Supermarkets here are scary...

Today I had 장어 (eel) for lunch at 풍천장어 in Jamsil in front of 영파여고 with red-leaf lettuce, rice, miso soup, and kimchi, along with some other vegetables. Dang good. A little pricy, but worth the experience.

Then I accompanied Jen to a manga/dry-cleaning store. Um... I would have never thought to put the two together, but I guess it works? There are so many volumes in that little rectangular area that there are even sliding bookshelves, like in Beauty and the Beast (when Belle is borrowing a book). This was the first manga bookstore I had been in--and now I realize just how many manga series there are. SO. MANY.

Later I visited Home Plus, which is kind of like a mix of Whole Foods (as far as the feel) and Costco (because there are samples everywhere) but not like an H-Mart (there weren't other little stores on the outskirt of the main shopping area, although there were eating areas). I went there with Jen and her mom to buy yogurt and shampoo and was astonished at how busy it was, how there were different floors that were connected via flat escalators (for shopping carts) and how everyone is yelling! There are random workers located near different things and all announcing why you should try their ware. I would say it is like being attacked, all the time, to try things. I felt so stressed out! And of course all the Koreans are kind of harried, rushing to get into line or get a sample (I never got a sample because other people always ate some first, it was ridiculous).

Two things that I love and appreciate about Korea already. One: Most households have to recycle (the apartment I'm staying in is SUPER intense. You have to separate food, plastic, metal, paper, glass, and trash, and put it all in different bins. There are garbage places dotted all around this complex of apartment buildings for residents to trundle off their stuff). Two: The subway is way nice and easy to use. Why can't Boston up its game...

After coming back from the adventure at the supermarket, I left to go to Ewha for a meeting with the Hana Center volunteer team again. We met, had dinner, debriefed on how our time at the Hana Centers yesterday was, and then afterward went to noraebang. Apparently, if there are no customers waiting for a room, the place generally increases the time you can stay for free. I was surprised because I thought that was nice of the noraebang place--but I guess since they don't really lose money, it doesn't really matter.

Tomorrow I'll be going to 한겨레 중고등학교 to get a tour of the facilities. Not exactly sure what it is, so I'll update with more details later.