Today as I was walking to lunch, I was feeling a bit down. Someone I cared about had passed away and I wasn't very happy about it. As I was walking to lunch, I ended up catching up with some female high school teachers. One of them saw me and stepped back so that I wouldn't be walking by myself. In Korean society, you never eat, drink, or do things by yourself. For that, today, I am grateful.
We went into the cafe together. I got what they got except for the mushroom side dish. I even picked up the red kimchi. Surprisingly, I am starting to like kimchi just a little bit. One teacher in particular talked to me in her limited English. I was coached on how to say the name of the food I was eating. Don't remember any of them except one. I really liked the sweet and sour fake chicken that looked like topokie (misspelled). It was called corn with barely any saying the "n" sound.
She also taught me how to say really good. Teyba. I think that was the word. Unsure now. There is a lot of emphasis on the first syllable. I like it and would love to use it. The meal ended with a smile. I felt like I belonged. Meals can be so hard sometimes.
So, you are likely to make sure no one else is going about life alone from now on, having become immersed into this culture where that is the norm. A wonderful trait to attribute to the Korean people! The world needs more of this loving kind of hospitality towards fellow sojourners!
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