Dongdaemun

Saturday morning, Geoff and I started for our next adventure. We tackled the Subway system from Dongducheon to Seoul. We made our way to Dongdaemun. This is a famous fahion district recognized worldwide with 10 large shopping buildings. This is Geoff waiting to cross the street. I think that I saw more people than I ever have in my entire life. I can't believe that for a country to be so small, it has so many people living here. This fashion deistrict is also centered around a huge baseball stadium. Outside of the stadium are rows apon rows of vendors selling clothes, bags, food, really almost anything you can think of. I even saw someone selling what looked like used toenail clippers. There was a street that had nothing but shoes. Of course everything is a knock off, but it is all really reasonably priced. The majority of the venodors are even willing to negoiate for everything.
We had to switch trains in Uijongbu, and of course I had to go the restroom. I was not prepared for what I saw. I had to take a picture. I really could not believe that some people still do not have the standard toilet. Yes, that is a horizontal urinal in the floor. That was in the ladies restroom also. Don't ask me how I managed. When you got to go, you got to go! I did learn that I always to have a pack of kleenex and some hand sanitizer with me at all times.
This is the nicest lady that I have met. She did a wonderful job at selling me a hat. This was inside one of those shopping buildings. When you think of a shopping building you probably think of a mall or a shopping center. This was more like a sky scraper. It was 10 or 11 stories high and was packed. On each floor there were clothes set up in little booths and you go and ask for your size. You bargain for your price and that is it. No check out counters, and no dressing rooms to try things on. You had better know your size. There were aisles aisles of these little vendors and they were all pretty much selling the same stuff. There were a couple of floors for women, a couple for men, and so on. the food court was on the 9th floor (which I thought was odd). We managed to find a pizza ans pasta place. We ordered a pepperoni pizza. There pepperoni pizza came with peppers and black olives without asking.
I find this so interesting. In the U.S. we are so worried about food bacteria and keeping things fresh. This is a stand in the middle of the city with dead fish, and eels for sale. It was not on ice. Some stands might have a couple of pieces of ice on top of there dead sea creatures, but most did not. It was probably 85 degrees with the humidity at 90 to 100%. I have walked through other markets and found some kind of fish brains, squid and even some octopus. The smell is horrid and I have ultimately decided unless it is a nice clean restaurant I will not be eating out a lot. There is a fast food chain called Lotteria, that sales things like squid burgers. I am sure it just tastes like chicken, but I will admit I am scared of that kind of stuff.
Over all Geoff and I had a wonderful day. We have taken notice that the Koreans can be a little off in there fashion choices. You might see someone wearing plaid pants and a floral shirt. They pick up on american culture, like t-shirts with sayings on them, but they don't quite get it right. Until next time!