24 hour shopping

This past weekend SaeRom came and met me at my apartment at about 11:00am on Saturday morning.  I was actually really glad we didn't do anything on Friday night because I was so exhausted and still sick...
We headed to Itaewon around 11:30am and ended up having lunch with her younger brother on the military base.  He is serving his mandatory two year military service for the Korean Army like all males have to do in South Korea.  He was happy to see us and I can confidently say I was the only foreigner visiting a Korean military man that day, haha. 

Filling out a request form to see SaeRom's brother



Military procedures



We ordered pizza & fried chicken for lunch




Saying goodbye to SaeRom's brother

 

Itaewon

After a long lunch, SaeRom and I headed to one of the cell phone stores nearby so that I could get a cell phone.  I filled out paperwork for an iphone4; however, I have to wait until it comes into the store in about two weeks.  I thought about getting a different phone which I could have left the store with that day, but I don't have an mp3 player or a good camera so I was really excited to get the new iphone.  Also, they removed the country lock on the new ones so I could use it when I returned to the states.  In other words, I'm still a bit handicapped without a phone, but skype has been a lifesaver lately.  It will be especially nice when I get my own internet later this week and it doesn't kick me off every 5 minutes.




On our way to Gwanghwamun

This building holds a large bell that is rung on National Holidays

Cheonggye Plaza

Mapping out our night

I'm well on my way to becoming a Seoul subway expert ;)

By the time we made it to Gwanghwamun, the Gyeongbukgong Palace was about to close so we ended up walking around Insadong and checking out all of the souveneirs.  There were tons of cool shops and awesome street food.  These guys did a demonstration for us, making this traditional candy and I bought some because they were so hilarious.  They even translated the performance for me, echoing their little song in English, haha.  The candy tastes really good too.  I also got a few scarves and a couple of hats from some of the street vendors.

After Insadong, we walked back over to where they were supposed to be having a lantern festival near Gwanghwamun.  We pushed our way to one of the gates and were able to see some of them.  Basically they looked like what you would see if you drove through a Christmas light show, but they were animated characters from cartoons and holiday figures.  SaeRom and Eunice thought that I should buy another warm coat so we went to Meyongdong again, where we were shopping last weekend.  I got a parka-type coat, which they call 'jumpers.'  It's really warm and will come in handy this winter when I'm walking from place to place. We passed by another photo booth that had Korean traditional clothing you could try on.  Eunice and SaeRom immediately insisted that I try on the traditional wedding dress to which I gladly abliged. 

We had dinner at a little restaurant amidst the shops where you order a huge plate of spicy chicken stir-fry with vegetables and you all dig into the plate with your chopsticks.  Most restaurants are this style and I quite like it.  Eunice bid us farewell after dinner, but we didn't feel like going home yet.  It was 11:00pm so SaeRom suggested we go to Dongdaemun, which is a 24 hour shopping mall.

Koreans have the cutest accesories, all of the girls are adorable!

Jewelry galore

Souvenirs in the window of a shop in Insa-dong

We shopped until we dropped.  Literally.

I had to tell SaeRom I couldn't walk anymore at about 3:00am.  My lower back started hurting and my feet were aching.  I kept leaning over and hunching like an old lady.  We had walked a lot that day.  I have no regrets though.  24 hour shopping in Korea is the bomb.

~Miss Jones ^_^