Dishes, Dishes, Dishes

During my first week in Busan, I would emerge from my apartment to find the hallway littered with dishes. Sitting outside of my neighbours doors would be plates, bowls and bento boxes.

I couldn't figure this out???

Was there some kind of dishwashing service in my building? That would be cool. I am without a dishwasher, so a service like this is would be worth it's weight in gold.

Or perhaps the dishes were waiting for some magical elves to come whisk them away, clean them and return them.

Either way, I wanted in on this gig.

I asked one of my Korean colleagues why my neighbours did this. It turns out that this is "take-out" Korean style. People order food and it's delivered complete with dishes and cutlery. After finishing the food, you set the dishes outside your apartment and the delivery guy comes back and picks them up.

No charge for delivery too!

So these delivery guys have to come to homes TWICE! Once to deliver the food. Then again later to pick up the dishes, including half-eaten food occupying some plate or bowl.

A big reason for this is they're super-conscious about garbage and recycling here. So no styrofoam containers, no wrappers, no plastic cutlery - everything's the real deal.

Aside from treading lightly in the hallways for fear of getting a chopstick skewered in my foot, I am enjoying this magical service.

I order the food. I eat the food. And the dishes...*poof* disappear!

Thank you Korean elves!