이대 Edae

My current favorite neighborhood is 이대 (Edae). As home of Ehwa Women's University, it features tons of boutiques, shoe stores, nail salons, eateries, and cosmetic stores; reasonably priced for young Korean fashionistas. I've gone there a few times previously, but only during the day. You'd think I would have figured this out by now, but I learned this weekend that Edae is much more lively in the evening. Apparently, the street vendors don't come out until the sun goes down.

I was especially excited by all of the street food: chicken skewers, fried balls of octopus, sausage & beer, fried potato spirals, french fries, walnut cakes, steamed corn, fresh fruit juice, dried squid -- the list goes on. The assortment of street food is mouth watering. Though I feel it is my duty to try every individual snack on behalf of all of you back at home, I'm trying to pace myself.

This time around, I tried 옥수수 호떡 (oksusu hoddok), a chewy corn cake stuffed with some sort of cinnamon filling. On an embarrassing note, I dipped my corn cake into what I thought was cinnamon sugar, but it turned out to be some sort of salt and pepper mix, intended for the fried potato. I should have been tipped off by the odd look that the vendor shot me as I grabbed the shaker, but I just thought she was concerned about my clumsy use of of the "cinnamon" shaker. Cyndi says that the woman called me "unique." I think that sounds about right.
































































FASHION BONUS
So how do the ladies of Edae plan to tackle autumn in Korea? If these mannequins are any indication, it's all about layers, vests, scarves, and a warm, muted color palette (e.g., gray, army green, or burgundy). Also, don't let the autumn breeze stop you from getting more out of your summer shorty shorts or mini skirts. I swear, Korean women must have legs of steel. Not only do they spend all day in stilleto heels, but they can rock a mini skirt into the thick of winter.

I'm looking forward to dressing for the fall. I love scarves. Any hint of a breeze is reason enough for me to wear a scarf. Yay! My first real autumn!