#5. Daiso

Sorry about the delay. It's been a busy one this week--I've been cleaning the apartment from top to bottom to get ready for some guests who came/are coming to stay. I have a little bit of a reprieve at the moment, so I'm going to try to get a few more of these banged out before things start to get really busy later next month.

#5. Daiso

So I know that this technically isn't a Korean store, but its existence has made my life so much easier, and I don't know what I would have done without it. Daiso is a magical, wonderful place, where everything you need is available for 1000, 2000, or 3000 won. And I'm not talking about the crappy dollar store stuff you find at places in the US. Half my apartment is from the dollar store, including (but not limited to) kitchen knives, bowls, plates, cups, wine glasses, jewelry boxes, hair bands and clips, Christmas and Easter decorations, potted plants, and all my office supplies. Half the things I use as filler in the packages I send home is from the dollar store and I have had no complaints about their quality. Some of their merchandise is just so ridiculously cute that its hard not to buy three or four of something even knowing that you don't even really need one.

Take, for instance, these molded rice scoopers. When am I ever going to have a real practical need for a heart shaped mound of rice? Probably never, but I rest easier knowing that if I was so inclined, I could have my rice sending signs of love to me while eating my dinner. I have also seen some ridiculously cute cookie cutters, figurines, and serving plates that sorely tempted my resolution not to buy everything in the store. On the practical side of course, it's a wonderful place to go to grab that picnic mat that can double as a sun reflector. And when you are looking for the caulk for your bathroom or a spare light bulb or some pretty decorative boxes for your tiny little apartment, its absolutely invaluable. I even bought my first set of screwdrivers from the dollar store. Of course, I don't hold any illusions that these things will stand the test of time, but for a foreigner starting a new life in a Korea, I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't been able to get everything my apartment needed for such a cheap price. And as for the Christmas tree and all my first Christmas ornaments? Definitely shipping those home with me. :)