Day 4, Insadong.

Day 4. I think our bodies are adjusting better to the time difference as far as sleeping goes.

We met up with Kayla and went shopping in Insadong this afternoon. They have a "traditional street" full of souvenirs and gifts.

Waiting for the subway and having fun with reflections!

Prior to Insadong, Mom and I left the hotel a little early to "look" for a place to have lunch. BAD IDEA! The closest thing we could find to restaurants were coffee shops, and then, once we finally got steered in the right direction, we encountered more problems!

We went to one restaurant where they could not understand what we were saying at ALL. The waitress even threw her hands up in exasperation at one point and walked away. It was ironic because this restaurant was in an alley specifically geared toward tourists (according to a sign) who want to try Korean food! Anyway, we ended up leaving because they did not know what we were asking AND their plates were about $25.00 each.

We then went to another restaurant, but they would not let us share an entree. This meant that the meal would have been close to $40.00! No thanks again. That is way too much to spend on lunch. 

We finally settled for a deli located in a bookstore in the subway station. We tried a sausage rice omelet. It was weird to eat an omelet stuffed with rice! 

I got a great start on buying souvenirs in Insadong. Items are so colorful and unique here! Mom told one of the shopkeepers that I was her daughter, and I think she was a little surprised! However, once I open my mouth to speak, it does not take people long to figure out that I am a foreigner. 

One thing I noticed about the shopkeepers is that they are PUSHY! They literally hover over your shoulder while you are looking at items and try to convince you to buy them (i.e. "Very pretty!"). Also, when you are paying, they rush you even if it is obvious that you are looking for your money. They keep repeating the amount to you as if you did not understand them the first time! I realize that this is a cultural thing, but it really goes against my beliefs of being patient with people and respecting their personal space. I honestly find it all a little off-putting and try to buy from vendors that are less pushy with me. 

Starbucks Coffee...in Korean!

After shopping, we went to dinner at a hole in the wall restaurant that served mandu (dumplings). We shared a combination plate that included fried and steamed dumplings filled with pork, kimchi, or japchae. They were very good and inexpensive!

I really enjoyed getting to shop today! I still have several more things to buy though. Tomorrow, I think we are going to N Seoul Tower (Namsan Tower).