EMART haul~ Saturday/Monday
On Saturday I took a short trek down the subway line with Justin to the nearest E-Mart.
E-Mart is like superwalmart. But more awesome. And they have perfectly normal quality stuff, from basic clothing accessories to everyday household needs. Which is what I needed to get.
I got a bedspread set for the bed. It comes with a cover sheet, a mattress pad/cover, a comforter (which i put my sleeping bag inside instead of buying the padding, because it's just as fluffy and insulated and the perfect size when unzipped.) and 4 pillow cases, 2 of each color. ESPRIT brand. fun! Also got the 2 pillows I needed, as well as a small drying rack for clothes (I have a washing machine but no dryer. Most koreans don't have dryers.)
I bought also towels for the bathroom/kitchen - nobody uses full body bath towels. They just don't exist. So you use these face sized towels whenever you take a shower. I bought a set of 7, and I already brought with me 2 hand towels and dish towel, so they count too. they roll up nicely in the bathroom cabinet, and you just throw them in the wash every other day or so.
Also needed a curtain/rolling screen for the huge window. In the nighttime, with my light on, it would be so easy for people in the building across the street to see me dancing around or post shower, and blocking the obnoxious morning light, so this is obviously necessary. Also got a small waste bin to put near the desk, for non-foody trash stuffs.
I made a second trip to Emart on Monday, because it turned out I needed a few more things. I bought a rice cooker, and thankfully found the same one I had in the states (for like 80$ cheaper too!), so even though this one's buttons are all in Korean, I kind of already knew how to use it. And it's a good rice cooker, with the correct electrical plug, so no adapter needed. Much better than hauling my own from Boston to here. Hot water kettle, for coffee, tea, instant noodles, etc. And pots and pans. Turns out I couldn't use my stovetop for the whole first 4 days I was here because the pans I brought didn't work on it. It woudln't turn on. Because, I found out later, it's an induction stove! It required stainless steel pans in order to create an electrical current and heat the pan and its contents.
Found a decent set for about 45,000KRW with a frying pan, saucepan, and soup pot, all with lids. (and pink handles! score!) I also bought a mini steamer pan as well. Some spoons, cups, hangers for the warddrobe closet, and an extra blanket. The taxi drive home was only about 7,000KRW because it's really not that far. My driver was an old guy, and he was so shocked about how I tried to speak Korean to him to give directions, because he at first tried to reject me because he didn't speak English. really nice man, very helpful. and very chatty! Knowing basics helps.
So now my apartment looks more like a home!
