Day 5: Namdaemun Market

At the Namdaemun street market, negotiating is a normal part of the shopping experience. You're expected to haggle for a lower price, which I find very interesting and different from Western culture. In the U.S., that may come off as rude or absurd, but here it is customary. I wonder if it's because any sale is better than no sale at all. Maybe the risk of losing a customer is worse than selling something for cheap. Christina and I bought some corn dogs, which were delicious!! There was everything in these markets from clothes, handbags, watches, food, sunglasses, jewelry, drinks, and more! It's so interesting that such a technologically-advanced country also has a thriving local vendors market. I wonder if it's tradition that keeps these places alive, even if it's less efficient than ordering stuff online. This was one of my favorite site visits, as it felt like a place that was meant for locals, not catered towards tourists.