Korean Hospitality

Last week I was approached by three girls and asked to make an "appointment" to eat ddeok-boggi with them. They told me that they would pay and wanted to go to a restaurant. I initially agreed, only because I didn't know how to say no, but then I talked to my co-teacher and she thought it would be better to have the meeting at school. I understand where she is coming from, and don't want to do anything that will put my reputation in question. I found it a little strange that the girls wanted to do something outside of school with me, but I guess they are very curious and want to get to know me better. I met them today - there were more than I was expecting - and each ended up bringing something to eat or drink. The girl that organized it is Jennifer, the one on the left in the uniform. She looks unhappy because she does not like having her picture taken. I met her my first day in Daegu before school even started at HomePlus. In addition to ddeok-boggi, we had kimbap (similar to sushi), quite an assortment of snacks, and 2% (a beverage that is like flavored water).

The weather in Daegu is getting cooler so it was a bit chilly. The days are also getting shorter so it got dark earlier than usual. Luckily we were all equipped with our cell phones so that helped provide us with light when we needed it at the end to clean up (you can even see our makeshift trash bag in the top right corner of the picture!). It was very dark and Jennifer told us a ghost story; and her English is quite impressive. She ended up translating what a lot of the other girls wanted to say, but she encouraged them at every opportunity and kept telling them to speak in English, or at least try. The girls seemed to think that this would be a "bad memory" for me because it was cold and dark, but I really enjoyed spending time with them and trying some new Korean foods. I really think it was an excellent opportunity for them to practice their English, too!

On a side note, I can't believe this is my first post since I have been to Daegu! I have been very busy and have had a lot of experiences here in Korea I would have liked to blog about, but did not find the time. Hopefully I will be able to write more, but if not, I will be sure to take plenty of pictures =)