Korean Hospitality

This past week was bad. Monday left me throwing up my hands, almost in tears, telling a co-teacher "I just don't know what to do with this class. I just don't know." She smiled sympathetically but offered little advice or help. Wednesday, I sat at my desk and stared at my computer screen having no energy to do anything and then went to lunch to find out that one of the Korean teachers is going to Canada over the winter holiday. I almost burst in to tears right then and there. Thursday and Friday left me just plain disgruntled with the school, the staff and Korea.

Amongst all of this, there was one thing that kept me going.

About a week ago I had mentioned to one of my Korean co-teachers that I liked the drink that was in the cafeteria. It was like a sweet spicy cider but I couldn't quite put my finger on the taste. She explained to me that it was 'Sujeongkwa' a persiminnon juice that had cinnamon and ginger. I asked if she had a recipe and she said that she could give it to me. I didn't think any more of it after that.

Then, this past Tuesday afternoon, around 4:00pm, the same co-teacher came in to my office with a grocery bag full on groceries and a piece of paper. She pulled out the recipe and started explaining each part while pulling out the matching ingredient. Not only had she bought me all of the ingredients for the 'Sujeongkwa', she had also made a container full of the juice. I was floored.

I had been told about Korean generosity and hospitality before I came to Korea but this was incredible. This teacher has two small children, a husband and a full and busy life but she had gone completely out of her way (cinnamon sticks, as she pointed out, are very hard to find) and did all this for me after I mentioned in passing that I like the juice. Although things may not always be easy here, I can say without a doubt that the teachers and the school have made me feel more welcome and more part of the school than any school I've ever worked in.