Food Waste Bags

One of the best things about Korea is how well they deal with waste. Recycling is mandatory and they also require that you put most kinds of food waste in a separate bag, which you can purchase from any grocery store. The waste is collected and then converted into animal feed. 

This is a food waste bag that can hold about one liter of food. They also come in two liter sizes, and restaurants have their own kind too. I keep a bag in the freezer and add food until it's full. Then you take it down to the trash drop-off spot and put it in a specially labeled trashcan. 

My Filipino housekeeper told me a really funny story about these bags recently. There was a newly-arrived Filipino lady to our area who had been told about these bags, but only that they were 'food bags'. So this lady packed her lunch into one of them. This wouldn't normally be a problem, but on this particular day she ate her lunch while on the public bus (a faux pas in Korea, but she didn't know). She pulled out her bag and started to eat. The Koreans on the bus were horrified! They immediately started handing her money and any food they had with them. The Filipino lady was so confused, she already had a nice lunch. With the language barrier no one could explain themselves, but everyone involved had a good story to tell when they got home!

Local Excitement: We Have a 7-11!

We live in a neighborhood that was built on two lots in a small farming village. We're not quite in the middle of nowhere, but compared to where most people live in South Korea we're pretty isolated. My family medicine doctor was flabbergasted when she discovered that the closest physical therapy place to us was a 20 minute drive, and the closest pharmacy was a 10 minute drive. When we moved in, there were hardly any shops nearby and the ones that were closest were not very useful. So when we saw that an empty building at the end of our street was being converted into a 7-11 it was very exciting! 

Convenience stores are a significant part of Korean culture. You can get what you would expect: drinks, snacks, some prepared foods, but also things you might not expect: socks, underwear, makeup, some basic medicines, alcohol, hot water for your cup noodles (similar, but way better than, packaged ramen), baked sweet potatoes and tables to eat and drink at. Convenience stores are actually popular hang-out spots in the evening, and a decent lunch option during the day. 

Here is our new 7-11 on its opening day. You can see many flower pots and a big flower arrangement out front. These are gifts given to new businesses to wish them good luck and prosperity. There is a picnic table out front to the right, and on the far left of the building is an enclosed porch with four more tables to eat at. Later in the day when the weather got warmer the porch doors were opened and people were already hanging out!