Bienvenue dans notre famille d'accueil!

I had such an incredible experience at MAMA house. Everyone in the family was so nice to me and even though my Korean was limited, we still managed to communicate well. The food that was cooked for me was so healthy and delicious. The little apples cut into the apple shape was very cute! The roommates in the house were some of he nicest people I've met in my time in Korea. And I have to say the washroom water pressure was very good and temperature was very hot!!! I had such a good experience at MAMA house and I will definitely come and stay here again next time!

Logement très bien situé au coeur de Séoul à une centaine de metres d une station de ligne de metro importante.
On se croirait dans un vieux quartier, de Hongkongais, vieux, avec ses rues étroites, son immeuble très ancien, kitsch... Le temps s est arrêté dans le passé. C est un Dépaysement..

Vous êtes hébergé dans une vraie grande famille coréenne où se cotoient plusieurs générations. Ils sont chaleureux et d une gentillesse.

Appartement propre, confortable avec chambre individuelle. Dommage que l on ne puisse pas verrouiller de l extérieur sa chambre où cohabite d autres guests.

On mange avec la famille, les bons petits plats préparés par la mama ou la fille.
Ils sont au ptit soin, se mettent en quatre pour vous conseiller, vous aider à vous déplacer, ex consulter des sites internets pour réserver un billet de train très tard dans nuit.
Ce sont les hostes qui vous gâtent de présents... ...

Je n oublierai jamais ce sejour hélas trop court. Un grand merci

This review is long overdue…죄송합니다.

I was the first Homestay.com guest at Mama’s House.
I had decided to take an adventure to Asia last summer (2018); two weeks in Japan and 2 weeks in Korea (I then went to Korea again winter 2019) This was my very first-time leaving Los Angeles on my own traveling so far away. I was excited but extremely nervous. All alone in a foreign land and not being able to understand Korean (or Japanese) made it even more nerve-racking. I knew I was definitely in for an adventure...

I had made plans to stay in two places I found on Homestay.com. But while I was in Japan I got a text from one of my hosts for the second week that she had to cancel due to an injury (she’s OK now). When I got to Korea I had a week to find another place, but after 2 requests getting denied (or ignored), I was thinking I’d just stay another week, but I decided to try looking for a place one more time. I finally found Mama’s House, but there were no Homestay.com reviews so I was a bit nervous. They did, however, have pictures of hosts having a good time looking like they were enjoying themselves...and so I contacted them and crossed my fingers.

They accepted me. Hoooray!!! As the day neared to head out of my current location we were in constant contact. This helped a lot.

So what did I think of my experience at Mama’s House?...

• People:
The most important...
This is a family of 5. There is the matriarch of the family, “Mama” (어머니 [oh-moh-nee]). Then there are 2 daughters: Sunny and Youngsu. Since Youngsu is a little bit older than me she preferred that I call her “Older Sister” (누나 [Nunah {In Korea you use different terms depending on whether you are male or female}]). There is Youngsu’s husband too. I think we agreed to “Older Brother-in-law” (형님 [hyeongnim] or maybe it was자형 [ja-hyeong) and then Youngsu’s (누나) daughter, YooYeon (유연); I call her “Niece” (조카딸 [joh-ka-ttal]). If it weren’t for YooYeon’s kindness, patience and willingness to interpret the Korean conversations into English, I would have been sooo lost. There were other family members and friends who would stop by the apartment. In addition to the family members, there were other guests that were staying in the apartment who tended to be a Japanese university or sometimes middle school students taking Korean classes. It truly felt like a (multi-cultural) family. Unfortunately, I was the odd-man-out since I didn’t know Japanese or Korean and the Japanese students didn’t feel comfortable speaking English. We did have a few short conversations though.

• Animals:
There are two dogs that live in the apartment so if you have any allergies or are not comfortable around dogs you might want to ask Youngsu about them before you make arraignments. Also, one of the dogs, Sammy, is very, VERY, protective of Sunny, so do not get too close to her room and keep your distance from Sunny when Sammy is being held by her or is near her. There are a couple of pee-pads in the apartment for the dogs; one at the door (so be careful when you come in) and one towards the back of the apartment. Sometimes the dogs would miss their target [The dogs are young...what can you do?], but the urine/poop would be cleaned up immediately.

• Location - Was it good? Was it as described?
When I exited the subway (I think my 2nd time using it), I was greeted by Youngsu and her daughter, YooYeon, and they guided me to where I was going to stay, which was at their mother’s/grandmother’s apartment.
Although Youngsu manages the guests’ requests, the guests usually stay at her mother’s apartment [thus “Mama’s House”], which is just a few feet away from Youngsu’s apartment. The building is quite old and definitely could use a makeover, but the apartment is nice. I really liked “Mama’s (어머니 [oh-moh-nee]) pearl inlaid dresser. There are two guest rooms, a room with a big TV that is sectioned off by a curtain; “Mama” (어머니 [oh-moh-nee]) usually sleeps there and the other daughter’s room, Sunny’s room, is hidden away in the kitchen area. There are no walls that separate the kitchen and the common area.

