coffee, tea, and even ramyun (noodles) and eggs.

The goshiwon caters essentially for students who need an affordable place to live nearby the university, thus saving on precious commute time. Each floor there are perhaps 20 rooms. The rooms may look small but it fits all your needs as a student perfectly and minimise distraction anyway.

Here is a basic montage. There's a desk with TV.
Fridge beneath it.
Large mirror, single bed, wardrobe.
Emergency alarm and torch.
Will put in more photos soon.

Hong'ik University main entrance