The Marshmallow Effect

Koreans are often perceived as cold or rude. On the exterior, that certainly appears to be the case. But infact, underneathe that exterior there is a warm gooey center of compassion, warmth, and curiosity. I call it "The Marshmallow Effect". To demonstrate this phenomenon one day to Evan, we took a cab and sure enough the driver had the typical Korean stone cold expression. We had just bought some strawberries at the market and we smiled and offered him some. In half a second, his perma-frown changed into laugh lines and the biggest smile I'd ever seen...

It may sound like an insult to say this, but in general, Koreans are not terribly complicated. Underneathe the misconception of rudeness and coldness, which I actually think is just an outward expression of their incredible strength, they are actually emotional, passionate and loving people. Given their history, its no wonder; Korea could not be where it is today were it not for the compassion that Koreans show one another (and, in most cases, foreigners as well). I hope that other visitors and expats in Korea can witness the wonderful generosity and warmth of the Korean people. Breaking through the exterior takes little to no time actually and before you know it, you will have Koreans adopting you into their social circles, their homes, their families and their hearts.