Year 1 - Shopping and exploring

Hi again

It is hard to believe that I got here 2 weeks ago. That I am entering my third week in Korea. It feels like it was just yesterday in some ways. In other ways it feels like I have been here forever.

Today, I resumed exploring the city. After my morning classes I went to the E-Mart.Even the taxi drivers here are friendly! Go figure.

The E-Mart is basically WalMart. It even has a McDeath inside. Unlike Walmart, the E-Mart is several stories, each dealing with a different thing. Clothes is the first level. Books and toys the second. Electronics the third. The fourth is not in use. The 1st basement level is food. The escalators up and down are ramps, not stairs, so you can bring your cart all over with you.

One strange thing was entering the store parking lot. They have someone whose specific job is to direct traffic. A woman, dressed to the 9's, making sure deliveries went one way, customers another, taxis yet another. It was unusal to see for the first time.

Something else that I found strange was that you had to pay on each level. WHen I bought a pen set and writing pad I paid on the second floor. When I bought a set of speakers for my laptop (FS-350's by JPC, 380 Watt speakers, and they only cost 16,000 WON, about $20) I paid for them on the third floor. They also don't give you bags.

After I got back to my apartment I decided to continue exploring. I had heard of a traditional street market in the area, a few blocks away. So with someone else from the school I went looking. The traditional market is just what I expected. Stalls all up and down ythe sides of a narrow street. The backs of the shops are where the owners live. You can find anything there. Fresh veggies, fresh meat, freshly killed chickens hanging in front of a stall, clothes, dishes, ANYTHING. Even live eels. It was fascinating to see. The market ended at the start of the red light district, which wasn't as interesting to see in daylight. Or so I hear. ;)

I found a stall selling a sort of dumpling called Samgyetang. It is chicken stuffed with ginseng, sticky rice and garlic. It is seasoned with salt and black pepper and stewed. I say sort of because real samgyetang has jujubes in it as well. For 2000 won, about $1.60 CDN you get 8 of these, some sauce (soy with hot pepper) plus some radish kimchi. It is a good meal in and of itself. After all the walking (and not having eaten breakfast) it was a very satisfying meal.

The exploration was well worth the time. I found a place to go and get things I may need at VERY reasonable prices.

Take care

Flint

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I say samgyetang you might say mandu stuffed with samgyetang. ;)