The More We Get Together The Happier We'll Be!

    Sometimes first impressions can be deceiving. If you have been following since the beginning, you know that Seoul and I definitely got off on the wrong foot. But at this juncture, I can safely say that it has quickly begun to win me over.... and I'll tell you why. In case you haven't been paying attention in the time that we've known each other - shopping is my favorite sport. It's an art I can confidently say I have mastered. Now, rumor among the foreigners here is that the neighborhood of Myeong-dong in Seoul has just about the best shopping around, and they have a brand new H&M that sells "foreigner size" clothes. What that means is, you can find things there that fit someone weighing more than 95 pounds. So, being that this is the kind of shopping I seek, I decided to make a go of it. Yesterday I set out on a solo adventure in search of a great pair of black skinny jeans and ended up having a shop-tastic experience!

    Since I am on my own this weekend (Rachel went on a hiking trip and is out of town until tonight) I decided that I would try taking the fast train into Seoul since A- I had never tried it before, and B- it takes less than half the time to get there than it does on the subway. And let me tell you, best decision I have ever made. It makes taking the subway to Seoul look ridiculous at this point. I bought a ticket, hopped on the train, and in about a half-hour's time I was in the middle of hustling, bustling Seoul Station. Love it!!

Fast train to Seoul!

I don't know why, but this sign on the train cracks me up!

Here is said hammer....

     Once I got to Seoul station, I had to hop on the subway for two stops to get to Myeong-dong. So I maneuvered through the crowded station and quickly found my train. About 10 minutes later I popped up right in the middle of  fantastic Myeong-dong, haven of the shopping gods, if you will.

Koreans love shopping. We have that in common.

Typical view. It's literally just block after block after block of this!

Don't misunderstand. Just because there are so many people that you can't even see the street, doesn't mean cars don't still try to drive here.
Oh, silly Korea. How I love thee.

    Now, sure the streets are lined with store after designer store, and that's great, but that's not really the best part. I mean, who has that kind of money, anyway? No, the best part about Myeong-dong is the street shopping! All up and down the middle of the streets are strings of kiosks and carts loaded with every kind of merchandise you could ever want - purses, wallets, watches, jewelry, stockings, hats, gloves, sunglasses, shoes, scarves.... the list goes on and on! And the thing is, it's cheap! You could walk this street from end to end and come out only having spent about $40. So needless to say, I was enjoying the scenery.

    Finally I made it to H&M which is basically a four-story mecca for the fashionable girl. I'm pretty sure I could have easily spent 2 months worth of paychecks there in no time flat, but mostly I stuck to my skinny jeans mission. I succeeded in finding what I wanted and then headed back out to the streets to take in some more of the loveliness. Around 6pm I decided it was about time to head home, so I went back down under to the subway and started my quick journey home. At 7 o'clock when I got back, I couldn't believe I had been to Seoul and back (and spent a good amount of time shopping in between) in only half a day! I came home accomplished and happy.... and one pair of skinny jeans heavier.  
    All-in-all, a really good day, and after having a handful of successful weekends in Seoul, I can honestly say that the more I get to know that city, the better friends we become.

The bottom right of the bag says it all!

You didn't really think you were gonna get out of here without a Creepy Steve fix, did you???