When you've got a spare afternoon, why not Seomun Market?

While Seomun isn't the most diverse market I've ever been to, it's a good place to stop for anyone new to Daegu. You can buy food, clothing, accessories, furniture, shoes, wigs, thread, fabric, blankets, pillows, buttons, silverware, flowers, and any number of other things that escape me at the moment. Every nook and cranny of this giant market has a shop selling something.

Good quality wigs, starting at 20,000won

All of your sewing needs, met in one stall

A fuck ton  lot of buttons.

Along the main road beside the market (marked by a huge sign, can't miss it), vendors are selling fresh food. Fruits and vegetables, rice and nuts, fish both fresh and dried, and lots of bugs and squid. These stalls are kept somewhat separate from the bulk of the market, a wise decision considering how smelly fish gets when it's outside for hours. Ugh.

There are several buildings forming the core of the market, with the vendors outside being shielded by their collective roof. Each building is slightly different: one is for hanboks (Korean traditional clothing), another has furniture, and the largest is clothing and fabrics. There are 4 floors and a basement in each, easily accessed by escalators in the center of the building. The higher you go, the less crowded the halls become, so I like to visit the fabric floors just to collect my thoughts from the chaos of outside.

Ready to eat food is plentiful in the market, if you're looking for a quick grab 'n go meal. Most of the stands within the physical market serve mandu (fried dumplings), ddoekbokki (rice cakes in spicy red sauce), odeng (pressed fish cake on a stick boiled in broth), or hoddeok (the greatest invention ever. See my post about favorite things in Korea). On the fringes of the market are smaller stands where you can sit down and eat these things, or get a bowl of bibimbap (mixed rice), kimbap (roll of rice with various fillings), or naengmyeon (cold noodles in vinegary broth). All of it is cheap and delicious.

My favorite hoddeok stand in Daegu. Dead center of the market, always has a huge line

Typical mandu on the left, and the flat mandu, famous in Daegu, on the right

Ddeokbokki. Usually very spicy!!

Unlike markets in other countries, where the vendors will say nearly anything to keep a sale going, the vendors at Seomun are much more relaxed. If you want it: great. If you don't: go away. They'll haggle, of course, but I never feel verbally assaulted the way I did in Cambodia or Vietnam.

I love going to Seomun market, even if I don't need anything. I can always get some hoddeok, find some terribly incorrect English, and get ideas for future projects. If you're in Daegu, check it out.

How to get there: On the green line (line #2), the stop is Seomun Market (although I think they're changing the name to Sinnam eventually). Come out of exit 1, and immediately make a u-turn to the right coming out of the stairs. Without crossing, follow the street to the left until you reach the large sign. When it's so congested you can hardly walk without running over an ahjumma, you've reached your destination.

안녕!

Group trips: yay or nay? Guest Post #2

They say “A journey is best measured in friends, not in miles.” (Tim Cahill) but what happens when you combine the two? My friends and I have just started our second year in the EPIK program and have decided to start planning trips around Korea independently. See, last year we had always participated in events organized by the many foreign-teacher focused tour groups in Korea. These groups usually create an event focused around a special event or seasonal activity. For example, some of the trips that they plan are: skydiving, Buddha’s birthday weekend, Mudfest, ATV riding/paintball, and when the weather gets cold, they even have a ski trip planned. The best part is you simply pay their fee (usually around $200) and show up at the planned location! Now you’re probably wondering, “If the opportunities are so abundant and convenient, why would you want to plan your own trip?” Well, as Kevin Hart would say- let me explain. These organized trips are great for someone who wouldn’t know Sokcho from Gumi, however, they have a few drawbacks.

1.     Price/Accommodation: So, you’re telling me for 150,000 won, I get transportation to and from the event, lodging, and even some meals? I’ll take it! How can you afford to offer this deal? Oh…it’s 7 people to room? I see. One of the things they don’t tell you about these trips is that for the money you’re spending, you’ll be sanctioned off in a back woods part of town, in a motel/hotel that has agreed to handle foreigners, with little amenities and several other people. Usually these places are manageable and clean, however, you won’t be getting much sleep in one because…

2.     Everyone on the trip is drunk and loud. I can’t tell you how many beers are consumed on these voyages, all I know is it’s hard to spot a foreigner without one. From the moment we set sail (usually at 8 am) the stench of alcohol fills the air as most people drink on the bus to pass the time. When you crunch the numbers, it means that people are drinking for 5-8 hours straight before we even get to the event site. The organizers usually endorse the “party bus” atmosphere with loud music and karaoke. After the event is completed (zip lining, ATV riding, hang gliding) the drinking resumes with a fervor well into the night. If you have the misfortune of rooming with some party goers, you can assume that you’ll have a hard time getting rest over the weekend. This gets agitating when…

3.     You aren’t eating well. My advice for someone joining one of these trips is to eat a big, healthy breakfast before getting on the bus. It’s probably the last real meal you’ll have during the weekend. During the long bus rides (5+ hours) there will come a time when you are ready for some food. Unfortunately, keeping time is a priority, so you have to grab something easy from the rest stops we go to. Usually we are given about ten minutes to use the restroom and buy a snack from the market. Basically, your lunch is going to be some sort of chip, roll of unidentifiable meat, or cookie. Maybe all three! Things don’t look better once we arrive at the event site. I remember one trip where there was only a 7-Eleven within walking distance from our hotel. During the night when you get hungry, delivery is going to be your only option. Now you’re tired, hungry, and ready for the awesome event you signed up for! Which is unfortunate because…

4.    The events are never what you think they are. “Come zip line over the cool waters of such and such beach, Korea’s Hawaii-esque island! After a day in the sun we’ll relax with a beach side barbeque” Except, now, because of some unforeseen events, the zip line is broken, it’s raining, and the barbeque turned into some measly chips and a sandwich (maybe). If every trip delivered on the awesomeness promised in the event descriptions, I would have no problem signing up for them. I can handle a lack of sleep and proper food if it means I’ll be enjoying some unbelievable experience. Unfortunately it’s a rare occurrence to have all expectations met on these tour packaged trips. Even something as simple as a day at the beach turned into cold winds and rain last year.

With the difficulties encountered during these pre-planned, inclusive trips, it makes sense that we would try and create our own experiences our last year in Korea. We have the resources to make decisions and know the layout of the country much better than before. Despite differing opinions, and weeks spent coming to a consensus, I can confidently say that trying to plan a destination with your good friends in Korea is a journey that everyone should take.

Imani is an elementary ESL teacher here in Daegu. She enjoys Korean food, attractive Korean men, and making me look bad because she always looks put together whereas I just rolled out of bed 10 minutes prior. You can stalk her at thetravelparadox.blogspot.kr.