Shopping at Dongdaemun + Myeongdong + Apgujeong

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> Korea is like one giant Forever 21 store. The clothes are cute, but aren't always of the best quality. There are a lot of high end, luxury brand knock offs that are sold by street vendors. Looking for the new Chanel Mademoiselle handbag, but don't want to spend $2,000? Well, you're in luck. Find the right booth, ask the guy to show you the "popular American leather goods" and you'll find a secret stash of wallets and purses hidden under a wood panel underneath the display. You can get the same purse for $200 cash. No photos though, please.

Department stores in Dongdaemun stay open until the wee hours of the morning. It's commonplace to grab coffee with your girlfriends and then hit the malls until 5 a.m.! Dongdaemun has become the ultimate shopping destination in Asia. All of the store clerks have been trained to greet customers in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese.

I can't tell you the number of times I was chased down the aisles by a store attendant wavering around free samples while blathering away in Japanese. Too funny.

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Photos

Afternoon lunch with Tina
The only bridesmaid that I had yet to meet before the wedding. We enjoyed a nice lunch together at Paris Baguette. :)