[Korea] It's a HEAT WAVE! Where to stay cool and avoid paying crazy electricity fees

It's another scorcher today! Stay hydrated everyone! If you are feeling sick or lightheaded, make sure to reduce your activity and increase your water intake. I also recommend putting some bottles of water in the freezer and using the frozen bottles to put around your neck.

Here are some tips I just thought of, even though I'm not physically with you guys sweating my butt off (literally), I'm with you in spirit!

I realized that maybe this may be a useful post to write because there has been a surge of traffic in my How to Use Korean Air Conditioning post in the past week.

If you don't follow the Korean news, just so you know. There are schedules about when you can use your air conditioning and electricity to reduce the chance for blackout.

Also, if you're in Seoul, I heard that the power grid is actually not that good. So, there may be massive blackouts if people use too much air conditioning. So, if you are staying in your house with your air conditioning on, don't be too greedy and maybe set it for 28 degrees.

If you absolutely want to stay at home without air conditioning, make sure that one of your friends knows where you will be and checks in with you! If you know of a friend who doesn't have AC, make sure you check in with them and maybe invite them over to share your aircon.

1. There are public centers designated as "heat shelters." They provide free air conditioned spaces to give shelter to people without air conditioners. Search for 무더위쉼터. There will be signs that look something like this. If you want to ask a police officer or someone else, just show them this picture and they'll hopefully be able to bring you to one.
   
2. If you absolutely have to be out and about, the city governments often put out huge blogs of ice in high-traffic areas. I took this picture 5 years ago in Jeonju.
   
3. I always had air conditioning, but I never wanted to worry about how high my electricity bill would be, so I always grabbed a book (or my Kindle) and then just camped out at at 24 hour cafe for basically the entire day.
4. For a brief respite from the heat, you can step into a bank entrance. I know it's vacation season right now, but they should be available to you!
5. You can also stop by Olive Young or another one of those types of stores and just browse for tens of minutes.
6. Movie theater: Movie tickets in Korea are super cheap (compared to the US, at least). Make it an excuse to watch every single movie you wanted to see. You should definitely book ahead of time just to ensure you get seats (it's all reserved seating). It's a perfect time to check out a 4D movie at Yongsan or Chungdam or check out what's playing on the Lotte World Mall's hugenormous screen!
7. Here's my previous post about swimming pools in Seoul. Sorry to my readers from outside of Seoul! If you leave a comment below, I'll search for your public swimming pools and let you know!
8. Malls -  I bet they're going to be super crazy crowded, but it's better than sweating in your apartment.
9. Find a friend with air conditioning and you order the pizza or chicken of jjajangmyun delivery!
10. I bet the jjimjilbang (Korean saunas) won't be too busy, but I believe they should be relatively cool.

Seriously, the frozen water bottles will help. It'll be best to freeze them and put them in a sock. That way the condensation will not get everywhere.

There are also cooling pads at Daiso! You can pop them in your freezer and then put them in your pillowcase or under your blanket at night. I'm sure they're gone by now, but I definitely bought a couple on my trip in May.

Also, don't forget your pets!
Make sure they're drinking a lot of water. If you have to take your dog out to do its business, make sure you have little booties on his/her feet to protect your doggo's feet from the scorching pavement and roads. Don't leave your pets in a car, even if it's a quick errand!

Leave a comment below with your tips!

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