How to survive the crazy Korean rain

                  The rain doesn't stop the busy streets of Seoul, but it ruins many Louboutin's! 
    The other day my boyfriend back in Los Angeles, CA asked if I had an umbrella in Seoul. My reply was "WTF! Did you really just ask that question?" There is a two week rainy season during the beginning of July, when Seoul gets an enormous amount of rain. Then the rain lasts off and on until around the end of September.
    The rain in Korea is totally unforgiving, and requires a little bit of outsmarting. Most of the time the rain comes down so hard, that it splashes up from the ground and gets your shoes and clothes completely soaked! After spending a day strategizing how to enjoy a day with this rain, I came up with some fun and simple tips for staying dry.

Six tips for surviving Korea's rain

1. Rain playlists-  I swear that every restaurant and store in Korea has a "rain play list." Where ever you go there will be famous American songs related to rain such as Jack Johnson's lyrics "can't you see that it's just raining" from "Banana Pancakes," and Rhianna's "Under my umbrella." The video above features  a techno version of "Under my umbrella" taken from a local Cold Stone on Piano Street. 

2. Wear flip flops- If you plan on wearing your nice business shoes or heels in the Korean rain you might as well say goodbye to them now. The leather will be completely ruined and water will puddle up inside of your shoes. Flip flops are the best way to go because your feet can eventually dry while socks will stay soggy and wet.

3. Hide out- Get a window seat in one of Korea's numerous coffee shops or restaurants. In the video posted below, I was hiding out in a Cold Stone eating ice cream. Simply watching all of the people running by the window is a blast! The most memorable people are the ones with a magazine or a box over their head. I mean really people, you are pretty much standing underneath a shower head with paper trying to block the water!

 

4. Tour the subway- If you are in Seoul on a rainy day you might as well explore the subway system. Each stop has its own atmosphere. Some are modern and have very interesting architecture such as the stop at Noksapyeong on Line 6 which has an enormous dome and over 5 sky high escalators to take you back to civilization.

5. Stay home and listen- The thunder in Korea is the most ominous yet natural sound that one can ever hope to experience. The first time you experience thunder in Korea, you might get legitimately frightened! Don't believe me, just listen to the video below. This was taken from inside my apartment!

6. Get a huge umbrella- A small dinky umbrella from the street corner won't cut it during the rainy season. Try to get this umbrella if there is a break in the rain, because the street stands will charge you double while it is raining!

Good luck staying dry!

If you have any questions or comments about surviving the Korean rain please leave them in the comment box below!