Wanna Bite?
Monday, August 4th, 2008More from Stephanie:
So on an early release day at the elementary school where I helped teach, my aunt picked me up and I went with her to help her with her job, which was a private English tutor for kids. Her job seemed to consist mostly of driving to each kid’s apartment, checking their homework, asking a few questions and assigning more homework for next time. (maybe it was homework-check-day or something) but after we visited a few kids and got in the elevator to ascend yet again, we were joined by some very young “초딩”s. Before we came to that apartment we had each bought an “ice cream” (more of popsicle type things really) and were trying to eat it before we got to the kids house and when my aunt saw the two second or third grade boys, she immediately offerred her half eaten ice cream to one of them saying “무글래?”(먹을래). I was a little suprised that she would do this, because I highly doubted that she knew this kid, let alone be close enough to offer her ice cream!
Later, as I was leaving a tutoring session, ( that I taught by myself) with “Michael” (6th grade) who came from a different apartment and therefore had to go home also, we were joined by another small kid from that floor whom neither of us knew. Michael was eating a box of 빼빼로 that the 아줌아 whose kid I was teaching supplied for refreshments. When he saw the kid, he offerred some to the little guy who took a couple. I asked Michael if he even knew the kid and he was like , “No. Just.” (그냥 makes more sense in Korean, which by itself means like, ‘just because’ or ‘no reason̵ 
and when I asked “why would you give a kid you don’t even know something to eat?!” to which he replied “Koreans are just friendly.” I thought this was a very interesting thing. I don’t know about other places, but here, random people are not apt to offer you stuff, unless they’re flyers advertising something but I know I would be a little freaked out if someone I didn’t even know offered me their 과자 they happened to be eating at the moment. Anyone else have a similar experience?
Posted by steved in Steve's House, How Koreans Do It |
August 5th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
i haven’t had this exact experience, but i have had a similar experience that involves eating other peoples’ half eaten food. i was on a korean church retreat here in the states (myself being the only american - it was awesome) and one night for dinner we had 닭갈비 and after everyone was eating most of the food out of the communal pan that we cooked in on the table, everyone dumped their half eaten rice back into the pan (about 8 people, including myself) and made fried rice out of the sauce. then we all ate it.
that would never happen with most americans - they would be too afraid of sharing germs. but, i must say, it was dang good fried rice. i don’t mind sharing food. i have a pretty tough immune system!
August 5th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
I’ve never been offered food from a stranger but I see my students eating some 과자 they will almost always offer me some.
August 9th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
I had a similar experience but the ages were reversed. Me and two friends (all in our twenties) were hiking up 북한산 when we had to stop for a break. I was pretty cranky and needed some food so I asked a group of older Koreans (who were also hiking) if they had any snacks. Did they. We were practically spoon fed cucumbers, rice cakes, crackers, cookies, and a little soju to wash it down. Never would one experience such generosity like that in the states.