• Expectations - Were they met?
My first time in Korea I was in “survival mode.” Everything was new and I was just trying not to offend anyone. But as the days went by, I felt more at ease. So, I would say, YES! my expectations were met. I had a nice room with A/C, a nice family who looked after me, and I could get to the subway within minutes of the apartment. What more could a guy want??? [Answer: Cooler weather during summer. :-)]

•Hospitality - How would you describe the host?
Even though I was quite nervous, they accepted me with open arms and wanted to know more about me and where I came from. Even though I could not speak/understand Korean YooYeon was kind enough to make time to help us communicate with each other, even after a busy day at her university. The second time I came to Korea, YooYeon was in Indonesia, so it was a bit more difficult to communicate, but still doable. I could go on and on about how helpful they were when I needed help getting around, like when I got sick and I needed some medicine[during 2x visit] or when Youngsu came with me to the bank to help me figure out why I couldn’t withdraw my money [long story!] or going on walks together with Sammy... Even though “Mama” and I could not communicate all too well I always felt she had my best interest at heart and made sure I was fed; Youngsu and “Mama” even took me out for porridge. Sunny was also very cordial too and would do her best to speak to me in English. Unfortunately, Sunny’s schedule made it difficult for us to see each other as much as I saw the other family members. Yungsu’s husband was also kind, he would insist on taking me out for a beer (even though I don’t drink beer).

• Housekeeping - Was the house kept clean?
The apartment overall was homely and clean. The rooms were cozy and clean as well. The one bathroom is shared amongst the family and guests, but remained well kept; “Mama” would clean the bathroom and the floors. The bathroom had a washing machine for my clothes, but not a clothes dryer. All your clothes will be dried outside hanging on a clothesline [This is typical in Asia]. Right next to the washing machine was the shower. There was a small curtain to reduce the water from entering the washing machine area. And right next to where you would take a shower was a sink and near the washing machine was, thankfully, a modern toilet.

• Amenities - What was there to do and see in the local area?
Let’s see... The apartment is in (or near) downtown Seoul, so the area has more of a business feel to it than a residential or party ambiance. I think the area is considered a “print district.” You’ll see a lot of paper (posters and the like) being moved from place to place on motorcycles. I think I even saw one of those old mechanical offset printing presses, but you could also see digital printing companies just a few feet away. You can “feel” this “fight” between keeping the old traditional way of life versus the new, modern, digital way of life. When I first visited Korea, I basically stayed local, very local. I walked around in the summer heat/humidity. Youngsu would take me to Namsangol Hanok Village which is very nearby. We also walked or took the subway to City Hall. There’s also an underground shopping area close by. If you take it all the way, you’ll reach the Lotte shopping complex; it’s BIG!! You can get anything there; food, clothing, skincare, etc... Since you are 1-3 minutes away from the subway, you could get to other (touristy) areas as well – like Myeong-dong – in 5 minutes. If you are a party guy or girl you most probably will need to go a bit further out by taking the subway to Itaewon, which is about (maybe) 20 min. away; it’s really easy getting to any major district from the apartment.

OK...If you made it this far – give yourself a pat on the back. Kudos to you!!! I just want to end by giving you a few tips:

1) If you wear jeans, be sure to bring more than what you need. They take forever to dry (during winter even longer) so you will need a few extra days of pants to wear while the clothes are drying or be sure to buy some extra clothes when you get to Korea.
2) Learn as much Korean as you can before you leave. “Mama” will be very happy.
3) This is NOT a hotel. This is someone’s home. They have pets and therefore you will have to accept what pets do. If you didn’t grow up with a pet or don’t have a house pet, you might not be used to some of the issues that come with having pets in an enclosed area.
4) Although you do not need to bring it, be sure you get some kind of skin lotion and lip balm soon after you arrive in Korea (both male and female). Your skin will probably get really dry soon after you arrive.
5) It’s hard to share with you every little thing I experienced. This is just a small part of my adventure in Korea. I came back again during winter and I stayed at “Mama’s House” a second time. Unfortunately, I got sick the whole time I was there, but as I mentioned above, Youngsu helped me get some medicine.
6) When you enter the bathroom, keep in mind someone might have taken a shower right before you, so your clothes might get a little wet; be sure to take off your socks and roll up your pants before you enter.

If you are a lone, shy, traveler and this is your first time traveling to Korea and you don’t know anyone, I highly encourage you to contact Youngsu and at least spend a couple of days with them. You will make new friends with them as well as with their other guests. They are easy-going and will help you get around the local area. I am eternally grateful to the Kang family and I hope I can return to Korea and visit them once again. Miss you all! Thank You! 감사합니다 (gam-sa-ham-ni-da)!