Korean Convenience

I just wanted to tell you an interesting story about one of the things that happened while I was in South Korea that I couldn't ever see happening in any other big city.

First, the setting: This story takes place in Seoul, South Korea. The population of the city is over 10 million people and if you include the suburbs of Seoul, you are closer to the 15 million mark. Obviously, it's one of the busiest and most populated cities on the earth.

So, it's a Saturday night and I'm on my way home from a great night out with friends. I'm in a taxi on my own, and pulling into my neighborhood. The place we went out was at the opposite end of town, and after having dropped some friends off, my taxi bill is around the $12-$15 mark.



Well, in Korea they have something called "soo pyo", which are kind of like checks, and they are often valued at around $100. The other thing to remember is that the largest Korean denomination is the 10,000 won bill, which is basically a $10 bill. So, if you are carrying any significant amount of cash, you have a lot of bills.



Well, when it came time to pay for my ride, I only had these soo pyo available. But, the taxi driver didn't have enough change. So, I said no problem, let's stop at a convenience store. So, we pull up next to a convenience store and I run in while the cab driver waits patiently as I waste his time.



Unfortunately, the cashier advises me that they don't have enough cash to make change as all the cash has been locked in the safe for the night and it can't be opened till the next day.

Seeing that my situation is not very promising, the night manager pulls out $20 and gives it to me, asking that I come back the next day to repay him!

I've never met this person in my life! I'm in one of the biggest cities in the world, and this guy trusts that I'm going to show up the next day and pay him back!

I was very surprised (not my first time being surprised in Korea). I went out to the taxi to pay him and was on my way, feeling like I was in the greatest situation of my life.

Here I was, making good money, having a great time, and having some of the most memorable experiences of my life!

So, the next day, I decided to treat the employees to a little thank you. In Korea, it's quite popular to show up with cakes at parties and gatherings, or when visiting someone's home etc...

So I stopped by our local Paris Baguette, which is a french-style bakery that you can find all over South Korea. I picked up a cake and some other snacks for the staff and headed over to say thank you, give my gift, and pay back my debt.



It felt great to know that there is that amount of trust and that there are kind and helpful people all around Korea. It just reinforced for me that I was in a wonderful place having the time of my life.

Jason