Plants

Before you get a bank account, before getting paid or even buying food - any cozy home must be fitted with its first plants. Walking the streets of Gwangju you will see just as many plant stores as we have Wawas back home. I have spotted fig trees, bonsai, pitcher plants, and my longtime favorites - succulents! There is a lady by my school who sells these little guys for "chun won" (1 Korean Won - the paper money here is produced in denominations of 1000, 5000, and 10000).
Here are the plants I have picked up so far, I am open to name/nickname suggestions for each.





Living rocks! The first time I was given one of these, I managed to kill it within two weeks. I am giving it a second try - this time I hope to nurture it towards a healthy bloom. These plants are aptly named "living rocks" for their surface patterns generally resemble that of their surrounding rocky landscape. As they grow, a new bud will slowly emerge from the center, causing the current body of the plant to split off and die. They are members of the Lithops genus, a family of plants native to the arid climate of Souther Africa.

The lady I bought these from also gave me a pocket-full of clementines with my purchase. Apparently, gift-giving is customary in Korean culture. It is not uncommon to walk into your local Bodega and walk out with a free treat.