A sharing culture

I have heard this phrase over and over regarding Korean culture.

And in my short time here (two months and counting!) I have found it to be true.

No one eats unless EVERYBODY eats. Why on earth would you come to school with a personal snack? It borders on rudeness not to offer food to others if you are eating.

One of my friends brought a fruit-to-go to school (sent from Canada, they don't sell them over here). For those of you unfamiliar with fruit-to-go's, they are maybe 3x8cm of dried fruit. Not my idea of a good time, but anyway. Lisa offered a piece to her co-worker. Her co-worker immediately took the fruit-to-go, tore it into ten miniscule pieces, and gave every teacher in eyesight a scrap of Canadian food. Lisa was told, 'In Korea, we share'.

I see examples of this everyday. Students consistently offer me candy in the halls and if you give one child a candy, they either ask for another for their friends, or try to somehow share what they have been given (well I've heard about this, I don't personally use candy in my classroom).

Still, last night at the noraebang I was slightly taken aback when one of my co-workers took my personal 500mL water bottle from the table and poured himself a glass!