Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ibsen]

Today at work during my dinner break I walked over to my local lunch spot. It's a small Korean restaurant owned by these 3 older Korean ladies (probably in their 50's or so). I go there at least twice a week, and have gotten to know the owners on a casual level despite their limited English abilities and my extremely limited Korean. They have always been very nice to me, trying to speak English when they can and recommending new things for me to try, some of which have become my new "usual".

There weren't many clouds in the sky today when I was going to dinner, so I didn't bother taking my umbrella. By the time I was done eating, it was pouring... hard. I paid for my meal, stepped outside and stood under the little awning, staring at the sky. After about a minute, one of the owners came outside and handed me her umbrella and told me "I borrow you". I bowed and thanked her and walked back to work with her umbrella.

Whenever someone shows me random kindness I really take it to heart. She could have acted like she didn't notice me and I would have gotten soaked walking back in my work clothes right before teaching another class... but instead she saw me and understood the situation and decided to help despite having no obligation to do so. Even more so, I know that she closes the restaurant at 9, and at 9 today it was still pouring which means she had no umbrella to leave with. I want to let her know that I appreciated her gesture, so I wanted to get her a small gift.

Now the whole point of all that is to ask, what would be an appropriate gift in this situation? I'm going back on Monday for dinner and to return the umbrella, but I want to bring a small thank you gift too. Is there a traditional Korean casual thank you present? I know fruit is a popular, but I'm not totally sure if it is appropriate in this case. I was also thinking a gift card, but I don't even know if the big stores here even do gift cards like they do in the states (I've only been here 2 months). Input would be appreciated.

Oh also, I was thinking around 10,000 won-ish

[tardisrider]

Flowers.

[teachyou1004]

a case of Bacchus-D

[ajosshi]

Chocolate from afar

[radcon]

Your continued patronage of her fine dining establishment.

[Lazio]

[whiteshoes]

I usually go with a prepackaged gift set type of thing from Paris Baguette.

[luckylady]

those really fancy rice cakes are always popular with older folks - I've given them to my landlady and her husband, both are grandparents.

[WadRUG'naDoo]

Why give her anything? I guess you could at least give her the umbrella you borrowed...

[english_prospect]

Give her a free English lesson - 'I borrow, you lend'

[atwood]

Something fairly small, otherwise you're probably going to create an uneasy situation since she'll feel indebted.

You might wait until Chusok; a gift then would probably create less of a social obligation.

And are you planning to give a gift only for her or one all three of the women can share?

[timhorton]

You can't go wrong with a box of those mini del monte juice. The small glass ones in the box with the carry handle.

[PatrickGHBusan]

Flowers are a nice idea.

I used to go to a small restaurant across the road from my first school in Busan. It was run by an ajuma and her daughter. They lived in the same building as the restaurant. The food there was great and like the OP I went all the time and go to know the ajuma.

Over the years, she met my wife and our son. In 2006, she died of cancer. I knew she was sick but she kept working through it all. When she passed away her daughter invited us to the funeral and we met her extended family.

That woman was always pleasant, generous and warm.

[premiummince]

[lemak]

One of those half-liter containers of hand sanitizer?