A cute woman with a back pack went into the soju bar we were sitting in front of. She came out quickly and then approached us. Her English was very poor to non-existent. Between her bad English and Korean she introduced herself. She is from Mongolia and going to University in Cheongju.
Then she opened her backpack and asked if we would buy socks from her. That is why she was shuffled out of the soju bar so quickly. She went in to sell to customers. Which a lot of places don't mind, but I guess they did.
I didn't need socks. Plus I wondered if she was really a student. Was this some kind of scam? So I, well we, politely told her no. She took it well and headed off up the street.
After she left I felt like a cad. Sure she could be scamming us but then again she could be just what she said. A university student from Mongolia. A stranger in a very strange land. Maybe she needed the money.
Stig and I talked about it. I wondered how much of the money she actually got to keep. Street vendors usually sell them for 2000 won a pair. Why not spend a little money?
Stig saw here coming back down the street and called her over. She sold 3 pairs for 10,000 won. Not quite the price of 2 Long Island Ice Teas. We each bought 3 pairs. She was very happy. Lots of Happy New Years from her. Then she headed back off down the street.
We were happy too. It is nice to help someone out, or at least feel like you did. Part of me still wonders if she was really a University student. I guess I tend to be suspicious of people and their motives. Regardless it felt nice.
This is cool !
ReplyDeleteAnd she was cute. :)
ReplyDeleteNice heartwarming story about socks.
ReplyDeleteOne day I saw 3 pidgeons pecking away at food. Upon closer inspection as I was walking by, I saw that it was in fact, puke they were eating. I thought to myself, that sums up some days in Korea very well.
Two days ago I entered the elevator at my parents-in-law's apartment without a coat. There was a boy holding books and no coat and the button for the 2nd floor already pushed. I thought that he must be going to study. I push my button for the 2nd basement level. The elevator stops around the 8th floor and an ajumma gets on. The elevator stops at the 2nd floor, and as the the boy is leaving the elevator, the woman is telling him that it's the 2nd floor and not the 1st floor. He's puzzled and says that he knows that. The elevator doors close and the woman becomes panicky as the elevator doesn't stop at the 1st floor and proceeds to the 2nd basement. I get off and she has to stay on the elevator to go back up to the first floor after having not pushed the button for her desired floor.
Lesson: Pay attention to what you are doing and don't be so concerned about the things other people are doing.
Yesterday I took my baby for a stroller ride in the small local park. At a crossing of two pathways, I am going to meet a woman who is walking with her face in her cellular phone. She speeds up her walk to make sure she will go first, but when I slow down to let her pass, she really slows down right in front of me to take her sweet ass time without ever taking her face out of her phone. I just have to shake my head.
Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. I don't know how many times I have had the elevator or walking story happen.
Or a take on the elevator story. The door opens and they stand there until it starts to close and then realize they should have gotten off.