A few days after our initial meeting, I met Sung at a local Korean restaurant, the only one in town. I arrived early and noticed that there was a market next door. Just walking through the door transported me back to Seoul. There were Korean products everywhere! I asked the attendant where the soda was and she directed me to the back of the store. I picked out two lime green cans, which I was told were the Korean version of Sprite.
When Sung arrived in his new car, a Honda SUV, I handed him his share of the store bounty. He immediately perked up, smiled, and thanked me. Serendipitously, the refreshment was a product of his father's company. After sitting down, we conversed for a bit about life in general. I have to say, Sung and I have developed a nice little rapport.
Right before we were going to order, a man and his wife and child walked in. It was immediately clear that Sung knew him, as he jumped out of his seat, bowed deeply, and began to speak in rapid Korean. They talked for a bit and it was interesting to observe the social interactions of a different culture. Sung spoke in a quiet tone and very quickly, as if he wanted to make way for his elder to speak... or it could have been nervousness. Either way, it was fascinating.
We then ordered. I purchased a heap of Galbi beef, while Sung bought the meat soup (I can't remember its name). There were side dishes of Kimchi (bleh), tofu, and soup. I delighted in using chopsticks again, an instrument that I find very efficient, and we shared in a very pleasant conversation.
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