Yikes, this one’s much later than I had originally anticipated for it to be. If it helps, I did have family visiting from the states. Anyone that knows what that’s like while trying to juggle work at the same time should understand what I mean when I say that it was quite possibly one of the busiest weeks I’ve had in a long while. Overall, it was fun, and now I’m left with enough boxed macaroni and cheese to last me the entire year.
Anyways, while I’m not sure if there’s an actual translation for the term 서비씨 (seobissi), I assume it’s a spin on the the word “service”. Either way, I can’t help but get excited whenever I hear any sort of shopkeep utter those magical words.
For those of you that may be unsure about the whole concept of having free things tossed your way for no reason, it’s a pretty common thing here in Korea. Spending a good chunk of change at any sort of specialty store will usually get you a bunch of little trinkets like face masks, cotton swabs, sampler kits, etc. Heck, even my bank gave me a box of lotion and hand towels simply for opening an account with them.
The one time I can do without the freebies is whenever I’m shopping for fruits and veggies from street vendors. While an extra cup of cherry tomatoes is always a welcome treat, I always end up having to throw them away, as produce in this country doesn’t seem to last very long (especially in the warmer months). Maybe I should start tossing my unwanted produce at my co-workers.
As much as I love my home country, I’ll definitely miss Korean freebies and overall customer service whenever I go back.
For anyone that’s gone shopping in Korea, what sort of freebies have you gotten? What were your favorites? If you know of any place that gets quite generous with their offerings, please do share!
