I travelled South Korea last summer and it was exciting! Korea is very different from my home country, which is located in the North America. The people are generally interested in foreign cultures and learning languages, so they are willing to help foreigners who try to speak their language. I was really surprised when I went out shopping with my friends because all of them were being given presents. If you go out shopping with Koreans, it's almost guaranteed that you'll go home with one or two bags. Every time I went shopping, my friends bought me something too! The presents are called "hagwons," which are wrapped in bright red decorative paper. Hagwons are given when someone visits another's house. Koreans gifts are not only during holidays, but also when celebrating birthdays and attending weddings. Koreans usually give white porcelain or jade hagwons , which are expensive items to help their friends succeed by gaining "wealth" luck. Jade symbolizes longevity, so parents usually buy children jade hagwons for protection against bad luck.