A new car

This morning I came to my desk to find a small bottle of apple yogurt on my desk. I looked around and realized every teacher had one of these on their desks.  I am usually the last to know why these random snacks appear, so I decided to take the initiative and ask my teacher where it came from.  It turns out one of my colleagues bought a new car this weekend so he brought in yogurt for everyone.  This type of thing used to surprise/perplex me, but now I simply smile and enjoy my yogurt.

You see in Korea joy is not something to be kept, it is something to ALWAYS be shared.  If someone gets a new car, has a son/daughter who performs well on a test, or even gets a new haircut, he or she will bring in something that will bring joy to everyone else around them (usually food of course!).  It's not considered selfish or bragging--it's simply what you do when you are part of a community.  You're never alone in anything. You share, you love, and you feel together.

I love it.