Anyang Station Market

After trying to see all of Korea in four weeks, I'm exhausted. The key word is try, lol. So, this weekend I decided to give myself a break. Thus, I don't have much for show and tell or story time this week. In fact, I am blogging purely to force myself into the habit. Even still, my friend and fellow teacher Mark was kind enough to take me to the Anyang Station Market. This was a refreshing experience not only because it was shared, but also, it was a more iconic or traditional Asian market. Instead of the big box store or Borg cube as I think of them, it was an open air market with all the crazy new smells, sights, and the buzzing of a thousand souls all crammed into covered alleys between aging, propped-up buildings. Well, this market was actually very well maintained compared to the ones I remember from Costa Rica, but you get the idea. From apples to zebra fish, the challenge would be to find something that is not in this market. While the central market is an open air setting, surrounding the market is square miles of stores, boutiques, coffee shops, outfitters, restaurants, etc. It is absolutely mind boggling to look as far as you possibly can down a street and not be able to see then end of the stores as the crowded street fades into the distance. Anyway, here are some of the highlights . . .

Umm... oh ... ok... well... 

Oh, I was actually hoping that you would have a cow head wrapped... You wouldn't happen to have any fresh ones??? 

Hmm, I'm wondering if the arrangement is the marketing scheme to make you buy it against your good instinct... 

So, these are blood sausages, and yes, they are cooked with blood (that's why they are a dark color). I had three! It was an experience, lol. As my friend Mark explained to me, never order something that looks like chocolate soup when in the Philippines...yeah... 

This is at the actual station. 

"Oh, let me take a picture of the train..." mmm, bad idea as it ripped past me at about 100mph and I thought I was going to be decapitated, lol. Lesson: just because you are at the 'station' doesn't mean they will slow down. 

This is actually from a night earlier in the week. A few of us teachers went out after work. This was while we were waiting for our Egyptian sandwiches which are absolutely amazing!!! They are like a Philly cheese steak on steroids. So good!!! Anyway, get the pun? lol Gingers Unite!!! 

Till next time, cheerios  :)