Service!

Korean people are so generous! Stores and vendors are usually incredibly grateful for your business and will often throw in something extra for free. This happens at large stores as well as at street carts. For example when I went to Home Plus (somewhat like a Super Walmart), I could not believe how many items came with free gifts. If you buy a bag of rice it may have a free mug taped to it. I bought laundry detergent and it had a free mini laundry detergent attached. This happens a lot. It also happens with local vendors and in convenience stores.

Friday night I stopped and bought Mandoo from "the mandoo guy" who sets up his cart on my block on the weekends. It is only $2 for 6 mandoo dumplings. He always throws in an extra one for free. When Koreans give you something for free they tell you "service!". I guess that means free. When I went to the market, the vendors often threw in one more of whatever I was buying and said "service!" with a smile. It is so kind!

Today was my favorite though. I went to the convenience store to buy some noodles for lunch. I brought them to the counter and the clerk motioned for me to pick out a bottle of water. Apparently the noodles I picked out came with a free water! THEN I noticed they had the kind of gimbap I liked (they dont always have the same kinds) so I decided to buy that as well. The clerk then went over and got me a starbucks iced coffee drink out of the cooler and that was free too! So I just happened to pick out two things that came with free gifts! Yay for free things in Korea!