Wherever we may roam: mall

Vikki and Melina

I went with my next-door neighbor a few weeks ago to Dongdeamun, but the fabric shops were all closed. We wandered around the shopping areas, but we had both been hoping to get into the fabric market. So I was wanting to go back when the stores were open. I met an army wife online named Melina a while back. She just got to Korea 2 weeks ago and she wanted to go and see the sites. I decided to take her to Dongdaemun on Saturday so I could look for some thread and get a better look at the fabric market and to show her the shopping center(s) there. I knew she would love it! I also invited my Korean friend, Yoona to go with us. We got down there and headed straight to the fabric market. It is a seamstress' heaven! Floor after floor filled with everything you could ever need to sew with and a bunch of cool things you didn't even know you could get. There is a floor dedicated to thread, yarn and string, one for knits, one for notions, one for basic cottons, and so on. If you like to sew, you need to come to Korea! I was able to buy the threads I was looking for and then some (9 spools of serger threads for just under $12) and bought 4 yards of 1" elastic for about $4.50. From there, we walked over to the Doosan Tower and Migliore Mall. The malls hold several stories of fashion shopping and food. We grabbed lunch and continued shopping. Yoona and I headed to the stationary and toy store streets and Melina stayed by the malls. Yoona and I browsed for a bit and then called to see if Melina was ready to head home... she was having so much fun, she wanted to stay til nightfall to see the area all lit up. So Yoona and I headed back home. It was a great day... now, I still need to find a day when I can go back alone to browse at my leisure all the great fabrics! I think I only have one friend who could tolerate a whole day surrounded by fabrics, and unfortunately she doesn't live here. Come on over, Colleen!

This whole building houses the fabric market and it continues underground, too

Just one shop of many selling thread

Fabric swatches showing just one vendor's merchandise

Buttons, snaps, buckles and more... a whole floor of it!

Dress forms for sale

Yoona and I

The Doosan Tower and Migliore Mall

These building are filled with more fashion shopping!

I was excited when the Artist's summer camp changed plans for their weekly field trip from The Children's Museum to the COEX Aquarium. Not sure why, they both sound like great field trips, but I had heard about the aquarium and I wanted to see it. We were bused down to Seoul, stopped at a Buddhist temple (they said to kill time), grabbed lunch and then went into the mall where the aquarium is housed. It was so cool! They had some really great displays. It was very well done and many of the names were in English, though the descriptions usually were not. My girls have made some great friends at camp, so they spent most of the trip hanging out with them. I actually had trouble catching them for pictures. There were a lot of people at the aquarium that day, so I would love to go back again another time that may not be so busy. Besides, I didn't get to check out the mall while we were there and I glimpsed a few stores that I wanted to get a better look at. Aug 5, 2009