I been thinking a lot about the people you meet in Korea, and the crazy non-speaking relationships you have. Example number one: the sewing lady whose wee shop is opposite my apartment building. She speaks no English, and my Korean is limited to phrases like "My name is Ingrid, I am from NZ, I am an Englih teacher," and "no chicken, meat, ham, fish or seafood please". So we can't communicate a lot. But we smile and wave at each other every day, and sometimes she runs out of her store with something for me. Once it was three grape juices, and the other day it was a single throat lozenge. She is really sweet!

Then there is the lady at the downtown Subway restaurant. Once again, limited English skills on her behalf and my even worse Korean means that we can't say much. But she knows me, and remembers my order every time, and we speak in our stunted sentences and then we laugh at the realisation that we cant say much at all.

And now there's the girl who works at Holly's Coffee downtown, another place that I frequent a few times a week, who also now knows me and always tries to speak in English , even though I can confidently order and pay for my coffee in Korean. She wasn't even on duty today at the coffee shop, but she came and said hello to me.
And as little as these things are , they really make my day sometimes.