full service

Yesterday Ken and I headed out in the car to the grocery store. It was cold and windy as usual, but we stopped to get some gas. The gas stations are not the names that we are accustomed to - they have names like Hyundai Oil and S-Oil. Gas is also sold by the liter and it takes 3.79 liters to make one gallon. I noticed that gas is around 1650 Korean won for 1 liter. And 1650 won is equal to $1.75 today. So correct me if I am wrong, but that comes to $6.63 a gallon!

However, before you draw any conclusions, let me enlighten you on a few things that occur whenever you pull into a gas station in Korea. First of all, there is only FULL SERVICE as far as I can see. You pull in, an attendant (usually in a uniform) rushes out and sometimes manages to bow to you as you pull up to the pump. Yes, bow. We then tell them "full" and they proceed to pump the gas for us. There is only unleaded and diesel - I haven't noticed all the different grades of gas here. After you pay, they give you the receipt and also a little gift. Usually it is a packet that you open up and find Kleenex in it. We have also gotten raincoats and white cotton gloves (driving gloves, maybe???). Yesterday we had another first - the man handed us two warm cans labeled Maxwell House.
Since it was so cold, we gave it a try. It was really good, creamy coffee in a can. I have seen some machines here that are labeled hot and cold drinks but never paid much attention to them, except for this one in Okpo with a telephone attached. It got Ken and I to thinking about how they can manage to heat the closed cans up just right without getting it too hot or exploding them. And if the FULL SERVICE gas stations are worth the extra three or so dollars a gallon.

Maybe if they added cleaning your windows and checking your oil????