Many people will say that in general, Koreans are friendly
people. I would say that has been my
overall experience during my stay.
However, as I became more immersed into my life here, I tend to forget
about that quality. It’s always nice
when you meet someone who reminds you of this endearing trait.
Yesterday, I went to the Junam Reservior, which is large
wetland area that also serves as a winter home to over 20 different species of
birds. The warm weekend weather, coupled
with the desire to play around with my new camera, prompted me to make the journey
to the outskirts of Changwon.
I walked around the reservoir for over 3 hours enjoying the
weather, taking in the scenery, and trying out my camera. I was on my way to
the bus stop to head back into Changwon when an elderly man caught my attention
and waved for me to come over to him.
After introducing himself and his wife, both of whom spoke decent
English, especially for someone their age, he started asking me the usual
questions such as, “Where are you from?
What do you do in Korea? Where do
you live here?” and so on. They then asked
me if I would like to join them for some coffee or tea. I had no specific plans for the day so I
agreed.
We headed to the visitors center and ordered our
beverages. They insisted upon paying for
my tea. We sat down and just chatted for
over a half-hour. Just some of the
things we talked about were their travels in America, our respective families,
our jobs (they are both retired), what I like about Korea, what they liked
about America, and current events.
When we finished, they offered to give me a ride back to
Changwon. I later learned that they live
outside of Masan, which means they were going out of their way for me. Upon dropping me off, I try to thank them for
their generosity, but they said they should be thanking me because they don’t
often get the opportunity to converse in English.
In this increasingly impersonal and detached world in which
we live, it is refreshing to meet people who are willing to show such
generosity to a stranger, especially a foreign stranger. Seemingly insignificant experiences like
this, which will not soon be forgotten, will go a long way in my creating and
maintaining a positive view of Korea.
Random Pictures From Junam Reservior
Note: The above picture was not taken yesterday,
but rather a month ago. I included it because it is
one of my favorites.
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