It's not travel without a 'lil s-h-o-p-p-i-n-g

One of Pepper's elementary classes.

Yesterday, I discovered an entire shopping center that completely propelled my happiness to new heights. I've been surviving just fine over here, but aside from finding some good Korean cuisine and an extremely snazzy yet expensive shopping mall, I'd been a bit down about the whole notion of shopping. Beaches are superb and mountains strike much awe, yet being able to buy something as simple as a new pair of shorts gives one a better sense of control. Well, as a female, that's how I feel, anyway.

Being a newcomer means we don't really know where to go or how to get there, and traveling anywhere outside our comfortable two-mile radius can bring forth tremendous stress. We were only able to bring a portion of our wardrobes over here, so I'm ready and prepared to find some new clothes.

My boss's wife made this meal for all the foreign teachers.
As you can see, it was amazing.

This week, my school was on a brief vacation, but since Pepper still had to work, I decided to ride with him to his place of work. After all, I was curious and wanted to see how his school compares to mine. Soon after,  I taxied over to a nearby shopping district called Nampo-dong. This area contains many things, such as a well-known fish market, a city tower that offers magnificent views of the Busan, and an assortment of street food vendors. While there, I got completely sucked in. It was wonderful. I found a store that was chock full of Korean trinkets and.....eeek! School supplies! Koreans know how to do to school supplies, believe me. This store was  cutesy pens, pencils, notebooks, pencil cases, folders, and 3-ring binders galore! As a teacher, I was in heaven. Somehow, finding these items gave me an unexpected level of comfort. Naturally, I purchased a couple inexpensive items, but when the first paycheck arrives, I'll be back.

This arched gateway was my entrance to Nampo-dong.
Vendors did not harass me to buy things, which was so nice.

Sue, one of my sweet students, works on a U.S map.
Yes, I'm all about adding geography to my language lessons.

I meandered for what felt like miles, discovering more and more treats, such as shoe stores and a bakery that specifically sells macaroons. I even hiked up a steep hill to the Busan Tower. In the meantime, enjoy the pictures and the captions!

Busan Tower.