South Korea (Day 7) – Migeum

Sat 18/07/2009

I didn’t do much today and just decided to kick back at Jason’s place. We just went to try out some Vietnamese cuisine downstairs. Vietnamese is quite popular here especially the noodle soups (pho), why wouldn’t it be popular? Everyone loves that MSG goodness. Later in the evening when the rain began to ease, we jumped on the Metro line for 1 stop to a suburb called Ori. There we went to the local plaza to watch Transformers 2. Tickets are 8000 won and we got 3rd row seats. 3rd from the front I mean so it wasn’t the greatest seat in the world.

In Seoul particularly at department stores they have this machine that allows you to insert your wet umbrella into some plastic so it doesn’t drip and leak water all over the shop. It’s a great idea but may be costly to provide the plastic, someone must be paying for that! These machines only work for the long umbrellas and not the retractable ones. It’s a very simple device; it’s just like placing a long plastic bag over the umbrella so that water doesn’t go all over the floor. I will assume they throw away the plastic in the bin once they’re finished at the department store.

I find it amusing that at most if not all train stations there are full body size mirrors which you can use to groom yourself, check your hair, your make up and so on.

There are so many underground markets in Seoul. Long labyrinths and networks of stalls that usually connect up with a train station. Above ground there may be department stores and fancy shops but just below where you stand, you can find similar stores but I think they’re predominantly stores that sell cheaper products and different sorts of items. You’ll always find a store somewhere in Seoul even in the oddest of places. Sometimes I think anyone can set up a store and sell something but surely there is some sort of regulation or license required in order to sell goods.

smiles