Shopping in Seoul beyond groceries

A couple days ago friend of mine asked me what it was like shopping in South Korea, and to be honest, it was REALLY different than here (in Washington). Next to the hostel and the goshitel I lived in, there were little shops, they reminded me of the bodegas from when I was a kid. Tiny little stores with fresh fruits and veggies, and they were on the corner of every block, so if one didn't have something the next one might. Everything was FRESH and seasonal. Sometimes there weren't even shops, we'd by fresh fruit from vendors on the street, you'd see them near a street food stall (like the photo below).

Typical street food stall and fresh produce

Grocery stores are a bit different, they tend to have a home section and a grocery section- which really made life MUCH easier when I needed bedding and cooking gear.

I don't know why, but I STILL think the milk is the CUTEST thing. I just really like the bottles. They have several brands, some come in cartons, but I didn't see gallons like we have in the US.  The worse thing we ever did, was buy so much we could barely lug it home. Things are a lot different when you don't have a car. We learned a lot... after we did that three or four times.

I don't think any of us ever got any of the imported food. Most of us thought it was gross- especially the American section. The cookies were okay- but that's about it. I'd buy premade banchan(side dishes), microwave spaghetti, salads and overpriced cereal, because I HATED cooking in the goshitel. A lot of tuna and crackers were consumed. I remember my German roommate getting giddy about sausage/brats, I understood her joy. Looking back, those would have been a good buy. Cheese was always... off a bit. On the upside I may just try making my own mozzarella to combat this in the future.

Perk #1 Toilet paper with my name on it Kodee toilet paper... I think I have something in my eye.

If you REALLY want FRESH fruits, veggies, FISH, maybe something I can't pronounce or anything else, a really, a good place to check out is the 시장 (shijang) or traditional market. I'll be honest with you- having linguistic ability (or Korean friends) will serve you well here. My Korean isn't great, but through various interpretive dances I've managed to get my point across.

One of the cool things about the traditional markets is the goodies, they have THE BEST snacks, heoddok, deokkbukki, pajeon, kimbap... I ran out of food, but you get it. It's GOOD.

This deokkbukki was SO GOOD... I still have dreams about it

One of the things I was told when I planned my trip was, you can't find tampons, you can't find deodorant, and good deal of my packing efforts was specifically to fit a years worth of those products into my luggage.  I knew underarm perfume was findable, I clung to my Nature Republic arm pit perfume for over a year. Although it wasn't deodorant/antiperspirant, I really liked it, and the way it smelled. I really want MORE. The good news is, these things are available and can be found in Seoul, South Korea (and in Jeju, but those are the only places I can vouch for.) ;)

Olive Young reminds me of a US Walgreen or Rite-aid without being able to pick up your prescription.  They have some decent goodies, and I can't complain too much on MOST of their prices. Tampons are a bit... spendy, but they're NOT that popular in SK. Don't know what to tell you there. Same goes for deodorant. Sorry, but Korean people just don't smell as bad as... well anyone else. They lucked out biologically.
Most popular place for foreigners to go, Myeongdong. It seems like this is the "GO TO" local for non-locals, and locals alike. This is one of my favorite places to go WITH FRIENDS. It's SO busy here sometimes we'd grab hands just to keep from losing each other in the crowds, but SO many good things can be found here. Like pet cafes and interesting restaurants. It's fun to get lost. They have the best goodies - street food wise, and an abundance of shops to check out.

If you need clothes and are foreigner size, Uniclo is the place to go. I still wear clothes I picked up from Uniclo. They have a decent selection of clothes, pertaining to the season, and depending on what you get, prices aren't too bad. This store saved me more than once. When I asked a friend to take me shopping, she brought me to Mixxo (no photos) although they had decent prices and selection, my chest was JUUUUUUST a bit too big for many items. H&M and Forever 21 also offered more of a selection size wise. I have a dress from Forever 21 I can't stop wearing! So, I did find a few nice things. I had luck at the grocery store too- not a joke the local E-Mart where we did most our shopping had a nice selection of clothing and goods in the bottom half. Even cute shops set up for things like shoes and winter gear.

So there you have it, a guide to buying Korean... wait...